10 must-try dishes in Hanoi

Hanoi – the capital of a thousand years of civilization, is the cradle of Vietnamese cuisine. In addition to the dishes that have made Vietnam famous such as Pho or Bun Cha, Hanoi still has very typical dishes. Here are the top 10 dishes you should not miss on your culinary journey in Hanoi.

1. Pho

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Needless to say, Pho has been recognized all around the world as the soul of Vietnamese cuisine and is one of the indispensable parts associated with Vietnamese people from generation to generation. Although Pho can be found anywhere you go, it cannot be denied that Pho Hanoi – where it was originally from – is at its best.

A decent bowl of Pho requires a meticulous preparation and cooking process. Pho is made from the main ingredients such as bone-beef broth, noodles, and thinly sliced beef. What makes Pho Hanoi different from Pho in the south is that you will find lots of green onion in your bowl and there are no side green herbs (instead, it is sided with “bánh quẩy” or hot finger-shaped soufflé).

Tips:

Oftentimes, there are many types of beef you can choose from the menu, which could be confusing for your first experience. A safe option to stick to is “Phở tái nạm” – Pho with rare lean & brisket beef  (with or without “bò viên” – meatballs depending on your preference).

When eating, you can add a bit of pickled garlic and homemade chili sauce to the bowl, mix it up, dip “bánh quẩy”  in the broth then have a big bite of everything and the explosion of flavors in your mouth.

Some famous delicious Pho restaurants in Hanoi:

• 49 Bat Dan Street, Hoan Kiem District (30,000 VND – 55,000 VND)
• 13 Lo Duc Street, Hoan Kiem District (40,000 VND – 60,000 VND)
• 10 Ly Quoc Su, Hoan Kiem District (50,000 VND – 80,000 VND)

2. Bun Cha

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Bun Cha is actually even more synonymous with Hanoi cuisine than Pho, which is suggested in its name. One portion of Bun Cha consists of thin noodles, grilled pork in sweet and vinegary broth, and a small basket of green herbs to balance out the meaty protein.

The essence of Bun Cha Hanoi lies among the BBQ pork which has to meet the balanced proportion of lean meat and fat before being seasoned with the right amount of herbs and spices then grilled on an open coal-fire.

Tips:

When eating Bun Cha Hanoi, you will be given an extra small bowl. Take a bit of noodle, add grilled pork and some herbs, then pour in a bit of the broth. It tastes best when you have a bit of everything at the same time.

Bun Cha is available all day, however, it is ideal to eat Bun Cha for lunch, as it could be a bit too fatty for breakfast and its serving portion is huge and very filling – which will give you energy for the rest of the day. It is also recommended to order Nem Ran – a square version of spring rolls.

Some recommendations for you:

• 1 Hang Manh Street, Hoan Kiem District (50,000 VND – 60,000 VND)
• 74 Hang Quat Street, Hoan Kiem District (30,000 VND – 50,000 VND)
• 24 Le Van Huu Street, Hoan Kiem District (40,000 VND – 60,000 VND)

3. Bun Thang

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In contrast with the light sweetness and simple taste of the broth, you will be amazed that it requires more than 20 different ingredients to make up a bowl of Bun Thang.

When being served, Bun Thang will be presented with fried eggs, chicken, shiitake mushrooms, green onions, pork cake, dried shrimp and so on. Everything is sliced up and neatly placed on the bed of rice noodles. So, Bun Thang is not only tasty but also eye-catching with all the colorful ingredients.

Tips:

The taste of Bun Thang is, for some people, quite “ light and plain”; so, it will be suitable for breakfast. If you like it a bit more savory, add a tiny bit of fish sauce.

You can try Bun Thang in some of the following locations:

• 48 Cau Go Street, Hoan Kiem District (35,000 VND – 50,000 VND)
• 29 Hang Hanh Street, Hoan Kiem District (35,000 VND)

4. Banh Mi

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Banh Mi gradually asserts its position in Vietnamese culinary culture, as the BBC’s David Farley once praised Banh Mi of Vietnam as the best sandwich in the world.

You may already be familiar with Banh Mi as it is quite globally widespread; but unlike Banh Mi in Saigon which emphasizes the sauce, Banh Mi in Hanoi is special and recognizable for its pâté. The rich and flavorful pâté is spread between a freshly-baked baguette that is soft inside and crispy outside.

