Top 25 Best Food in Hanoi [Must-try]

Hanoi food or Vietnamese food in general don’t have to be expensive to have good taste. Instead, the best food in Hanoi is fairly cheap and easily found in narrow streets. Hanoi food tends to utilize fresh ingredients so you will find that dishes served with platters of fresh greens and herbs are very common. You won’t have a complete trip to Hanoi if you don’t try the best foods in the city. And here they are:

1. Cha Ca (Grilled Fish with Dill and Tumeric)

Cha Ca Hanoi (Grilled Fish with Dill and Tumeric)

Cha Ca is a traditional Hanoi food that was only found in the capital city back in the old days. Because of its popularity nowsaday, you can find it almost everywhere across Vietnam. The dish is made with fish (normally catfish) seasoned with garlic, ginger, turmeric, and dill. Guests will enjoy the dish on a sizzling pan. To make sure guests get a full belly after dining here, the restaurant gives you a bowl of rice noodles, peanuts, chopped spring onions and parsley. You can choose to dip the dish in fish sauce or shrimp sauce (if you can handle the flavor) mixed with red chili slices. For the locals, Cha ca is so popular that you can find it in every corner, especially in Hanoi Old Quarter. One of the most famous restaurants is Cha Ca Thang Long located in Duong Thanh Street.

• Place to eat: Cha Ca Thang Long restaurant
• Address: 21 Duong Thanh Street, Old Quarter, Hanoi
• Opening Hours: Daily 10:00 am – 03:00 pm, 05:00 pm - 10:00 pm
• Price range: 5 - 20 USD

Cha Ca Thang Long

2. Chim Quay (BBQ Pigeon)

BBQ Pigeon is a must-try food in Hanoi when you come here. This dish is similar to Chinese-style roast duck, but it is smaller (as it is made with pigeon) and less fatty. However, the taste is amazing as pigeon is seasoned with various spices and barbecued until crispy. If you don’t want to eat just pigeon, you can choose another version of it, which is BBQ pigeon served with lettuce, cooked onions, carrots, and papaya slices.

• Place to eat: Chim Quay Bit Tet restaurant
• Address: 20 Hang Giay Street, Old Quarter, Hanoi
• Opening Hours: 10:00 am – 11:00 pm
• Price range: 1.5 - 5 USD

Chim Quay (BBQ Pigeon)

3. Mien Xao Luon (Glass Noodles with Deep-Fried Eel)

Mien Xao Luon (Glass Noodles with Deep-Fried Eel)

You won’t believe how delicious this dish is if you haven’t tried it. Hanoi food has a diverse menu for seafood lovers. You don’t have to go to a seafood restaurant to find the best dishes. Mien Xao Luon is a popular street food in Hanoi that comprises stir-fried glass noodles in an eel-based broth. The dish will be served with crunchy eels, bean sprouts, egg, cucumber slices, fried shallots, and purple perilla as toppings. There is always a bowl of fresh herbs, shaved banana blossoms, and bean sprouts on the table. Similar to other street foods, Mien Xao Luon is a cheap option for new taste.

• Place to eat: Mien Luon Dong Thinh restaurant
• Address: 87 Hang Dieu Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi
• Opening Hours: 05:00 - 11:00 pm
• Price range: 1.3 - 1.5 USD

4. Bun Thang (Rice Vermicelli with Chicken, Egg, Pork)

There is no surprise if you find a lot of the best food in Hanoi includes different types of noodles. Bun Thang is another popular option for lunch for Hanoians. The main ingredients are rice vermicelli, chicken, egg and pork. However, to make the flavourful broth, most restaurants use about 20 ingredients, including dried seafood (shrimp, squid), herbs and greens (spring onion, coriander, ginger, mushroom, beet, and spices (fish sauce, sugar candy, shrimp paste and vinegar). Tourists can easily find this cheap dish within the Hanoi Old Quarter.

• Place to eat: Bun Thang Ba Duc Restaurant
• Address: 48 Cao Go Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi
• Opening Hours: 06:00 - 10:00 pm
• Price range: 1.3 - 1.5 USD 

Bun Thang (Rice Vermicelli with Chicken, Egg, Pork)

5. Lau (Hot Pot)

Hot pot is one of the most popular Hanoi foods that is meant to share with other people. This dish is preferably eaten in the cooler months because a group of people will sit on the sidewalks, surrounding a large pot of simmering soup. Today there are many restaurants with air conditioner rooms so you can comfortably sit there and enjoy the dish. Also, they offer hot pot for one or two people so everyone can try it at any time. 

