Hanoi’s been known as a melting spot of street eats. Foods are served from a cranky bicycle, on the edge of bustling streets full of motorbikes, on sidewalks appropriated by sea of plastic stools, in a memorable passageway a meter wide, and right at someone’s doorstep.
It’s truly a city filled with proud cooks – and passionate eaters. That being said, we would like to introduce 25 popular street foods in Hanoi to satiate your hunger!
1. Phở bò (beef noodle soup)
If you’ve tried one dish that calls Vietnamese food, it’s most likely pho bo. Made with fresh rice noodles and overnight slow-cook beef broth, the beef noodle soup is a must-try on the streets of Hanoi. This slurpable noodle dish used to be served mainly for breakfast, but it’s now widely available at all hours in Hanoi. You can find a great pho bo to eat in either the Old Quarter or the French Quarter. Following are three of them.
Places to eat it:
- Pho Thin – 13 Lo Duc Street, Hai Ba Trung, Hanoi
- Pho Ly Quoc Su – 10 Ly Quoc Su Street, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
- Pho Bat Dan – 49 Bat Dan Street, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
2. Phở gà (chicken noodle soup)
Pho ga is the other version of pho, it’s made of fresh rice noodle with shredded chicken and chicken broth. Since the content of the broth is that different, a good pho restaurant in Hanoi serves only one of them on the menu – either chicken or beef. Make your own pick and if you go for chicken, these are three places to eat chicken noodle soup.
Places to eat it:
- Pho Tien – 50 Nguyen Truong To Street, Ba Dinh, Hanoi
- Pho Tinh – 42 Quan Thanh, Ba Dinh, Hanoi
- Pho Ga Nguyen – 5B Phu Doan Street, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
3. Bún chả (grilled pork with noodle dish)
Hunks of marinated pork patties and pork belly slices are charcoal-grilled before being put into a bowl of cooked dipping sauce, which is highlighted with colorful pickled carrot and kohlrabi. This delicous comes with rice vermicelli noodles and an oversized plate of medley of lettuce, cilantro and purple perilla. Wherever there is meaty smoke on the streets of Hanoi, there is Bun cha – the city’s top choice for lunch. Following are three of them.
Places to eat it:
- Bun Cha Chien Loan – 25 Gia Ngu Street, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
- Bun Cha Hang Quat – 74 Hang Quat Street, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
- Bun Cha Huong Lien – 24 Nguyen Huu Huan Street, Hai Ba Trung, Hanoi
4. Bánh mì (Vietnamese baguette)
Though there are variations along the length of the country, Hanoi’s baguettes stick to the traditional basic ingredients. A crunchy banh mi Hanoi includes a cornucopia of grilled pork (or chicken), homemade pork-liver pâté, pickles, a generous sprinkling of cilantro leaves, slices of cucumber and chili sauce. The combination of these craft ingredients makes a bite into a well stacked baguette a moment of rapture!
Places to eat it:
- Banh Mi 25 – 25 Hang Ca Street, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
- Banh Mi Lan Ong – 8 Cha Ca Street, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
- Banh Mi Pho – 57C Dinh Tien Hoang Street, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
5. Bún Ngan (duck creole noodle soup)
Bun ngan features a smart combination of boiled duck creole, bamboo shoots, rice noodles, spring onion and the broth from boiled ducks. The buttery richness of the local ducks stands up excellently against tangy bamboo shoots and savory dipping sauce! The dish is so typical and popular in the capital that it’s consumed as a meal throughout the day. Another version of this soup is Mien ngan, in which rice noodle is replaced with cellophane noodle.
