Hello, foreign tourists who are interested in traveling to Hanoi. You must have learned very carefully about the sights and the traditional culture of this city. Among them, an indispensable experience when you visit this place is certainly the rich taste and diversity of street cuisine of Hanoi. Not only does it attract diners with unique taste and eye-catching appearance, food in Hanoi is a part of the Thousand year Capital.
Hanoian have a strong passion for a blend of plant ingredients and traditional spices. The key to the taste of Hanoi’ s cuisine comes from the delicious raw materials selected and the way the seasoning fits to feel the sense of auditory and taste. Hanoi’s food is not only delicious but also presents very, very interesting feelings for diners. Famous restaurants in Hanoi mostly come from people who have lived long in the capital. Many families in Hanoi retain and connect food traditions from this life to another, creating classics for the capital’s cuisine.
Pho Thin
- Address: 13 Lo Duc, Ngo Thi Nham, Hai Ba Trung, Hanoi
- Price: 60.000 VND/1 bowl
When it comes to Hanoi, the first dish on the list you have to try is Pho. In fact, pho is a delicacy in some of the other provinces of Vietnam. However, Pho Hanoi has its own flavor, it is the scent of many different ingredients combined under the hands of the “cookers” here. Hanoi people in particular and Vietnamese are interested in rice-based dishes. They love dishes made from noodles combined with beef, chicken and meat. In addition, Hanoian is particularly fond of snacking, so the dishes at the time of late afternoon are always very popular. These dishes can come up with banh mi, nom, banh gio… People who go to eat not only to have the taste of dishes but also enjoy the air, chat, meeting with friends, relatives.
Born and raised in Hanoi, from childhood to adulthood, I was taken to eat at a lot of restaurants in Hanoi. There are a lot of high-level restaurants coming to the average, but in my personal view, only street and sidewalks restaurants, with a very small scale, have the whole sense of Hanoi cuisine. You may have read a lot of the sharing of good restaurants in Hanoi, but with a passionate person with Hanoi like me, this is a list of five foods that you have to try if you want to learn the culinary spirit of the capital.
Bun Cha Hang Manh
- Address: 25 Hang Manh, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
- Price: 35.000 – 50.000 VND/pax
Bun cha is a favourite dish of hanoi’ s people. Pork is cut and grilled directly on the coal stove, mingled with the broth made from fish sauce and other spices, with noodles and vegetables. As well as Pho, there are a lot of Bun cha restaurants in Hanoi, but only a few hold the traditional taste of this dish, Bun Cha Hang Manh is one of them. This will be a very appropriate lunch place in your Old Quarter exploration.
Bit Tet Ngoc Hieu
- Address: 22 Hoa Ma, Hai Ba Trung, Hanoi
- Price: 100.000 – 200.000 VND/pax
Bit tet is the Vietnamese version of the French word “bifteck”. Vietnamese steak is served on a big iron pan and still very hot when it comes to you. In this steak includes beef, pâté, eggs, potatoes, some vegetables with bread. This is not exactly a traditional dish of Hanoi, but if you’ ve been tasted the Western steak, experience a Vietnamese steak to see the difference.
Long Vi Dung Papaya salad
- Address: Kiosk 5 Hang Giay, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
- Price: 50.000 VND/pax
Just so you know, Hanoian has a habit of eating snacks every afternoon. Nom is a dish made from sliced papayas and carrots, mixed with fish sauce and vegetables. A bit of jerky is added to enrich the taste of the dish. You need to notice that this is not the main dish, so pay attention to the time to eat, it would be great if you enjoy this dish with your friends.
Banh Gio
- Address: Nguyen Cong Tru Market, Hai Ba Trung, Hanoi
- Price: 20.000 – 40.000 VND/pax
Another favorite snack of the capital. Banh Gio is a soft cake made from rice, wrapped in banana leaves with the meat inside. Banh gio is usually ate with Vietnamese Com Sausage. The interesting point of this dish is that the melting of the crust in the mouth. This dish is not enough to make your stomach full, so let’s eat in the morning or late afternoon.
Here are five dishes that I think every tourist visiting Hanoi should experience. The flavor of the dish doesn’ t describe the whole character of the capital’s cuisine. How to eat and spaces contribute enormously to the enjoyment of diners and create specialty for each dish. If you’ ve come to Hanoi, eat like Hanoian and to eat like Hanoian, visit the places above, you won’ t be disappointed!