Eating out in Hanoi, or more specifically finding the best Vietnamese food to eat in Hanoi, can be a daunting prospect. This is our ultimate guide to the best food in Hanoi Old Quarter, based on what we ate over two three-day visits to this amazing city. We’ll show you where to eat in Hanoi and hope that it might come in handy for you as Hanoi tour guide for food.
This is part of our Vietnam 3 Week Itinerary post. Click here to see the whole Vietnam 3 Week Itinerary.
Food in Hanoi Old Quarter – who tipped us off!
We were lucky to have some insider information and want to give credit to two specific sources:
1. Our blogger friends Rosemary and Claire over at Authentic Food Quest – they were kind enough to let us beta-test their Hanoi Food Trail, which is a veritable goldmine of tastebud-tempting tips for Hanoi street food. This is not yet out on general release (to our knowledge!) but their website is also a veritable goldmine of local info about what to eat.
2. Our local friend Lê Thảo, who we met via her beautifully curated Instagram feed which made us salivate daily when we were back in Europe. Due to Vietnamese being a tonal language that Westerners can easily struggle to get right, we agreed to call her by her nickname, Klaunie. She kindly arranged to meet us and introduced us to some of her favourite foods in the old quarter of Hanoi. We met up with her and her friends next to Hoan Kiem lake in the Hanoi old centre on our second day in Vietnam. When they bounced over and greeted us with big friendly hugs and talk of fish noodles, we immediately felt at home. Check out her Insta feed here, and give her a follow.
It’s so good to have a friend like Klaunie in Vietnam!
Arriving in Hanoi
We arrived in the old quarter Hanoi Vietnam to an utterly mind-boggling cacophony of traffic, noise and scents. Quite quickly, we accustomed our ears to the ever-honking horns of motorcycles and taxis, reminding us in their uniquely Asian way that they are right behind us. We soon figured out that the only way to cross the street is to watch carefully what is coming, try and make eye contact and move with slow purpose from one kerb to the other.
This was actually still a calm road!
But what really piqued our senses was the steam and aromas coming from the seemingly millions of cooking pots across the city. On every street corner, within every small alleyway, we found mouthwatering street foods all over Hanoi Old Town.
Street food in Hanoi Old Quarter – general tips
Here are a couple of basic tips that we have picked up from our experience of street food in Hanoi Old Quarter, and the rest of Vietnam:
1. Follow your nose, and eat where the locals eat, when they eat. That way you can find the best street food in Hanoi. You will not have any authentic experiences or even great food if you stick to westernised, tourist restaurants.
2. Linked to point 1 above, get used to eating at places that in your home country would not pass any food hygiene regulations. We had literally no bad food and no Delhi-belly or similar. EVERYONE from all classes and income levels eats Vietnamese street food in Hanoi. Leave any food snob tendencies at home.
3. Get used to using chopsticks. Practice at home before you leave if you can’t already use them. Check on YouTube or Google for tips on how to use them. But please, don’t ask for a knife and fork. Many places just don’t have them. Little kids in Vietnam know how to use chopsticks. Refuse to use them, and you will look like an idiot.
4. You can slurp down any kind of noodles or soups without concern about table manners. Just grab yourself a paper napkin or three to mop up any ensuing mess, and chow on down.
5. The famous Vietnamese food is not very hot-spicy in general. Many places have bowls of chilli sauce on the table or will serve chillis on the side. So you can adjust the spice levels to your own flavour preferences.
6. If you suffer from Celiac or are not able to eat Gluten because of other reasons, then have a look at Brett’s informative post about Gluten Free food in Vietnam.
Do you want to experience the fantastic street food of Hanoi on a guided tour?
Then check out this amazing Hanoi Street Food Walking Tour! It gets mazing reviews!
Ultimate guide to food in Hanoi Old Quarter – the list!
You can read the whole post, or use the list below to jump to the local Hanoi food of your particular taste.