Places to eat it:
- Bun Ngan Ly Nam De, – 65 Ly Nam De Street, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
- Bun Mien Ngan Minh Thu – 31 Ly Quoc Su Street, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
- Bun Ngan Nhan – 11 Trung Yen Lane, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
6. Bún bò Huế (beef noodle of Hue city)
Bun bo Hue is a crown dish of Hue, a former royal capital city in central Vietnam. In Hanoi, the dish is still called Bun bo Hue to denote its origin. A bowl of Bun Bo Hue contains the broth prepared by simmering beef bones, beef shank, chunks of oxtail, pig’s knuckles, and pig’s blood that congealed into maroon tofu-like cubes. This boldly flavored soup uses the extremes of spice and sour to offset salt and sweet. Below are two good places to try Bun bo Hue in Hanoi.
Places to eat it:
- Bun Bo O Xuan – 5D Quang Trung Street, Hai Ba Trung, Hanoi
- Bun Bo Hue Phuc Nguyen – 19 Hang Hom Street, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
7. Bún bò Nam Bộ (Southern-style beef noodle dish)
The dish is originated from southern Vietnam, hence the name. Rice noodles are mixed with stir-fry beef then topped with fried shallots, roasted peanuts, lettuce, microgreens, bean sprouts, carrot and cucumber. Crispy fried shallots add texture to the dish, while the scent of green papaya and pickled carrots create an enticing aroma. After a good mix, the harmony and nuttiness of all combined ingredients keeps the dish standing out, it’s really a feast to the eyes and stomach.
Places to eat it:
- Bun Bo Nam Bo Bach Phuong, 67 Hang Dieu Street, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
- Bun Bo Nam Bo – 3 Ngo Huyen Street, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
- Bun Bo Nam Bo – 10 Ngo Trang Tien Street, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
8. Bánh cuốn (steaming stuffed pancake)
Banh cuon is made of rolled up thin sheet of hot steaming rice flour, which is stuffed with a mixture of cooked minced pork, wood ear mushroom and finely chopped shallots. A portion is then topped with some fried shallots and coriander or fresh savory, finally it’s served with its own dipping sauce. Zest is added by dunking the slippery parcels into the dipping sauce, which was flavored with a drop of ca cuong (the essence of a giant water bug). Side dishes of Banh cuon consist of some Vietnamese pork sausage, or barbecued pork.
Places to eat it:
- Banh Cuon Ham Tu Quan, 49 Ham Tu Quan Street, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
- Banh Cuon Thanh Van, 12 Hang Ga Street, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
- Banh Cuon Phuong, 68 Hang Cot Street, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
9. Nộm bò khô (dried beef and green papaya salad)
The use of green papaya and fresh perilla herb, dried beef, dipping sauce combined with a right balance of spices are what make Nom bo kho tastes so good. Among those ingredients, the salad dressing really stands out. The green papaya is crunchy and thirst quenching, and of cause not sweet. Both the dried and steamed beefs in the salad are over the top, they are flavored with really good mixed dipping sauce and peanuts. Mix them up well before tasting!
Places to eat it:
- Nom Bo Kho Long Vi Dung – 53 Dinh Tien Hoang Street, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
- Nom Thit Bo Kho – 28 Ho Hoan Kiem Street, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
10. Bánh khúc (sticky rice with mung bean and cudweed cake)
Banh khuc is a steamed cake made of glutinous rice, which was mixed with brayed cudweed (Khuc) leaves and filled with mung bean paste, pork, black peppers, and then sprinkled with grains of sticky rice. The thin layer of brayed cudweed is what made the cake special, giving it the name. It’s served hot on a lotus or banana leave with some peanut salts. People used to sell Banh khuc in the morning for breakfast only, but it’s now made available all day by street vendors and sidewalk food outlets. This is a must try for those who love sticky rice!
Places to eat it:
- Banh Khuc Quan, 35 Cau Go Street, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
- Banh Khuc Co Lan, 69 Nguyen Cong Tru Street, Hai Ba Trung, Hanoi
11. Bánh rán (Vietnamese rice donut)
Banh ran is one of the most popular cake in all Vietnamese families, especially those in the countryside. It’s a deep-fried glutinous rice flour cake, featuring an eye-catching yellow brown color. This crunchy donut has two versions, sweet and salty donut. The sweet version is stuffed with green bean, while the salty donut is filled with a mixture of minced pork, vermicelli and wood ear. Yummy!
