English Translation & Description: Char grilled pork meatballs & pork belly served with a side of rice noodles, fresh veggie garnishes and a sweet and savory broth. Most Bun Cha restaurants also serve 'Nem' (fried pork rolls), which makes it a great opportunity to try both.

 

This dish originated in Hanoi and is the one meal that Hanoi is truly known for creating, and that you CANNOT MISS. It can be found all over the city, just look for the smoke signals from the crowded streets and alley ways. Beware, some smaller Bun Cha shops places are only for breakfast and lunch. 

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Cannot Visit Hanoi Without Trying!

English Translation & Description: Beef Noodle Soup (Pho Bo) is served with rice noodles, and a variety of condiments to create your own taste, including hot chili peppers, chili sauce, chili oil, garlic vinegar, fish sauce, and fresh lime or kumquat. In the North, Pho Bo is often served with a form of Chinese fried dough called 'Quay' that is for dipping into the Pho broth. 

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Pho Bo is the most popular Vietnamese meal that is served in Western countries. You can find Pho Bo served everywhere across Hanoi, but some of the popular places do close down for the day after they run out of meat or broth.

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A True Cultural Experience in Vietnam!

English Translation & Description: Chicken Noodle Soup (Pho Ga) is served with white or dark meat upon request, and comes with rice noodles, and variety of condiments to create your own taste, including fresh hot chili peppers, chili sauce, chili oil, garlic vinegar, soy & fish sauces. Pho Ga Tro is the same dish served 'dry' and with a side of broth. I personally rank the dry version over the soup as you can sometimes get over-souped in Vietnam.

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You can find Pho Ga & Tron served everywhere across Hanoi, but some of the popular places do close down for the day after they run out of meat or broth.

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Can't Go Wrong!

English Translation & Description: Nem is a mixture of pork, noodle and vegetables wrapped in rice paper and deep fried. It is not to be confused with 'Egg Rolls' which are familiar to Westerners diners. Nem is has an entirely different flavor and texture profile. It is without questions something you must try when you are visiting Vietnam. 

 

Nem can be found in most Bun Cha restaurants and western style Vietnamese restaurants that serve a full menu of Vietnamese food. 

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Can't Miss!

English Translation & Description: Pho Cuon is the dry 'rolled' version of Pho Bo (right side of picture). Sautéed beef is sliced and wrapped with fresh veggies in a thick rice rolled blanket. It is served with a side of sweet fish sauce and is an fun way to enjoy sliced beef and rice noodles in a non-soup version.

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It can only be found in certain parts of the city and then only at lunch or evening. If you only planning on visiting Vietnam once, this dish needs to be on your must try list!

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Have to Experience Once!

English Translation & Description: Banh Mi is actually the name of the baguette or bread roll you can easily find throughout Vietnam. Banh Mi as a meal is a baguette sandwich which in Hanoi is usually served in 4 ways - with grilled pork, Char Siu, Pate, or fried Egg. Any of these sandwiches have optional ingredients including cucumber, carrot & daikon pickled vegetables, Pate, secret sauce, and cilantro.

 

Banh Mi bread can range from 'ok' to fabulous in Vietnam. A great Banh Mi has a crispy outside crust and an almost impossibly light and airy inside. If you get a Banh Mi that is not crispy, or is doughy, you need to keep looking!

 

 Sandwich Lovers MUST! 

English Translation & Description: Banh Cuon is simply a pork and mushroom mixture that is rolled up in freshly made 'steamed' rice wrap. It is typically served with a couple of slices of Vietnamese sausage and fried shallots as a garnish. Sweet & salty fish sauce accompanies the rolls and sausage for dipping.

 

Banh Cuon is a good light meal to share. It is also a fun experience as you can usually watch the owner steaming the rice mixture into a crepe like wrapping and then preparing your meal right in front of you. 

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Must Try!

English Translation & Description: Typically Vietnamese Spring Rolls consist with boiled pork, shrimp lettuce cucumber, herbs, vermicelli rice noodles, and are accompanied with a side dish of sweet and sour fish sauce. 

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Spring Rolls can be found in all Vietnamese 'western style' sit-down restaurants and are also sold by independent street cart vendors. This is a great fresh light snack and is usually priced around $0.50/each in Hanoi. If you need a little practice before you go, this style of spring roll is very common in Vietnamese restaurants in Western countries.

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Great Light Snack!

English Translation & Description: Xoi Xeo is sticky rice accompanied by various optional topping including baked, hand-sliced mung bean, caramelized braised egg, boiled chicken, braised pork, Vietnamese and chines sausages, and sliced pickled cucumber. 

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This meal originated in Hanoi and is a perfect snack to share between meals for foodventure tasting. It can be found all across the city but most typically served for breakfast. Pricing ranges from $.20 to $2.00 depending on the amount of toppings you request.

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Gotta Try!

English Translation & Description: Cha Ca is an interesting fish dish consisting of top of Catfish that is found in the northern rivers of Vietnam. The fish is marinated in turmeric & galangal, grilled, and then deep fried. It is then served in a hot pan with fresh green onion and dill before it is served. It is accompanied by fresh herbs, chilis, kumquat or lime, green onion, roasted peanuts, fresh vermicelli rice noodles, sweet & sour fish sauce and fermented shrimp paste. 