Now, you can find Banh Mi in two versions: Banh Mi sandwiches and one-pan toppings served with Banh Mi on the side. Traditional Banh Mi sandwiches are definitely recommended as it is how Banh Mi is originally eaten and how you fully taste Banh Mi in one bite.

Tips:

A Banh Mi experience is not complete without being combined with Vietnamese black / milk coffee. This is the all-time go-to combo.

Some suggestions for you:

• 25 Hang Ca, Hoan Kiem District (15,000 VND – 25,000 VND)
• 38 Dinh Liet Street, Hoan Kiem District (15,000 VND – 35,000 VND)
• 34 Lo Su Street, Hoan Kiem District (15,000 VND – 25,000 VND)

5. La Vong Grilled Fish

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Cha Ca (grilled fish cakes) has long been a specialty of Hanoi. It is a complicated dish right from the stage of selecting ingredients. Made from the freshest Hemibagrus fish and Snakehead fish so the texture will be firm and chewy. When the fish is almost cooked, green onion and dill are added to the hot pan and well mixed with other ingredients.

Interestingly, the first Cha Ca La Vong restaurant has been surviving for 5 generations and the street on which it is located now was renamed after this iconic food (Cha Ca Street).

Tips:

Cha Ca La Vong is eaten with noodles, roasted peanuts and “mắm tôm” – shrimp paste which could be too strong for those who are not familiar with it. It is suggested that you add a bit of lime or kumquat juice to the paste and well mix it to reduce the strong smell and taste.

We recommend these restaurants for you to enjoy this dish in Hanoi:

• 14 Cha Ca Street and 107 Nguyen Truong To Street, Hoan Kiem District (170,000 VND)
• 120 K1 Giang Vo Street, Ba Dinh District (140,000 VND)
• 171 Thai Ha Street, Hoan Kiem District (139,000 VND)

6. Pho Cuon and Pho Chien

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As we mentioned before, the summer in Hanoi is extremely unpleasantly hot. And so, although we love Pho, the idea of slurping a hot bowl of Pho under that weather condition does not sound very tempting. That’s why Hanoians came up with the genius creation of Pho Cuon and Pho Chien (Pho rolls and pan-fried Pho) – which is somehow the dry version of traditional Pho.

You can still find the star ingredients of Pho which are noodles, beef and herbs. However, instead of being cut into stripes, they use Pho sheets to wrap seasoned and stir-fried together with green herbs inside. Pho Cuon is complemented by dipping in light, vinegary sauce, which is the best summery food you could ever have. Pho Chien also uses the same ingredients but beef and vegetables are stir-fried and top on a bed of deep-fried, crispy Pho noodles.

Another version of Pho Chien is Pho Chien Phong (Pho crackers in squared-shape). Pho sheets are cut into squares and deep-fried until they turn into Pho crackers – airy in the middle and crispy outside. These are again stir-fried with tender beef, onion and green vegetables.

Notes and tips: 

At Pho Cuon restaurants, there is often a snack called “Ngô chiên bơ” – which is basically popcorn but in Vietnamese style. You could not find it anywhere else and we have to admit that it is a very addictive snack. Make sure you will give it a try.

These dishes are served in big portions which are enough for 2-3 people. So, it is recommended that you order one by one to make sure you are not overloaded with foods and also can enjoy them while they are freshly cooked and served.

Some recommendations for you:

• 29B Ngu Xa, Ba Dinh District (25,000 VND – 75,000 VND)
• 31 Ngu Xa, Ba Dinh District (25,000 VND – 75,000 VND)
• 108B1 Tran Huy Lieu, Ba Dinh District (25,000 VND – 80,000 VND)

7. Ngan Chay Toi

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Ngan Chay Toi (duck fried with garlic) is a rising star on the Hanoian culinary map. Accidentally invented by a home cook chef – who was trying to cook up the leftovers for her family, this dish soon took off and became one of the most favorable dishes of the Hanoi people.

Duck meat is well seasoned and deep-fried with lots of garlic until they get that beautiful caramel color and crispy texture (for the garlic). A full combo of Ngan Chay Toi locally goes with a quarter to a half of a duck (you could ask for half “cháy tỏi” – deep-fried and half “luộc” – boiled); a bowl of noodles of your choice (could be “bún” – rice noodles or “miến” – glass vermicelli); a bowl of bamboo shoot soup; a small basket of fresh herbs; and of course a small bowl of ginger, garlic and chili fish sauce. All of these are served on a round serving platter which is set up on a plastic stool while you will be given even smaller plastic stools to sit around and enjoy your meal.