- Bún chả – grilled pork with noodles
- Bún Cả – grilled fish with noodles
- Bánh Mỳ – the best sandwich in the world
- Phở – noodle soup
- Chả cá – grilled fish
- Cháo sườn – rice porridge with pork spare ribs
- Bánh Trung Thu – Moon cakes
- Cà phê trứng – Egg coffee
- Bia Hoi – fresh local beer
- Furbrew – craft beer in Hanoi
- Finally
Bún chả – grilled pork with noodles
Bún chả is a local Hanoi cuisine speciality and you should not miss this if you are in the city. It is made from grilled pork, and rice vermicelli noodles served with fresh salad and herbs. This is the dish that Antony Bourdain ate with then-President Barack Obama on his visit to Hanoi – the place they ate is now referred to by locals as “Obama-restaurant”.
This was the first meal we ate in Vietnam and the first lunch in Hanoi Old Quarter. Jet-lagged, a bit lost in the maze of the Old Quarter and still getting used to all the horn-honking. It is still pretty much my favourite of the local food of Hanoi Old Quarter. We ate our best Bun Cha Hanoi based on a recommendation from the Authentic Food Quest trail, at Bún Chả Đắc Kim – Hàng Mành. This is not the Obama-restaurant – we did not eat there. However, according to Klaunie and her friends, the Bún chả is good. Unfortunately, due to the Obama reputation, that restaurant is now frequently crowded.
The first thing we ate in Hanoi : Bun Cha
If you order Bún chả, then make sure you try Nem Cua Be, which are crab spring rolls cut into bite-sized portions.
Bún Cả – grilled fish with noodles
When we met up with Klaunie and her friends, some of her first words to us were “fish noodles” – or Bún Cả in Vietnamese. They took us off on a short walk through the maze of side streets and alleyways of the Hanoi Old Quarter. We arrived at a small restaurant and sat down on the tiny plastic stools. We were promptly presented with glasses of iced tea, and some small delicious deep-fried pork spring rolls. A few minutes later, great steaming bowls of fish noodles were planted in front of us, and we dug in.
Delicious Bun Ca
And what noodles they were! Bún Cả is made with crispy grilled river fish, rice vermicelli, tomato broth, layers of greens and dill, and small chunks of pineapple. The bowl was huge and we knew there was no way we could finish the entire thing. We gave it our best shot anyway. The flavours of Bún Cả are a tantalising mix of sour and sweet, with the delicate flavour of the dill complementing the fish.
Cooking in the streets
Klaunie and her friend told us that this is one of their favourite weekend breakfast in Hanoi. After this experience, we really felt like proper locals eating the food in Hanoi Old Quarter.
Bánh Mỳ – the best sandwich in the world
When we came to Vietnam, first on our list of street food in Hanoi Old Quarter was to try an authentic Bánh Mỳ (sometimes also called Bánh Mì). Although I suspect there are as many different opinions on this topic as there are banh mi stalls in Vietnam, we had nevertheless asked Klaunie for recommendations where we could get the best Banh Mi Hanoi. She had answered without hesitation – Bánh Mỳ P. So we took ourselves off to try these babies for ourselves.
The probably best Banh Mi you can get in Hanoi from a place called Banh Mi P
Reader, I found that I wanted to marry a sandwich. Bánh Mỳ P is somewhere between street food and a Hanoi restaurant – a little like a Vietnamese version of a fast-food outlet. They have a menu of different Bánh Mỳ sandwiches to choose from. Tom had paté and I had meatballs, both came with egg. We discovered exactly why Banh Mi Hanoi is the best sandwich in the world. The bread is crispy and light, the egg is dreamy-soft and the meatballs are juicy and well, meaty. I could literally eat Bánh Mỳ every day.
Another place where we had some great Banh Mi was the lovely town of Hoi An.
We also experienced the amazing Hoi An Lantern Festival. Click the link to find out more!
