Hanoi is a haven of affordable yet extremely delicious food, which can be easily found in the narrow alleys and bustling markets of Hanoi Old Town. Compared to other cities in Vietnam, the food in Hanoi is quite sour and uses bone and meat broth.

Hanoi is a city with diverse cuisine. It would not be an exaggeration to say that Hanoi cuisine is the richest and most sophisticated in Asia. A trip to Hanoi is not complete without trying its specialties. Here is a list of the best dishes you must try in Hanoi!

bun thang

Bun Thang is a culinary feature that when you come to Hanoi you cannot miss because it is not just a dish, but it is also a culinary quintessence that has been collected by the people of Hanoi for many generations. For gourmets it would be a mistake to miss this dish. The dish includes many ingredients and many flavors, but still brings the delicate feeling of Hanoi cuisine.

Previously, Hanoians only had the opportunity to enjoy bun thang on special occasions such as the golden Tet ceremony.

Today, although it no longer has all the traditional ingredients as before, Hanoi bun thang is still the most elegant and sophisticated dish in Hanoi cuisine, loved by gourmets and tourists alike.

bun cha

Bun Cha Hanoi is a very famous delicious dish that every tourist who visits Hanoi knows about. No one knows when Hanoi bun cha appeared, but one thing many people know is that this dish is among the top 10 most attractive street foods in the world.

Hanoi Bun Cha is a dish loved by Hanoi residents and tourists. Bun cha is a dish found in street stalls and in many great restaurants in the capital. Tourists traveling to Hanoi like to eat Hanoi bun cha because this dish is similar to grilled meat noodles from the central and southern provinces, but it is prepared quite elaborately and reflects the culinary style of the capital. .

However, some restaurants also have various ways to make bun cha more appealing, such as adding pickles, carrots, and salted kohlrabi to the bowl of water that already holds the burgers, using sticks to grill the burgers, or wrapping them. Bun cha balls and pieces in banana leaves to retain the heat and flavor of the buns… But no matter how it is prepared, Hanoi bun cha still offers visitors delicious and wonderful meals.

Rolls

Soft and succulent, round banh cuon, rich in the sweetness of rice flour, filling and the aromatic flavor of fried onions, is a snack of choice for many Vietnamese because of the rich yet elegant taste of banh cuon. found in other dishes.

Banh cuon is prepared differently depending on the region. A typical example is the origin of Thanh Tri banh cuon, from the reign of the 18th Hung king. Thus, banh cuon has an ancient origin and has become a popular dish throughout Vietnam.

Banh Cuon is made with delicious rice, finely ground and mixed with water. Place the steamer and stretch a thin cloth over the mouth of the pot. Each time add a small amount of dough, rub it evenly on the surface of the cloth so that the rolled cake sheets are thin, you can add a little fat or cooking oil to make it easier to remove. Once the cake is cooked, use a bamboo stick to put it on a plate, at this time you can roll the filling including some half-lean, half-fat meat, shrimp, chopped wood ear mushrooms, and mushrooms that have been sautéed. with spices such as fish sauce and pepper… Sprinkle with fried onions and serve with a sauce that has a variety of sour, spicy, salty and sweet flavors.

La Vong Roasted Eggplants

La Vong grilled fish is a delicious and famous Hanoi dish. This dish is famous not only in the country but also abroad. This is considered one of the delicious dishes highly appreciated by foreign tourists and they believe that it is a dish that tourists should try at least once if they have the opportunity to come to Vietnam. This demonstrates the wide appeal of La Vong fish cake.

It is said that in the last century, during the time of the insurgent De Tham army, the Doan family lived in house number 14 of Hang Son. This family often receives De Tham’s troops and treats guests to the family’s fish cakes. De Tham’s soldiers found the fish cakes very delicious, so they helped the owner open a restaurant specializing in selling this dish.

In the store, there is a statue of La Vong sitting on his knees fishing, always on display. So over time, customers came to eat grilled fish called La Vong and the street gradually became known as “Cha Ca” town. Currently, on Cha Ca Street, in house number 14, there is a restaurant specializing in selling La Vong fish cake. This is an old house with a famous statue of La Vong fishing.

