UCHANU: leaving Vietnam for two hours

Craving French toast, Sharon and I took the bus over to Joma Cafe--a restaurant/cafe catering to a foreign crowd in the Old Quarter. After walking inside, I literally felt like I had just stepped out of Hanoi and into LA or San Francisco. We ordered the mango French toast and headed upstairs, where I continued to be amazed by the lack of anything reminding me of Vietnam. There weren't any Vietnamese customers when we came in, and it was very surreal to be sitting in leather chairs and studying in this environment. The food was amazing, though really expensive for Vietnam--64.000đ for the French toast. Interestingly, the structure of the building really cut us off from the outside, as there was a big gate in front of the cafe, and several floors with big walls and relatively small windows. The only real sign that we were in Hanoi was the dim sound of honking coming in through the walls. Even though it was comfortable and the food was good, this experience was definitely disturbing to me. There was no Vietnamese influence on the food or space--the whole thing was basically a carbon copy of a western cafe/breakfast place. It specifically disturbed me when I noticed a title on the back of a French guy's newspaper--something like "Flood leaves 30 dead or missing." This sight just reminded me of how the people eating at this restaurant have the privilege to distance themselves from negative aspects of the "real" Vietnam and the struggles that everyday Vietnamese people have to face. It almost seems like "real" Vietnamese people are intentially excluded from this space which seems to exist solely to provide a familiar escape for westerners.
However, overall Sharon and I definitely enjoyed the experience. To be honest, it was nice to escape the noise and pollution of crowded Hanoi streets, and to eat familiar foods we missed. It was nice to study in a comfortable leather chair, and to enjoy the aesthetically pleasing and relaxing atmosphere of the cafe. And I like French toast! So, ultimately I was both pleased and disturbed by this experience. If anyone reads this, I'd appreciate your comments/ideas about this cafe and experience.