Just like most cities in Vietnam, Hanoi offer tourists a wide variety of choices for delicious food with quite cheap price that you cannot find in anywhere else.
1. Pho
How can the list of Vietnamese food in general and particularly in Hanoi would be completed without Pho? It is almost impossible for anybody to walk through Hanoi streets without bumping into a crowd of hungry people slurping noodles at a makeshift Pho stand. Pho is simply a street dish comprising rice noodles, herbs, slice of soft pork,… in a rich broth resulting in a bow with full of flavors. Pho is the best when eating in Hanoi, because here, soup is a way of life and a part of the Vietnamese culture. Spending about $1 to $2 and you will have your Pho available at all hours.
2. Banh Mi
Banh Mi is the amazing fusion of a French banquette and Vietnamese taste for bread. It is the combination of all the great characteristics of Vietnamese cuisine, which include a balance of flavors, textures and fresh ingredients. There are different versions of Vietnamese Banh Mi from the classic “banh mi thit nguoi” (with sliced pork or pork bellies, pork sausage, head cheese along with pate and vegetables), vegetarian option “banh mi chay” made with tofu or seitan, to the breakfast banh mi with scrambled eggs served in a banquette. Just about $2 for the special combo or $1 for the normal version, you have your stomach full.
3. Mien luon
Also called “Eel Vermicelli”, this is the stunning dish that will blow your mind even if you are not a fan of eels. There are also different kinds, which are stir-fry version, soup and the third version which is sort of in between, with thin sauce but not a stir fried or soup at all. A dish of mien luon costs about $2-3 including main dish topped with cucumber, purple perilla and fried shallots, served with another bow of extra cucumber. You can also shop for little dried eels packed in plastic bags, which are delicious and can be used in many other dishes.
4. Deserts
After the main course, now come to desert time. In Hanoi, you can find many places selling desert, especially cold ones. First, try some “Kem Xoi” to start your food adventure in Hanoi. It is sweet sticky rice topped with ice-cream and some roasted coconut, it may sound weird, but tastes delicious. You may also like to try the most well-known Che Thap Cam, which is a glass full of ice, taro, red beans, coconut milk and some other ingredients, mostly cooked fruits, beans with sugar. The price of desert in Hanoi is also cheap, spend about $1 for each and you have your belly satisfied.
By Susan Margaret (Australia)