Table of Content
Hanoi Cuisine | Restaurants
Hanoi was our final stop on our trip to Vietnam, and the abundance of Vietnamese cuisine is truly hard to enumerate in full detail. After having tried many Vietnamese dishes, there were still numerous special dishes we wanted to try but hadn't yet had the chance to in Hanoi. Ultimately, we tried several Hanoi eateries, and here we list a few restaurants we personally tried and feel are worth recommending for your reference.
Pho 10 Ly Quoc Su
- Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Price: $
Pho 10 Ly Quoc Su is a famous Pho restaurant in Hanoi, renowned on the Michelin Bib Gourmand list. The one we visited is near the Hanoi Cathedral. The authentic Northern-style Pho was indeed delicious. We ordered the Bát Đặc Biệt (Special bowl) and Bắp Nạm Tái (Brisket with flank and fillet beef, which is essentially Pho with both cooked and rare beef). The Bát Đặc Biệt included a variety of beef parts, such as tender beef slices, tendon, and tripe, offering a rich and layered taste experience. The slices of cooked and rare beef in the Bắp Nạm Tái were in a perfect state of medium-rare within the piping hot soup, retaining the beef's tenderness and juiciness. The broth, simmered for hours from large bones, was clear and deliciously flavorful.
Banh Mi Long Hoi
- Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Price: $
Banh Mi Long Hoi is located on the north side of Hoan Kiem Lake, amidst the bustling streets of Hanoi. Here, the Vietnamese sandwiches, Banh Mi, are authentic with a touch of innovation. Having tried Banh Mi from various parts of Vietnam, I still rate the ones from this place the highest. The prices of Banh Mi here range from approximately 28K to 50K Vietnamese Dong. We ordered the Bánh Mì Thành Công (Banh Mi Success), which is a star product of the shop, featuring very flavorful grilled pork slices.
In addition to the traditional Banh Mi, Banh Mi Long Hoi also offers regional specialty Cao Lầu noodles. Cao Lầu noodles are actually a central Vietnamese dish from Hoi An cuisine. However, here, the specially made thick rice noodles, accompanied by a generous amount of pork slices, crispy fried pork skin, fresh vegetables, and aromatic herb sauces, present a different interpretation than what one would experience in Hoi An.
Cha Ca Thang Long
- Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Price: $$$$
Want to try something different in Vietnamese cuisine? The signature dish at Cha Ca Thang Long, the "Sheng Long Stir-Fried Fish Pot," won't disappoint you. Located in the Old Quarter, this restaurant is not far from the 36 Ancient Streets. However, there are many similar eateries nearby, so make sure to look for the one with "Huan Hua Villa" written in large characters at the entrance.
This restaurant doesn't have many options, only a Set Menu and à la carte beverages. The only dish available besides the fried fish pot is charged per person. The Shenglong Fried Fish Pot primarily uses fish as its main ingredient, commonly selecting bass or other suitable types of fish for cooking. After being marinated, the fish is fried together with scallions, garlic, and other traditional Vietnamese spices, and finally garnished with a generous amount of scallion greens and cilantro. The waiter serves rice vermicelli and the pot, pours the fish and spices, and stir-fries. After the fish is cooked, we eat it with rice vermicelli, peanuts, fish sauce, chili, etc., adding more depth and variety to the flavor of the dish. The spring rolls served as an appetizer are also made with fish and taste quite good.
Cua Hang 41 Cua Dong
- Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Price: $
The exterior of this roadside stall may look just like any other street vendor, and the prices are very affordable. Its main offerings are Bún chả (Vietnamese Grilled Pork with Rice Noodles) and Nem rán (Vietnamese Spring Rolls). Bún chả is a classic delicacy from Northern Vietnam, which I tried for the first time. The pork was grilled to a golden crisp on the outside while remaining juicy inside. It's served in a bowl with a slightly sweet and sour broth, accompanied by fresh vegetables and rice noodles that are dipped in the sauce, adding a spicy flavor that makes it especially delicious. Nem rán is also made with a pork filling and fried until golden and crispy. If you're looking to try authentic Vietnamese flavors, I highly recommend this place.
