Hanoi not only has many beautiful landscapes but it also famous for its rich cuisine, unique attractions attract many visitors to enjoy. Today, I will introduce to you 5 delicious dishes that you have to try when visiting Hanoi for trips or holidays.
Firstly, I will talk about one of the special dishes. That is “Banh Goi” or Fried Dumpling. It has the shape of miniature pillows. This is the reason why people often called its by their name. “Banh goi” contains finely-chopped glass noodles, minced pork, steamed quail eggs, wood ear mushrooms and seasoning within a rice-flour pastry. After that, it is deep-fried for a crispy texture and served with a sweet-sour dipping sauce made with garlic, chili, sugar, lime juice, and fish sauce. You can also pair your fried dumpling with fresh lettuce and coriander leaves if you find it too greasy to enjoy it on its own.
Secondly, that is “Pho Xao”, in English we can translate by Stir-fried noodles. We can see that “Pho” may be best known as rice noodles served in soup, but you can also enjoy it in the form of fried noodles, which is stir-fried with onions, beef slices, and assorted greens. The flat noodles are usually crisp on the outside with a smooth glutinous texture, and most diners sometimes add fried eggs and chili sauce to this simple yet satisfying dish. Thin is a family-run restaurant within Hai Ba Trung District, where you can savor stir-fried noodles for only VND 50,000
Then, move on another famous dish, “Nem Cua Be” or Crab rolls. The international tourists love it in Hanoi local food tours because it is very delicious. A popular Vietnamese street food, crabmeat rolls are sold in street markets and local restaurants within Hanoi – a good choice is Bun Cha Nem Cua Be Dac Kim in Hanoi Old Quarter. This crispy snack is shaped like a square and cut into bite-sized pieces, containing generous fillings of minced crab, pork, mushrooms, and various spices. Eat like the locals do by pairing nem chua with fresh herbs and lettuce, as well as dipping it in special sauce.
Another dish is BBQ pigeon. If you’re a big fan of barbecue, BBQ pigeon is a must-try when you’re in Hanoi.This is one of delicious food when you are in street food tour in Hanoi. A less fatty version of a Chinese-style roast duck, this dish comprises a whole pigeon seasoned with various spices and barbecued until crispy. Another variation of this dish is roasted pigeon salad, which is BBQ pigeon served atop a bed of lettuce, cooked onions, carrots, and papaya slices.
In the end of the essay, I will introduce you a savoury food. That is “Bun Rieu” or rice noodles in a tomato broth. This is Hanoi traditional food. “Bun Rieu” comprises thin rice noodles with freshwater paddy crab and shrimp paste that’s served in a tomato broth. The dish is also garnished with bean sprouts, prawn paste, herb leaves, lime, tofu, water spinach, and tomato chunks. Like most Vietnamese noodle soups, local restaurants offer a basket of greens and herbs on each table, such as leaf lettuce, perilla leaves, cilantro, shredded morning glory stem, and also deep-fried crullers for dunking directly into the soup.
There are many foods that you can enjoy when you visit in Hanoi. Instead of 5 dishes, I also suggest for you other dishes that you should eat. That are shrimp paste noodles, steamed glutinous rice, “Bun Cha”, “Pho”. Let’s come to Hanoi and enjoy your time with food and landscapes in there.
Other programs for reference: vietnam food tours, food walking tour, Hanoi cooking class.