11 Traditional Foods in Hanoi You Have to Try

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Rice (in various forms), cilantro (coriander), meat such as beef and duck, chili, and star anise are the primary ingredients, notes, and flavor profiles you’ll find when tucking into the best food in Hanoi.

Straight off the bat, it’s important to know that Vietnamese cuisine is vastly different all over the country. For cities and towns closer to the ocean, seafood reigns supreme. Over in the north, where mountainous landscapes and rolling rice terraces greet you around every turn, land animals and complementary ingredients are favored. There are also plenty of variations of rice noodles, each with their unique name.

The capital city is now renowned as the home to some of the most famous food from Vietnam, such as bún chả and cà phê trứng, both of which originate in Hanoi.

If you’re traveling to the City of the Soaring Dragon, I’ve compiled a list of must-try best food in Hanoi, including dishes made with quintessential Hanoian components, and the best place to try them around the city. You can also find these at many restaurants in Hanoi’s Old Quarter. Happy eating!

1. Bún = Thin rice vermicelli noodles 

One of the foods you’ll see the most around the streets and restaurants of Hanoi, there are many variations of dishes made with bún. These super-skinny rice noodles are typically steamed, not boiled. You can eat them “dry,” i.e., not in a soup, served on the side with accompanying elements, but often you’ll find them added to soups and broths. 

Some of Hanoi’s most iconic dishes are made from bún noodles. There’s a few variations of it you absolutely need to try which I’ve listed below – including where the best place to try them is.

Bún riêu

A clear crab noodle tomato-based soup (almost like a consommé) served with bún and minced freshwater crab. Often, the crab is replaced with fish (cá). 

Some other must-try foods from Hanoi made from fish are:

• Canh chua (fish soup) 
• Chả cá lã vọng (crispy fried Hanoian fish cakes served with vermicelli on the side or rice) 

Where to try bún riêu? Ánh Bún riêu

Bún chả

Bún chả is a pork meatball soup originating from Hanoi. This is one dish you cannot miss. The sweet and sour soup is served with pork meatballs (though sometimes grilled pork), and bun noodles, leafy greens, and herbs on the side.  

Where to try bun cha? Bun Cha Mai Anh

Bún thang

Bún thang is a chicken noodle soup that is the equivalent to your mom’s homemade chicken noodle soup. This dish goes down a treat in winter, or especially if you’re feeling flu-y. The chicken-bone broth contains shredded chicken, sliced fried egg, mushrooms, and about 15 other ingredients.

Where to try bún thang? Bún Thang Lan Lùn

Bún ngan

Bún ngan is the most popular rice noodle duck broth soup. It contains duck meat, spring onion, pickled bamboo shoots, coriander, and ginger. Some restaurants also add in pork blood pudding. 

Duck is mega-popular in Hanoi and you’ll see many carts around the city where roasted duck (vịt quay) is sold. A chi or anh simply takes the duck, chops it into pieces with a cleaver, and serves it with accompaniments like rice or noodles. 

Where to try Bún ngan? Bún miến Ngan Lan Vinh

Bún Đậu Mắm Tôm

Made of rice vermicelli, tofu, and shrimp paste, this is a much-loved dish around the northern parts of Vietnam, including Hanoi. Bún Đậu Mắm Tôm comprises fried tofu, fermented shrimp paste (the secret ingredient), vermicelli noodles and fresh herbs — all served individually.

Some bia hoi add sliced boiled pork and pork intestines to the mix. It’s recommended to squeeze a dash of lime, chili (optional), and sugar into the shrimp paste, then mix it all, before adding and layering the elements together for one big bite.

Where to try Bún Đậu Mắm Tôm? Bún Đậu Mẹt – Đông Thái

2. Bánh cuốn = Sheets of broad steamed rice noodles 

Bánh cuốn is the Vietnamese noun for wide flat noodles. Their purpose is to wrap other ingredients within and then eat fresh. One of the most popular dishes in Hanoi is actually called bánh cuốn.  

The bánh cuốn noodle is steamed, and then packed with minced pork, wood ear mushroom (very common in Hanoian cuisine), and shallots. Once wrapped into a little roll, it’s topped with crispy shallots and always served with a dipping sauce, bean sprouts, and sliced cucumber.   

Where to try Bánh cuốn? Bánh cuốn nóng Hồng Anh

3. Bánh phở = Thick, flat rice noodles 

Bánh phở is the broader noodle you see in phở (about the same width as tagliatelle). The rice noodle is also steamed and used in phở soups as well as dry and stir-fry plates. Phở is Vietnam’s most iconic food and one of the best foods in Hanoi. Phở in the north is different from the rest of the country so don’t think you’ve ticked it off if you’ve only had it in the south.

The types of phở to try in Hanoi include: 

Phở bò

Beef noodle soup. The classic Hanoian rendition is phở bò, made from beef bone broth, and served with pho noodles, spring onion, bean sprouts, and sliced white onion.  

Phở gà

Chicken noodle soup. This is similar to phở bò but the meat is replaced with chicken and the base of the soup is also chicken.

Phở xào

Stir-fried phở. The quintessential Hanoi version is made with beef. It’s basically like a “dry pho” and all the ingredients (including bok choy and chili) are fried in a wok.

