Hanoi Street Food: The Definitive Eating Guide

The Pho Question

Hanoi pho is different to the southern (Saigon) version. Northern pho uses a clearer, more delicate broth, wider flat noodles, fewer garnishes, and is served with quẩy (fried dough sticks). The defining version is pho bò (beef) — either tái (rare beef sliced thin) or chín (well-cooked brisket). Phở Bát Đàn on Bát Đàn Street has served it since the 1930s — arrive before 8am.

Bún Chả

Barack Obama ate bún chả at Bún Chả Hương Liên with Anthony Bourdain in 2016, and the restaurant has been famous ever since. It deserves the fame: grilled pork patties in a sweet-sour broth with rice vermicelli and fresh herbs. The formula is replicated across the Old Quarter; most versions are excellent.

Bánh Mì

Hanoi's bánh mì leans toward the classic combination: pâté, cold cuts, pickled vegetables, chilli and coriander in a crisp baguette. Bánh Mì 25 on Hàng Cá is consistently excellent.

Egg Coffee

Cà phê trứng — Vietnamese egg coffee — is a Hanoi invention: strong Robusta coffee topped with a thick, sweet foam made from egg yolk and condensed milk. Served hot or cold. Café Giảng on Yên Phụ claims to have invented it in 1946.

The Old Quarter at Dawn

The best street food experience is walking the Old Quarter between 6-8am when the resident population eats breakfast on plastic stools at pavement restaurants, before the tourist day begins.