Hanoi Street Food - Part 2 More Hanoi Street Food that I've tried during other visits to Hanoi, Vietnam, continuing from Part 1.
Chả Cá Lã Vọng / La Vong Grilled Turmeric Fish And Dill
This list includes dishes not listed in Hanoi Street Food - Part 1. While cuisine is mostly Vietnamese, there are also influences from French and Chinese cuisines. ..... The Bánh Cuốn / Pork And Mushrooms Rice Noodle Rolls is a Northen Vietnamese speciality, consisting of thin sticky rice noodle rolls (made with fermented rice batter and arrowroot flour) stuffed with tender minced pork and springy diced wood ear mushrooms, garnished with crispy fried shallots. The Bánh Cuốn / Pork And Mushrooms Rice Noodle Rolls carry lovely grainy earthy sweet savoury flavour, and skilled hawkers strive to stuff the rolls with as much filling as possible without it breaking. Some stalls may choose to add other ingredients into the stuffing, such as stewed jicama, bean sprouts, lettuce, yellow onions, spring onions, or shrimp. Usually served with a side of fresh crisp cilantro or coriander for added vegetal herbal bitter sweet flavour, and the traditional Nước Chấm / Vietnamese Dipping Sauce (made from fish sauce, lime juice, white sugar, white vinegar, and water) which has lovely tangy zesty sour salty savoury sweet flavour. A common add-on is Chả Lụa / Pork Bologna Sausage, which is bouncy with meaty savoury salty sweet flavour.
Bánh Cuốn / Pork And Mushrooms Rice Noodle Rolls
Bánh Cuốn / Pork And Mushrooms Rice Noodle Rolls
Bánh Cuốn / Pork And Mushrooms Rice Noodle Rolls
Bánh Cuốn / Pork And Mushrooms Rice Noodle Rolls
Bánh Cuốn / Pork And Mushrooms Rice Noodle Rolls
Inspired by the French, the Bánh Mì Pate Chả Nóng / Pork Pate And Ham Sandwich is among the more common sandwich options in Hanoi, Vietnam. The stubby Vietnamese style baguette bread is more crisp flaky on the exterior and soft moist on the interior, compared to a regular long French style baguette bread. The filling in this rendition comprises juicy cucumber, crisp yellow onions, tender pork ham, and soft pork pate, dressed with a house sauce. The Bánh Mì Pate Chả Nóng / Pork Pate And Ham Sandwich holds bright meaty vegetal sweet savoury salty flavour.
Bánh Mì Pate Chả Nóng / Pork Pate And Ham Sandwich
Bánh Mì Pate Chả Nóng / Pork Pate And Ham Sandwich
Bánh Mì Pate Chả Nóng / Pork Pate And Ham Sandwich
Bánh Mì Pate Chả Nóng / Pork Pate And Ham Sandwich
There are 4 varieties of local Vietnamese beers, most of which retail for an average price of VND ₫10,000 per can. They share similar charateristics; bright golden colour, low alcohol content, light grainy straw wheat taste, gentle carbonation, and is usually best drunk chilled. In (a non-scientific) anecdotal order of popularity with locals; the top is Beer Saigon Special, followed by Beer Hanoi, then Beer Halida, and rounded off with Beer 333 Premium Export. Enjoy responsibly!
Beer 333 Premium Export
Beer Hanoi
Beer Saigon Special
Beer Halida
Bún Chả / Grilled Pork Noodles is a simple but appetizing dish which has a long history in Hanoi, and its resulting popularity has seen it spread to other parts of Vietnam. A favourite lunch dish of locals, it consists of a few components. There's soft thin rice vermicelli noodles with mild grainy sweet notes, and crisp fresh salad (usually comprising lettuce, cilantro, mint leaves, and basil leaves) with vegetal earthy herbal sweet bitter flavour served on the side. There's a bowl of traditional Nước Chấm / Vietnamese Dipping Sauce (made from fish sauce, lime juice, white sugar, white vinegar, and water), garnished with crunchy green papaya and carrot strips, which has lovely vegetal tangy zesty sour salty savoury sweet bitter flavour. You can opt to add diced garlic and chili for added herbal spice notes. The star is the grilled pork belly strips and grilled minced pork meat balls, tender and juicy with smoky meaty savoury salty sweet flavour. Locals will often encourage visitors to the city to eat Bún Chả / Grilled Pork Noodles at least once.