That’s a Banh Mi from the “lower” range for 10’000 VND
In fact, I think I pretty much did eat Bánh Mỳ every day. Another special mention must go to the lady who had a tiny set -up about twenty steps from our Hanoi Old Quarter hostel. Serving hungry locals and hungry backpackers alike, she doesn’t have a menu but you can choose from pork or chicken or both, depending on what is available. One of the other backpackers we chatted to said that he had managed to eat four of her Bánh Mỳ in a single sitting, which she had never seen before! If Banh Mi is too carby for you, then have a look at this awesome Banh Mi Noodle Bowl recipe from MELDRUMS on the MOVE!
This guy on the right came every evening to this place and ate 3-4 Banh Mi
Phở – noodle soup
Phở soup is indisputably one of the most iconic Vietnamese foods on an international level. Although it is now sold all over Vietnam with each region having its own version, it has its origins in Northern Vietnam. Knowing this, Pho Hanoi was one item of food in Hanoi Old Quarter that we felt we must eat.
Pho-ntastic food!
We saw phở sold literally everywhere all over Hanoi. From the one lady crouched over her cooking pot surrounded by fresh ingredients, to the menus of the restaurants side by side in the backpacker streets. Phở normally comes as phở bò (beef) or phở gà (chicken). For an authentic phở experience and probably the best pho in Hanoi Old Quarter, take a tip from the Authentic Food Quest trail and visit Phở 10 in the Old Quarter in the morning. You can slurp down your soup with the locals. I like mine best with a dollop of the chilli sauce from the pots on the table!
Where do you get the best Pho in Hanoi? Here at Pho 10!
Thanks to https://zerocater.com for sharing this cool Phở infographic with us!
Chả cá – grilled fish
Chả cá is a dish of grilled fish, flavoured with dill and turmeric. It is a dish unique to Hanoi. As mentioned before, I am not the biggest lover of fish. However, Tom loves fish (and will eat literally anything).
Main attraction of the Cha Ca : The fish
THE place to eat Chả cá in Hanoi is the street named after it – Pho Chả cá (or Cha Ca Street, a must for every Hanoi street food tour). There, at restaurant Chả cá La Vong, they have been making this iconic dish for the last 100 years. The fish will be grilled in the kitchen, then fried and dressed with dill at your table.
Duongs
Unfortunately, we left our Chả cá experience to our last day and we missed the opening hours of the Chả cá La Vong (insert crying face here!). We did, however, try Chả cá at one of the best restaurants in Hanoi Old Quarter called Duongs. This is not a street food place. Hoang Duong is a Vietnamese chef who finished 4th in the Vietnams Top Chef contest in 2014. The food on the menu comprises many traditional Hanoi and Vietnamese dishes, all prepared to the very highest quality. The service was impeccable and the restaurant itself is beautifully laid out.
Duong’s restaurant is beautifully decorated
In Vietnam, cranes are a symbol of longevity.
I ordered Bún chả and Tom ordered the Chả cá for our dinner in Hanoi Old Quarter. The broth for the Bún chả was so good that I could have climbed into the bowl to swim around in it. Tom was equally blown away by the Chả cá. Prepared in the style of La Vong, the fish is brought to the table, still frying on a sizzling skillet. The delicate flavours of the turmeric and dill play together with the fish wonderfully. Although we didn’t experience one of the traditional Chả cá venues, we can seriously recommend Duongs for a more upmarket dining experience than the traditional street food. For us, it was probably the best restaurant in Hanoi. Despite being far more upmarket, two main courses with two drinks will set you back no more than around $20. Otherwise, organise yourself better than we did and visit Chả cá La Vong during lunch or evening service.
Cháo sườn – rice porridge with pork spare ribs
Cháo sườn is a rice porridge with pork spare ribs. We came across this dish entirely by accident, being hungry and stumbling no further than the end of the street where we were staying. As well as the delicious banh mi, there was also a street food stall selling Cháo sườn.
Cháo sườn is made by stewing the spare ribs in a broth, then adding the rice into the broth until it turns into porridge. Other ingredients such as ginger and green onions are added to the porridge as it cooks. The version we had was topped off with quẩy, which are a kind of fried breadstick. This is probably a dish you won’t find in a Hanoi travel guide.
