Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam, is renowned for its abundant culture, historical significance, and above all, its vibrant street food cuisine. With numerous street food vendors scattered throughout the city, Hanoi has gained a well-deserved reputation as a haven for foodies.
Here are some interesting authentic street food stalls with a long history to try out for your trip in Hanoi. These stores are located conveniently right in the center of Hanoi around Sword Lake. Prices are displayed on the wall so you don’t have to worry about being overcharged or negotiating.
1. Pho (Phở) or Fuh – Beef Noodle
Pho (Phở) or Fuh, which is usually considered Vietnam’s national cuisine, stands out as the most renowned street food in Hanoi. This yummy beef noodle soup consists of a flavourful broth, rice noodles, and thinly sliced beef served with a variety of fresh herbs, raw vegetables, and lime wedges. Pho can be found in almost every corner of Hanoi. Vietnamese people can eat Pho all day, for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Two well-known places are Phở Thìn Bờ Hồ & Pho Thin 13 Lo Duc Str (Phở Thìn 13 Lò Đúc). Having the same name, they are completely different. The owners of both stores coincidentally have the same last name.
Phở Thìn Bờ Hồ
Address: 1 P. Hàng Tre, Lý Thái Tổ, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội, Vietnam
Phở Thìn Bờ Hồ is located opposite Ngoc Son temple in Sword Lake. The store was established nearly 70 years ago in 1955 by a man named Thin. The store serves traditional styles including rare, well-done, or nam gau beef noodles. This store in fact still remains the same as it was created 70 years ago sharing a tiny lane with local people inside. It doesn’t have a proper bathroom though.
Pho Thin 13 Lo Duc Str. – Phở Thìn 13 Lò Đúc
Address: 13 P. Lò Đúc, Phạm Đình Hổ, Hai Bà Trưng, Hà Nội, Vietnam
Pho Thin 13 Lo Duc Street was established 24 years later in 1979. It does not serve traditional styles, instead, the beef is cut thinly and stir-fried, and beef noodles are served with a lot of green shallot.
2. BBQ Pork Noodle – Bún chả
Bun Cha is a popular lunch choice for locals and can be found in most districts of Hanoi.
Bun Cha is a dish of grilled pork with vermicelli noodles, fresh herbs, and sauce with carrot and green papaya. The pork mince and sliced pork belly are marinated with fish sauce, sugar, onion, and garlic.
Bún chả Hương Liên
Address: 24 P. Lê Văn Hưu, Phan Chu Trinh, Hai Bà Trưng, Hà Nội, Vietnam
You can try Bun Cha at Bun Cha Huong Lien which is widely known as “Obama Bun Cha” since the former US president – Barack Obama and celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain dined there during their visit to Hanoi. The shop actually put the dining set served on that night in a grass box and photos of the events are hung around the shop. You can order the bun cha by itself or the combo bun cha with the crispy fried seafood roll and a can of Hanoi beer. We went there during lunch time and the restaurant was packed with many locals and visitors.
3. Kem – Ice Cream
Kem Trang Tien – Kem Tràng Tiền
Address: 35 Tràng Tiền, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội, Vietnam
If you are around the center of Hanoi or around Sword Lake, you definitely should try out the delicious local Vietnamese Ice cream here. Kem Trang Tien was founded 65 years ago in 1958. You can order ice cream in a cone, stick, or cup or buy a mochi or an ice cream box. There are different flavors of ice cream to choose from including green bean, rice flake, taro, coconut milk, and cocoa. You can choose to have vanilla, coffee, green tea, or strawberry mochi.
4. Fried Tofu Noodle – Bún đậu mắm tôm
Bún Đậu Cô Tuyến Mắm Tôm Hàng Khay
Address: ngõ 31 P. Hàng Khay, Tràng Tiền, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội, Vietnam
Bun Dau Mam Tom is a famous Hanoi street food made of tofu, rice vermicelli noodles, and boiled pork served with fermented shrimp paste on the side. If the fermented shrimp paste is too strong in smell and flavor for you, you can have it with fish sauce. This place Bun Dau Co Tuyen (Bún Đậu Cô Tuyến) is recommended by some of my local friends. It is right near Sword Lake.
5. Prawn Cake at West Lake – Bánh tôm Hồ Tây
Address: 1 Đ. Thanh Niên, Yên Phụ, Tây Hồ, Hà Nội, Vietnam
Banh Tom Ho Tay, Prawn Cake at West Lake, located at West Lake is a popular restaurant for locals due to its location and beautiful lake view. This dish is a deep-fried prawn with sweet potato served with rice vermicelli, salad, and sweet and sour sauce. The restaurant has many other dishes on the menu too.
You can have some Westlake ice cream for dessert.
With restaurants in every corner of Hanoi, you will simply just walk around and choose the one with more customers to try out.
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