Try to taste the local foods in Hanoi, which can enrich your culinary experiences in Vietnam. Selecting the correct dish and place is also essential to find authentic flavor! Let’s go!
1. Hanoi Noodle Soup (Phở Hà Nội)
When we talk about this city, we think about Pho Hanoi. Pho is the best local dish of the Hanoians, and almost all street food tours in this city select it for their menu.
The local noodle soup combines soft, thin noodles from rice flour, cooked chicken or beef, and bone broth.
To make a tasty bowl of pho, the bone broth must be seasoned and cooked elaborately. This requires the chef’s high experience and relatively sophisticated ingredients and flavorings.
Many Pho types correspond to the different kinds of meat used, such as rare beef pho, well-cooked beef pho, chicken pho, beef ball pho, or tendon pho.
Some famous local restaurants to enjoy this dish:
- Pho Bat Dan: 49 Bat Dan Street, Hoan Kiem district, Hanoi
- Pho Thin Bo Ho: 61 Dinh Tien Hoang Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi
- Au Trieu beef pho: 34 Au Trieu, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi
- Ly Quoc Su Pho: 10 Ly Quoc Su Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi
- Pho Ga Nguyet: 05B Phu Doan, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi
2. Meat Pie Vermicelli (Bún Chả Hà Nội)
A delicious and equally famous local dish is Bun Cha. It deserves to be considered the top 1 delightful dish in the capital of Vietnam.
This flavorful dish was served to President Obama during his trip to Vietnam, and it is also one of the best Hanoi foods for first-time travelers.
The dish’s main ingredients include fresh vermicelli noodles made from rice flour, ground pork, grilled pork, sweet and sour fish sauce, raw Vietnamese vegetables, carrots, and green papaya.
Some popular addresses include:
- Bun Cha Huong Lien: This noodle shop is famous for its unique name, “Bun Cha Obama.” Address: No. 24 Le Van Huu, Hai Ba Trung District, Hanoi
- Bun Cha Tuyet 34: 34 Hang Than, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi
- Sinh Tu Bun Cha: 02 Nguyen Phong Sac, Cau Giay District, Hanoi
3. Hot Spring Rolls (Bánh Cuốn Nóng)
Hot rice spring rolls have been a well-known food in Hanoi.
When you come to Hanoi on cold days, Banh Cuon Nong attracts people’s hearts. If you come here, try it to feel its appeal.
The rice wrappers for hot spring rolls are made from rice flour. The cook coats a thin layer of dough in a specialized steamer and steams it until cooked. After the wrapper is cooked, it is removed from the steamer and rolled inside a layer of stir-fried minced pork and ear-cat mushrooms.
These spring rolls are served with meat pie, boiled meat, Vietnamese herbs, and fish sauce.
The chef only cooks the rolls as soon as the customer orders, so diners must have a certain waiting time. The dish is served while it is still hot, which is why it is called hot spring rolls.
Some places selling delicious hot spring rolls in Hanoi:
- Ba Xuan rice spring rolls: 16 Doc Hoe Nhai, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi
- Banh Cuon Gia An: 25 Thai Phien, Hai Ba Trung District, Hanoi
- Banh Cuon Phu Ly: 39 Dao Duy Tu Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi
4. Egg coffee (Cà Phê Trứng)
Its strange name creates a unique feature in Hanoi cuisine. It’s a pity if you come to Vietnam and haven’t enjoyed Vietnamese coffee; it’s like coming to Hanoi and not trying egg coffee.
This particular drink is the result of the marriage between Vietnamese coffee and eggs through matchmaking from the meticulous hands of the bartender. It’s difficult to describe the unique flavor of egg coffee, so experience it and feel it with your own senses.
The recipe for making egg coffee has become famous throughout the country’s three regions. However, egg coffee will only bring its authentic flavor to Hanoi.
Here are a few addresses to taste egg coffee:
- Giang Coffee: 39 Nguyen Huu Huan, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi
- Ancient Town Coffee: 11 Hang Gai, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi
- Dinh Coffee: Floor 2, number 13, Dinh Tien Hoang Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi
>> See more egg coffee shops in Hanoi here.
5. La Vong Grilled Fish (Chả Cá Lã Vọng)
Cha Ca is a long-standing traditional dish of the Hanoi people. Its tasty flavor has made various generations of Hanoi people nostalgic.
La Vong’s grilled fish dish is made from fresh Lang fish meat. Lang fish is a kind of freshwater fish, the same family as catfish, and is called “Bagridae” in English.
The chef carefully marinates the fish with the typical ingredients, such as turmeric, galangal, ginger, onions, garlic, fermented rice, and shrimp paste.
After the fish is marinated, it is grilled until fragrant. This grilled fish is served with a typical sauce, fresh vermicelli, and dill.
