Bach Mai: A Haven for Evening Delights and Nighttime Feasts in Hanoi

When one mentions Bach Mai Street, Hanoi's culinary enthusiasts immediately think of fancy bun cha, rich snail noodle soup, or Loc's sticky rice stall bustling at night.

Bach Mai: The Ultimate Destination for Evening Indulgences and Nighttime Gastronomy in Hanoi

1. Bach Mai Bun Cha

Bach Mai Bun Cha, also known as the 'fancy' bun cha, has long been a familiar name among Hanoi's food connoisseurs. It earns its 'fancy' title for several reasons. This eatery specializes in bamboo stick bun cha—a type of bun cha that is rare to find in Hanoi nowadays. Furthermore, its operating hours are quite... unconventional, opening its doors at 2 PM. Additionally, many patrons note the owner's rather... haughty demeanor. Nevertheless, due to its widely acclaimed deliciousness, the eatery consistently draws crowds whenever it opens.

A meal here typically includes vermicelli, grilled pork, dipping sauce, fresh herbs, all served separately (unlike other places where the meat is mixed in the communal dipping sauce). The dipping sauce may not be extraordinary, but the grilled pork is a class apart. Each piece of pork is fragrant and tender, bursting with flavor with every bite. Perhaps that's why, despite being tucked away in an alley, and priced at 40,000 – 50,000 VND per serving, Bach Mai Bun Cha continues to attract customers like clockwork.

2. Bach Mai Snail Noodle Soup

For those living around Bach Mai area, Mrs. Giao's famous snail noodle soup needs no introduction. Not located on the main street, nor needing clear signage, those familiar with it just know where to find the place.

The bowl of snail noodle soup here is deemed exceptional, from the steaming hot tomato broth, large and succulent snails, to the thickly fried tofu cubes. But what stands out the most are the golden and crispy fat snails, which, even when dipped in the broth, remain firm, crunchy, fragrant, and deliciously unique. This dish has become even more renowned, to the extent that many customers request eagerly, “More fat snails, please, ma'am!”

3. Hue Beef Noodle Soup

The Hue-style beef noodle soup spot in Dinh Dai alley is a favored dining destination in the Bach Mai area. This beef noodle soup eatery is run by a Hue-native lady, hence the flavor of the soup here has its own distinct characteristics compared to many other Hue-style beef noodle soup places in Hanoi.

The eatery only opens in the evening, selling an average of over 200 bowls of Hue-style beef noodle soup each night. The bowl of beef noodle soup here is quite hefty, besides beef, it also includes pork knuckles, a piece of slightly tough pig's foot, a small piece of pig's blood jelly, accompanied by several pieces of congealed pig's blood and a bunch of fresh and fragrant spring onions. The broth with homemade shrimp paste made by Mrs. Mai is rich, slightly sweet, and slightly spicy, very appetizing. It is known that Mrs. Mai has adjusted the broth to be less sweet to better suit the taste of Hanoians.

Especially notable about this eatery is its operating hours, selling only from around 5 or 6 PM until midnight, with the peak being around 11 PM. Priced at 30,000 VND, with decent quality, despite being open for just a few years, this spot is truly a worthy late-night dining option for night owls when visiting Hanoi.

4. Banh Bot Loc, Dried Beef Salad by Mrs. Hien

An interesting aspect of renowned eateries in Bach Mai Street is that most of them are tucked away in alleys. One such spot is Mrs. Hien's place, offering banh bot loc and dried beef salad. Located in alley 295 Bach Mai, the place, though not spacious, is quite clean, offering a variety of snacks such as banh bot loc, spring rolls, and traditional dried beef salad.

The food here is praised for its deliciousness and substantial portions, suitable for most customers' palates. A standout dish here is the dried beef salad. The salad, with its crunchy vegetables, sweet and sour dressing, and generous amount of dried beef, is extremely appetizing. Additionally, the banh bot loc also receives many compliments for its soft, chewy outer layer and generous filling.

Recently, alongside traditional dishes, this eatery has also added various desserts such as sweet soup and sour fermented pork, and fried sweet potatoes. Most dishes here range from 10 to 25 thousand VND, with banh bot loc priced at 5 thousand VND/piece, and dried beef salad at 25 thousand VND/plate. Thus, for an afternoon snack, two people can easily fill up with just 100 thousand VND.

5. Xoi Loc

Bach Mai area boasts numerous late-night eateries, and Xoi Loc is one of them. Formerly located right on Bach Mai Street, it has now moved to Ta Quang Buu, very close to its old address. Xoi Loc specializes in late-night offerings, with a rather 'unique' operating time from 6 PM to 4 AM daily.

The eatery serves traditional white sticky rice accompanied by various toppings such as sausages, meats, eggs, Chinese sausage, and chicken stir-fried with mushrooms, priced at 35,000 VND per bowl of assorted sticky rice, generous enough to fill one's stomach. Each serving of sticky rice also comes with shredded green papaya and fresh herbs to counteract any greasiness. Additionally, they also sell bread here.

While the food is delicious, the downside of the eatery is its small size, so most customers who come to Xoi Loc primarily opt for takeaway rather than dining in.

6. Tofu Dessert Place

This establishment is located at the intersection of Bach Mai and Le Thanh Nghi streets, easily noticeable due to its strategic position at a traffic light junction. Specializing in tofu desserts with various options such as lotus seed tofu, aloe vera tofu, pearl tapioca tofu, ginger jelly... Accompanying these are some light snacks like cheesecake and french fries.

The advantage of this place lies in its relatively affordable prices, with mixed tofu desserts ranging from 10 to 16 thousand VND, and cheesecake priced at 8 thousand VND. The tofu desserts here are praised by diners as quite delicious and offer many variations to choose from. However, the small cakes have little filling, so if you want to feel full, you'll need to order 3 or 4 pieces.

The eatery operates in the late afternoon to evening, from around 3:30 PM to about 9 PM, when it starts closing up. In terms of space, while it's located right by the roadside, it's quite small, so around 7 to 8 PM—peak hours—customers often have to wait for a table.

According to Afamily

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Reference: Mytour Travel Handbook