We had many of our foodie clients from the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi Hotel, and beside food, we occasionally talked about the history of the hotel along our ways. As the property has been an important part of the city, we would like summarize its history in this blog post.
Pho is the most popular dish in the morning, but bun cha is the top choice when it comes to lunchtime in Hanoi. And it’s been over 6 years since their visit to a local eatery, but the photograph of the former US President Barack Obama and Anthony Bourdain sitting at a bun cha table is still being mentioned when discoursing about the dish.
The thousand-year-old capital Hanoi is internationally known as one of the best foodie destinations in Asia, and if you’ve heard of any of the city’s street eats, it’s most likely Pho, Banh mi, or Bun cha. There is no doubt that Hanoi is the best place to try those delicious dishes, but there’s much more to sample in the city’s diverse food scene.
Water Puppet is called “Múa rối nước” in Vietnamese, which means “Making the puppets dance on the water”. The art of making the puppets dance on the water has been our tradition since 11th century, and it began when the farmers tried to entertain themselves in the flooded rice fields.
Beside exploring Hanoi on foot, our clients love to experience the hustle traffic of the city on a cyclo. Since the activity is included in almost every classic tour for travelers staying in Hanoi, we would like to share a glimpse of history, and the terms, of rickshaw and cyclo in this blog entry.
On our personal food tours, we greet our travelers at their hotel and brief them with the walk before heading to the neighborhood that they’re interested in. For the Old Quarter of Hanoi, we’ll walk them through the backstreets and the hidden alleys to see the daily life of the Hanoians.