Bún Chả / Grilled Pork Noodles
Bún Chả / Grilled Pork Noodles
Bún Chả / Grilled Pork Noodles
Bún Chả / Grilled Pork Noodles
Bún Chả / Grilled Pork Noodles
Bún Chả / Grilled Pork Noodles
Bún Chả / Grilled Pork Noodles
Bún Chả / Grilled Pork Noodles
Bún Thang / Egg And Chicken Noodles is a simple and homely dish, perfect on cool days or when feeling under the weather. There is uncertainty to how the name was derived, as part of its name means 'prescription', but it also sounds like 'soup' - in the vien of herbal chicken soup for the soul, or something like that. The basic dish usually has only 3 primary ingredients; silky soft thin rice vermicelli noodles, tender chewy shredded chicken meat (from a 6 month old chicken or less), and spongy soft shredded strips of egg omelette. The soup / broth is usually made from water, salt, fish sauce, scallions, coriander, cilantro, basil leaves, and chicken bones for stock. The result is a warm, comforting bowl, hearty with sweet savoury eggy vegetal herbal flavour, nourishing and wholesome. Other ingredients may be added as garnish to Bún Thang / Egg And Chicken Noodles depending on the stall; including shrimp, shiitake mushrooms, pork sausage, cà cuống / water beetle pheromone essence, or bean sprouts.
Bún Thang / Egg And Chicken Noodles
Bún Thang / Egg And Chicken Noodles
Bún Thang / Egg And Chicken Noodles
Cà Phê Trứng / Egg Coffee is a Vietnamese dessert beverage, a staple in Hanoi since 1950, though it has since spread to other parts of Vietnam. Cà Phê Trứng / Egg Coffee was said to have been invented when milk was scarce during the war, with egg yolks being the substitute. This drink is made by whisking chicken egg yolks with sugar, coffee powder, condensed milk, butter, and cheese, then extracting the coffee into half of the cup, followed by a similar amount of egg cream. Cà Phê Trứng / Egg Coffee is typically served hot, in a warm water bath to maintain its temperature; although it can also be served chilled, with ice on the side. It's drunk by slowing stirring the egg cream into the hot black coffee beneath, with the unique experience being the contrasting notes of bitter earthy to eggy sweet flavours.
Cà Phê Trứng / Egg Coffee
Cà Phê Trứng / Egg Coffee
Cà Phê Trứng / Egg Coffee
A dish which originated in Hanoi, but is now popular across Vietnam, Chả Cá Lã Vọng / La Vong Grilled Turmeric Fish And Dill is a satisfiying dish. The star is the fresh catfish or snakehead fish, marinated with fish sauce, powdered turmeric, garlic, ginger, and shallots, then pan-fried with dill, and served while still sizzling. The fish is tender and moist with bright spice savoury salty sweet flavour, while the crunchy dill soaks up the fish oil resulting in a bold vegetal savoury sweet herbal spice flavour. The Chả Cá Lã Vọng / La Vong Grilled Turmeric Fish And Dill is usually accompanied with soft thin rice vermicelli noodles with mild grainy sweet notes, crisp fresh salad (usually comprising lettuce, cilantro, mint leaves, and basil leaves) with vegetal earthy herbal sweet bitter flavour, and crunchy roasted peanuts with nutty flavour. Some diced garlic and sliced chili is served on the side, to add as you wish for enhanced herbal spice flavour. Incredibly tasty!
