Hanoi, is also famous for its street food culture. Street food stalls are popular and make up for the vast majority of Hanoi food. In this article, we highlight the top Vietnamese food you must eat in Hanoi.
Bun Cha
Bun Cha, is one northern Vietnamese food. It is one of the best Hanoi food specialty not to be missed. The dish consists of grilled pork strips and balls or cha served over a bed of rice vermicelli noodles or bun. It typically comes with a plate of fresh Vietnamese herbs and a bowl of dipping sauce. Pickled vegetables, like cabbage, carrots, onion or green papaya served with additional meatballs on the side.
Nem Cua Be
Nem Cua Be, or crab spring rolls are the perfect complement to Bun Cha. These are fried rolls filled with sea crab and vermicelli noodles. Fresh and lightly fried, these rolls melt in the mouth and are to be savored. These crab spring rolls are sold by the roll, where one roll is cut into three smaller pieces. They are eaten as an appetizer while waiting for the Bun Cha meal or dipped into the savory Bun Cha soup.
Cha Ca
Cha Ca is one of the unique specialties of the Hanoi people and definitely a must eat in Hanoi. So important is this local specialty, that it even has a street named after it – Cha Ca street. The special ingredient in Cha Ca is grilled fish, typically mudfish or snake-head fish. According to the restaurant, the best fish to use Hemibragus, because it has fewer bones and tasty flesh. This dish is made table side and the experience of preparing the dish is almost as much fun as eating it.
Banh Cuon
Banh Cuon is another local specialty from Northern Vietnam that you don’t want to miss. It is a delicate and light dish usually eaten for breakfast in Vietnam. However, you can find it all day long. Banh Cuon is made of a thin rice sheet rolled and filled with ground pork meat and minced mushrooms. It is served with fried shallots and cilantro herbs on top. As with most Vietnamese dishes, Nuoc Mam of fish sauce is used in the dipping sauce. The magic comes with the additional drop of ca cuong, the essence of a giant water bug common in Southeast Asia.
Banh Mi
The Banh Mi sandwich is truly the best Vietnamese sandwich to fall in love with. While its origins are French, the Vietnamese have made it distinctively their own. Generally speaking it is an airy Vietnamese baguette made with a combination of wheat and rice flours with a thin crispy crust.It is stuffed with pork, pâté, cured ham, a mélange of Vietnamese herbs and vegetables like coriander, cucumber, carrot, slices, radish and more depending on what part of the country you are in. A wealth of textures and flavors, you will savor spicy, salty, savory, sweet, and aromatic tastes in each bite.
Pho
A bowl of Pho is basically a soup made of a clear beef or chicken based broth with flat rice noodles, herbs including green onions, ginger, and coriander, and thinly cut slices of meat, primarily beef or sometimes chicken. Not too heavy, it is a flavorful soup that is most commonly eaten for breakfast. Nonetheless, you will find Pho served all day in Hanoi.
Source: Internet