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This is a VERY popular fish dish in Hanoi and can only be found restaurants that specifically serve Cha Ca. If you like fish, this is a must try dish for it's preparation value alone.

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Local Favorite Fish Dish!

English Translation & Description: Caramen is the Vietnamese name for Flan because of the caramel flavoring in the dish. Flan is an egg and dairy based custard that is baked with steam. It originated in Europe hundreds of years ago and was brought to Vietnam by the French who occupied the country in the 1800's.  

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Caramen is one of the hidden foodie secrets in Hanoi. It is VERY popular with one of the more popular spots serving thousands each day. It's truly a dessert that you CANNOT MISS when you visit Vietnam. 

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Gotta Have!

English Translation & Description: 'Sticky Yogurt' is the loose translation of this great dessert. The yogurt is actually soft frozen which gives it a 'sticky' texture, which after a few years of seeing how Vietnamese people name things, is where I believe the term originated. The Dessert is served with optional tasty toppings including, cocoa powder, fresh coconut, roasted crispy coconut, brown sugar tapioca, white boba, and pandan jelly to name a few.

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Sticky Yogurt is basically the Vietnamese version of soft serve frozen yogurt that you can find in many Western countries. The difference is in the toppings which are more healthy and 'Asian' in taste. 

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This dessert is a local Hanoi favorite and can only be found in a few places. 

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Should Try!

English Translation & Description: To my knowledge, I don't believe we have anything like this in the West. It is sometimes referred to a 'Sweet Soup' which is an insanely great explanation.

 

The Che dealer ladles whichever items you choose into a large mug then tops it off with ice to make it a little more appealing to the eyes and tastebuds. It looks a little off-putting for Westerners who like to have things clean and individually packaged, but when you finally get this stuff into your pie-hole.... WOW!! You cannot stop shoveling it in!

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Che is the #1 Dessert across Vietnam and can always be found in the local markets in Hanoi and also at other locations. 

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Worth the Effort!

English Translation & Description: Trang Tien Icea cream has been a Hanoian landmark. They began making ice cream in the lat 1950's and since then have managed to become THE most well known dessert shop in the city.

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A short walk to the bottom end of Hoan Kiem Lake from the Old Quarter, this shop serves Ice Cream by the bucket loads every day of the week. Their offerings are underwhelming by Western standards, but the tradition, price and getting to do what the locals are doing makes up for it. 

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A True Local Experience!

English Translation & Description: Take whatever instant judgement that has already processed in your mind and put them aside. Egg Coffee is a strong Vietnamese coffee with an egg based sweet whipped topping. ​It's definitely one of the experiences that you will tell your friends about when you get home.

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The most famous Egg Coffee location in Hanoi , Cafe Giang, is steps from central Old Quarter and lays claim to creating the famous drink back in the 1960's. The cafe drips with character and is a step back in time.  

GOTTA GO!

English Translation & Description: Cafe Sua Da, or Vietnamese Coffee is served all over the world. It is simply a strong Vietnamese coffee with sweetened condensed milk added and on the rocks. 

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A sweeter version of this drink is known locally as Bac Siu ('Back-See-u'). Western tastes might prefer this version as traditional Vietnamese coffee served in Vietnam is typically a little less sweet that you would find served in western countries.

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When is Rome (Hanoi)!

English Translation & Description: This frozen drink is very popular in Vietnam. The ice-blended coconut base is paired with a strong Vietnamese coffee.

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You can find this drink in almost any local coffee shop. We like to sooth our craving at 'Cong Cafe' which is a Vietnam War themed chain that can be found in all of the large cities in Vietnam. They do a a great job with the theme and serve consistently good Coconut Coffee as well as other coffees and drinks.   

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Can't Go Wrong!

English Translation & Description: This drink is one-of-a-kiind creation that can only be found at Cafe Lam. This popular coffee shop has been serving customers since 1952.

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Although the recipe is a well-guarded secret, we suspect it is cocoa powder mixed with condensed milk and something else that makes it delicious. It literally tastes like drinking a brownie! They also serve a mean Bac Siu, which is a more sweet version of Cafe Sua Da (Vietnamese Coffee)

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A One of a Kind Drink!

English Translation & Description: Sugar Cane Juice is the most popular drink across Vietnam. It's sweet, refreshing, cheap and everywhere!

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It can be found anywhere you travel inside Vietnam and served by local street vendors who use machines that squeeze the cane juice from freshly cut and skinned cane stalks. 

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Unique Experience for Westerners!

English Translation & Description: Hanoi is known for their 'Lemon Tea' which is oddly enough Green Tea and lime. The Vietnamese call lemons and limes - Lemons. Lemons are difficult to find, but lime is readily available year round and always used as a side condiment for local soup shops. So there you go... 

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This drink can be found everywhere in Hanoi, served in small Lemon Tea shops, as well as by street cart vendors. 

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Worth a Try!