Lau (Hot Pot)

There is a variety options for hotpot including chicken, beef, seafood and frog. They are all popular and tasty for the locals, but as a foreigner, you might want to try chicken or beef first.

• Place to eat: Lau Duc Troc Restaurant
• Address 1: 15 Yen Phu, Tay Ho, HN
• Address 2: 69 Pho Duc Chinh, Ba Dinh, HN
• Address 3: 61 Ally 298 Tay Son, Dong Da, HN
• Address 4: 100 Dich Vong Hau, Cau Giay, HN
• Address 5: 790 Duong Lang, Dong Da, HN
• Opening hours: 10:00 am - 11:00 pm
• Price range: 10 - 20 USD 

6. Banh cuon (Steamed Rice Rolls)

Banh cuon (Steamed Rice Rolls)

This is a popular dish in Hanoi that is normally served as breakfast or snack during the day. Main ingredients used for banh cuon are ground meat, including chicken, shrimp, or pork. You would normally find pork in most restaurants. Other ingredients are minced wood ear mushroom, onions, steamed bean sprouts. All of them will be wrapped in a steamed rice flour sheet. You will dip the rolled cake in a special fish sauce that is mixed with Vietnamese ham and cucumbers. The dish has a mild taste and delicious flavour. When you walk around the streets in Hanoi, you can stop by any vendors that have the board with “banh cuon” written on it. If you are not sure if they serve banh cuon, go to the Old Quarter for a restaurant with English menus.

• Place to eat: Banh Cuon Gia Truyen Restaurant
• Address: 14 Hang Ga Street, Old Quarter, Hanoi
• Opening Hours: Daily 10:00 am – 09:00 pm
• Price range: 1 - 1.5 USD

7. Banh Goi (Fried Dumplings)

Banh Goi (Pillow Cake or Fried Dumplings) has a shape of miniature pillows (that’s why it is called that way). The cover of banh goi is rice-flour pastry. The fillings contain finely-chopped glass noodles, wood ear mushrooms, minced pork, steamed quail eggs, and seasoning. When it is made in a pillow shape, it will be deep-fried until the cover turns crispy. You will dip the cake in a sweet-sour sauce made with garlic, chilli, sugar, lime juice, and fish sauce. You can also eat the dish with greens like fresh lettuce and coriander leaves.

• Place to eat: 52 Ly Quoc Su Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi
• Opening Hours: 10:00 am – 09:00 pm 
• Price range: 1 - 1.5 USD

Banh Goi (Fried Dumplings)

8. Bun Cha (Kebab Rice Noodles)

Most northern Vietnamese consider Bun Cha as their favourite Hanoi food. It is also a delicious food that has been recommended for tourists when they come to the capital city. Bun Cha is grilled pork strips and balls in a bowl of tasty sauce served with rice vermicelli noodles. You will dip the rice noodles in the sauce to enjoy the dish. The food also comes with a plate of fresh Vietnamese herbs and pickled vegetables. You can always order more meatballs if you want.

The dipping sauce consists of Vietnamese fish sauce, vinegar, lime, sugar, garlic and chili. Bun cha is easily found on every street of Hanoi. The locals have Bun cha for lunch, but you can find some restaurants that serve it all-day long.

• Place to eat: Bun Cha Hang Manh- Dac Kim restaurant
• Address: No 1 Hang Manh Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi
• Opening hours: 10:00 am to 09:00 pm
• Price range: 1.3 - 1.5 USD per bowl

Bun Cha (Kebab Rice Noodles)

9. Xoi Xeo (Sticky Rice with Mung Bean)

Xoi Xeo is a common breakfast dish for the locals. But it can be served as lunch or dessert as well. It is originally made with sticky rice and green mung bean paste, soy sauce, and dried shallots are added as toppings. Today, Xoi Xeo can be added with different types of protein such as pate, boiled chicken, or Vietnamese ham, marinated pork belly, and preserved eggs so it can be a more substantial meal. It will surely get you through a whole day. Xoi Xeo, as dessert is topped with shredded coconut, roasted sesame seeds, and crystallised sugar. Xoi Xeo is sold everyday on the streets by street vendors. And obviously you can find a proper xoi xeo restaurant in the Old Quarter.