Places to eat it:
- Banh Ran Mat Duong – 52 Hang Chieu Street, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
- Banh Ran Hai Xe – 5 Luong Ngoc Quyen Street, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
12. Bánh tôm (fried shrimp cake)
A typical Banh tom of Hanoi is made of shrimps caught from the city’s West Lake, rice flour and sliced sweet potato. But instead of grinding the shrimp into a paste like fish ball, shrimps in the Banh tom are left whole sitting atop the crunchy fried cakes. A Banh tom is served with lettuce leaves for wrapping, dipping sauce topped with pickled green papaya and carrots, plus chili and lime juice. The dish is one of Hanoian favorite snacks, and is a delicacy that visitors from outside of Hanoi always look for when they come to the city.
Places to eat it:
- Banh Tom Ho Tay – 1 Thanh Nien Street, Tay Ho, Hanoi
- Banh Tom Co Am – Hang Chieu Street, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
13. Bún dọc mùng (giant elephant ear stem noodle soup)
Bun doc mung is highlighted by the fleshy stems of giant elephant ear plant, which is also called the Indian taro. When cooked, the stems have a spongy texture, which serves as the perfect vehicle to carry the flavors of this noodle dish. A bowl of Bun doc mung is satisfying with every bite of savory meatballs, soft giant elephant ear stem, rice noodles, and thinly sliced pork hock. The meatballs are made with a mixture of ground pork and mushroom before being cooked in the broth, which is full of tomatoes. Yum!
Places to eat it:
- Bun Doc Mung – 18 Bat Dan Street, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
- Bun Doc Mung – 41 Ngo Si Lien Street, Dong Da, Hanoi
14. Bún cá (fish noodle soup)
Bun ca is a deep-fried freshwater fish noodle soup. It combines fried fish pieces, fish broth, dills, tomatoes, spring onions, and perilla leaves. The fried fish is crispy, not fishy and not too dried. Even dipped into the broth, it’s still crunchy. It’s served with a little lime, vinegar, chili and herbs to achieve the essential balance of salty, sour, sweet and spicy.
Places to eat it:
- Bun Ca Hang Dau – 42 Hang Dau Street, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
- Bun Ca Van – 105/2 Quan Thanh Street, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
- Bun Ca Cay Si – 5 Ngo Trung Yen, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
15. Bún ốc (snail noodle soup)
The Vietnamese has a long tradition of eating freshwater snails caught in the rice paddy fields, and Bun oc is the well-known among snail dishes in the country. As tradition, the snails are kept in the leftover rice-soaking water for few hours to remove their slime, then those cleaned snails are boiled to make a base for the noodle soup broth. Boiled snails are then individually removed from their shells and stir-fried with garlics and shallots to enhance their flavors.
Tomatoes are then thrown to the broth to render it a stunning shade of light red, and rice wine vinegar is also added into the broth to have a slightly tangy note. A bowl of Bun oc is made up of rice noodles in the delicious broth, topped with fried tofu, stir-fried snails, green onions and some chili jam.
Places to eat it:
- Bun Oc Pho Co, 36 Luong Ngoc Quyen Street, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
- Bun Oc Co Them, 6 Hang Chai Street, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
- Bun Oc Co Hue, 43 Nguyen Sieu Street, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
16. Bún thang (rice noodle with chicken, eggs and pork)
Bun thang is a typical northern Vietnamese noodle soup, it’s like a package of components that make a traditional medicine prescription. This sophisticated dish consists of rice noodles with a number of toppings such as dried shrimps, wood ear mushrooms, shredded chicken, thin pork sausage strips, thin strips of egg crepes, shrimp floss, spring onions and aromatic fresh herbs, and chicken broth. Like other noodle dishes, Bun thang is served with lime, rice vinegar, shrimp paste and chili sauce to enhance the flavors.