Chả Cá Lã Vọng / La Vong Grilled Turmeric Fish And Dill
Chả Cá Lã Vọng / La Vong Grilled Turmeric Fish And Dill
Chả Cá Lã Vọng / La Vong Grilled Turmeric Fish And Dill
Chả Cá Lã Vọng / La Vong Grilled Turmeric Fish And Dill
A popular appetizer that goes by several names, the Chả Giò / Nêm Rán / Fried Spring Rolls consists of a deep-fried rice paper roll filled with various stuffings. A vegetarian Chả Giò / Nêm Rán / Fried Spring Rolls will comprise diced carrots, kohlrabi, jicama, wood ear mushrooms, or rice vermicelli noodles, and carries pleasant vegetal sweet salty flavour with crunchy tender juicy texture. A non-vegetarian Chả Giò / Nêm Rán / Fried Spring Rolls also contains the same mix of vegetables, but with the addition of minced pork or deshelled fresh shrimp, and carries pleasant vegetal meaty sweet savoury salty flavour with crunchy tender juicy texture. Often paired with the traditional Nước Chấm / Vietnamese Dipping Sauce (made from fish sauce, lime juice, white sugar, white vinegar, and water) which has lovely tangy zesty sour salty savoury sweet flavour.
Chả Giò / Nêm Rán / Fried Spring Rolls
Chả Giò / Nêm Rán / Fried Spring Rolls
Chè / Dessert Soup refers to a range of dessert beverages, sweet stews, or dessert soups, commonly sold along the streets of Hanoi, Vietnam. There's a wide variety of Chè / Dessert Soup made with various ingredients, with the more common ingredients being mung beans, black-eyed peas, black turtle beans, adzuki red beans, green beans, kidney beans, tapioca, sweet potato, yam / taro, grass jelly, fruit, and coconut cream. Each type of Chè / Dessert Soup differs by name, which reflects the different ingredients within. Amongst the many varieties of Chè / Dessert Soup, is Chè Đậu Đen / Black Turtle Beans, Sago, And Jelly Dessert Soup, regarded as being one of the most popular Northern Vietnamese specialities. Commonly retailed by most dessert hawkers, Chè Đậu Đen / Black Turtle Beans, Sago, And Jelly Dessert Soup comprises a chilled dessert soup of stewed soft black turtle beans, chewy sago balls, and bouncy grass jelly chunks, served over crushed ice. The Chè Đậu Đen / Black Turtle Beans, Sago, And Jelly Dessert Soup will have a bright earthy sweet herbal flavour, and is nicely refreshing.
Chè Đậu Đen / Black Turtle Beans, Sago, And Jelly Dessert Soup
Chè Đậu Đen / Black Turtle Beans, Sago, And Jelly Dessert Soup
Chè Đậu Đen / Black Turtle Beans, Sago, And Jelly Dessert Soup
The Chè Khoai Dẻo / Sweet Potato, Yam Taro, Tapioca, And Jelly Dessert Soup is also known as 'Taro Ball Dessert Soup', thanks to the multi-coloured sticky chewy balls made from sweet potato flour, yam / taro flour, tapioca flour, or mung bean flour respectively. Rounded off with creamy coconut milk and bouncy grass jelly chunks, then served chilled over crushed ice. The Chè Khoai Dẻo / Sweet Potato, Yam Taro, Tapioca, And Jelly Dessert Soup will have a bright earthy sweet herbal milky flavour, and is nicely satisfying.
The Chè Sen Long Nhãn / Lotus Seeds And Longan Dessert Soup is a simple Chè / Dessert Soup, with firm crunchy stewed lotus seeds and juicy soft longan in a thick viscous syrup, served chilled with a bit of creamy coconut milk and crushed ice. The Chè Sen Long Nhãn / Lotus Seeds And Longan Dessert Soup will have a bright earthy fruity sweet nutty milky flavour, and is nicely comforting.
Chè Sen Long Nhãn / Lotus Seeds And Longan Dessert Soup
Chè Sen Long Nhãn / Lotus Seeds And Longan Dessert Soup
Inspired by the French dessert and going by several names, the Kem Caramen / Crème Caramel / Flan is a wobbly soft vanilla custard dessert pudding glazed with a thick sticky caramel sauce. With a delightful floral sweet milky flavour, the Kem Caramen / Crème Caramel / Flan is typically served chilled, and is a popular dessert often eaten throughout the day. Some stalls offer it as an add-on to other desserts.