Where to try phở? Phở Lý Quốc Sư 

Where to try phở xào? Bà Thanh Béo – Phở Xào Bắp Bò Hàng Buồm

4. Cơm rang = Fried rice & Xoi = Sticky rice

In the land of rice, noodles aren’t the only staple. There are loads of rice (cơm)-rich dishes. Must-try classics for first-timers include: 

Cơm rang

Cơm rang is Vietnamese fried rice. You get variations of it (beef, chicken, pork, etc.,), but in Hanoi, the most common is cơm rang dưa bò.  

I love this dish because of the fermented pickled cabbage with which it’s served, which goes so well with the beef. The fried rice is wokked with all the ingredients, including rice, egg, beef, pickled cabbage, and chili, and comes with a helping of fresh cucumber on the side. I always add a heap of garlic and freshly squeezed lime juice for a specifically tangy taste (also paired well with the cabbage).  

Where to try cơm rang? Cơm Rang Cô Tám 126

Xôi

Xôi refers to sticky rice, and to prepare the rice, it is steamed, not boiled as we do in western kitchens. There are loads of sticky rice dishes and snacks (especially used for banana leaf parcels and even desserts). The locals usually munch down on sticky rice during breakfast hour.  

Must-try xôi dishes include: 

• Xôi xéo (yellow sticky rice with crispy shallots, mung bean and chicken floss) 
• Xôi gấc (red sticky rice)
• Xôi ngô (corn sticky rice)
• Xôi vò (mung bean sticky rice)
• Xôi lá dứa (pandan sticky rice; this is a sweet version and is made with coconut)

Where to try Xôi? Xôi Mây

5. Thịt kho = Caramelized pork belly with boiled egg, rice, or noodles

I go nuts for thịt kho – I ate this dish three times a week when I was living in Hanoi. I personally think it’s some of the best food in Hanoi and makes you feel right at home.

The pork belly is caramelized in the braising cooking process, producing sticky and fatty pieces of meat. Braised in coconut water, brown sugar, soy sauce, and fish sauce, it’s a touch sweet, but also salty. The pork belly is added to the braising liquid, topped with hard-boiled eggs and typically comes with a side of rice or vermicelli. 

Where to try thịt kho to? Quán Phở 3 Chị Em (3 Sisters)

6. Bo sốt vang = Beef stew

Nothing beats a bowl of bo sốt vang in wintertime. It’s the Vietnamese take on a classic beef stew and shows off the country’s French influences — beef bourguignon, anyone? It contains red wine, tomatoes, as well as chunks of carrot, and keynotes are cinnamon, star anise, and bay. It’s served with rice or a baguette to dip your bread into the juicy goodness. 

Where to try bo sốt vang? Cô Phương Béo

7. Chân gà nướng = Grilled chicken feet 

Fun fact: there’s an entire street in Hanoi’s Old Quarter dedicated to chicken, and it’s dubbed “Chicken Street” (who would’ve guessed). All along that street, streetside restaurants serve plain and simple Vietnamese chicken dishes, including crispy chicken feet. Parts of the chicken are either grilled, barbecued, or roasted, and smeared with honey.

Literally, you’re served a bowl of the feet, or other parts of the chicken chopped up and extra crispy straight off the BBQ grill. The locals always order a side of honey bread with their chicken, and I highly recommend you do the same! It’s these extras which elevate chân gà nướng to the level of best food in Hanoi.

Where to try chân gà nướng? Ly Van Phuc Street, i.e., Chicken Street 

8. Bánh xèo = Vietnamese pancakes with prawns (shrimp) and pork 

Best enjoyed in the morning, bánh xèo can be described as in-between a crepe and an omelet. Made from rice flour, turmeric, and coconut water, the crispy pancake is filled with tiny shrimp and pork, as well as mung bean and bean sprouts, and folded over like an omelet. 

Where to try bánh xèo? Mr Bảy Miền Tây – Bánh Xèo

9. Nước chấm = The famous fish sauce condiment 

No list of best food in Hanoi (or anywhere in Vietnam for that matter) is complete without mentioning nước chấm. Bottled in Phu Quoc, it’s pretty much fish sauce with sugar, fresh lime juice, and water.  

No restaurant goes without a bottle of this quintessential Vietnamese dipping sauce on the table. It’s also frequently used in Vietnamese cooking and a staple in any kitchen. It’s also not uncommon to see nước chấm as an ingredient in the best food in Hanoi.

Where to buy nước chấm? Số 16, ngõ 15, phố Phương Mai, Quận Đống Đa, Hà Nội (an official supplier of the nước mắm Phú Quốc brand)

10. Bánh trôi (also known as chè trôi nước) = Sweet rice ball dumpling soup

Dessert in Vietnam isn’t what you think. For something sweet, you’ll usually receive fruit after meals. That being said, there are some iconic sweet foods to try in Hanoi, including bánh trôi — you’ll spot them sold by carts everywhere. 

These glutinous rice dumplings are coated in sugar and boiled, then finished off with a sprinkling of desiccated coconut or roasted sesame seeds. They’re served in a sweet syrupy ginger liquid, sort of like a sweet dumpling soup. Think of them like Japanese mochi. 

Where to try bánh trôi? Bánh Trôi Tầu 77 Hàng Điếu

11. Cà phê trứng = Egg coffee

The ever-famous cà phê trứng is an original Hanoi concoction — although it’s now found across the country. Your typical kick-up-the-butt strong Vietnamese coffee is served hot (or cold), and topped with whipped egg whites (the kind you use when making meringue) – and it is delicious!

Word of warning: it can be sickly sweet for some as they still add condensed milk to the coffee for the milk component and don’t use fresh milk in Hanoi. 

Where to try cà phê trứng? Café Giảng

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