These Are the 11 Must-Try Street Foods in Hanoi

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Oh, Hanoi, how I do love you and your street food! Now made famous around the world, there’s a reason why chefs and foodies alike are hitting up Hanoi like it’s hot in recent times. 

From a local who called this special city home for six years, street food was something I loved and was always the number one excursion for any newbie or family/friends visiting.   

The streets of Vietnam’s capital city are alive with a sensory overload, with much of that thanks to the local restaurants (where you sit on low plastic chairs and tables), chi oi, and bia hoi selling all sorts of traditional Vietnamese street food. You’ll only find some street food in Hanoi at certain times of day, while others in specific areas, like the Old Quarter, Truc Bach, and Tay Ho. But one thing is certain, no matter where you are, it’s always available. 

Here’s a list of some of my favorite street food bites in Hanoi, as well as the quintessential, must-try specialties — because can you say you’ve been to Vietnam if you haven’t tried phở? It’s a mix of well-known classics and the street food loved by the locals. It’s also important to know that street food in the north is vastly different to that in the south. It’s also ridiculously cheap!

Vietnamese food terminology (you’ll need these)

You’ll need to know these terms to navigate menus in Vietnam. The truth is that nine out of ten menus are only in Vietnamese so unless you’re well-versed in the below, it’s going to be a struggle to get what you want to eat in front of you.

• Meat = thịt
• Beef = bò
• Chicken = gà
• Fish = cá
• Duck = con vịt
• No meat = không có thịt
• How much? = bao nhiêu
• Takeaway = mang về

The 11 Delectable Street Foods of Hanoi You Must Try

1. Bún chả

It’s kind of a sin to arrive in Vietnam’s capital and NOT try the ever-famous bún chả — an OG Hanoian specialty. 

It’s a sweet-sour soup served with freshly barbecued pork meatballs (Vietnamese-style, made fresh to order on a side BBQ grill). Topping the broth are square-shaped, thinly sliced pickled daikon and carrots. The fun part about this dish is that the rice vermicelli noodles, fresh lettuce leaves, bean sprouts, and other leafy greens are served on the side and YOU add them to the soup.  

Even for someone like myself who doesn’t go nuts for sweet and sour vibes, there’s just something so unusually moreish about this one! 

Typically eaten before 11 am, most bún chả restaurants open around 6 am for the school/work brekkie rush hour, and close before midday. So, you’ve really got to catch the early worm for this one.  

P.S. It’s often served with fried spring rolls (nem), but you’ll have to ask for these extra.

Typical price: VND50,000. 

2. Nem

And that leads to one of my absolute personal favorite Vietnamese street foods: the classic nem. 

Before I go any further, there are a few things to know about these little delicious pockets of goodness — the perfect on-the-go snack. In Hanoi, they are served either deep-fried (known as nem rán) or fresh (known as nem cuốn), and both are completely different! 

However, they’re both made from rice paper. So, nem rán is the deep-fried version, filled with extra thin vermicelli, minced pork, mushrooms, and shredded carrots. You’ll find the long and short versions of them. 

Nem cuốn is as fresh as it gets, and the rice paper acts as the wrapper (bánh tráng). There are a few variations but the typical variation contains rice noodles, lettuce, thinly sliced carrot, cucumber, Thai basil, a heap of coriander (cilantro), pork, and shrimp. Dip it in peanut sauce and you’re A-for-away. There’s no deep-frying business here, cảm ơn.

Typical price: Nem rán is usually about VND5k, whereas nem cuốn is typically VND20k or more.

3. Bún bò nam bộ

Every Friday, bún bò nam bộ was my go-to lunchtime meal. Served from midday onwards, this dry noodle dish is simple, yet packs a punch full of flavor! 

It comes with thin rice noodles on the bottom, topped with bean sprouts, coriander (a quintessential Hanoian staple), peanuts, and sliced pieces of soft beef (bộ). It’s served with a sweet and sour sauce. There’s something about the combination of beef, peanuts, and coriander that all works so well. I must be honest, I intensely dislike coriander, but Hanoi made me appreciate the herb. This is one of those examples of how, when used right, coriander can balance out a meal.  

During those sweltering hot and humid summer days, this one goes down a real treat, and is another super fresh and light dish, despite it containing beef. 

Typical price: VND50k.

4. Phở

Probably the most well-known Vietnamese street food dish anywhere in the world, there are a few things to know about phở from Hanoi. 

Totally different from phở from Ho Chi Minh City or central Vietnam, northern-style phở is bone-broth heavy (whereas the south it’s spicier, more tomato-y, and often contains seafood). This is the prime of example of why street food in Hanoi is not quite like anywhere else in the country.

Simple yet hearty, it’s the perfect cure for a hangover (just saying) or if you’re feeling under the weather. Think clear bone broth made from beef or chicken, thicker rice noodles, slices of either beef (phở bộ) or chicken (phở gà), or without any meat.

At any phở joint you’ll see tables laden with jars of this pickled garlic juice goodness and limes — don’t be shy, the more garlic accompaniment the better (in my opinion). 

Local tip: The best thing to dip in phở is bánh quẩy nóng (a deep-fried breadstick), but you’ll need to order these as extra. Thank me later, wink wink.

