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Top 10 Dishes Must Try in Hanoi and Where to eat !
14:59 - 21/04/2022
Top 10 Must Try Dishes In Hanoi !
1. Bun Cha or Bún Chả – Barbecued Pork with Rice Vermicelli
Bun Cha is one of the best Hanoi foods specialties not to be missed.
Bun Cha consists of grilled pork strips and balls or chả served over a bed of steaming rice vermicelli noodles or bún. The vermicelli noodles served on the side are thin, soft and slightly chewy.
It typically comes with a plate of fresh Vietnamese herbs and a bowl of dipping sauce. Pickled vegetables, like cabbage, carrots, onion or green papaya are served with additional meatballs on the side.
The sauce is made of the famous Vietnamese fish sauce or Nuoc Mam combined with vinegar, lime, sugar, garlic and chili.
We learned quickly how to eat bun cha from mimicking locals around us. Slide the vermicelli in the meatballs broth and mix all the ingredients together.
Then, you just have to find the right dexterity with the chopsticks to dive into it.
While the origin of bun cha is unclear, it is known as a Hanoi food staple.
Best Hanoi Restaurants To Eat Bun Cha
Address: 1 Hang Manh Street
Hours: Everyday from 10:00 am to 9:00 pm
Prices: About 60,000 VND ($2.65 USD)
Address: 24 Le Van Huu Street in Hai Ba Trung District
Hours: Everyday from 8:00 am to 9:00 pm
Prices: About 40,000 VND to 50,000 VND ($1.77 USD to $2.21 USD)
Address: 1 Hang Manh Street
Hours: Everyday from 10:00 am to 9:00 pm
Prices: About 60,000 VND ($2.65 USD)
2. Pho or Phở – Vietnamese Noodle Soup
Pho is the classic dish of Hanoi, and one that you cannot miss. Pho, while known as the national dish of Vietnam, originated in the North.
It became popular as a hearty soup eaten by the rice field workers for breakfast.
Pho is a flat rice noodle soup made of a fragrant meat broth, most commonly beef and sometimes chicken.
This aromatic soup is filled with slices of meat and a plateful of fresh herbs. The fresh herbs used in the soup typically include green onions, ginger, and coriander.
The meat, primarily beef, consists of thin cuts added into the soup. In Hanoi, we found Pho served most commonly prepared with three types of meat.
Pho Tai is made with slices of rare beef steak, Pho Nam served with beef flank pieces. And finally, Pho Gau which has slices of brisket.
Hearty but not heavy, this flavorful soup and Hanoi street food is commonly found at breakfast.
For a unique and authentic Pho experience, check out Pho Gia Truyen restaurant.
We ordered two Pho bowls, the Pho Tai and Pho Tai Nam. The magic of pho lies in the broth and this one did not disappoint.
Address: 49 Bát Đàn, Hà Nội.
Hours: Everyday from 6:00 am to 10:30 am and 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm.
Prices: About 40,000 VND to 50,000 VND per person, approximately $1.75 USD to $2.20 USD.
Another Pho restaurant popular with locals and tourists alike is Pho 10.
Address: 10 Lý Quốc Sư, Hà Nội
Hours: Everyday from 6:00 am to 2:00 pm and 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm.
Prices: About 40,000 VND to 50,000 VND per person, approximately $1.75 USD to $2.20 USD.
3.Nem Cua Be or Nem cua bể – Crab Spring Rolls
Nem Cua Be or crab spring rolls are the perfect complement to bun cha. It is a fried roll filled with sea crab and vermicelli noodles.
While Nem Cua Be is native from Haiphong, a city on the coastline of northeast Vietnam, it is common to see it served with bun cha in Hanoi.
These crab spring rolls are sold by roll, where one roll is cut into three smaller pieces. They are eaten as an appetizer while waiting for the bun cha meal or dipped into the savory bun cha soup.
Fresh and lightly fried, these nem cua be spring rolls melt in the mouth and are to be savored.
4.Cha Ca or Chả Cá Lã Vọng – Grilled Fish with Dill and Turmeric
Cha Ca is one of the unique specialties of the Hanoi people and definitely a must eat food in Hanoi.
So important is this local speciality, that it even has a street named after it – Cha Ca street.
This hanoi food is said to be more than 130 years. It was first created by the local Doan family to serve Vietnamese fighters against the French occupants. The original restaurant Cha Ca La Vong still operates today.