Places to eat it:
- Bun Thang Cua Nam – 37 Cua Nam Street, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
- Bun Thang Ms. Duc – 48 Cau Go Street, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
- Bun Thang Hang Hanh – 29 Hang Hanh Street, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
17. Phở cuốn (beef in uncut noodle roll)
Pho cuon literally translates to noodle roll, each roll features a combination of fried beef, lettuce, cucumber, basil and cilantro… all encased (Cuon) in a white sheet of uncut noodle (Pho). Pho cuon packages those ingredients in one neat little roll, it’s served with a bowl of nuoc cham (dipping sauce). A bite of the dunked Pho cuon brings an exposure of different flavors in our mouth, soft and fine texture.
Places to eat it:
- Pho Cuon Huong Mai – 25 Ngu Xa Street, Ba Dinh, Hanoi
- Pho Cuon 31 – 31 Ngu Xa Street, Ba Dinh, Hanoi
- Pho Cuon Hung Ben – 35 Nguyen Khac Hieu Street, Ba Dinh, Hanoi
18. Xôi xéo (sticky rice and mung bean)
Xoi xeo is usually sold by street vendors along the sidewalks or on a paddling bicycle from early in the morning, it’s many people’s first choice for breakfast. Xoi xeo is made of steamed sticky rice with turmeric powder, topped with mung bean, fried shallot, and some liquid fat.
The turmeric gives Xoi xeo its unique eye-catching yellow color. It simply comes wrapped in a green lotus leave or banana leave, you can eat it right away without any other condiment needed though sometimes some extra pork flosses are added on the top of the sticky rice.
Places to eat it:
- Xoi Yen – 35B Nguyen Huu Huan Street, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
- Xoi Cat Lam – 24 Duong Thanh Street, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
- Xoi Xeo – 44 Hang Hom Street, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
19. Cơm bình dân (commoners’ food)
Com binh dan is a common Vietnamese’s home meal style, which is very common throughout Hanoi and all other cities in Vietnam. Along with so many noodle dishes, there’s no shortage of rice either. When office employees or workers look for something filling, Com binh dan would be their choice for lunch or dinner.
At each Com binh dan place, the dishes are a buffet-like displayed in a showcase glass cabinet, ready to be seen and ordered. So that, you can order your preferred dishes, which are then topped onto a plate of rice. Dishes are also served on separate bowls, making everyone’s meal looks luxury!
Places to eat it:
- New Day Restaurant – 72 Ma May Street, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
- Com Pho Co – 16 Nguyen Sieu Street, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
20. Ốc luộc (boiled fresh water snails)
Oc luoc tastes much better than how it may sound like, and it’s a very common street snack in Hanoi. Snails from the countryside are washed and kept in the leftover rice-soaking water for few hours to remove their slime, then put into the cooker with lemon grass, ginger and lime leaves. The boiled snails are served hot with a tray of skillful mixture of dipping sauce, which includes kumquat, sliced lime leaves, lemon grass and ginger. Remember Vietnam is a country of rice paddy fields?
Places to try it:
- Oc Nong Ha Trang – 1A Dinh Liet Street, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
- Oc Hang Luoc – 15 Hang Luoc Street, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
- Quan Oc Chi Le – 83 Cua Bac Street, Ba Dinh, Hanoi
21. Bún riêu cua (fresh water crab noodle soup)
Bun rieu cua is a combination of white rice noodle, brayed freshwater crabs, fried tofu and thinly sliced beef fillet. The broth of this noodle soup features a distinctive crimson color, and its appearance arises from tomato paste and annatto oil, made from achiote tree seeds.
