Ultimate Guide to Street Food in Hanoi

Most visitors to Hanoi will sample the city’s most famous dishes: pho bo (traditional Vietnamese noodle soup with beef), bun cha (barbecued pork with rice vermicelli), and banh mi (baguette).

However, beyond the three Bs, the capital’s food scene is as diverse as it is adventurous. Here are Hanoi’s best street eats, catering to both the brave and faint of stomach.

Banh cuon
(Steamed rice paper rolls)

Perhaps the most popular dish to have for breakfast in Northern Vietnam, these Vietnamese paper rolls are usually stuffed with minced pork and mushrooms but can also be filled with egg. They are intended for dipping in nuoc mam (fish sauce) along with fresh aromatic herbs – a staple ingredient in Vietnamese food. Furthermore, enjoy them at Banh Cuon Ba Xuan in Hoan Kiem, while watching the owner attending to her huge steamer and produce the finest rolls.

Bun oc
(Snail noodle soup)

Forget chicken and beef – sea snail noodle soup is Hanoi’s classic comfort food. A standard bowl includes rice vermicelli (bun), tofu, sometimes beef and crab meat, along with a heaping plate of greens that accompany most Vietnamese dishes. Key ingredients in the broth are tomatoes, wine vinegar, and pepper, giving it a nice kick. It can be found all over Hanoi, but locals recommend a bowl on Ngo Sy Lien alley, in a shop tucked behind the market of the same name in Ba Dinh district. Notably, good bun oc shops are exclusively open at night as this dish is traditionally served in the evenings.

Lau
(Vietnamese hot-pot)

You can’t travel to Hanoi without experiencing hot-pot. Although it might seem intimidating at first, it is the truest way to indulge in the street food life of the city. Gather around the central pot of bubbling broth (often already prepared with tasty spices) and drop in a variety of fresh vegetables, meat, and seafood to your liking. Cheer with traditional rice wine until everything is cooked. For an authentic experience, choose Lau Hang Beo on Tran Phu street (Ba Dinh district). For the most daring, some restaurants near the West Lake specialize in frog hot-pot.

Hanoi-style barbecue

Grab a plastic basket and some tongs; a Hanoi barbecue street food stall resembles a farmer’s market, only with more squid and cow udders. A popular barbecue spot in the Old Quarter at 66 P Hang Bong offers a good selection of vegetables, meat kebabs, and seafood skewers. After selecting from the mystery meats (none of which are labeled), pull up a stool and get grilling on one of the mini burners at each table. Another standout is at 61 P Quan Su, serving tasty ribs, glazed okra, and funky-looking enoki mushrooms.

Bun ca
(Noodle soup with fish)

Just one of the soups in the ‘bun‘ family (with rice vermicelli noodles) features fried fish pieces. Commonly enjoyed at lunch, the broth is often prepared with green vegetables, including a variant of ‘morning glory’ – a popular leaf commonly stir-fried or boiled. A combination of aromatic herbs like cilantro and dill adds a unique taste. To savor one of the most fragrant bun ca, head to Bun Ca Van on Quan Thanh, in Ba Dinh district and ask for a ‘thap cam‘ (mixed toppings).

Banh xeo and nem lui
(Crispy pancakes and lemongrass pork skewers)

Banh xeo is part crepe, part pancake, and 100% delicious. The Hanoian version of the savory rice-flour cake is filled with prawns and bean sprouts, served with assorted greens, cucumber, and sour mango or papaya. Scissors are often supplied to help diners cut up the crispy banh xeo, which can then be rolled in rice paper along with other toppings.

Moreover, most banh xeo places also serve nem lui, grilled pork sausages sometimes presented on a lemongrass skewer. P Doi Can in Ba Dinh District features many street vendors selling this popular dish, typically enjoyed in the evenings.

Mien xao luon
(Glass noodles with eel)

Like sliced pig-ear meat, eel is not an uncommon ingredient in Vietnamese salads. No one serves it quite like Dong Thinh at 87 P Hang Dieu, Hoan Kiem District. For mien xao luon, crispy eel is mixed with stir-fried glass noodles, egg, and bean sprouts. Other offerings include mien tron (noodles tossed with eel, cucumber, and herbs) and chao luon (eel porridge). A display case out front is filled to the brim with dried eel, making it easy to see why it attracts constant foot traffic.

Banh da tron
(Mixed flat rice noodles)

For a unique local food experience, head to 42C P Ly Thuong Kiet, Hoan Kiem District. You’ll see a woman on the side of the street with a carrying pole and two baskets: one holds a steaming pot and the other is filled with raw ingredients. She carries this every day, largely feeding hungry office workers during lunch breaks. Her specialty is banh da tron: thick, flat noodles topped with sausage, fried fish cakes, tofu, peanuts, and leafy vegetables. Additionally, thin glass noodles called mien are another option.

Banh tom
(Hanoi shrimp cakes)

Banh tom consists of battered sweet potato and prawns, served with a side of fish sauce and papaya that is both sweet and slightly spicy. These golden snacks originate from Ho Tay, the West Lake area, where shrimps are caught locally. However, today they are served in many markets across Hanoi. Notably, some of the most recommended shrimp cakes can be found at the beginning of a narrow food alley in Dong Xuan market, the largest market in the Old Quarter. Consequently, ensure you arrive early enough (before 11:30 am) as stalls tend to run out quickly! Wash the crispy cakes down with a refreshing glass of iced soy milk.

Banh goi
(Crispy ’empanadas’)

For more fried goodies, head to a slightly off-the-beaten-track spot near the famous Hanoi Train Street. Around 10 Ton That Thiep street (the numbers of houses can be approximate in the area) in Ba Dinh District, a street food shop serves banh goi – a pillow-shaped pastry holding minced pork, wood ear mushrooms, vermicelli noodles, and a quail egg. Additionally, they offer ha cao (fried dumpling), banh pho mai (fried cheese stick), and nem chua ran (fried fermented sausage). The shop welcomes customers only from 3 to 7 pm.

My ga tan
(Chicken noodles in herbal broth)

My Ga Tan is one of Hanoi’s most intimidating dishes. Yet, after getting past the shock of realizing there’s a chicken head peering back at you from your soup, you’ll find this dish to be hearty and fulfilling. Diners have two options: the ‘regular’ chicken or a miniature (and slightly more expensive) chicken known as black-bone silky, named for its distinctive black skin.

The chickens are stuffed into empty soda and beer cans with aromatic Chinese herbs. Next, the cans are placed over heat, allowing the meat to soak up the flavors while it simmers. Egg noodles (my) are added to the stew, and Vietnamese swear by the soup’s healing properties. Quan Cay Si restaurant at 29 Tong Duy Tan in Hoan Kiem District serves the best in town.

Che
(Colourful sweet dessert soup)

To wrap things up with something sweet, try che, a ‘sweet soup’ made of layers including red bean and mung bean pastes, glutinous rice balls in starch, and herbal jelly cubes, topped with syrup and coconut shreds. This is the Hanoian version, but che can be found across the country in various adaptations. On evenings and weekends, the Old Quarter buzzes with young people sipping lemon tea and spitting sunflower seeds, gathering at che places. A recommended address is Xoi Che Ba Thin at 1 Bat Dan in Hoan Kiem District. Order the mixed che thap cam and ensure they serve you their renowned jasmine syrup.