By Tony Jaa, Dec 19, 2024
Travelling to Vietnam, apart from plenty of sights such as the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Temple of Literature, Hanoi Old Quarter, the bustling streets, as well as the narrow alleyways, Vietnam’s capital city, Hanoi is renowned for its street food. Hanoi’s delicacies such as Pho and Banh Mi have become trendy all around the world, whilst Vietnamese coffee is famous for its strong flavour.
Unsurprisingly, Hanoi Street Food can make any eaters delighted by its astounding mix of tastes and smells. It is also regarded as one of the healthiest, freshest and most flavorful cuisines in the world. Interestingly, Vietnam food & drinks are diverse with some regional cuisines with different dishes and distinct flavours. Hanoi food has its own story, along with its own legendary dishes, and the city is full of places to eat.
Below is the Hanoi street food guide which shows you the best in Hanoi food, the top street food vendors, together with the popular Hanoi Street Food Tours.
Chicken Pho
Eating Pho is one of the best things to do in Hanoi. Most travellers visiting Hanoi or North Vietnam should try Pho at least once. Pronounced like "fuh", pho is the world-renowned Vietnamese dish, and it comes in two main varieties: the traditional beef variety, called "pho bo", or beef pho and chicken noodle soup, called "Pho Ga", or Chicken Pho.
Pho is an incredible combination of soft white rice noodles in a fragrant broth with beef/chicken on top, smothered with green onion. Hanoi’s pho is served with lime juice and a dash of chilly or fish sauce which all can be added to make it tastier. Hanoi is regarded as the birthplace of pho, and you can find Pho everywhere in Hanoi Alley Vietnamese street food, from street vendors to high-end restaurants.
Cha Ca La Vong
If you are looking for a truly unique Hanoi dish, just try “Cha Ca”. Cha Ca is fish seasoned with garlic, ginger, and turmeric in a sizzling pan, served with vermicelli noodles, peanuts, chopped spring onions, dill, fish sauce, and red chilly slices. The best way to enjoy the dish is by mixing all the ingredients together. One small tip to make it more flavorful is to add a spoon of fried cooking oil and a little bit of fermented shrimp paste.
The dish is not only delicious but also fun to eat as it is served in a sizzling pan for the diners to cook themselves. Cha Ca is so popular in Hanoi that the speciality is the name of a street in Hanoi which is named after it.
A bowl of Bun Thang
Not as famous as the two specialities mentioned above but Bun Thang is still considered as the most significant noodle soup in Hanoi city. Bun thang includes rice vermicelli noodles, chicken, egg, and pork, as well as broth. Like other noodle soups, the most important thing to make bun thang stunning is the clear hot broth which is made with no less than 20 ingredients, consisting of chicken, dried shrimp, dried shitake mushrooms, squid, shrimp paste, coriander, ginger, beet, spring onion, sugar candy, fish sauce, and vinegar.
In the past, this noodle soup was eaten during the Tet holiday, on the 4th day of the Lunar New Year to use up all the leftover foods; but nowadays, it can be enjoyed every day.
Pho Bat Dan
Pho which is regarded as the most popular noodle soup in Vietnam originated in the 20th century with the influence of French, beef-favourite cuisine. One of the best spots for pho in Hanoi is Pho Gia Truyen (49 Bat Dan) which is understandably famous for its pho bo. Hanoi often form a long queue every morning at the restaurant which has been serving for more than 60 years. A bowl of the delicious pho normally costs you around VND 50,000 – taste it with handfuls of chilli and a good squeeze of lime.
Bun Rieu
Bun Rieu consists of rice vermicelli noodles, and freshwater paddy crab, along with shrimp paste in tomato broth, served with a basket of vegetables and herbs. There are countless street vendors which sell this speciality in Hanoi, but one excellent spot is at 11 Hang Bac Street. Add a bit of chillies, lime juice and shrimp paste (if you dare to try it) and you will sample one of the most stunning street food in Hanoi.
Giang Café
Head to Giang Café at No. 39 Nguyen Huu Huan Street for the best egg coffee in town. Walk through the narrow alleyway to the hidden café to relish a cup of coffee which is a mix of strong black coffee, sweet creamy froth made of egg, condensed milk, as well as other ingredients. Apart from the most famous drink of the café, you may try egg rum, and egg beer which is also totally worth it.
If you want to gain a real insight into Vietnamese food culture including details on the ingredients of the dishes and historical backgrounds of the popular northern dishes, participate in a Hanoi Street Food – Walking Tour. The tour guide will take you on to stroll through the maze of bustling streets to the small restaurants or local street vendors that you may not be able to find by yourself to sample local food. You also have the opportunity to see how the dishes are made as the local chef demonstrates their cooking skill on the street. Pull up a plastic stool and try to eat as locals do. The main characteristic of this tour type is walking to sample local dishes under the guidance of a local or a local expert.
There are a few tour options per day, including morning, afternoon or evening tours, or even full-day tours which are designed for those in the food industry or anyone with an enthusiasm for food. The few-hour tours (morning, afternoon or evening walks) are more popular among travellers as they give visitors to Hanoi an authentic taste of a city in a couple of hours.
Hanoi Vespa Tour
Hanoi Street Food – Vespa Tour is also a street food tour but you will be driven on a type of motorbike to taste local food in style. The driver is also the tour guide in the tour. You will be on a Vespa/ Scooter and be taken to sample Hanoi specialities. It promises to be a fun ride as you will have the chance not only to sightsee the city’s highlights but also learn more about Hanoi’s unique food culture, together with savouring delicious Vietnamese cuisine just like the locals do.
What differentiates it from Food on foot tour is the motorbike which can take you to the further part of the city that the walking tour may not be able to do. Some Vespa/Scooter Tours may include Hanoi’s major attractions outside of Hanoi Old Quarter.
Contact Incredible Asia Journeys now to add this must thing to do in Hanoi into your Vietnam tour packages!
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