Bun rieu cua on Hanoi’s streets may comes topped with beef, snails or fish. A bowl of Bun rieu cua is served with a small basket of medley sliced green herds including lettuce and cilantro or banana blossoms. The chili paste, tamarind or kumquat adds spices and sourness to the crimson broth and crab that’s full of greens.
Places to eat it:
- Bun Rieu Ms. Thu – 5A Tho Xuong Street, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
- Bun Rieu Hoe Nhai – 13 Hoe Nhai Street, Ba Dinh, Hanoi
22. Phở xào bò (stir fry noodles with beef)
Pho xao bo is a delicious dish with tender beef, soft rice noodles and very tasty green vegetables. Beef and vegetables are stir-fried separately before putting them together, then stir-fried with some garlic and soya sauce in the very last minute so that nothing is under or overcooked. The dish tastes best with some rice vinegar or lime, chili and a bit more soy sauce.
Places to try it:
- Pho Xao Phu My – 45 Bat Dan Stree, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
- Pho Xao Thanh Beo – 11 Hang Buom Street, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
- Pho Yen – 66 Cua Bac Street, Ba Dinh, Hanoi
23. Chả cá (fish cooked with turmeric and dill)
Cha ca is a dish that includes crispy garlic, ginger and turmeric-marinated cat fish (or snake head fish) which is fried tableside in a pan with lot of spring onions and dills. It’s served with some white rice noodle, roasted peanuts and fresh herbs.
The history of this city’s dish dates back to more than 130 years ago, when it was first invented by the local Doan family, who served the special meal to troops during French colonial rule at their family run restaurant. Their cha ca was so exceptional that the street which has the restaurant was named after the dish, the Cha Ca Street.
Places to try it:
- Cha La Vong – 14 Cha Ca Street, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
- Cha Ca Thang Long – 19 Duong Thanh Street, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
24. Miến lươn (eel cellophane noodle soup)
Mien Luon features two main ingredients, mien (cellophane noodle) and deep fried or stir fried luon (eel). As rice agriculture is a part of Vietnamese life, eels are farmed in rice paddy fields and are often produced along with the two rice crops each year.
Fresh lime juice is rubbed on freshly caught eels to clean off the slime and smell, then the bones and heads are used to cook the broth while the eel meat is deep fried or stir fried. A steamy bowl of Mien luon consists of fragrant broth, chewy vermicelli noodles made from arrowroot, flavorful pieces of eels, bean sprouts, crispy fried shallots, ginger, cilantro and Vietnamese coriander.
Places to try it:
- Mien Luong Ms. Nhung – 7 Nguyen Che Nghia Street, Hai Ba Trung, Hanoi
- Minh Lan – 1 Chan Cam Street, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
- Mien Luon Dong Thinh – 87 Hang Dieu Street, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
25. Cà phê trứng (egg coffee)
Egg coffee is a delicacy of Hanoi, it’s made out of a well-whisked mixture of chicken egg yolk, sweetened condensed milk, butter, and cheese. Beneath the yellow creamy soft layer on the top of an egg coffe, thick and sweet but not sickly, sits the strong Vietnamese Robusta coffee at the bottom of the cup. Ca phe trung is technically a drink, but it really tastes like liquid tiramisu so we would put it in the dessert category.
The hot version comes resting in a bowl of hot water to maintain its temperature. You should slowly stir bobbed froth of whipped egg with the coffee beneath it. It’s the sweet of condensed milk, the taste of the egg and the bitterness of the coffee that are in harmony leaving behind the mesmerizing scent.
Places to try it:
- Cafe Giang – 39 Nguyen Huu Huan Street, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
- Cafe Dinh – 13 Dinh Tien Hoang Street, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
- Cafe Pho Co – 11 Hang Gai Street, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
There are still many other delicious foods on the streets of Hanoi that qualify the content of this post, but if we were to cover them all, it would take you the whole week to finish reading it.
Contact us for a private Hanoi food tour with a local foodie, we are looking forward to showing you around our city while sampling some of the best street foods in the city.
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