We loved this dish so much and can absolutely say it is a dish worth flying for.
The special ingredient in cha ca is grilled fish, typically mudfish or snake-head fish. According to the restaurant, the best fish to use is Hemibragus. This southeast asian fish has fewer bones and a tasty flesh.
This Hanoi food is made table side and the experience of preparing the dish is almost as much fun as eating it.
A server will set up a hot pot on your table and will bring everything you need to accompany your meal.
Fresh herbs, vermicelli rice noodles, a bowl of roasted peanuts and a dipping fish sauce with sliced chilies. In the pot is the fish grilling with mounds of dill and turmeric.
Listening to the sizzling sound of the fish cooking and surrounded by the aroma of fresh herbs, we were in foodie heaven.
Each bite of the buttery grilled fish, perfectly seasoned with turmeric and noodles soaked in fish sauce, combined with the fresh herbs, is a delicious explosion of flavors.
This must eat food in Hanoi was definitely one of our best meals in the city, and one you have to experience.
You will find several cha ca restaurants in Hanoi.
Address: 19 – 21 – 31, Duong Thanh, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
Hours: Everyday from 11:00 am to 9:30 pm
Address: 14 Chả Cá, Hà Nội.
Hours: Everyday from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm and 5pm to 9pm.
5.Bun Ca or Bún Cả – Fish Noodles Soup
Fish soup is a common Vietnamese dish across Vietnam. The type of fish used is based on where you are in Vietnam.
It is a light broth made from fish bones with golden fresh white fish lightly fried. At the bottom of the soup you will find a bed of rice vermicelli.
Snakehead fish is typically used in Hanoi for this fresh fish noodle soup.
On the top covering the broth, is a delicate combination of spring onions and bean sprouts mixed with dill herbs.
This fish soup is very fragrant and heartwarming, a Hanoi food to savor on the street.
To taste this unique dish, there is no better place than Bún cá Sâm Cây Si. This is a typical Hanoi street food joint.
The hot steaming soup outside on a cool evening was delightful. Tender fresh fish in a flavorful broth, combined with onions that were slightly crunchy was perfect.
This heart-warming soup at a very local street food joint was one of our best surprises and food in Hanoi.
Address: 5 Ngõ Trung Yên, Hà Nội.
Hours: Everyday from 8:00 am to 8:30 pm
6.Banh Cuon or Bánh Cuốn – Steamed Rice Roll
Banh cuon is another local Hanoi food that originated in Northern Vietnam that you don’t want to miss.
It is a delicate and light dish usually eaten for breakfast in Vietnam. However, you can find it all day long.
Banh cuon is made of a thin rice sheet rolled and filled with ground pork meat and minced mushrooms. It is served with fried shallots and cilantro herbs on top.
The flavor of the dish resides in its side dipping sauce. It is made with Nuoc Mam a typical fish sauce and a drop of cà cuống which is a giant water bug essence common in Southeast Asia.
This drop in the sauce adds an extra flavor which tastes like scallop or shrimp. This natural essence is becoming scarce and a lot of restaurants are using imitation essence. The most fascinating is the process to make banh cuon. The rice sheet is made by steaming a fermented rice batter on a cloth stretched over a pot of boiling water.
We recommend going to Bánh Cuốn Gia Truyen. It is a well known restaurant in Hanoi for its bánh cuốn.
Apparently the owner is still using the original water bug essence with the dish. You can actually order the essence and the bug as a side dish which is quite popular in Vietnam.
Address: 12 Hàng Gà, Hà Nội.
Hours: Everyday from 7:00 am to 1:00 pm and 5pm to 11pm
Prices: About 35,000 VND per person, (approximately $1.54 USD)
7. Lau or Lẩu – Vietnamese Hot Pot
In the cooler months, Lau is one of the most popular dishes and street food to eat in Hanoi.
Sitting on the sidewalks, in the evenings, you will see groups of locals huddled together over a large simmering pot.
Ingredients are then cooked on the table when plunged into the hot pot of stock. Typical ingredients cooked in this hot broth are beef, chicken or pork, fish or seafood, noodles, fresh vegetables and more.
Next to the tables, vendors have on display large trays filled with different vegetables and protein to be added to the hot pot.
The cooked ingredients are then dipped into a sauce, traditionally made with chili, garlic, lime and cilantro.