• Place to eat: Xoi Yen Restaurant
• Address: 35B Nguyen Huu Huan Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi
• Opening Hours: 07:00 am – 10:00 pm
• Price range: 0.5 - 1.5 USD

Xoi Xeo (Sticky Rice with Mung Bean)

10. Pho Xao (Stir-Fried Pho)

Pho Xao (Stir-Fried Pho)

Pho is known widely by tourists as rice noodles served in soup. But for locals, Pho can be served in different ways. And Pho xao (or stir-fried Pho) is one of them. The ingredients are the same with normal Pho. But the flat noodles in this dish are stir-fried with onions, beef slices, and assorted greens, seasoned with soy sauce. Tourists can find Pho Xao in every Pho restaurant. It will be served with pickled cucumbers and a small bowl of broth. 

• Place to eat: Pho Thin Restaurant
• Address: 13 Lo Duc Street, Hai Ba Trung District, Hanoi
• Opening Hours: 06:00 am – 03:00 pm
• Price range: 1.3 - 1.5 USD

11. Nem Cua Be (Crab Rolls)

Another rolls dish in the list, Crab rolls is another popular Hanoi food that is usually sold in street markets and local restaurants. If you are in Hanoi, especially when you stay near the Old Quarter, you must try the dish. The rolls are crispy when they are served and the restaurant will cut them into bite-sized pieces. The fillings are a mixture of minced crab, pork, mushrooms, and various spices. The locals eat the dish with fresh herbs and lettuce. And of course, it comes with fish sauce.

• Place to eat: Bun Cha Nem Cua Be Dac Kim restaurant
• Address: 67 Duong Thanh Street, Old Quarter, Hanoi
• Opening Hours: 11:00 am – 07:00 pm
• Price range: 1.3 - 1.5 USD

Nem Cua Be - Crab rolls

12. Bun Rieu (Rice Noodles in Tomato Broth)

Bun rieu is made with thin rice noodles, freshwater paddy crab, bean sprouts, tofu, tomato chunks, shrimp paste and tomato broth. This dish is more popular as a breakfast dish. It is served with greens, herb leaves, and tamarind/lime on the table. The broth is made from tomato, so it is different from the broth from most other noodle dishes. It is a little bit more sour while the others are more salty.

• Place to eat: Bun Rieu Cua Hang Bac Restaurant
• Address: 11 Hang Bac Street, Old Quarter, Hanoi
• Opening Hours: 07:00 am – 10:00 pm
• Price range: 1.3 - 1.5 USD per bowl

Bun Rieu (Rice Noodles in Tomato Broth)

13. Pho (Vietnamese Noodle Soup)

There is no need to say more about this classic Hanoi food. Pho is an authentic Hanoi dish that can also be a specialty of the country. Now you can find the dish in many countries in the world, but to get the best taste, you need to go to Hanoi. 

Pho consists of rice noodles, filled with slices of beef, spring onion in tasty broth and served with a plateful of fresh herbs. Because of its popularity, there are many places in Hanoi that sell the dish. 

• Place to eat: Pho Gia Truyen restaurant
• Address: 49 Bat Dan Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi
• Opening hours: 06:00 am - 10:30 am and 06:00 pm - 08:30 pm.
• Price range: 1.3 - 1.5 USD per bowl

Pho (Vietnamese Noodle Soup)

14. Bun Ca (Fish Noodle Soup)

This is another Hanoi dish for seafood lovers. Vietnamese people prefer fresh water fish in their dishes, including Bun Ca. The broth of Bun Ca is very light. It is made of fish bones and will be served with fried fish and rice vermicelli noodles. The toppings are spring onions, bean sprouts and dill herbs. There are plenty of restaurants in Hanoi for you to try this dish, but it is recommended to eat it at street side restaurants in the old quarter.

• Place to eat: Bun Ca Sam Cay Si Street
• Address: 5 Ngo Trung Yen Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi
• Opening hours: 08:00 am - 08:30 pm
• Price range: 1.3 - 1.5 USD per bowl

Bun Ca (Fish Noodle Soup)

15. Banh Mi (Vietnamese Sandwich)

Banh Mi (Vietnamese Sandwich)

Banh Mi is one of the best sandwiches in the world. Everyone would fall in love with this simple yet delicious Hanoi food. It was influenced by the French cuisine and the Vietnamese have made it distinctively their own. Banh Mi is made of an airy Vietnamese baguette, stuffed with pork, pate, ham, chicken, Vietnamese herbs and vegetables like coriander, cucumber, carrot, slices, radish and more. Each part of Vietnam has a different way to make Banh Mi. But they all produce a combination of spicy, salty, savory, sweet, and aromatic tastes. You can also top Banh Mi with a mix of chili spices or ketchup, depending on your wish.

