Top 9 Tasty Hanoi Street Foods [Must-try]

“Once you fall in love with Vietnam, you will love its food forever too” - The Guardian – One of the largest online magazines mentioned Hanoi as one of the best food tours in the world. Totally true, Vietnam is one of the best places on earth for any traveler to explore the rich food culture. Here is the list of the 9 best foods you should try whenever visiting Hanoi. All names will be in Vietnamese and explain in English for readers to have the best images of these wonderful dishes. 

1. Banh Cuon

Banh Cuon is made from a thin, wide sheet of steamed fermented rice batter with a mixture of cooked seasoned ground pork, minced with ear mushroom, herbs, and sometimes shrimps.

This dish usually served with Cha Lua (Vietnamese pork sausage), pickled cucumber, along sweet fish sauce. Sometimes people will add a touch of Ca Cuong – the essence of a water bug into the sauce to enhance the flavor. Ca Cuong is very expensive and its flavor is super strong, people will add just one single dip.

Banh Cuon with side dishes and dipping sauce

The special thing about this dish is the rice sheet is extremely thin and delicate. It is made by steaming a slightly fermented rice batter on a cloth stretched over a lot of boiling water. This dish is loved by both Vietnamese and foreigners and usually used for breakfast. There are some different versions of Banh Cuon in different parts of Vietnam, but in general, this is an awesome dish you don’t want to miss when visiting Vietnam.  

A portion of Banh Cuon can cost you around 20.000VND to 50.000VND for a standard one.

Some suggested addresses for you

• Bánh Cuốn Bà Hanh: 26B Thọ Xương str, Hoàn Kiếm district, Hanoi
• Bánh Cuốn 29 Thụy Khê, Tây Hồ district, Hanoi
• Bánh Cuốn Ruốc: Hàng Cót str, Hoàn Kiếm, Hanoi
• Bánh Cuốn 171 Bế Văn Đàn str, Hà Đông district, Hanoi

2. Bun Cha

This is a Vietnamese dish of grilled pork and noodle. Bun Cha is served with grilled pork or minced pork shoulder meatball (Cha) and a plate of rice noodle (Bun) along with sweet fish sauce and many pickle vegetables such as bean sprouts, carrots, onion, green papaya, and herbs like basil, rice paddy herb, etc. You can add crushed pepper, garlic, or lime into the sauce if you want.

Bun Cha with grilled meatballs

Bun Cha has originated in Ha Noi a long time ago and still very popular now. People can eat it for every meal of the day. There are many versions of Bun Cha across Vietnam, in some place they serve it with Spring Rolls or Vietnamese sausage, etc. People love Bun Cha and so does President Obama. 

Bun Cha can cost you from 25.000VND to 60.000VND for one portion.

Some suggested addresses for you

• Bún Chả Hương Liên: 24 Lê Văn Hưu str, Hai Bà Trưng distrct, Hanoi
• Bún Chả Cửa Đông: 41 Cửa Đông str, Hoàn Kiếm district, Hanoi
• Bún Chả Đắc Kim: 1 Hàng Mành str, Hoàn Kiếm district, Hanoi
• Bún Chả Ngọc Khánh: 9, alley 105, Nguyễn Công Hoan str, Ba Đình district, Hanoi

3. Bun Bo Hue

This is another extraordinary Vietnamese cuisine. Unlike Bun Cha, Bun Bo Hue is a Vietnamese soup with rice noodles, beef, boiled blood, vegetables, along with amazing broth, all in one single big bowl. The dish is greatly admired for its balance of spicy, salty, a perfect combination of all five elements of Yin – Yang: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth.

Bun Bo Hue is a perfect combination of everything

Bun Bo Hue is originated from Hue – the former capital of Vietnam, so making this dish is relevant to the cooking style of the former royal court. Compared to Pho or other dishes with noodle, the noodle of Bun Bo Hue is a little thicker and more cylindrical

You can order Bun Bo Hue with many extra toppings, so a portion can cost you from 30.000VND to 100.000VND.

Some suggested addresses for you

• Bún Bò Huế O Xuân: 5D Quang Trung str, Hanoi
• Bún Bò Huế Thu Thủy: 18 Đại Cồ Việt str, Hanoi
• Bún Bò Huế 65 Láng str, Hanoi

4. Nom Bo Kho

Nom Bo Kho has long been the specialty of Hanoi. People from Nam Dinh who moved to Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh city also made this dish from the 1950s, but the taste in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh city is different. This dish is pretty similar to salad in Western countries. Every restaurant has its own secret recipe, different ingredients, and spices. This fantastic dish is usually made from green papaya, dried beef, dried beef skins and organs, herbs, along with the sweet and sour sauce, all combine and create a fun salad.

A portion of Nom Bo Kho

A portion of Nom Bo Kho costs from 20.000 VND to 50.000 VND

5. Banh Xeo

Banh Xeo is a kind of Vietnamese fried pancake made from flour, water, eggs, turmeric powder and stuffed with individual preference. The thin crust of this dish looks simple but the chef has to be extremely careful not to break it. The stuff inside usually a combination of ear mushroom, bean sprout, minced pork, shrimps, or just vegetable if you are a vegetarian. The dish is served with fresh vegetables, herbs, sweet fish sauce, pepper, garlic, you can also order a dish of grilled beef and some Nem Lui to enjoy with it.

