What to Eat in Hanoi: 12 Dishes and Where to Find Them
Hanoi is where pho was born, and the capital takes its food seriously. Many of the best dishes come from tiny family shops that make one thing, have done so for decades, and sell out by lunchtime. Northern cooking is also different from the south: less sugar, fewer herbs piled on the side, and a focus on clear broths and clean, balanced flavours.
Here are the dishes worth planning your days around, what each one actually is, and how to find good versions in and around the Old Quarter.
The Big Three
If you only eat three things in Hanoi, make it these.
1. Pho
Hanoi pho is all about the broth: clear, deeply beefy and scented with charred ginger, onion, star anise and cinnamon. Northern bowls come with fewer garnishes than in the south, often just spring onion, lime and chilli, so the stock has to do the work. Order pho bo (beef), either tai (rare slices that cook in the hot broth) or chin (well-done brisket), or pho ga (chicken). It is a breakfast dish, and the best shops are busiest from about 6:00 to 9:00. Pho Gia Truyen on Bat Dan Street is the famous queue, but almost every neighbourhood has a reliable local favourite.
2. Bun cha
Hanoi's signature lunch: smoky charcoal-grilled pork patties and slices of pork belly in a bowl of light, sweet and sour fish sauce dressing, with cold rice vermicelli and a basket of herbs on the side. Dip the noodles and herbs into the bowl as you go, and add a crispy crab spring roll (nem cua be) if they have it. Bun Cha Huong Lien became world famous after Barack Obama and Anthony Bourdain ate there in 2016, but you will find good bun cha anywhere you see charcoal smoke around midday. Most stalls wind down by mid-afternoon.
3. Cha ca
Turmeric-marinated white fish fried at your table in a pan with heaps of dill and spring onion, then eaten with rice noodles, roasted peanuts, herbs and fish sauce or shrimp paste. It is made for sharing, and so tied to the city that an Old Quarter street is named after it: Cha Ca Street, home of the long-running Cha Ca La Vong.
More Hanoi Classics
4. Banh cuon
Silky steamed rice sheets rolled around minced pork and wood ear mushroom, topped with fried shallots and dipped in a warm, mild fish sauce. Watch them being made: the cook spreads batter over cloth stretched across a steaming pot and lifts each sheet off in seconds. Another breakfast favourite.
5. Bun rieu cua
A tangy noodle soup made with freshwater crab, tomato and fried tofu, finished with a little shrimp paste if you are feeling brave. Bright, sour and refreshing on a hot day.
6. Bun thang
Hanoi's most refined noodle soup: a delicate chicken broth topped with fine strips of chicken, egg omelette, pork sausage and herbs. It is fiddly to make, which is exactly why it is worth seeking out.
7. Pho cuon and pho xao
Pho, reimagined. Pho cuon wraps stir-fried beef and herbs in fresh sheets of pho noodle for dipping, while pho xao stir-fries the flat noodles with beef and greens. The Ngu Xa area by Truc Bach Lake is the classic place to try both.
8. Xoi (sticky rice)
Cheap, filling and everywhere in the morning. Look for xoi xeo, sticky rice topped with mung bean paste and crispy fried shallots, often wrapped in a leaf to eat on the go.
9. Nem ran
Hanoi's fried spring rolls, usually filled with pork, glass noodles and mushroom, sometimes with crab or shrimp, served with herbs and a light dipping sauce. Smaller and crunchier than the versions you may know from home.
10. Bun dau mam tom
A shared tray of fried tofu, squares of pressed rice vermicelli, herbs and often boiled pork and green rice sausage, all dipped in fermented shrimp paste whipped with lime and chilli. The paste is pungent; locals love it and it is worth one try. Ask for fish sauce instead if it is too much.
Something Sweet (and Caffeinated)
11. Egg coffee (ca phe trung)
Strong Vietnamese coffee topped with a thick whipped cream of egg yolk and sugar, rich enough to feel like dessert. It was created in Hanoi in the 1940s, when fresh milk was scarce, and Cafe Giang, run by the inventor's family, is still the classic place to try it. In cooler months it arrives sitting in a bowl of hot water to keep it warm.
12. Green rice (com) and seasonal treats
In autumn, roughly September to November, vendors sell com: young green sticky rice, flattened, fragrant and lightly sweet, wrapped in lotus leaves. It is one of the city's most loved seasonal foods, and com from Vong village is the famous name. At other times of year, try a Trang Tien ice cream near Hoan Kiem Lake or a glass of che, a sweet soup of beans, jellies and coconut milk.
Where to Eat in Hanoi
You do not need a list of addresses to eat well here. A few habits will get you most of the way.
Explore the Old Quarter on foot. Many streets are still named after the goods once traded there, and food stalls spill onto every pavement. Ta Hien and the lanes around Dong Xuan Market are busiest after dark.
Eat at the right time. Pho, banh cuon and xoi are breakfast; bun cha is lunch; grilled skewers, hotpot and cold beer come out in the evening. Many single-dish shops close once they sell out.
Follow the plastic stools. A stall full of locals on low stools at 7am is almost always a good sign.
Look beyond the centre. Truc Bach and the West Lake area are calmer and have excellent neighbourhood spots.
Take a food tour early in your trip. A local guide will show you what to order and how to eat each dish, which makes the rest of your stay easier.
Tips for Eating Well (and Safely)
Choose busy stalls with fast turnover and food cooked hot in front of you.
Ask the price first at stalls without a menu, and carry small notes.
Drink bottled or filtered water; ice at busy cafes is usually factory-made.
Hanoi gets cool and damp from December to February, which is when hot soups and egg coffee taste best. Our guide to Vietnam in December covers what to pack.
Access to the cafes on Hanoi's Train Street changes often because of safety rules. Check before you go, and never stand on the tracks.
Leaving the city? A day trip to Ninh Binh or a night on Ha Long Bay pairs well with a few days of eating in Hanoi. And if your trip continues south, compare notes with our guides to what to eat in Hoi An and what to eat in Saigon. Northern food is subtler and less sweet, which makes the contrast half the fun.
Hanoi Food FAQ
What food is Hanoi most famous for?
Pho, bun cha and cha ca are the city's best-known dishes, and egg coffee is its signature drink.
Is Hanoi street food safe for tourists?
Generally yes. Eat at busy stalls, choose dishes cooked hot in front of you and drink bottled water. Most visitors eat street food every day without problems.
When is the best time to eat pho in Hanoi?
Early morning. Many of the best pho shops are busiest from about 6:00 to 9:00, and some close by late morning or as soon as the broth runs out.
Come hungry, eat early and follow the locals. In Hanoi, the best meals are usually the simplest ones.
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