The best places in Hanoi to eat this delicious dish:
- Vua Cha Ca: 48 Nguyen Thi Dinh, Cau Giay district, Hanoi
- Cha Ca Ha Thanh (Ha Thanh grilled fish): 32 Nguyen Van Huyen, Cau Giay district, Hanoi
- Thang Long fish cake: 19-21-31 Duong Thanh Street, Hoan Kiem district, Hanoi
6. Hanoi Bread (Bánh Mì Hà Nội)
Banh Mi has become a famous street food in Vietnam. The bread is not only delicious and has tasty toppings, but the price is also extremely cheap. Many international tourists rate Vietnamese Banh Mi as the best baguette in the world.
There are diverse fillings, such as meat pie, grilled pork, stir-fried beef, sausages, pate, tuna, and cold meats. In particular, each baguette cannot lack green vegetables. Depending on the store, vegetables may include lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, herbs, green onions, and sweet and sour carrots.
Some places selling delicious bread in Hanoi:
- Banh Mi Pho (Pho Bread): 57C Dinh Tien Hoan, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi
- Banh Mi Ba Dan (Mrs. Dan Bread): 34 Lo Su, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi
- Banh Mi Pho Co (Old Quarter Bread): 38 Dinh Liet, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi
7. Snails (Ốc)
Snails are an irresistible dish for those who love cuisine in Vietnam’s capital. There are many types of snails here, from sea snails, such as flavorful snails, nail snails, and abalone, to freshwater snails, such as black big snails, coconut snails, freshwater nail snails, and rice snails. Depending on the type and method of preparation, each snail dish will have a different taste.
Here are a few suggestions for snail restaurants to enjoy:
- Hai Phong Big Snail: 57, Lane 82, Chua Lang, Dong Da district, Hanoi
- Oc Vi Saigon: 21 Gia Ngu, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi
- Oc Di Tu: 144C Quan Thanh, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi
8. Chicken Instant Noodle Soup (Mì Gà Tần)
Chicken instant noodle soup is a late-night dish that young people love in Hanoi City. The food combines instant noodles with nutritious chicken stewed with traditional herbs.
The dish’s deliciousness depends on the broth. The cook stews the chicken meat with Chinese herbs, such as Dang Quy, jujubes, lotus seeds, and goji berries. Mugwort is the indispensable spice that makes this dish unique.
Eaters will feel the characteristic aroma of traditional Chinese medicine. Wormwood has a slightly bitter taste, and chicken broth is sweet. All these elements create a unique and unforgettable dish.
During cold winter days in Hanoi, a bowl of chicken noodle soup becomes more delicious.
Try it at one of these outstanding local restaurants:
- Ga Tan Co Bien: Alley 285 Doi Can Street, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi
- Mi Ga Tan 24 Hang Bo: 24 Hang Bo, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi
- Ga Tan Mai Huong: 12 Hang Cot, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi
>> You may want to check out the famous places that sell fried chicken in Hanoi.
9. Young Rice Cake (Bánh Cốm)
Banh Com has long been a snack bearing the break of Hanoi style. This one has the fragrant taste of young sticky rice and the sweetness of green bean filling.
The cake is handmade according to traditional Hanoian recipes. It does not contain preservatives, so its shelf life is quite short, usually 5 days. The main ingredient is young sticky rice, so the cake is not suitable for storage in the refrigerator.
Even though it has a short shelf life, Vietnamese people buy Com Cake as a gift whenever they come to Hanoi.
Famous Com cake brands here include:
- Banh Com Lang Vong Ba Hoan: 36, lane 63, Xuan Thuy Street, Cau Giay district, Hanoi
- Banh Com Nguyen Ninh: 11 Hang Than, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi
- Banh Com Xua Nay: 60 Hang Than, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi
10. Local Donut (Bánh Chiên)
Local donuts are also known as orange cake or Bánh Cam in Vietnamese. The crust is made from glutinous rice flour, and the inside includes sweet or salty fillings.
The sweet filling is made from cooked green beans and added sugar, and the savory filling is made from meat and wood ear mushrooms. Depending on the filling, people divide the donuts into salty donuts and sweet donuts.
Sweet donuts include sesame, honey, and sugar donuts. The division depends on whether the outer layer of the crust is sesame, sugar, or molasses.
Donuts are cheap but flavorful. For many locals, they are a “never tired of eating” snack.
Addresses that sell delicious donuts in Hanoi:
- Gia Trinh Donuts: 16A Ly Nam De, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi
- Banh Ran Co Truyen Duong Mat (Traditional molasses donuts): 52 Hang Chieu, Hoan Kiem district, Hanoi
- Goc Da Restaurant: 52 Ly Quoc Su, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi
These famous foods in Hanoi can be an indispensable part of a beautiful trip to this city.
However, Hanoi City, where many dishes converge from all three regions of Vietnam, offers diverse culinary experiences.
Thus, Hanoi’s must-try foods are not limited to this list; we recommend these dishes as the first step to exploring more local culinary offerings.
