Vietnam’s capital city, Hanoi, has plenty of sights to appeal to visitors – Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, One-Pillar Pagoda, the old quarter with its bustling streets – but if you really want to understand the Vietnamese people and their culture, you’ll need to delve deep into its food.
Hanoi’s street food scene can be overwhelming with its mix of smells and tastes but it’s well worth exploring since it’s one of the freshest, healthiest and most flavorful cuisines in the world.
Let us guide you to five of the hottest spots where you can eat street food in Hanoi like (and together with) the locals.
Insider’s Tip: Foodies will love this 4-hour Vietnamese Cooking Class that includes a chef-led tour of a busy local market.
The Best Street Food in Hanoi
Bánh Cuốn Gia Truyen
14 Pho Hang Ga | Old Quarter, Hanoi, Vietnam
Bánh cuốn is one of the city’s favorite breakfast items and essential to any list of must-try Hanoi street foods.
By itself, the pale white rice batter is silky smooth and soft but otherwise rather bland. Flavor and texture come from a filling of seasoned ground pork, mushrooms, and shallots. The rice noodle roll is served with a separate bowl of clear amber dipping sauce, nước chấm, which is essentially fish sauce.
Banh Tom Ho Tay
1 Thanh Nien, Truc B_ch, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi, Vietnam
Banh Tom is another Vietnamese dish originating from Hanoi. It’s made of battered and deep-fried sweet potato and shrimp.
The bright orange color comes from the natural flesh of the sweet potato and a bit of turmeric powder in the batter. Often served as an appetizer, Banh Tom is commonly wrapped with lettuce, herbs, and pickled vegetables and dipped in nuoc mam cham dipping sauce.
Bia Hoi Ha Noi
9B TA Hien, Hanoi, VietnamBia hoi is a special type of homemade beer, unpreserved, brewed daily and delivered in kegs to local businesses. Unlike canned or bottled beer, Bia hoi should be consumed the day after it leaves the factory. It’s brand-less and very cheap compared to Western-style beers.
Bia Hoi Ha Noi is a classic Vietnamese beer garden, perfect for late sunny afternoons. It’s well-shaded and has plenty of whirring fans to keep you cool.
Pho Gia Truyen
49 Bat Dan | Old Quarter, Hanoi, Vietnam
Locals form a long queue every morning at Pho Gia Truyen, the most famous place in the old quarter for a delicious bowl of Pho Bo.
Pho Bo is arguably the most well-known of all Vietnamese soups. It was inspired by French settlers who commonly ate beef, where Vietnamese traditionally preferred pork, chicken, and fish (whilst using cattle as work animals). Since the beginning of the twentieth century, the number of soup kitchens has risen significantly and Pho Bo has become the favorite dish for breakfast and dinner in Hanoi, and throughout Vietnam.
Madame Hien
15 Chan Cam, Hanoi, Vietnam
Located in the heart of the old quarter, Madame Hien is a stunning, century-old Hanoian villa dishing up meals that celebrate Vietnamese ancestral culture, artisanal foods, and regional knowledge accumulated over a thousand years. Try some of the best street food in Hanoi, like the crab noodle soup, banana flower salad, and famous fresh summer rolls.
Learn more about the best food countries in Asia.
Save up to 30% when you compare Hanoi hotel prices on Trip Advisor.
Where to Find the Best Street Food in Hanoi
GET THE KINDLE:
First trip to Hanoi? Check out the Best Travel ideas for First Timers in Hanoi, Vietnam.
About the Authors
Heike and Stefan Leistner are a German couple addicted to the Vietnamese street food in Hanoi and South East Asia. Since 2004, they’ve traveled to Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar, Indonesia and India in search of real and authentic street food. In addition to writing and photographing stories and recipes for their website, asiastreetfood, they’ve released an app, Vietnam Eat & Travel, that highlights the best sites and street food in Hanoi and throughout Vietnam.
Heike and Stefan are proud to announce the release of their book about the cuisine of South East Asia.
Very interesting Laura. I actually tried banana flower salad in Vancouver recently at “Maenam” restaurant. They won Gold in a best Thai resto category of 2014 awards by Vancouver Magazine. I assume it was authentic because the resto sure was. Would be interesting to try it in Vietnam one day.
Thanks. How was the banana flower salad? Did it taste like bananas?
Hi Laura, not quite like bananas. It was crisp, spicy and tangy in every bite.
Hi Dina, if you want to prepare the Vietnamese banana flower at home, here is the recipe:
https://asiastreetfood.com/rezepte/bananenbluetensalat/
It’s in German, if you want I can deliver an english version
Thank you for the link Stefan. I’ll use google translate for the translation. I might just try it if I can get a hold of the ingredients. If I do, I’ll send you a pic.
Looking forward..:)
Hi Sunny, yes we tried them all (and more :)), have a look at our Vietnam Eat&Travel App where you can find the places.
Located in the heart of Hanoi, Restaurant combines the best of traditional Vietnamese and global Vegetarians menu . Our menu offers a wide range of meals, from traditional country side dishes to western inspired Grilled Pork Ribs all at a very affordable price.
Our skilled kitchen team sources only the freshest and finest ingredients to guarantee the high standard of all our dishes. The rustic styled restaurant offers more than just great food, but also a home away from home. Friendly and helpful staff ensures everyone leaves satisfied.
Our upstairs private dining area is the perfect venue for any special event or celebration. We offer both set-menus and full buffets, ranging in price according to our customers’ needs and desires. Our barmen produce the finest fresh fruit juices and shakes, as well as delicious cocktails and Budweiser draft beer on tap.
3rd Floor Cooking Class (Everyday)
Makes you have a great experience on Vietnamese Authentic and fusion cuisines. Let’s join our Home Cooking Class in Hanoi Old Quarter. We ensure to bring the best of our chef skills to help you make the most wonderful foods in the shortest time.
With a comfort space and warm atmosphere you always feel pleasure and free like at home.
We open at 7:00 for our early morning breakfast, where you can either enjoy Hanoi’s famous beef or chicken noodle soup or one of our more westernized breakfasts. We also offer our full menu for take away or deliver for your convenience
4