Lau is a popular street food in Hanoi and you will find types of hot pot served by street food vendors, restaurants.
Address: 13 Nam Ngư, Hà Nội
Hours: Everyday day, all day, no hours listed.
Prices: Hot pot starts at 300,000 VND up to 500,000 VND based on the number of people (approx. $8.7 to $21.7)
8.Banh Mi or Bánh Mì – Vietnamese Sandwich
The banh mi sandwich is truly the best Vietnamese sandwich to fall in love with. While its origins are French, the Vietnamese have made it distinctively their own.
Banh mi is stuffed with pork, paté, cured ham, a mélange of Vietnamese herbs and vegetables. Coriander, cucumber, carrot, slices, radish, and more make up for the banh mi vegetables depending on where you are in Vietnam.
A wealth of textures and flavors, you will savor spicy, salty, savory, sweet, and aromatic tastes in each bite.
Banh My 25
Add: 25 Hang Ca street, Hanoi
9. Che or Chè – Vietnamese Sweet Soup
Che or Chè in Vietnamese, literally means desserts. It is the word for traditional Vietnamese desserts and also Vietnamese sweet soups.
Chè sweet soups are typically made of several ingredients mixed together and served in a large glass.
Che desserts are a perfect end to your meal, especially if eating a light meal like banh cuon.
In Hanoi, you’ll find che vendors on the street. When it is cooler, delight in a warm bowl of chè deserts. When it’s hot, you will appreciate crushed ice added to your che dessert.
On the street food vendor’s cart, you’ll find different ingredients in large bowls on display. When you order your che dessert, simply point to the ingredients you want.
Some of the typical ingredients include mung beans or mung bean paste, black beans, corn, taro, tapioca, jelly and more. Due to the Chinese influence in Hanoi, you will find a special che called chè trôi nước.
This is a sweet soup made with mung bean balls wrapped in a glutinous rice flour dipped in a warm ginger sauce.
While in Hanoi, we stumbled onto a che street food vendor surrounded by a group of locals. On display were a variety of ingredients for che.
Both were excellent and filling desserts. The best part was making conversations with the locals who helped us order. One of the joys of traveling through local food is connecting with the people.
Don’t hesitate when in Hanoi. Simply pull up a small stool next to the locals and start a conversation through food. You’ll be surprised how enriching the experience can be.
Address: 52 Hàng Điếu, Hanoi
Hours: Open everyday from 8:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Prices: 10,000 VND to 25,000 VND (approx. $0.44 USD to $1.10 USD)
10. Ca Phe Trung or Cà Phê Trung- Vietnamese Egg Coffee
Although it is not technically a food specialty, Ca Phe Trung or Cafe Trung is a Hanoi specialty coffee.
This Vietamese egg coffee is the most famous coffee in the north of Vietnam. It is a thick dark coffee topped with egg yolk whipped with condensed milk into an airy froth.
Rich in taste, it can be likened to tiramisu dessert.
This egg coffee was born out of necessity. It is said to have been created in Hanoi in 1946 to cope with dairy shortages during the Indochina War.
Unlike Mexican coffee which is made with arabica bean, Vietnam’s coffee is made from robusta beans. This coffee tends to be strong, harsh, and bitter and is often consumed with milk to balance out the flavors.
During the war and due to milk shortages, Nguyen Van Giang, a bartender at the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hotel, created egg coffee.
He is said to have whisked in an egg to the coffee giving birth to this legendary Hanoi coffee drink.
Today, Vietnamese egg coffee is closer to a dessert than coffee. It is made with creamy condensed milk and beaten up egg yolk until it becomes an airy, creamy and like meringue.
Egg coffee is an experience, especially when you want caffeine and dessert at the same time.
There are several coffee shops and places to enjoy a silky Vietnamese egg coffee.
One place that offers the best view in Hanoi is a hidden and difficult to find coffee shop called Café Phố Cổ.
This quaint coffee shop makes you pass through a narrow corridor before you get to the bottom of the stairs. From there, hike up the stairs until you reach the rooftop.
With a pick onto the Old Quarter and picturesque Hoan Kiem Lake, it is the perfect place to relax and enjoy the view.
Address: 11 Hàng Gai, Hàng Trống, Hà Nội
Hours: Open everyday from 8:00 am until 11:00 pm
Prices: 30,000 VND for a cup of egg coffee (approx. $1.34 USD)
Source( Internet)