• Place to eat: Banh Mi Ngon restaurant
• Address: 49 Duong Thanh Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi
• Opening hours: 08:00 am - 10:00 pm
• Price range: 1 - 1.5 USD 

16. Che (Vietnamese Sweet Soup)

Che is not a proper meal, but a delicious dessert. The locals eat Che when they finish the main course. There are many vendors on the streets that sell this sweet soup. In hotter months, it will be topped with crushed ice and in cooler months, everyone prefers warm Che.

The main ingredients of original Vietnamese sweet soup are green beans, sugar and tapioca starch. Today, there are many different types of Che with different ingredients mixed together, such as corn, taro, red beans, jelly, etc…

Each different ingredient is put in a large bowl displayed in the restaurant or cart. When you order, just tell them which ingredients you want to put in your Che. It is easy for you to find a Che place in Hanoi, it can be a street vendor or restaurant specializing in this dish. 

• Place to eat: Banh Troi Tau-Diep Beo restaurant 
• Address: 52 Hang Dieu Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi.
• Opening hours: 08:00 am - 11:00 pm
• Price range: 0.5 - 2 USD

Che (Vietnamese Sweet Soup)

17. Ca Phe Trung (Vietnamese Egg Coffee)

Ca Phe Trung is another dessert, but it is very special. In fact, it is the most famous coffee in the north of Vietnam. Egg coffee consists of a thick dark coffee, egg yolk whipped with condensed milk. When you hear about it, you might think it is a weird mix, but wait until you try the rich taste, you will be amazed at how creative the Vietnamese coffee can be. Now Ca Phe Trung is so popular and you can order it in almost every coffee shop and place. But the original Vietnamese Egg Coffee came from the coffee shop near the Old Quarter.

• Place to eat: Cafe Giang 
• Address: 39 Nguyen Huu Huan Street, Hang Bac Ward, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi.
• Opening hours: 07:00 am - 10:00 pm
• Price range: 1.5 - 3 USD 

Ca Phe Trung (Vietnamese Egg Coffee)

18. Bun Bo Nam Bo (Grilled Beef Noodle Salad)

Bun Bo Nam Bo is a simple looking dish, but it tastes so delicious. It is made of rice vermicelli noodles, beef, herbs, peanuts and pickled vegetables but there is no broth. That’s why it is also called a salad. This dry dish tastes refreshing and you can add more spicy chili sauce to enjoy it.

• Place to eat: Bun Bo Nam Bo Restaurant
• Address: 67 Hang Dieu Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi.
• Price range: 1.3 - 1.5 USD

Bun Bo Nam Bo (Grilled Beef Noodle Salad)

19. Trung Vit Lon (Ballut)

Ballut is a special food in Hanoi. However, when foreigners hear about it or look at the dish, they might get shocked and wouldn’t dare to try it. 

The dish is very popular in some countries in Asia like Vietnam, the Philippines or China. It is sold mostly by street vendors in the small streets of Hanoi.  You can easily find one of them in the old quarter. Or you can order it from restaurants as well. However, it is the best to try in a small vendor on the street.

The dish is made of normal egg which is kept warm for about 2 weeks. This is when you can see some parts of the baby duck inside the egg. Then it will be boiled and ready to be served. You will eat the fertilized egg with herbs called “Rau Ram”. The texture will be mixed with salt, pepper and ginger. 

Trung Vit Lon (Ballut)

If you just think about the idea of the dish, you might think it is quite gross. But once you taste the flavor, you will understand why the Vietnamese are so in love with it. And if you dare to try it, you will love it too. 

• Place to eat: Vendor
• Address: No 1 Cua Dong Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi
• Price range: 0.3 USD

20. Pho Tiu (sweet-sour mixed noodles)

Pho Tiu is another Pho dish in Hanoi. Although it is not very popular among tourists, the locals always eat it in dry weather, especially people living around the Old Quarter. Similar to other types of noodles, the main ingredients of Pho Tiu are fresh noodles, some slices of meat and sauce. But only pork is used, along with  peanuts, fried onions, and coriander. 

Pho Tiu (sweet-sour mixed noodles)

Best places to eat Pho Tiu are small restaurants in small alleys. There are five small pots of the sauce and they are sprinkled one after the other when being poured into the bowl of noodles. Soft noodles are mixed with sauces and along with meat, fried onion and peanuts,  they are all mixed well together for a delicious taste of Hanoi.

