My travel guide says, “Vietnamese cuisine is one of Asia’s greatest culinary secrets” (Lonely Planet, Vietnam 2012). But as a first-time visitor to the country—especially in Hanoi—you quickly get the impression that the city knows exactly how to keep these secrets to itself…
Local cuisine is always an exciting and insightful part of traveling, especially in foreign countries, as you often get to know a lot about the culture and the people through their culinary specialties. But particularly in Asia, this can be a bit overwhelming for outsiders, as the street food scene is constantly changing.
The food stalls and street kitchens that offer these local delicacies often change location, opening hours, and sometimes even their quality. And let’s not forget: in a bustling and confusing city like Hanoi, it’s tricky to name addresses that a newcomer could actually find.
So where do you find authentic food and the right places to go?
How can a hungry traveler find their way? The simplest and quickest tip: ask the local staff at your hotel’s reception. You’ll soon realize that Vietnamese people are very proud—and that includes pride in their cuisine. They’re always happy to introduce travelers to it. Important: always ask specifically for tips on authentic street food. Otherwise, they might direct you to more touristy places—not out of bad intentions, but just to play it safe. So, don’t hesitate to ask again.
My second tip—and the one I want to describe a bit more here—is booking a food tour through Hanoi, usually lasting around three hours. With a local tour guide—let’s face it, “guide” sounds way better than “leader”—you quickly get a good overview of local specialties and discover a few hidden gems in the Old Quarter. Just ask at your reception. They’ll usually know right away.
At first, I thought: I hope the tour is good… and who else will be on it?! But I hadn’t expected such a sweet and charming Vietnamese guide—nor this funny and crazy family from Singapore.
Here’s what the “Crazy Food Tour” looked like – check it out in this video:
On our food tour, we had the chance to try these specialties from Hanoi – though not all of them are shown in the video:
Bún chả: Grilled pork with rice noodles – served with a dipping sauce made from fish sauce, rice vinegar, and sugar, along with green papaya. (Tried at 12 Dinh Liet)
Banh cuon: Rolled crêpes made from rice flour – steamed rice pancake with pork and shrimp jerky (14 Hang Ga)
Bun bo hue: beef noodle in hue style with fresh broth (60 Bat Su)
Pho tron: mixed noodle ( Hang Chi dtr)
Ca cuon thit: Fried pork ball with fish ( Trung Yen alley)
Banh troi tau: Hot floating dumpling (95 Hang Bac)
Kem xoi: sticky rice ice cream
Sua chua mit: Jack fruit yoghurt
Sua chua nep cam: Black rice yoghurt
Banh xeo: fried rice pancake with pork and shrimp (25 Hang Bac)
Cafe trung: vietnamese coffee with egg cream (39 Nguyen Huu Huan)
Jasmine tea
Sunflower seed
Coke, sting
If you’d like to experience the tour for yourself, just get in touch with Viet Mind Tours – and who knows, maybe Sam will be your tour guide too!
http://hanoidaytours.net/foodie-tours/hanoi-street-food-tours-53.html
Here you’ll find all the information on Tripadvisor: http://www.tripadvisor.com/8861274?m=19905