Tastes better than it looks : Chao Suon
Don’t be put off by the term porridge as it is taken in the western sense (which to us, is sweet, stewed oatmeal is eaten for breakfast). This is a deeper and more rounded flavour, savoury from the meat broth but subtle as there are no strongly flavoured ingredients used in the preparation. This stall was one of the most popular we saw and there was always a queue of hungry locals waiting for their fix when we were there. If you are looking for a tasty lunch in Hanoi Old Quarter, then Cháo sườn is a great choice.
Are you a fan of Street Food?
Best Street Food in Asia
Then you might be interested in our post about the Best Street Food in Asia!
Bánh Trung Thu – Mooncakes
Bánh Trung Thu or Mooncakes were something of a special treat. Please don’t jump to any conclusions based on knowledge (or experience!) of “space cakes” in Amsterdam! The name literally translates as mid-Autumn cake, because these cakes are traditionally gifted between friends and family during the Chinese mid-autumn festival. We only came across these local delights because Klaunie has a special talent for baking them.
This is one of the most delicious desserts we had in Vietnam : Mooncake
They are made with wheat flour and bean paste and are very much like a traditional European tart. The intricate designs look beautiful. We were very privileged to be given three that were hand-made by Klaunie herself. So if you want to experience this special treat, visit Hanoi in autumn time and make friends with a local!
Cà phê trứng – Egg coffee
Although we showed you a lot of places to eat in Hanoi, it is worthwhile taking a foray into the drinks. Cà phê trứng or egg coffee is a source of fascination, due to the fact that many westerners are put off by the prospect of egg and coffee in the same cup. Don’t be one of them – having tried a couple of egg coffees now, I can say it is like a cross between an Irish coffee without the booze and a melted marshmallow.
It tastes a lot better than it looks : Egg Coffee
It is made of a mixture of sweetened condensed milk, coffee and an egg yolk. Klaunie took us to her favourite place which is another local haunt – Nguyễn Hữu on Huân Street. This Hanoi cafe is a must-try in every Vietnam food tour – I cannot imagine it tastes the same anywhere else. The best coffee in Hanoi though is the Vietnamese Ice coffee!
My verdict? It’s Egg-celent!
Do you like coffee as much as we do?
Then check out this unique Coffee Appreciation: Hanoi Style tour.
Bia Hoi – fresh local beer
We are massive fans of local beer when we are travelling. It is usually the cheapest drink, and often the best and most refreshing. Unlike wine, which can be a delightful tipple but somewhat capricious due to requirements for growing vines and the overall production process, beer is relatively simple to produce everywhere. And the Vietnamese have this down to a perfect art.
Bia hoi is a fresh beer, brewed, matured and delivered daily throughout the country. It is very light in colour and alcohol content, usually no more than around 3% alcohol. Cheap as chips would be an overstatement – chips are more expensive than bia hoi in Vietnam. We found bia hoi for as little as 3000 VND per glass (USD 0.13) although in Hanoi, it was more like 10,000 VND (USD 0.43 per glass). Drink it to wash down your favourite street eats you just enjoyed on your Hanoi food tour, or just to cool off in the blistering city heat. The perfect accompaniment to your food in Hanoi Old Quarter adventure.
Nothing like drinking fresh beer and watching the world go by
Furbrew
We are now even actually out of the Old Town Hanoi in one of the other Hanoi districts (if you feel misled by now then I apologise – but stay with us now for the last one!). But we wanted to give a special mention to Furbrew. We had booked our first couple of nights in Hanoi up at Tây Ho (West Lake). This is the expat area of Hanoi, about 5km from the Old Quarter. We had some air miles to use and wanted a quiet place (with a pool!) to recover from our jet lag and ease us into the first few nights of full-time travel.