• Place to eat: Mrs. Phuong’s Pho Tiu:
• Address 1: Alley of Dong Xuan Market, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi 
• Opening hours: 07:00 am – 05:00 pm
• Address 2: 22 Hang Chieu Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi 
• Opening hours: 05:00 pm - 11:00 pm
• Price range: 1.3 - 1.5 USD

21. Pho Bo Sot Vang (Stewed beef noodles)

Yes, this is another Pho dish. But Pho Bo Sot Vang is one of the most outstanding Hanoi foods with noodles, stewed beef and simmered tendon meat in fresh sweet broth. It has smells of beef, fresh ginger, tomatoes, and pepper. Each bowl of noodles is topped with spring onions before being served. 

Stewed beef noodles soup is a mixture of Vietnamese cuisine and French cuisine. Beef is stewed in red wine and then combined with noodles, creating delicious and comforting Hanoi food. There are many Pho shops along Hanoi streets that open from morning to midnight. They sell stewed beef noodles along with the traditional Pho. This dish will warm you up in fall and winter.

• Placee to eat: Pho Bo Sot Vang Duong Tau restaurant 
• Address: No 3 Tran Phu, at the end of Tong Duy Tan Street.
• Hours: 06:00 am - 03:00 am the next day
• Price range: 1.3 - 1.5 USD per bowl

Pho Bo Sot Vang (Stewed beef noodles)

22. Oc luoc (Boiled snail, vermicelli with sauce)

There is one snail restaurant on Tong Duy Tan Street, Hanoi which is special, because its owner is deaf and it serves delicious foods. The main dish in the restaurant is boiled snail, served with spicy and sour sauce and vermicelli. This dish is perfect for cold days. When the dish is served, it has the smells of snail, lemongrass, lemon leaves, mango and you will dip snail in the sauce. Also, when you go to a snail restaurant, there are more dishes you can order, such as chicken feet with lemongrass, fried spring rolls, fried clams, quail eggs, mangoes and cucumbers.

• Place to eat: Mrs Mute restaurant
• Address: No 5 Tong Duy Tan Street, Hang Bong, Hoan Kiem, Ha Noi
• Opening hours: 02:00 pm - 08:00 pm
• Price range: 1 - 5 USD 

Oc luoc (Boiled snail, vermicelli with sauce)

23. Ga ac tan (Stewed black chicken, fried honey bread)

This is the best Hanoi food with a lot of nutritions. The main ingredients are black chicken and herbs. This type of chicken is quite small but they are healthy. As the chicken is stewed with 7 different herbs, the dish will bring more energy for sick people. It is served with noodles or fried honey bread. When it comes out, the chicken is soft, and the broth is sweet. Each bowl of stewed black chicken will provide enough energy for a long day. 

• Place to eat: Ga Tan Cay Si restaurant 
• Address: No 29 Tong Duy Tan, Hang Bong, Hoan Kiem, Ha Noi
• Opening hours: 10:00 am to 12:00 am
• Price range: 5 - 10 USD

Ga ac tan (Stewed black chicken, fried honey bread)

24. Long ca xao dua (Stir-fried fish stomach with pickled cabbage)

Long ca xao dua (Stir-fried fish stomach with pickled cabbage)

This is a very special Hanoi food. When it comes to dishes related to organs, Westerners are not a big fan. However, before talking about the ingredients, the flavour and the taste is why we mention this dish. If you are a fan of squid, you will be in love with stir fried fish stomach as the texture is similar. Also, the sour taste of Vietnamese pickled cabbage makes a very tasty dish. This dish is sold in every Bun Ca restaurant or Bia hoi in Hanoi.

• Where to eat: Bun Ca Hang Dau restaurant
• Address: 42 Hang Dau Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi
• Price range:  1.3 - 1.5 USD

25. Nem Chua (Fermented pork)

Nem Chua (Fermented pork)

Nem Chua can not be a meal, but it is a tasty snack to have with beer. Nem Chua is fermented pork packed inside banana leaves. The pork is minced and seasoned with garlic, chilli, salt, pepper, fish sauce, sugar… After 3-5 days, the pork will be “cooked” and is ready to be served. When you come to Hanoi, sit down in a bia hoi, order a beer and a few nem chua on a hot day!!

• Place to eat: Every Bia hoi place 
• Price range: 0.5 - 1 USD

All of the foods in Hanoi in this list look pretty yummy, aren't they? Let's book a flight to Hanoi now so you can enjoy the taste of them all. Enjoy every moment of your journey!

Vana Pham 

Image source: Internet