Buzz
While the mesmerizing sights of Hoan Kiem Lake, West Lake, Ngoc Son Temple, The Huc Bridge, and Turtle Tower captivate us, the street foods introduced below will make travelers reluctant to leave the capital. Give them a try and experience Hanoi's culinary delights.
A Must-Try Culinary Delights in the Ancient Capital
1. Bun Cha
This dish is not only famous in Hanoi but also echoes throughout provinces and cities across Vietnam. Thinly sliced pork pieces, some minced and reformed into patties, seasoned to perfection, then grilled over charcoal. Afterwards, they're served in a bowl alongside vermicelli, fresh herbs, and a cup of dipping sauce made with vinegar, sugar, and lime. When everything blends together, diners just enjoy and marvel. You can find bun cha eateries everywhere, but the best is located at 34 Hang Than Street, Hanoi.
While Saigon is renowned for stir-fried, steamed, and boiled snail dishes, Hanoi captivates diners' taste buds with snail noodle soup. This dish is relatively simple, typically consisting of noodles, snails, crab meat, tofu, and a bit of beef. The broth is cooked with tomatoes, rice vinegar, and chili. Diners mix it with fresh herbs and then savor it. Snail noodle soup undoubtedly warms the hearts of travelers on chilly days.
3. Stir-fried Eel with Glass Noodles
Another must-try delicacy when traveling domestically to Hanoi is stir-fried eel with glass noodles. The ingredients include glass noodles, chopped eel meat mixed with eggs and bean sprouts. When eating, diners will savor the chewy texture of the eel meat, the fragrant aroma of bean sprouts, and the rich flavor of eggs. The eatery at 87 Hoan Kiem district is renowned for this dish.
4. Mixed Rice Paper
A popular street food in Hanoi. To enjoy the uniquely flavored mixed rice paper, you should visit 42c Ly Thuong Kiet, Hoan Kiem district, where you'll find a woman sitting by the roadside with a bamboo shoulder pole emitting a fragrant aroma. A bit of rice paper, sausage, fish cakes, peanuts, tofu, and vegetables accompanied by savory sauce will be neatly arranged in a bowl. You just need to pick up your chopsticks and start enjoying.
5. Pillow Cake
Similar to folded cake in Saigon, but pillow cake has a different shape and flavor. The outer crust is shaped like a small pillow enclosing a filling consisting of pork, mushrooms, glass noodles, etc. Besides this type of cake, visitors can also enjoy meat-filled fried cakes or sweet fried cakes.
6. Rolled Beef
While bun cha and pho have made their names for centuries, rolled beef is sure to make waves in Hanoi in 2017. This delicious dish will bring a unique flavor to visitors. A thinly sliced piece of beef rolled inside a layer of green cabbage, eaten with cornmeal, when put into the mouth, diners will feel the crispy, chewy, and slightly bitter taste blending together irresistibly.
7. Sweet Soup
If the above dishes have already amazed you, then Hanoi's sweet soup will leave you in awe. There are dozens of different sweet soup varieties to choose from, but the best ones include mixed sweet soup, black bean sweet soup, green bean sweet soup, pomelo sweet soup, and Thai sweet soup.
If you want to chat with friends, head to the roadside lemon tea stalls to enjoy the special flavors of drinks that have once captivated many young people. You can also order a refreshing glass of sour plum juice or a soothing peach tea to sip along with some crunchy sunflower seeds.
