Top 10 must-try dishes in the culinary capital of Vietnam

Ha Noi, the capital of Vietnam, received Asia’s Leading City Break Destination at the World Travel Awards Asia & Oceania Gala Ceremony 2022 took place in Ho Chi Minh City earlier this September. What Ha Noi offers is more than a long-standing history with historical relics and ancient architecture, but a food heaven for visitors around the world. Blogger Nick Wheatley of the travel blog Wandering Wheatleys has indiscreetly stated that there is the best version of Pho and Bun Cha in the culinary capital of Vietnam.

1. Pho Bo (Beef Noodle Soup)

The classic Vietnamese signature dish is probably one of the best foods Hanoi has to offer, this dish consists of the aromatic soup, filled with slices of beef, rice noodles and a plateful of fresh herbs. There are many places that sell this Hanoi food. One of the best place to eat Pho in Hanoi is Pho Gia Truyen. Be sure to get there early, as there is usually a long line! 

*Recommended place to eat in Hanoi: 

• Location: Pho Gia Truyen Bat Dan
• Address: 49 Bát Đàn, Cửa Đông, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội
• Hours: 6-10AM; 6-8.30PM Mon-Sun
• Distance from our hotel: 1 km – 13 min walk

2. Bun cha (Vermicelli Noodle with Grilled Pork)

Bun Cha was the dish that president Obama fell in love with when he first came to Hanoi. Understandably so as this is one of the most flavorful and outstanding dishes of Vietnamese cuisine. Bún chả is served with grilled fatty pork over a plate of white rice noodle and herbs with a side dish of dipping sauce. The dish was described in 1959 by Vietnamese food writer Vu Bang (1913–1984) who described Hanoi as a town “transfixed by bún chả.” Hanoi’s first bún chả restaurant was on Gia Ngư, Hoàn Kiếm District, in Hanoi’s Old Quarter.

*Recommended places to eat in Hanoi: 

Bun Cha Ta Hanoi:

• Address: 21 Nguyễn Hữu Huân, Lý Thái Tổ, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội
• Hours: 8- 10PM
• Distance from our hotel: 450 m – 5 min walk

Bun cha Dac Kim:

• Address: 1 Hàng Mành, Hàng Gai, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội
• Hours: 9AM- 9PM
• Distance from our hotel: 850 m – 10 min walk

Bun cha Huong Lien:

• Address: 24 Lê Văn Hưu, Phan Chu Trinh, Hai Bà Trưng, Hà Nội
• Hours: 8AM- 8:30PM
• Distance from our hotel: 1.8 km – 9 min by car

3. Bun rieu cua (Crab Vermicelli Noodle)

Hanoi Freshwater crabs flavor this tangy tomato soup that’s made with round rice vermicelli and topped with pounded crabmeat, deep-fried tofu and, often, congealed blood. An odoriferous purple shrimp paste is offered on the side — it tastes delicious. Chilies and fresh herbs are the finishing touches for a complete one-dish meal. When northern Vietnam’s lush rice paddies are flooded, they’re the source of gray – shelled crabs roughly the size of a silver dollar. At Hanoi wet markets, vendors pry off the crustacean’s top shell, scoop out its fat and pound the rest of the body to bits in large mortars or electric grinders.

*Recommended place to eat in Hanoi: 

Location: Bun rieu Hang Luoc

• Address: 14 Hàng Lược, Hàng Mã, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội
• Hours: 6-10AM
• Distance from our hotel: 1 km – 14 min walk

4. Cha ca Ha Noi (Turmeric Fish with Dill)

• Location: Cha Ca Thang Long
• Address: 21 – 31 Đường Thành, Cửa Đông, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội
• Hours:10AM – 9.39PM
• Distance from our hotel: 1 km – 13 min walk

5. Banh mi (Vietnamese Baguette)

While its origins are French, the Vietnamese have made it distinctively their own. Generally speaking it is an airy Vietnamese baguette made with a combination of wheat and rice flours with a thin crispy crust.

It is stuffed with pork, pâté, cured ham, a mélange of Vietnamese herbs and vegetables like coriander, cucumber, carrot, slices, radish and more depending on what part of the country you are in. A wealth of textures and flavors, you will savor spicy, salty, savory, sweet, and aromatic tastes in each bite.

*Recommended places to eat in Hanoi: 

Bánh Mì 25

• Address: 25 Hàng Cá, P, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội
• Hours: Open ⋅ Closes 9PM
• Distance from our hotel: 950 m – 12 min walk

Banh Mi Hoi An

• Address: 98 Hàng Bạc, Hàng Buồm, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội
• Hours: Open ⋅ Closes 10PM
• Distance from our hotel: 550 m – 7 min walk

Banh Mi P

• Address: 12 Hàng Buồm, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội
• Hours: Open ⋅ Closes 1:30AM
• Distance from our hotel: 650 m – 8 min walk

6. Banh cuon (Rolled Cake)

• Location: Banh cuon nong
• Address: 101 Ba Trieu Street, Hai Ba Trung district, Hanoi.
• Distance from our hotel: 2.2 km – 8 min by car

7. Xoi xeo (Sweet Sticky Rice)

Xoi xeo or sweet sticky rice usually comes with staple toppings of green mung bean paste, soy sauce, and dried shallots, but you can opt for a variety of add-ins such as pate, boiled chicken, cha lua (Vietnamese ham), marinated pork belly, or preserved eggs for a more substantial meal. Some restaurants also serve xoi xeo as dessert, topped with dried coconut shavings, roasted sesame seeds, and crystallised sugar. An inexpensive yet prominent xoi xeo restaurant is Xoi Yen, where you can enjoy a basic bowl for VND 15,000, with additional ingredients between VND 15,000 and VND 30,000.

*Recommended place to eat in Hanoi: 

• Location: Xoi Yen 
• Opening Hours: Daily 07:00 – 22:00
• Address: 35B Nguyen Huu Huan, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi
• Tel: +84 43 934 1950
• Distance from our hotel: 350 m – 4 min walk

8. Nem ran (Deep Fried Vietnamese Spring Rolls)

Vietnamese Style Deep Fried Spring Rolls (Cha Gio/Nem Ran) can be served all year round, and present in almost every menu of Vietnamese restaurants abroad: A dish that is so famous that many locals of Vietnam assume it as their own specialty and give it their own name such as: “Nem Ran” by northerners and “Cha Gio” by southerners. Ingredients used for the fried spring roll are different depending each local but usually it comprises of lean minced pork, sea crabs or unshelled shrimps, edible mushroom, dried onion, duck/chicken eggs, pepper, salt and different kinds of seasoning. There are also special variants of the traditional pork-based roll, such as Crab spring rolls or Nem Cua Be.