Our first evening meal was out in this area and you can find some of the top restaurants in Hanoi around here. Not good for the tighter budgets, but if you want a break from your Vietnamese street food tour and would like to taste decent Western or Japanese cuisine in Hanoi, then head over to West Lake. It was during our attempt to find an evening meal here that we stumbled across Furbrew.
The taster set menu at Fur Brew
Furbrew – craft beer in Hanoi
Furbrew sells their own craft beers in two locations around the West Lake area of Hanoi. They have a couple of very interesting craft beers. My favourite was the Mulberry Sour, a cider-like brew they discovered by accident that this strong notes of summer berries. Tom enjoyed the Bia Phở, which is literally made with the same ingredients as Phở itself. One for the hardcore craft beer enthusiasts is Aquatic Predator – an almost-black beer exactly as scary as it sounds. Darkened with squid ink, salted with fish sauce and made magical by dried seahorses, this is not a beer for those of a delicate constitution.
Furbrew also sells to numerous other restaurants, including Duongs where we ate in the Old Quarter. So even if you don’t make it over to the West Lake, keep an eye out for it where you can in Hanoi! One of our fellow bloggers recently alerted us to the fact that there is a bigger craft beer scene in Hanoi, including a craft beer tour.
The tasting board : Always a good idea if you want to try some different beers
Are you planning to visit the Vietnamese capital? Our deals finder will help you find some of the best hotel deals whether you prefer to stay in the best hotels in Hanoi Old Quarter, in the French quarter Hanoi or beyond. Click the options below to find the best hotel in Hanoi for your travel dates and budget.
If you are planning to travel to or from Hanoi Vietnam within SouthEast Asia then make sure you use 12GoAsia for transport booking. They offer a reliable and secure booking process and have options for flights, trains or buses all over the region. We use them for all of our Southeast Asia transport bookings. You can search for your preferred dates and routes using the search box below.
Finally
This has been yet another epic long post about our Vietnam experiences! Our gastronomic experiences in the capital gave us so much to write about the food in Hanoi Old Quarter, and beyond. We found out about the best places to eat in Hanoi, what to eat in Hanoi and where to go in Hanoi for our daily Hanoi walking tours. If you have stayed and read all the way through, then the chances are you love this place (or will love it) as much as we do. If you are an adventurous food lover, then Hanoi and its old Quarter should be high on your list! We definitely miss Hanoi a lot!
Do you want to enjoy all the delicious Vietnamese food in a more homey style?
Then check out this amazing Hanoi dinner in a local home experience.
Looking for other things to do in Hanoi? Read our post about our experience of Hanoi Train Street – an urban phenomenon in the heart of the city. Or if you are planning any tours from Hanoi, read our comprehensive Halong Bay Cruise Review or our post about Hoi An Lantern Festival for tips on how to enjoy some of Vietnams UNESCO World Heritage treats.
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64 comments
The first time I was in Hanoi I did a Food tour of the Old Quarter. You can do the walk at lunchtime or in the evening, and make sure that you are really, really hungry, otherwise you miss out on a lot of good food. It was a lot of fun, the food was tasty, and a treasure trove of information.
Hi. I bet a food tour must be amazing, as there is so much to discover! For us, food tours are always one of the highlights when we visit a new country.
[…] out our other post for our ultimate guide to the best food in Hanoi Old Quarter! We show you all the amazing highlights to help you make the most of your stay in this beautiful […]
[…] food we had was when we visited Hanoi in October 2017. You can read everything about it on our Hanoi food post if you’re interested. We did also love the food in Malaysia, and also India. Basically, we […]
Wow, what a fantastic post! We will stay in Hanoi Old Quarter in November and I am hungry now. Already put some names you mentionned on my list. luckily we will stay very close to Duong, Pho 10 and other places.
Awesome! You can really look forward for this trip. We absolutely loved it in Hanoi! The food is so mouthwatering good and the best we had so far in all of Asia. We really recommend to visit Duong’s, you’ll not regret it 😀 We wish you a great stay in Vietnam.