La Vong grilled fish is an elaborate and interesting dish. The fish used to make burgers is usually lentil fish or, even more delicious, Anh Vu fish in Viet Tri, Phu Tho. If you don’t have the above two types of fish, use catfish and fish even if they don’t taste as good. Making fish cakes requires skill and precision. The manufacturer must strain the fish meat and then marinate it with galangal, fish sauce, pepper, fish sauce… so that the fish cake is bite-sized, not fishy and fragrant.

Pho Ly Quoc Su

Hanoi is a densely populated place in many different regions, so this place is a convergence of many cultural beauties. When talking about Hanoi, people can’t help but mention Pho, with the typical Hanoi taste.

Pho is a very delicate dish that has been around for a long time and has many different flavors depending on the cook. However, the main ingredients of pho include rice noodles, aromatic broth of ginger, cinnamon, anise and roasted cardamom combined with the sweetness of slow-cooked pork bones, thinly sliced ​​beef and put in a bowl of pho along with herbs. When we eat pho, we often eat it with hot stir-fry and spices like chili vinegar and fresh lemon squeezed into the broth to give it a sour flavor. Pho has a strange aroma that attracts people to eat. There’s nothing better than a cold winter morning, enjoying a bowl of hot pho and then getting back to work. Pho is a very easy dish to eat, people of all ages can eat it without fear of gaining weight or feeling bad. We can enjoy Hanoi pho in luxury restaurants, roadside shops, etc. In addition to beef pho, we can enjoy other pho dishes such as chicken pho, which are also very delicious and attractive.

West Lake Shrimp Pie

Shrimp cake has long been considered a “definitive” dish outside of Hanoi that cannot be found anywhere else nor is it as delicious. But this is a “Hanoi narrow” dish, meaning that while all other specialties happily combine their names with Hanoi, the shrimp cakes are discreetly combined with a specific place in the phrase “West Lake shrimp cakes.” .

For many people in Hanoi or those who have attachments to Hanoi, shrimp cake is not just a dish, sometimes it is also a memory. Especially when the cake shop is located on the most romantic street in Hanoi.

The ingredients for making shrimp cakes seem pretty simple. The cake is usually served with lettuce, along with herbs such as cilantro, basil, Chinese cilantro… If the cake is delicious, you must also mix the dipping sauce well, otherwise it will be ruined. Some fresh chili or hot chili sauce, papaya pickles and pickled carrots are a must to make the dish more delicious and prevent boredom.

Various types of donuts

In addition to world-famous dishes, Hanoi is also home to a treasure trove of pastries such as pillow cakes, filled with pork, mushrooms, ground noodles with quail eggs or prawn cakes. To balance the flavor, the greasy donuts are served with a garlic, chili and herb sauce.

When the pancakes come out of the oven, you will surely be fascinated by their bright yellow color combined with the fresh green color of the raw vegetables beautifully presented on the plate. Dip the pie into the sauce and take a bite, tasting the crunchy, greasy flavor of the crust; the delicious and smooth flavor of the filling inside; The appealing sweet and sour flavor of the dipping sauce.

coffee with egg

Egg coffee, perhaps only Hanoi is famous for this unique drink. And when talking about Hanoi egg coffee, it would be a mistake not to mention Giang coffee.

Each cup of egg coffee requires two egg yolks, which are beaten until light yellow in color, mixed well, and then poured into the cup. The coffee powder is prepared separately, then brewed in a cup, and then poured over the beaten eggs. The light layer of egg foam will flow little by little and cover the entire surface of the dark coffee, scented with the typical aroma of Vietnamese coffee.

Egg coffee is suitable for everyone, whether men or women, especially for women who cannot drink strong coffee, but still want to enjoy coffee with a strong flavor. Adding eggs will reduce the strength of the coffee and at the same time give people a completely different coffee taste than other types of normal coffee.