Typical price: VND30k.

5. Bánh tôm Hồ Tây

Fun fact: Tay Ho is an area of Hanoi around Ho Tay (West Lake), and where most of the expat community lives. 

On the other side of Tay Ho Lake, there’s a famous street next door to a temple where about five shops sell these special Hanoian fried shrimp cakes. You will be able to find bánh tôm Hồ Tây in some spots around the Old Quarter, but for the most authentic, you’ve got to lap them up from the area in which they originate. 

The flour batter is mixed with sweet potato and is deep-fried with a little river shrimp on top (shell still intact). Munch it down in one bite — shell and everything. It’s common in Hanoi to eat prawns/shrimp with the shell still on, especially the tiny sort such as these.

Typical price: VND60k per serving.

6. Bánh mì — Northern style 

We’ve got the French to thank (kind of) for this one. The Vietnamese take on a classic French baguette, just like street food in Hanoi like phở and nem are different to the south, bánh mì from Hanoi is different from southern bánh mì.

A small baguette is served with a fried omelet egg (not typically fried egg but some places do make it like this), pâté, thin slices of cucumber, coriander, and oftentimes pork sausage.

It goes down a real treat in the morning, afternoon, or after a big night out – and you’ll find bánh mì stands/carts on literally every corner. 

Typical price: VND20k.

7. Bánh giò

All around the Old Quarter, you’ll spot chi oi riding bicycles with a basket on the back spilling over with triangular-shaped banana leaf parcels and a speaker screaming “bánh giò.” 

Here’s what’s inside: it’s basically a steamed rice dumpling (almost the same consistency as a dumpling made from tapioca) with minced pork, mushroom, and a boiled egg inside. The tip of this pyramid is sometimes topped with mung bean. That’s all wrapped up in the banana leaf and steamed.

Personally, I’m not a fan, but most go gaga for these interesting little parcels. 

Typical price: VND15k-20k.

8. Xôi Xéo 

On the other hand, xôi xéo is another type of street food wrapped and steamed in banana leaf that I can totally get down with! (My mouth waters even typing this.) 

Translating to “mung bean sticky rice,” the parcel comprises yellow Vietnamese sticky rice (which gets its coloring from turmeric) and is served with a dollop of mung bean paste on top and deliciously wispy-thin chicken floss and crispy shallots.

Some spots also serve it with pulled, super-soft-boiled chicken bits — I always go for this option if possible, but you’ll usually find the chicken option at the local restaurants over the chi selling them from their bicycles or down at the market. 

It’s another street food considered a “breakfast snack,” but there are places in the Old Quarter selling it at all times of day, especially the lower half toward Train Street.

Typical price: VND10k-20k (without chicken).

9. Bánh rán

I know I keep mentioning it, but that’s because many of the street foods around Hanoi are sold by the local ladies on their bicycles or carrying shoulder baskets. It’s rather special in hindsight and is one of those images now associated with Vietnam. 

Little bánh rán donuts are another treat to purchase from the ladies strolling the Old Quarter streets. It’s this weird combination of sweet-meets-savory (thanks to the mung bean inside) – and those interesting flavors come together to explain just why street food in Hanoi is so incredibly good.

it’s a deep-fried donut made from glutinous rice flour, covered in sweet syrup and often white sesame seeds, and inside is the mung bean paste. Some say it’s an acquired taste, and I don’t go too nuts for these — but my in-laws LOVE them! 

Local tip: Make sure you don’t get fooled; they are 5k a pop, not 50k for one donut! 

Typical price: VND5k.

10. Oc luoc

Mega popular down at the bia hoi (Vietnamese drinking holes), oc luoc are boiled snails, plain and simple. 

This is another street food in Hanoi that shows off French colonial influences. I’ll admit, however, that I haven’t ever tried these bad boys myself, but that’s because I don’t like snails. They arrive on a plate alongside a fresh bia (beer) with ice, and the snails are cooked in lemongrass and chili. 

You quite literally just suck them straight out of the shell and throw the remains on the table — just like the locals. You can also dip them in nước chấm (a fishy spicy Vietnamese dipping sauce found on every table within a bia hoi or street food spot).   

Typical price: VND30k-70k per plate.

11. Khoai nướng & Bắp nướng

Alright, I’ve combined these two grilled street food favorites into one, as they’re similarly cooked and you buy them straight off the street-side and hot off the grill. 

Side note: a few reasons why Hanoi is so “foggy” is because of the air pollution created by the mix of cars, buses, motorbikes, and smoke from the BBQ grills scattered all over the streets. This is where most of the street food cooking goes down! 

Khoai nướng are grilled and roasted sweet potatoes and bắp nướng is grilled corn. The corn cobs are lighter colored (not the bright yellow variety) and have a chewy texture. 

The best place for both of these is the bustling road along Truc Bach Lake (about ten minutes from the Old Quarter and two minutes from Tay Ho). They’re famous here.

Typical price: VND10k-20k.

A Sweet Treat

While you’re on Truc Bach Lake, you’ll find locals selling delicious coconut sweet treats from what looks like a cooler box. These scrumptious desserts are called bò bía ngọt: a crunchy sweet spring roll topped with shredded coconut, sugar and black sesame. They’re just so satisfying.

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