Have a fantastic day
[…] Kampot doesn’t have a never-ending maze of street food like for example Hanoi, some of the best things to do in Kampot itself do involve food! In response to the demands of the […]
[…] your travels, then check out some of our other posts on this amazing country. We have explored the Street Food of Hanoi Old Quarter, cruised in Halong Bay and done a cooking school in Hoi An. And we have still more to share, […]
What a lovely post – i felt I was on a food tour with you. I have this thing for Asian street food and I really miss it now that I’m living in Europe.
Thank you for your comment. Yeah, the food in Europe is quite different :S
Have a good day
Hi Janine, thank you for reading our post. You will definitely love all the food in Vietnam and I hope this might help you a bit with finding your way through all the delicious dishes.
Have a great day
What a great an informative piece. Hanoi looks like foodie heaven. i’m such a sucker for asian nooodles, I may never leave!
Hi Mags, thank you for your comment. Asian noodles rock!
As soon as you mention Rosemary and Claire I knew it you were gonna end up with good finds!! We have a Vietnamese restaurant here in Toronto that is famous for Phở soup and its always packed. I’m so glad you included that graphic at the end. I immediate shared it with the gf as she LOVES Pho. I always had a feeling she was eating it wrong from watching everyone else. Now she can see the graphic.
Hi Christopher, thank you for reading our post. Pho is just amazing and one of the dishes we already miss a lot since we’re not in Vietnam anymore. I’m glad you liked our post and the infographic.
Have a fantastic day
Food tour is my favourite thing to do when visiting new places. Such a great way to taste the local cuisine as well as trying the street food. Reading this article makes me so hungry. Never been to Hanoi but its on my list!
Hi Anne, thank you for reading our post. We love to do food tours as well, but sometimes they give you so much food that you can’t eat it all 🙂 Hanoi should definitely be a city for a list.
Have a good day
Hanoi surely is a meat-lovers paradise. I also liked the general tips, especially the one about chopsticks:). I must remind myself to practice before going to Vietnam. I also liked the way the whole article is presented including what is… and how to eat… 🙂
Hi Nisha, there surely are a lot of meat dishes to find in Hanoi. The big difference to western food is the amount of meat though. You never get as much meat as you would get in a western dish. Thank you very much for your comment.
Have a fantastic day
That is indeed a tour de force of the street food of Hanoi old quarters. I can almost visualize the scene of a street with smoke rising from dozens of places bringing with it exotic aroma of different food. Being a vegetarian I am not sure of the options available there. But I am sure I could feast on some icecream and get some veg sandwiches or noodles.
Hi Sandy, thank you for your comment. I think you could easily find vegetarian food in Hanoi. The problem would probably rather be, that they often use fish sauce for cooking …
Have a fantastic day
Lol, this was a very entertaining and true post. I never got sick in Vietnam and ate at the most random street food stalls around. I especially enjoy the teeny tiny stools on which people sit on the curb. Vietnamese food is AMAZING!
Hi Amelie, thank you very much! We never got proper sick either even though most of the stalls wouldn’t survive the health regulations in Europe 😀 The little plastic chairs are just a must as well 🙂
Have a fantastic day
That was an awesome roundup of Vietnamese food! (and so helpful to have the specific restaurant recommendations) Hanoi has got to be one of my favorite cities in the world for food – it looks like we’re on the same page here.
Phở, Bánh Mì, Bún chả – all so good! Especially when washed down with a glass (or 5) of Bia Hoi! Though I don’t believe I have tried Cháo sườn before so I’ll have to check that out on our next trip – probably this spring!
So sad that you missed Chả cá La Vong – that place is epic! Well now you have a reason to go back to Hanoi!
Hi Nick, thank you very much for your kind comment. Oh the Bia Hoi, don’t get me even started on it 😀 In Hoi An we had some delicious Bia Hoi for only 3000 VND! We’ll definitely make sure to visit the Chả cá La Vong next time, especially because I love some good fish!