Bun Bo Hue Trinh
- Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Price: $
This is a famous Pho shop located in Hanoi, offering very reasonable prices. We ordered the cheapest Bun Trinh To and Bun Trinh Thuong, but the portions were huge. The broth was fragrant and rich without being greasy, and the ingredients were plentiful. Bun Trinh To included pork leg, pork, pork meatballs, pork blood, and pork skin, and it also came with deep-fried dough sticks.
Hanoi Cuisine | Snacks & Beverages
Che - Xoi Che Ba Thìn (95 Hang Bo)
- Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Price: $
Che - Xoi Che Ba Thìn is a small shop situated in the bustling area of Hanoi, specializing in traditional Vietnamese sweet soups, right next to the Hanoi night market. A few chairs set out front mark its opening, with customers casually picking any stool to sit on the ground. When we arrived, the shop had already run out of English menus, only pictures were available. We managed to find a former English menu on Google Maps and made our order by roughly comparing it. Finally, we ordered Chè đỗ đen and Thạch trân châu hoa nhài.
Chè đỗ đen is a traditional Vietnamese sweet soup, primarily made from black beans. The black beans are first soaked until soft, and then cooked with sugar until they reach a creamy consistency, topped with shredded coconut. This warm dessert has a mild sweetness and is full of black bean aroma. Another dish, Thạch trân châu hoa nhài, features coconut milk, white pearls, and grass jelly, with a soup base tasting similar to Ai Yu jelly soup. Both are very refreshing to eat.
Cafe Giang
- Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Price: $
Café Giảng is the originating shop of Vietnamese egg coffee in Hanoi, established in 1946. Egg coffee is made from a blend of coffee, egg, sugar, condensed milk, and milk. It is said that the creation of egg coffee was due to a shortage of milk at the time, leading Mr. Giảng to come up with the idea of using egg yolks as a substitute for milk, hence inventing this type of coffee. The egg yolk and condensed milk are whipped until fluffy and then mixed with concentrated coffee, creating a unique taste that is both sweet and creamy with a bitter coffee aftertaste, somewhat similar to Italy's tiramisu.
Cong Caphe
- Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Price: $$
Cộng Cà Phê is a very popular coffee chain in Vietnam, commonly known as the "Viet Cong Cafe," with a unique decoration style. It has branches in many places across Vietnam, including Hanoi. If it's your first time in Vietnam, definitely find one to try. The interior decoration features military supplies, vintage furniture, and artifacts from the Vietnam War era, creating a nostalgic atmosphere.
Bia Hoi Ha Noi 888
- Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Price: $
This small shop was something we stumbled upon, mainly wanting to try the traditional Vietnamese fresh beer. Bia Hơi is a very popular type of light beer in Vietnam, usually brewed in-house. It has a refreshing taste with a low alcohol content, and it's part of the street culture in Vietnam. You can find it in many places in Hanoi, the capital city. For the Vietnamese, it's akin to what tea represents. A glass costs only 10k Vietnamese dong, making it both affordable and delicious.
Pasteur street brewing co.
- Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Price: $$$$
In recent years, Vietnam has also seen a rise in craft breweries. During our time in Hanoi, we specifically sought out some craft beers to try. This brewery combines American brewing techniques with Vietnamese local fruits and spices for their brews, such as mango, durian, Vietnamese coffee, black pepper, and jasmine, creating a very pleasant atmosphere. We tried a Beer flight there, including flavors like passion fruit wheat ale, jasmine amber, chocolate stout, jasmine IPA, and dragon fruit sour, all of which were quite good.
Standing bar
- Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Price: $$$$
This craft brewery near West Lake not only offers local beers but also supplies foreign craft beers with a rich selection, and there are beautiful lake views to enjoy. The light meals provided blend Vietnamese styles with the flair of European and American beer snacks, and the flavors are quite good.
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