Banh Xeo is very interesting with many stuffing inside

There are some different versions of Banh Xeo in Vietnam, different sauces, and side dishes. You can also find there are many different styles of Banh Xeo in the world too, like Japan, Korea, Cambodia, etc.

One portion of Banh Xeo can cost you from 30.000VND.

Some suggested addresses for you

• 172 Đội Cấn str, Hanoi
• 22 Hàng Bồ str, Hoàn Kiếm district, Hanoi

6. Banh Mi

If you have ever heard about Vietnam, you probably know this most – popular Vietnamese street food. Banh Mi is “bread” in Vietnamese and it is made from French baguette. The word “Banh Mi” is also originated from the French word “Pain de Mi” which means bread.

Who doesn’t want world-class street food?

This is the most popular Vietnamese street food with hundreds of different styles. A typical Banh Mi is a fusion of bread, meat, vegetables, herbs, pickled carrots, pickled daikon, pate along with chili sauce and mayonnaise. Sometimes people who sell Banh Mi have their own secret sauce to add in, make it even more special and unique. Banh Mi has a very wide variety of fillings, from meat, sausage, eggs, to sugar, butter, condensed milk or even ice – cream!

Banh Mi can be served for any meal, but Vietnamese usually have it for breakfast or snacks because it’s a little too dry for lunch or dinner. This amazing Vietnamese cuisine is introduced to the whole world and people love it.

You can get yourself a Banh Mi for just 10.000VND, spend up to 60.000VND for Banh Mi with more stuff inside.

Some suggested addresses for you: You can find Banh Mi anywhere in Hanoi.

7. Xoi

When visiting Vietnam, you will probably see a lady riding her bicycle with a giant basket behind. That basket is full of Vietnamese traditional sticky steamed rice. Xoi is very popular in Vietnam and it is a common breakfast on the go. The main ingredient to make this dish is sticky rice, sometimes it is made with leaves and herbs to change its colors like green, purple, red, etc. Xoi is popular like rice in Asia. People will add meat, egg, fishes to it to make different dishes. You can also see people make dessert with Xoi by adding fruits like banana, mango, durian, etc.

Xoi is very cheap and common street food in Vietnam. You can find it anywhere on the street or in a fancy restaurant. There are hundreds of different kinds of Xoi, there will be at least one you will fall in love it. Just give it a try.

You can buy this delicious meal for only 10.000VND

Again, Xoi can be very cheap or very expensive as well. A portion of white Xoi can cost you only 5.000 VND while a “Xoi Ga” – Chicken steamed sticky rice in a fancy restaurant can cost up to 100.000 VND.

Some suggested addresses for you

• Xôi Yến: 35B Nguyễn Hữu Huân str, Hoàn Kiếm district, Hanoi
• Xôi Sường: 628 Trường Chinh str, Đống Đa district, Hanoi
• Xôi Minh Long: 188 Quán Thánh str, Ba Đình district, Hanoi

8. Egg coffee

When the food tour comes to an end, it’s time to find a drink. To those who have been to Vietnam, they would probably know about Egg coffee. Sounds weird but this is one of the best coffee. Egg coffee was originated in Hanoi in the 1950s. Vietnam was at war and the supply of milk is very limited, so people decided to use egg yolk as an alternative option.

Egg coffee cup is held in a warm bowl of water to keep the heat

Based on Vietnamese coffee, people add the chicken egg yolk and honey with a little condensed milk to make the drink. The egg yolk will be beaten until it turns into cream with condensed milk and sugar. The mixture then will be poured into boiling coffee to make the tasty drink. Egg coffee cup is served in a warm small bowl of water to keep the beverage always warm. You can add a teaspoon of sugar to enjoy the creamy foam before taste the coffee below.

A cup of egg coffee can cost you from 30.000 VND to 50.000 VND.

Some suggested addresses for you

• Cà Phê Giảng: 39 Nguyễn Hữu Huân str, Hoàn Kiếm district, Hanoi
• Cà Phê Đinh: 13 Đinh Tiên Hoàng str, Hoàn Kiếm district, Hanoi
• My Way coffee & lounge: 24T2 Hoàng Đạo Thúy str, Thanh Xuân district, Hanoi
• Cà Phê Trần: 157 Bà Triệu str, Lê Đại Hành district, Hanoi

9. Fruit Mix

As a tropical country, Vietnam has a very large variety of fruits. You can see fruit selling everywhere from the fancy imported fruit store, super market to the local street vendor.

Fruit mix is a creative desert

Eating fresh fruit may benefit you in many aspects, but keep doing the same thing can be a little boring sometimes. Then a fruit mix is a brilliant idea. Fruits will be cut into small pieces and then mixed together. Milk and yogurt are also very good options to put in. You can order what fruit you like and you will have a healthy, tasty dessert.

Fruit mix is very cheap. It can cost you around 20.000 to 35.000 VND for one portion.

Some suggested addresses for you: You can find fruit mix anywhere in Hanoi, but the most famous is located in Tô Tịch street in the old quarter.

So there you have it, 9 best dishes of Hanoi and their addresses. Get up, go out and explore the foodie heaven. If things get you confused because there are many, don't worry, all you have to do is to book a Hanoi street food tour and you are good to go.

Hoang Nguyen

(Images source: Internet)