Have a fantastic day and safe travels
Okay, when you said ultimate food guide, you were not kidding. This whole post is fantastic! And definitely bookmarked for when I finally get to experience this country! I’ve been wanting to for so long now 🙂 I love the food tips. Luckily I am quite good with chopsticks and love spicy foods. I can only imagine how delicious the food is <3
Hi Alli, thank you very much for your comment. One month was still too short for us to try all the delicious food in Vietnam! I hope you’ll be able to visit this amazing country soon 🙂
Have a fantastic day
So many amazing foodie experiences. When I was in Hanoi, I loved eating anything and everything (almost) I could find. The egg coffee was one of my favorite Hanoi experiences. I also love the Pho infographic!
Hi Paige, the egg coffee is awesome, isn’t it? And so much better than it sounds 😀
Thank you for your comment.
Have a fantastic day
I I absolutely love Vietnamese food and am bookmarking your Hanoi guide. Tops on wish list would be the bun cha and the pho.
Hi Brianna, thank you for bookmarking our list, I bet you’ll love the food there. Have a good day
Thanks for the great tips on how to eat the local food! Using chopsticks can definitely be difficult, so your picture illustration is great! Proper etiquette is also important! Slurping can be counter-intuitive to many americas you are taught that slurping is rude.
Hi Kiyoko, you’re absolutely right about the slurping. Even when I know that it’s ok to slurp, I still don’t feel very comfortable doing it 😀 Thank you very much for your comment.
Have a fantastic day
The food looks so good! I have yet to find an Asian country that doesn’t have great food. I just got back from Taipei and I feel like all I did was eat!
Thank you for your comment. Food is always a good reason t visit a country.
[…] Are you considering putting together your own itinerary for a trip to Vietnam? We have fallen in love with this beautiful country and cannot wait to go back. Check out some of our other articles covering our Halong Bay cruise review, and our Ultimate Guide to food in Hanoi Old Quarter. […]
With all this food, you are making my mouth water! Vietnamese food looks really good, especially the egg coffee, mooncakes, Bánh Mỳ sandwiches and Chả cá grilled fish, I would love to try these dishes. Love your comment about using chop sticks! I was taught as a child by my father that spent a lot of time in Asia so it just became normal to us!
Hi Lucy, thank you very much for your comment. The food is the heart of Vietnam <3 Banh Mi is my personal favourit and I can't get enough of it 😀 Chopsticks are actually really cool to use, at least once you got used to it 😀
Have a fantastic day and safe travels
What could be better than eating your way through a city – especially when the food looks as good as this?! I’m a huge fan of pho and I’m drooling just looking at it here!
Pho is probably the pillar of Vietnamese food <3 Thank you for your comment
Have a fantastic day
I couldn’t agree more with you: following your nose and eating where the locals eat is the best suggestion I was ever given. But I still have to get used to eat with chopsticks, it’s pretty difficult! 🙁
Hi Dani, thank you for your comment 🙂 The chopsticks can be really tricky, but after using them for a month in Vietnam, I’m now even missing them here in Cambodia 😀
Have a fantastic day
You made me really hungry! I’ve never thought of visiting Vietnam but I just might ?
Thanks for your comment
Loving the infographic. This post brings back memories of our trip to Vietnam and all the amazing food we ate (although I did discover I hated cilantro!). Regarding the traffic, one of the craziest things I found in vietnam is that you simply have to walk out into the road and traffic moves around you. Takes a leap of faith but it works but then when you move onto another country, you have to remember that the same strategy does not work!!
Thank you for your comment Anne. It’s funny, one of my friends was in Vietnam as well and he also really dislikes the cilantro 😀 The traffic is crazy in Hanoi, but at least there is so much of it that they can’t drive too fast 😀
Have a fantastic day
I do not oppose flying to Vietnam just to eat! The food looks amazing! So cool that you met Lê Thảo via Instagram, I’ve had a few people reach out to me that way too and always have the best time!
