10 Hanoi Street foods to gorge yourself on (Part 1).
1) Phở
Proudly topping this list is Phở, the quintessential Vietnamese dish, which is synonymous with Vietnam for the rest of the world. For those who are perhaps unfamiliar with it, Phở is a rice noodle soup, served in a boiling hot savory broth made from beef bones or chicken bones(depending if it’s beef pho or chicken pho), which is simmered for hours, served with thin slices of beef or chicken. The Northern style Pho is highly distinguished for its simplicity, minimalism and clarity of flavor. It is served with minimal garnishes i.e. fresh scallions, coriander, thinly sliced onion and garlic vinegar, wedges of lime and chilli on the side. If you are feeling extra naughty, you can also order some really moreish, crispy savory donuts (quẩy) which were made to be dipped in that broth! You can find Pho in practically every corner or alley, but these are my go-to locations:
Pho Ly Quoc Su: 10 Ly Quoc Su street.
Mon — Sun: 6:00 am — 10:00 pm
10 Ly Quoc Su, Hang Trong, Hanoi, Vietnam
Price: 45, 000–65, 000 VND per bowl.
Phở Sướng: ngõ 24 Trung Yên, Đinh Liệt, Hoàn Kiếm
Mon — Sun: 06:00–20:30
Phở Thìn: 13 Lò Đúc.
Price: 40.000–60.000 VND per bowl
2) Bún chả
Bún chả is a local lunchtime obsession in Hanoi with a long-standing tradition. It’s the real reason why Obama visited Vietnam in 2016. A bowl of Bún chả contains pieces of ground and thinly sliced pork “chả” cooked on charcoal then soaked in the umami salty, sweet, sour and spicy dipping sauce with rice noodles, raw and herbal vegetables on the side. The dipping sauce, uses fish sauce as a base, is the heart and soul of this dish and makes every bite of that pork belly and mini pork sliders more addictive.
My go-to Locations:
Bún chả hàng Than: 34 Hàng Than
Mon - Sun: 07:00–17:00
Bún chả hàng Quạt: 74 Hàng Quạt (trưa)
Mon - Sun: 10:00–14:00
Bún chả hàng Mành: 1 Hàng Mành
Mon — Sun: 08:30–21:00
Price: 35.000–60.000 VND per portion
3) Bún riêu cua
Bún riêu cua(crab paste vermicelli) is seafood noodle soup, served in a very complex, savory and tangy broth and topped with crab or shrimp paste. Even though I love shrimp paste, it is not for the faint-hearted due to its pungent smell. I would recommend getting it on the side, but without it the dish wouldn’t have the complete flavor-profile. Main stars of this dish are various freshwater paddy crabs, including the brown paddy crab that are found in rice fields throughout Vietnam. These freshwater crabs are pounded in their shell until they turn into a fine paste(Sounds cruel but this is done in the name of extracting every drop of flavor out of them). This paste is strained and the crab-infused liquid is a base for this tomato-y broth. It’s also served with crispy fried tofu for texture and fresh Vietnamese herbs to cleanse your palate.
Bún riêu Huyền Thu
Address: 2f Quang Trung
Mon - Sun: 06:00–14:00
Price: 30.000–40.000 VND per portion
4) Bánh cuốn
Bánh Cuốn (steamed rolled pancake) is one flavorsome little dish that can be found in every street corner in Vietnam. These rice pancakes are painstakingly difficult to make and even Gordon Ramsay couldn’t get them right on one of the episodes of his Great Escape series. The pancakes are filled with stuffing made of stir fried wood-ear, shiitake mushrooms, minced pork , and are topped with shrimp floss, coriander and other herbs. All this is accompanied with the hot broth with fish sauce and lime and chilies on the side.
Address: 49 hàng Điếu
Mon-Sun: 10:00–20:30
Price: 25.000–35.000 VND per portion.
5) Bánh xèo
Bánh xèo (“sizzling cake”) is savory fried pancake made of rice flour, water, turmeric powder for golden color, which is stuffed with slivers of fatty pork, succulent pieces of shrimp, diced green onion and bean sprouts. The way you eat it is by rolling it inside a a thin sheet of rice(like a burrito) with mustard leaves, lettuce leaves that beautifully cuts through the richness of the stuffing. It’s served with lots of herbs(we can’t live without herbs) and the quintessential dipping sauce which is very similar to the one for Banh Cuon.
Address: 89 Nguyễn Khuyến
Mon-Sun: 11:30–19:00
Price: 30.000–70.000 VND