Top 8 Must-Try Foods in Hanoi

1. Pho

Standing at the first position of top Hanoi food is Pho – the traditional food of Vietnam, is a must-try food when coming to Hanoi (where this was born). Nowadays, you can eat Pho everywhere in Vietnamese territory; however, perhaps the most delicious Pho bowls are located in its homeland. It is a soup consisting of broth, rice noodles called “Banh Pho”, a few herbs (as basil, coriander, and green onions), and meat (beef or chicken).

Recommendation

1. Pho Thin (5:30 am – 9:30 pm)  address: 13 Lo Duc, Ngo Thi Nham, Hai Ba Trung, Hanoi. Price: 40 000 – 60 000 VND.
2. Ly Quoc Su (6 am – 10 pm) address: 10 Ly Quoc Su, Hang Trong, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi. Price: 50 000 – 80 000 VND.
3. Bat Dan ( 6:30 am – 8:30 pm) address: 49 Bat Dan, Cua Dong, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi. Price: 30 000 – 55 000 VND.

2. Bun Cha

The second must-try Hanoi food is Bun Cha – The famous dish in the Capital that you can’t be missed.

Bun Cha includes grilled fatty pork (cha) over a plate of white rice noodle (bun) and is served with herbs and sauce. The sauce here has four tastes: sour, spicy, sweet and salty, served with some bitter herbs, it is also characteristic of Vietnamese dishes (with yin and yang, five elements and five tastes).

Recommendation

1. Bun Cha Huong Lien (8 am – 8:30 pm) address: 24 Le Van Huu, Phan Chu Trinh, Hai Ba Trung, Hanoi. Price: 40 000 – 60 000 VND.
2. Bun Cha Tuyet (8:30 am – 5 pm) address: 34 Hang than, Nguyen Trung Truc, Ba Dinh, Hanoi. Price: 35 000 – 55 000 VND.
3. Bun Cha Ta (8 am – 10 pm) address: 21 Nguyen Huu Huan, Ly Thai To, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi. Price: 35 000 – 50 000 VND.

3. Cha Ca

Cha Ca (grilled fish) is one of Hanoi’s specialties. This is a dish made from fish, sliced and marinated, grilled over charcoal and then fried in a pan full of fat. It served with bun (rice noodles), grilled rice cakes, roasted peanuts, spring onions, small chopped onions, vinegar, and shrimp paste.

Recommendation

1. Cha Ca Anh Vu (11 am – 10 pm) address: 120 Giang Vo, Cho Dua, Dong Da, Hanoi. Price: 130 000 VND.
2. Cha Ca Thang Long (8:45 am – 10:45 pm) address: 21 Duong Thanh, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi. Price: 120 000 VND
3. Cha Ca la Vong (11 am – 2 pm, 5 pm – 9 pm) address: 14 Cha Ca, Hang Bo, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi. Price: 230 000 VND

4. Bun Thang

Bun thang is a kind of Vietnamese noodles with nearly 20 different ingredients. The noodle bowl is a combination, a colorful art piece with white noodles background, the yellow of thin chicken and omelet eggs, pink of pork bologna, green onions and laksa leaves, black of mushrooms. Along with Pho, Bun Thang is one of the quintessence of Hanoi cuisine, is a must-try Hanoi food.

Recommendation

1. Bun Thang (6 am – 9:30 pm) address: 25 Hang Hanh, Hang Trong, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi. Price: 35 000 VND.
2. Ba Duc (6 pm – 10 pm) address: 48 Cau Go, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi. Price: 45 000 VND.
3. Ha Hoi ( 6 pm – 9 pm) address: 11 Ha Hoi, Tran Hung Dao, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi. Price: 40 000 VND.

5. Cha Ruoi

Ranked at the fifth of the best Hanoi food is Cha Ruoi – a Vietnamese dish made from Ruoi (sandworms). It is prepared from live Ruoi and then mixed bacon, duck eggs, chicken eggs, spring onions, dill, ginger leaves, pepper, MSG, fish sauce. The mixture is fried until it obtains a crispy brown surface. Don’t miss this dish when coming to Hanoi, we recommend you!

Recommendation

1. Hang Chieu (6:30 am – 6:30 pm) address: 1 Hang Chieu, Hang Buom, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi. Price: 30 000 VND.
2. Hang Beo (10:30 am – 1:45 pm, 5:30 pm – 8 pm) address: 244 Lo Duc, Dong Mac, Hai Ba Trung, Hanoi. Price: 50 000 VND.
3. Gia Ngu (10 am -11 pm) address: 25 Gia Ngu, Hang Bac, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi. Price: 10 000 VND.

6. Com

This is a typical dessert in Hanoi. It is immature rice kernels roasted over very low heat then pounded in a mortar and pestle until flattened. It can be eaten plain or with coconut. Com is a specialty of Hanoi and a must-try food when coming to Hanoi.

Recommendation

Com Lang Vong (Com village), address: Lang Vong, Dich Vong Hau, Cau Giay

7. Cafe Trung

Cafe Trung (egg coffee) is prepared with egg yolks, sugar, condensed milk and Vietnamese coffee (Robusta). It is made by beating egg yolks with sugar and milk, then pour the boiling coffee. Egg combined with coffee creates a very strange and tasty flavor.

Recommendation 

The oldest and most famous cafe, supposedly the birthplace of this drink is Giang Cafe. Address: 39 Nguyen Huu Huan, Hang Bac, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi. Price: 30 000 VND.

8. Trang Tien Ice Cream

The last position in the list of best Hanoi food is Trang Tien Ice Cream.

Hanoi people all know about Trang Tien ice cream, which was born more than half a century ago, this brand has grown up with many generations of Hanoi. It has many different flavors such as coconut, Com, and chocolate. This is simple food, but love always starts with simple things.

Address: 35 Trang Tien,  Hoan Kiem, Hanoi

Price: 10 000 VND.