Kem Caramen / Crème Caramel / Flan
Kem Caramen / Crème Caramel / Flan
Kem Caramen / Crème Caramel / Flan
The Mực Trứng Chiên / Fried Squid With Roe is a common seafood side dish, made by deep frying fresh medium-sized squid (which has egg roe within). The squid is typically marinated with a spice batter of garlic, ginger, sugar, all-purpose flour, salt, black pepper, and white pepper. With a slightly crisp chewy soft texture and savoury salty spice flavour, the Mực Trứng Chiên / Fried Squid With Roe is typically eaten along with other seafood dishes as part of a communal meal. A spicy chili dipping sauce, and a salt and lime juice dipping sauce, is served together with this.
Mực Trứng Chiên / Fried Squid With Roe
Mực Trứng Chiên / Fried Squid With Roe
Mực Trứng Chiên / Fried Squid With Roe
The Nem Cua Bể / Crab Spring Rolls are a coastal speciality, made with fresh deshelled mud crab, minced pork, chicken eggs, carrots, bean sprouts, thin rice vermicelli noodles, fish sauce, wood ear mushrooms, and kohlrabi, all wrapped in rice paper and deep-fried till golden. The shape can be either cylindrical or cube, and it's usually served with a spicy chili dipping sauce. The Nem Cua Bể / Crab Spring Rolls cracks with a delicate crunch to reveal the steaming hot filling within, and has a crisp crunchy soft chew to texture with robust smoky meaty sweet savoury salty briny flavour. Sometimes served with soft thin rice vermicelli noodles with mild grainy sweet notes, and crisp fresh salad (usually comprising lettuce, cilantro, mint leaves, and basil leaves) with vegetal earthy herbal sweet bitter flavour served on the side. There's a bowl of traditional Nước Chấm / Vietnamese Dipping Sauce (made from fish sauce, lime juice, white sugar, white vinegar, and water), garnished with crunchy green papaya and carrot strips, which has lovely vegetal tangy zesty sour salty savoury sweet bitter flavour.
Nem Cua Bể / Crab Spring Rolls
Nem Cua Bể / Crab Spring Rolls
Nem Cua Bể / Crab Spring Rolls
Nem Cua Bể / Crab Spring Rolls
Aquatic snails are retailed as a type of seafood in Hanoi, Vietnam, and are a popular appetizer to pair with drinks. The Ốc Hấp Xào Cay Quả Me / Stir-Fried Snails In Chili And Tamarind Sauce typically features fresh boiled channeled apple snails (a fresh water variety also known as pomacea canaliculata or golden apple snails), stir-fried in an addictive gravy of tamarind juice, lemongrass, ginger, garlic, coriander, and chili. Served with a metal pick to allow diners to pry the snails from the shells, the Ốc Hấp Xào Cay Quả Me / Stir-Fried Snails In Chili And Tamarind Sauce has a tender springy texture with enticing sweet sour savoury spicy flavours.
Ốc Hấp Xào Cay Quả Me / Stir-Fried Snails In Chili And Tamarind Sauce
Ốc Hấp Xào Cay Quả Me / Stir-Fried Snails In Chili And Tamarind Sauce
Ốc Hấp Xào Cay Quả Me / Stir-Fried Snails In Chili And Tamarind Sauce
The iconic Phở / Pho Noodles is to Vietnamese cuisine what Pasta is to Italian cuisine or Curry is to Indian cuisine - humble everyday fare that is near endlessly customisable, versatile, and affordable. A bowl of Phở / Pho Noodles is a bowl of warm soup, garnished with bánh phở / wide flat rice noodles, cuts of meat, a mix of vegetables, and several other condiments as you wish. The default, and most common, tends to be Phở Bò / Pho Beef Noodles, where you can mix and match any of the available cuts and types of beef. A bowl of Phở Bò / Pho Beef Noodles usually has a clear beef broth with meaty sweet savoury flavour, soft bánh phở / wide flat rice noodles with grainy sweet flavour, chewy thin cuts of beef (steak, fatty flank, lean flank, or brisket) with meaty savoury salty flavour, a variety of fresh crisp vegetables (such as spring onions, mint leaves, coriander, or scallions) with vegetal earthy herbal sweet flavour, and several condiments that you add as you wish (pickled garlic, lime juice, fish sauce, red chili, chili oil, or Sriracha sauce). In Hanoi, Vietnam, ingredients such as basil leaves and bean sprouts are not included. The Phở Bò / Pho Beef Noodles Northen style rendition tends to be subtle with a clear broth and deep savoury sweet flavour, in contrast to the Southern style rendition which has a cloudy broth and light sweet savoury flavour (and also uses bean sprouts and basil leaves). The Phở Bò Tái Chín / Pho Beef Noodles Mixed Medium-Rare And Well-Done Steak features a mix of thin sliced round steak cut, some well-done, others medium-rare which you cook in the hot broth, and has a satisfying meaty chew to texture. The Phở Bò Tái Nạm / Pho Beef Noodles Mixed Medium-Rare And Well-Done Flank features a mix of thin sliced flank steak cut, some well-done, others medium-rare which you cook in the hot broth, and has a succulent fatty meaty tender texture.