Notes and tips:

This is supposed to be a shared dish. A combo of ¼ a duck is sufficient for 2 people and ½  a duck should be enough for at least 3-4 people.

You will be sitting on little stools and quite close to each other; so consider if you feel like having your personal space and more comfortable dining space.

Here are some suggested addresses for you:

• 71 Hang Thiec, Hoan Kiem District (120,000 VND – 250,000 VND)
• 51 Hang Luoc, Hoan Kiem District (40,000 VND – 265,000 VND)
• 16 Hang Can, Hoan Kiem District (40,000 VND – 260,000 VND)

8. Chao Suon

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Chao Suon (pork rib porridge) is somehow less recognized by tourists but highly recommended by our local Hanoian friends. This could be the ultimate comfort food that you have been looking for as long as you give it a try.

Chao (or rice porridge) is the soul of this dish. A good one needs to be cooked in pork rib broth with the right proportion of rice and sticky rice which are already soaked in fresh water overnight. This porridge is then blended and slow-cooked until it gets a finely smooth and creamy texture. Pork ribs, meanwhile, are slow-cooked until they can be easily deboned and melts in your mouth. A perfect bowl of Chao Suon is a combination of rice porridge, shredded pork floss, minced pork and tender pork ribs of course.

Tips:

This dish is often eaten for breakfast or late-night meals. You can also order “bánh quẩy” (hot finger-shaped soufflé) and century eggs to add even more flavors to the dish.

Recommended addresses to eat Chao Suon:

• 14 Dong Xuan, Hoan Kiem District (25,000 VND – 55,000 VND)
• 61A Ngo Huyen, Hoan Kiem District (30,000 VND – 50,000 VND)
• 55 Hong Tien, Long Bien District (45,000 VND – 70,000 VND)

9. Banh Goi and Banh Ran Man

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Although the names suggest “cakes” (deep-fried pillow cakes & savory cakes), these dishes are not your typical dessert cakes (but more like Vietnamese deep-fried dumplings) and the way to eat them is nothing as in your imagination. Pillow cakes and savory cakes’ skins are made with wheat flour and sticky rice powder and the fillings are a mixture of minced pork, wood ear mushrooms, onions, carrots and glass vermicelli.

Typically, all the cakes will be displayed in a buffet style. You can simply point at whatever you feel like, go take a seat and they will serve you the exact ones but freshly cooked. At your table, the cakes are already cut up for you and they will be served with a small bowl of sweet and sour dipping sauce with green papaya sliced inside and some fresh leaves on the side. To eat this, you take a green leaf and add a piece of the cake together with some other herbs, wrap them up and dip in the sweet and sour sauce.

Tips:

This food is quite oily as it is deep fried several times so that the skins are crispy. You would probably find it more enjoyable to eat on a cold and rainy day; or when you particularly crave for some fried dishes.

Some recommendations for you:

• 52 Ly Quoc Su, Hoan Kiem District (13,000 VND)
• 112K Thai Thinh, Dong Da District (13,000 VND)

10. Ca Phe Trung

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It may be a bit controversial to end the list with a drink; but, it is hard to decide whether Ca Phe Trung (egg coffee) should be categorized as a dessert or a drink. So here it is, better not miss it. Having been praised by many international travel pages, Ca Phe Trung is a creative drink of black coffee and egg yolk. This is a perfectly balanced combination of bitter black coffee and creamy, lightly-sweet whisked egg yolk. Ca Phe Trung must be enjoyed while it is still hot by (1) mixing it up and sipping in small sips or (2) letting the spoon go from the bottom of the cup so you can experience a full layer of flavors.

Tips:

You can also choose Ca Phe Trung Lanh (iced egg coffee) or Cacao Trung (egg cocoa drink).

This drink is super rich and creamy and probably the refreshing drink you are looking for on a hot summer day.

Enjoy a cup of Egg coffee at the following coffee shops:

• 39 Nguyen Huu Huan Street, Hoan Kiem District (39,000 VND)
• 13 Dinh Tien Hoang Street, Hoan Kiem District (25,000 VND)