Hanoi Street food has long been considered as a traditional beauty of the capital which is encapsulated in each dish. Street food in Hanoi has become an attraction not only for the locals but foreign travellers. If you want to experience a Hanoi street food tour in your own way, the following article will be really helpful for you.

I. An Overview of Hanoi Street Food

Hanoi has long been known as a historic city, from landscapes that still bear the stamp of history, to each of the rustic dishes which brings the ancient breath. It is not difficult to find the street food stalls and the street foods in this city.  

The images of plastic tables, plastic chairs on the sidewalk have become a familiar image for many people. Both the restaurants to the small eateries are always full of customers. 

Street food is the soul of Hanoi. It is not as same as the high-end food in the fancy restaurants, nor expensive dishes in a compulsory ritual. Hanoi street food is beautiful because of its simplicity.

II. The famous areas to enjoy Hanoi street food

1. Ta Hien Street

Ta Hien is the most famous street in Hanoi Old Quarter for beer. With cheap prices from beer to food, Ta Hien Street is crowded every night. Westerners also love hanging out there to enjoy crowded, yet energetic environment. Ta Hien is also famous for many street food dishes. The two customers sitting on the sidewalk with green plastic chairs, holding couple bottles of beer with some grilled dishes are frequent footages of this street.

2. Hang Buom Food Street

Located in the Old Quarter of Hanoi, Hang Buom food street is visited by many people. Especially, this area has many kinds of street food from many countries like Japan, Korea to the traditional food of Vietnam and Western snacks. With the richness of the dishes and the quite soft price, Hang Buom Food Street is always full of visitors.

1. Pho (Noodle soup)

"Pho" is a special dish that people always remember when mention about Hanoi. Perhaps "Pho" has become a typical dish of Hanoians. There are many kinds of Pho such as Beef noodle soup (Pho Thin near Hoan Kiem lake or 11 Lo Duc restaurant is the most famous one), chicken noodle soup (172 Ton Duc Thang and Quan Thanh streets), rolled pho (the West lake area), mixed Pho (Lan Ong street) and fried Pho (Bat Dan street). Each type of Pho has a unique taste and the food is really delicious. If you have come to Hanoi and haven't tried "Pho", it means you have never set foot here.

As a snack in the past, West Lake shrimp cake today has become the speciality of Hanoi. Shrimp cakes should be enjoyed when it is hot because the cake would be crispy and the shrimp would not be fishy. The fish sauce is accompanied with this dish is very important in deciding the overall taste of shrimp cakes . It is the sum of all tastes: sour, sweet and spicy. A bit of papaya, pickled carrots, and the vinegar make this dish not greasy. The Hanoians are very skillful, but perhaps only shrimp cakes from West Lake area are still keeping the original and special features from the past.

Enjoying when it is still hot is the best way to enjoy this dish. When eating, pick up pieces of the grilled fish to the bowl and sprinkle with the boiling oil. It is often served with the baked rice cake or rice noodles, roasted peanuts, coriander, basil, cucumber, fresh onion, and shrimp paste. 

Suggested address: La Vong fried fish restaurant - 14 Cha Cha street.

4. Bun Cha (Kebab rice noodles)

Like Pho, Bun Cha is also one of the typical dishes of Hanoians. Bun Cha presents in all streets, neighborhood markets, even in the deep alleys. Through the ups and downs of history, its taste is still intact. Try Bun Cha in your Hanoi street food tour! I'm sure that you are not going to regret.

Suggested address: 34 Hang Than, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi.

5. Bun Thang (noodles in chicken broth)

It would be a shortcoming if you skip Bun thang. Bun thang looks simple but the way of processing it is very complicated. The main ingredients to make this noodle include fried chicken eggs, chopped chicken breast, pork pie and the rice noodles. This dish is very eye-catching with the yellow color of thinly scrambled eggs, the pink color of pork pie, the white color of the breast, and the yellow color of the chicken skin.

Suggested address: No. 32 and 48 Cau Go Street

6. Banh cuon Thanh Tri (Thanh Tri stuffed pancake)

Banh cuon is a simple and familiar dish but it also brings the sophistication of Hanoians.

Suggested address: No. 62 To Hien Thanh, Hanoi

Made from the best glutinous rice and wrapped in lotus leaflets, Com has become the soul of Hanoi, especially in every August.

8. Bun Dau Mam Tom (noodle with fried tofu & shrimp paste)

With the image of fried tofu, fresh vermicelli plate, next to the bowl of fragrant shrimp sauce, and fresh vegetables, Bun dau is one of the famous dishes of Hanoi. 

Suggested address: 39A Ly Quoc Su street, Hanoi.

Hanoi cuisine has always attracted visitors to explore its unique dishes, making an impression which is difficult to fade for the first-time travelers setting foot in the land. Hope that your Hanoi street food tour will be wonderful. Have a nice trip!