Often served in Hanoi stalls in Vietnam which specialise in seafood dishes, the Sò Diệp Nướng Hành Củ Lạc / Grilled Scallops With Scallions And Peanuts is popular amongst locals. These fresh scallops are grilled with salted butter, chives, scallions, fish sauce, crushed garlic, and roasted peanuts. The result is Sò Diệp Nướng Hành Củ Lạc / Grilled Scallops With Scallions And Peanuts carries a smoky savoury salty sweet nutty flavour with tender soft crisp textures, light yet utterly delicious.
Sò Diệp Nướng Hành Củ Lạc / Grilled Scallops With Scallions And Peanuts
Sò Diệp Nướng Hành Củ Lạc / Grilled Scallops With Scallions And Peanuts
Sò Diệp Nướng Hành Củ Lạc / Grilled Scallops With Scallions And Peanuts
Xôi / Sticky Rice is a typical Vietnamese fast food, popular in many areas. You can't visit Vietnam without seeing Xôi / Sticky Rice! The most basic savoury version, which gives its name, is made by cooking sticky rice / glutinous rice in pork fat, which results in a dry and sticky texture. When other ingredients are added, it goes by different names. In Hanoi, the most common version is Xôi Xéo / Turmeric Sticky Rice With Shallots And Mung Beans, where sticky rice / glutinous rice is cooked with powdered turmeric and pork fat, then topped with fried shallots and mashed mung beans. The Xôi Xéo / Turmeric Sticky Rice With Shallots And Mung Beans has sticky smooth soft textures, with bright grainy earthy sweet savoury spice flavour, and is eaten throughout the day. It's possible to combine all the savoury ingredients offered for Xôi / Sticky Rice into a 1-dish, heavy, fulfilling meal. Such a dish has a mouthful of a name; Xôi Xéo / Turmeric Sticky Rice With Shallots And Mung Beans, Lạp Sườn (Chinese dried pork sausage), Giò Bò (beef sausage), Giò Lụa (pork sausage), Xỉa Thịt Lợn (pork floss), Thịt Lợn Băm Nhỏ (minced pork), Gà Xé (shredded chicken), Trứng Gà (chicken egg), Chả Mỡ (pork pate), otherwise known as Xôi Xéo Thập Cẩm / Sticky Rice Mixed With Everything. A meal of Xôi Xéo Thập Cẩm / Sticky Rice Mixed With Everything is also accompanied by fresh diced cucumber with bright vegetal sweet flavour for contrast. The bowl of Xôi Xéo Thập Cẩm / Sticky Rice Mixed With Everything itself will have a variety of textures; sticky smooth soft chewy stringy crispy tender juicy; and a variety of flavours; grainy earthy sweet savoury spice salty eggy mineral in taste.
Xôi Xéo Thập Cẩm / Sticky Rice Mixed With Everything
Xôi Xéo Thập Cẩm / Sticky Rice Mixed With Everything
Xôi Xéo Thập Cẩm / Sticky Rice Mixed With Everything
