Hanoi’s 10 most iconic dishes

Savoring some deep-fried dough by dipping it in the broth is a nice way to enjoy pho. Green chiles, lime, or garlic vinegar are also recommended to add to the broth. Pho bo and pho ga in the north both have flavorful, well-seasoned broth that is not as sweet as pho in the south. Although there is no dipping sauce, the taste of fresh meat will make up for it.

Price ranges from VND35,000-90,000 ($1.48-3.82) per bowl.

Bun dau mam tom – Vermicelli with fried tofu and shrimp paste

One of the most intriguing foods to come out of Hanoi is definitely bun dau mam tom. Nobody is certain of its exact origin. This recipe reportedly used to be a staple meal eaten at homes only in rural areas, but it quickly became a favorite of city diners as well thanks to its special flavors.

Early versions of bun dau were served with a cup of shrimp paste and consisted just of fried tofu, vermicelli, and herbs. You may now customize your dish with a wide selection of toppings due to growing demand from customers. Cha com – young green rice and pork cake, boiled pork, and pig tripe are some of the most popular toppings.

A tiny flat bamboo tray containing all the toppings will be delivered to your table once you have placed your order. The herbs and bun la (firm noodles that have been flattened into patches and chopped into chunks), as well as deep-fried tofu are arranged in a circle. Mam tom – the fermented shrimp paste that serves as this dish’s dipping sauce – is what gives it its personality. The sauce’s flavors can be improved by adding sugar and kumquat juice.

The unusual scent of mam tom sauce deters many foreign diners from trying bun dau. Even though it is the dish’s main attraction, not everyone can stand the strong flavor and you can still order fish sauce to enjoy the dish with instead. Tofu’s mildly sweet and nutty flavors, along with the herb’s strong scent, make for a very well-balanced combination. Despite not being a fan of mam tom, I can never say no to this wonderful and crispy tofu.

Price starts at VND35,000 ($1.48) per serving.

Banh cuon Thanh Tri – Thanh Tri steamed rice rolls

The Australian magazine Traveller recently named banh cuon one of the top 10 dishes in the world. Steamed rice rolls made in Thanh Tri Ward in Hanoi’s Hoang Mai District are considered to be the purest form of banh cuon in Hanoi. Thanh Tri steamed rice rolls are typically served with sweet and sour fish sauce and cha que (cinnamon-fried pork rolls). In some eateries, a unique spice dubbed tinh dau ca cuong (belostomatid’s aromatic essence) is added to the fish sauce to give it a more appealing flavor.

The thin, chewy coat of the roll is what makes the rice rolls so recognizable. The original banh cuon Thanh Tri is often served cold, has no fillings, and is topped with fried shallots. Generations of Hanoi people have learned to love this version as a breakfast food. But more recently, this dish has gradually lost favor as a result of the introduction of newer, more complex dishes that appeal more to modern preferences.

Thanh Tri rice rolls have a solid texture, and are thin and transparent. The batter is made by soaking rice for many hours and then grinding it with water. The batter is then poured by the cook onto a cloth and cooked in a large steamer. After they are done cooking, the rolls receive a super thin coating of scallion oil, which gives them a glossy appearance.

What distinguishes Thanh Tri steamed rice rolls from other varieties is their simplicity. Traditional banh cuon Thanh Tri gets diners to focus more on the softness of the rolls and the predominant flavor of the dipping sauce (which is accompanied by crispy fried shallots), because the rolls have no filling. While it is getting harder to find an authentic banh cuon Thanh Tri eatery, steamed rice rolls with ground pork and wood ear mushroom fillings are readily available across Hanoi.

Price starts at VND20,000 (85 cents) per serving.

Bun oc & Bun rieu – Snail noodle soup & Crab noodle soup

Both bun rieu and bun oc, or crab and snail noodle soups, are thought to have their roots in the northern delta. Previously a popular breakfast item for many restaurants, these noodles are now available any time of day as a Hanoi staple specialty.

In a bowl of bun oc, you will find toppings such as freshwater snails, slices of tomato, slices of tofu and some chopped scallions.

In some places, you can find additional toppings like beef shank, cha lua (pork rolls) or even fertilized duck egg. The tomato-based broth has a light and sour taste, which comes from wine vinegar. Aside from the herbs, this noodle soup is also served with sliced banana stems.