Hi Jessica
Having a friend in Hanoi already made it so much easier and better for us. She is such a kind and funny person 🙂 And yes, it’s worth just to travel to Vietnam because of the food 😀
Have a fantastic day
One of my best friends’ family is originally from Vietnam and she’s made me very interested in Vietnam… and Vietnamese food. The first time we went to a Vietnamese restaurant, I actually ate dinner twice… I am a huge fan of Bun Bo and Banh My. I cannot imagine how crazy I’d get if I were actually in Vietnam. All your photos already drove me crazy. I’m looking at ordering Vietnamese food now… lol
How come I didn’t know there made beers too? I totally agree with you on your comment about local beers vs local wines. But I like to try both (ooooops) 😀
Hi Eloise, how great must it be to have Vietnamese friends around you!? You always get amazing food when you eat at theirs I guess 😀 Bun Bo, especially Bun Bo Hue is so delicious <3 And Banh Mi is my new favourite food! We can totally recommend you to visit Vietnam if possible. The people, the sights and all the food are just out of this world <3 Thank you very much for your kind commend.
Have a fantastic day and safe travels
Eating street food in Southeast Asia is my absolute favourite. It’s fresh and there’s so much to choose from! Your tips are spot on, eat where the locals eat and throw out any food snobbery! Half the fun is sitting on those plastic stools as traffic zooms by. I love Vietnamese and you’ve introduced me to some new dishes to try. Great post!
Hi Arienne, thank you so much for your kind comment! I’m in love with street food in general, but you really do get the best in Asia. People here just perfected it. That said, sometimes you get some really delicious food in a restaurant which you wouldn’t find on the streets because it’s too complex. But I agree, the plastic chairs are so great fun 😀
Have a fantastic day and safe travels
I always warn people that you have to get over western food ideas to truly enjoy the food in Asia – no air conditioning, no attentive service, no substitutions. So glad you guys tried and enjoyed everything! Great guide ?
Hi guys, thank you very much for reading our post 😀 I always say, that if you haven’t sat on a tiny plastic chair, you haven’t really eaten in Hanoi 😀 And eating in the heat makes everything smell so much more intense <3
Have a fantastic day and safe travels 🙂
Insightful and interesting, definitely bookmarking this one for when I eventually get Asia side! Finally I will now know what I’m eating too!
Hi Audrey, thank you for reading the article. Don’t forget to send us some of the food when you go to Vietnam 😀 Honestly, I haven’t eaten better before in my life! Vietnam is truly foodie paradise <3
Have a fantastic day and safe travels 🙂
Great article Sarah! The food there looks so amazing, I think I need to try a Bánh Mỳ sandwich now!
Thanks Elisa – I can definitely recommend you try one of these sandwiches! They deserve the title of the best in the world 🙂
Omg guys this post has made me so hungry & jo jealous of all the amazing food you are having right now! The food is not the best here in Colombia!! I’m just about to send this over to my friend who is going to be in Hanoi for a couple of days in December, she’ll love this! Thanks for sharing all of your foodie knowledge 🙂
Hi Kelly, thank you so much for commenting! The food was definitely one of the best things about Vietnam. We’re only two days in Cambodia and miss Vietnamese food already. What do you get to eat in Columbia? I actually never thought about it. Thank you very much for sending this to your friend, we hope it’s of good use to her 😀
Have an amazing day
Awesome post you guys! I was just asking Marcella where we ate when in Hanoi, and we really lived off of Pho and spring rolls :P. It is very cool that you had a friend or two to show you around and take you to some of the local eateries and introduce you to some the important local food. Thanks for sharing it guys!
Thank you so much for your comment guys 😀 The Pho is just Pho-ntastic! Especially Sarah couldn’t get enough of it 🙂 I think our favourite was Banh Mi though and I miss it already so much!
Have a fantastic day and safe travels 😀
Looks like a lot of amazing food! Thanks for sharing your insider tips with us 🙂 The Bún chả looks so good I can see why you say not to miss it .. and I also appreciated your guide to pho
Hi Bruce, thank you very much for reading our post! The Bún chả was the first meal we had and also still one of our favourites 🙂
Have a fantastic day