A bowl of bun rieu – which is almost identical to bun oc but replaces snail with crab – can be found with comparable toppings like tomatoes and deep-fried tofu.

What sets this noodle meal apart from others is the crab paste, which has the rich flavor of freshwater crab and a delicate, spongy texture. It’s light and will dissolve in the broth as you eat this meal, unlike the dense and solid crab paste used in bun rieu in the south.

Both cuisines can grab your attention with their distinctive aromas. You can taste a unique but delightful sourness that you have not experienced before from the wine vinegar. After that, you will experience the tomatoes’ well-known sweet and sour flavor, along with a hint of umami flavor from the bone broth.

It would be a shame to not mention the chilli oil that is served alongside these dishes. Despite the incredibly spicy flavor, first-timers are recommended to add some chilli oil to the bowl as it gives the food a lovely hue. Even the sweetness in a bowl of either bun oc or bun rieu can be elevated by its unique spicy flavor. To fully appreciate a bowl of bun oc, you might not want to order beef shank as a topping on your first visit because it can modify the broth’s original flavor by adding a more savory note.

Price starts from VND30,000 ($1.27) per bowl.

Bun thang – Noodle soup with chicken, pork and egg

Bun thang is a dish that originates from leftovers during Tet holiday. Some people believe that the word thang is derived from thang thuoc – prescription. Cooking this dish requires the cook to be patient and meticulous, just like a doctor when they prepare a traditional prescription.

The bones from chicken, pork, and shiitake mushrooms are used to make the broth for the noodles. The broth used to contain sa sung (sea worms) and ca cuong, but due to the increase in prices, most places have replaced these items with other condiments. A bowl is topped with a variety of ingredients, such as thinly sliced omelette and cha gio (pork rolls), ground pork, shrimp floss, salted egg, and dried radish.

Bun thang has a pleasant savory taste that is rarely found in other noodle dishes. Each topping pairs perfectly with the others so your palate is completely satisfied after finishing a bowl. It should be noted that if mam tom is not desired, you should request to have it removed before ordering a bowl of bun thang. However, if you can, this shrimp paste can give your bowl a delicious umami flavor.

Price starts at VND35,000 ($1.48) per bowl.

Bun cha – Grilled pork with vermicelli

Bun cha is similar to bun thit nuong, another grilled pork and vermicelli noodle dish popular in southern Vietnam. Both dishes have made names for themselves not only in Vietnam, but worldwide as well. Last year, this iconic dish was featured in the British Platinum Jubilee Cookbook.

Grilled pork, vermicelli noodles, dipping sauce, and other herbs are all included in a serving of bun cha. There are two types of grilled pork: grilled meatballs and pork belly. The meat is marinated for hours, before grilling on a red charcoal stove. The dipping sauce for bun cha is a crucial component of the cuisine. Fish sauce, vinegar, and sugar, are the main ingredients in the sauce. Thin slices of carrots and green papaya are also added to the sauce. Since each restaurant uses its own marinade and sauce recipes, flavors vary from one place to the next.

Diners dip the vermicelli into the dipping sauce, and eat it with a bite of grilled pork and herbs. The marinated grilled meat wrapped in the aroma of charcoal combined with the sweet and sour dipping sauce creates a harmonious blend of delicious flavors.

And do not be afraid to ask for extra dipping sauce, carrots, or green papaya. You can customize your dipping sauce by adding more chillies, garlic, and kumquat juice. My preferred method of eating bun cha is to get a side dish of deep-fried spring rolls to go along with it.

Price starts at VND35,000 ($1.48) per serving.

Com – Young green rice

A highlight of the northern region, particularly in the Hanoi area, is com (green rice flakes). This meal is a speciality that is frequently associated with autumn. But northerners have developed dishes that use these green rice flakes as a primary ingredient, allowing them to enjoy this delicacy all year round. Such dishes include banh com (green rice cake) and cha com (green rice patties).

Legend has it that a thousand years ago, unusually heavy storms crashed through the rice fields of Vietnam, destroying nearly all the crops. A man from Vong Village threw himself into the flood water to collect the grains. To feed his old mother, he roasted and pounded them to remove the husk. What he unintentionally made back then is known as com today. Com is recognized by its signature green color and light fragrant scent. The green rice flakes have a special soft texture, with a slightly sweet taste.

Cha com (green rice patties) is made using lean pork and pork paste, combined with com to form mini patties. The patties are deep fried until golden brown on both sides. Cha com is crispy on the outside, and moist and soft on the inside with an aroma of savory pork and fragrance of new rice. You can enjoy these patties with rice, or noodle dishes like bun dau mam tom.

Banh com (green rice cake) was created by a member of the Nguyen Duy family on Hang Than Street in 1865. The main ingredients to make this cake are glutinous rice, green rice flakes and mung beans. The green rice flakes are gently heated while cooking with sugar and pandan leaves until they melt and become stretchy. The mung beans are soaked for hours before being cooked with sugar until they become a viscous filling. The filling is wrapped in the rice mixture, formed into a square, and left for cooling. Banh com is a sweet treat loved by people of all ages, and is often bought as gifts by both local and international tourists.

Eating the green rice flakes with banana is a fantastic method to enjoy com, and is well-known among the residents in Hanoi. This particular combination offers a great mix of the light sweet aroma of com accompanied by the vanilla and candy flavor notes of the banana.

Com prices start at VND200,000 ($8.46) per kilogram.

Ngan – Mule duck

Ngan, known as mule duck, is a type of poultry mostly consumed in the northern region of Vietnam. You can hardly find any places selling dishes using mule duck in the south or central region. Ngan is typically bigger and meatier than duck or chicken, with fatty skin and lean, firm meat packed with flavor. Bun ngan (noodle soup with mule duck) and ngan chay toi (mule duck fried with garlic) are the two of the most popular mule duck dishes in the capital city.

Bun ngan is the combination of a delicious mule duck broth simmered with sauteed bamboo shoots, both fresh and dry. The broth is poured into a bowl of vermicelli noodles, then topped with bamboo shoots, ngan meat, spring onions and cilantro. A sweet and sour dipping sauce with a lot of minced garlic is served with each bowl of bun ngan. This meal, which may be eaten for breakfast or lunch, is well-known for the naturally sweet flavor of the ngan, and its light, savory broth.

Ngan chay toi, a more recent Hanoian specialty that has only been there since 2016, has quickly gained popularity among young people in the city. It is first claimed that a mule duck restaurant created the recipe specifically to use up leftover meat. After hearing a lot of compliments from both family and customers, the restaurant’s owner decided to add the dish to the menu. Prior to being deep-fried in heated oil, the mule duck is first boiled, then cut into smaller pieces and marinated with seasonings. The dish’s star ingredient, the garlic, is fried till golden and crispy, yet also retaining its soft texture and distinctive flavor. The cook will then mix the meat with the garlic before serving to customers.

A portion of ngan chay toi is meant for two people, and there is a 15 to 20-minute wait since the food is made to order. If you have never tried mule duck before, I suggest you try out ngan chay toi first. You should order half a mule duck fried with garlic, half a boiled mule duck, and a bowl of bamboo soup for a complete experience.

Bun ngan starts at VND35,000 ($1.48) per bowl.

Ngan chay toi starts at VND140,000 ($5.93) per serving.

Xoi xeo – Sticky rice with mung bean

Xoi xeo (sticky rice with mung bean) is a traditional breakfast that is very familiar to anyone born and raised in Hanoi. In the early morning, you can find a long queue of people waiting to buy xoi xeo for breakfast. For only a few thousand dong, you can have yourself a serving of yellow sticky rice, fragrant with the smell of scallion oil and fried shallots.

Xoi xeo consists of sticky rice, mung beans, fried shallots and scallion oil. Many people believe that the origin of the dish’s special name comes from the fact that people often xeo – hand cut – a block of mung bean on the sticky rice.

Xoi xeo is a dish with many flavors but simple ingredients. The mung beans have a mildly sweet and nutty flavor that has absorbed the scallion oil’s vibrant scent. The fried shallots are crunchy and savory, and when you eat them with the soft and fragrant sticky rice, it is a burst of flavors in your mouth.

Today, xoi xeo vendors have added other toppings to eat with the dish, such as pork rolls, braised pork, pork floss, or chicken stir-fried with mushrooms. Pork rolls is my favorite topping to go with xoi xeo as it helps add protein to the meal without overpowering the natural flavors of the sticky rice and the mung bean.

Price starts at VND15,000 (63 cents) per serving.”