My Favorite Foods in Hanoi

If I had to pick my favorite thing that I ate in Vietnam…. I don’t think I could do it. I know, I know, but it was all so good! Of course, I liked some dishes more than others. So here are my favorite things in North Vietnam which kind of (not really) narrows it down. I’ll do a list for Southern Vietnam as well…

The dish I reminisce about most often is… bánh cuốn. Oh my god these were great. These steamed rice rolls begin with a thin pancake made of rice batter. Once cooked, it’s topped with a mixture of ground pork mixed with wood ear mushrooms, which are very popular in Vietnam. That’s all rolled up together and sprinkled with crispy fried shallots and cilantro. YUM. That may sound simple, but I have thought about these again and again. The way the thin, chewy rice roll gives way to savory, fatty pork crumbles and earthy mushrooms. The crunch of the fried shallots and the freshness of the cilantro. I could eat an entire platter of these by myself, no joke. Just check out that goodness…

In almost every photo of myself in Vietnam my sweat is somewhere on the scale of “quite light” to “I’m mellltiiing.” This beer helped. It’s light, bubbly, and oh so refreshing.

While walking the streets of Hanoi, we strolled past many beer stalls where little old men were hanging out, drinking beer, and generally escaping the heat. Sort of like how senior citizens in the U.S. gather at diners or Dunkin' Donuts (which recently changed its name to Dunkin', so weird).

This beer itself is quite effervescent, and its flavor is similarly light and subtle. Just one beer won’t get you buzzed. Its lightness is more akin to my favorite beachy drink, the shandy. Check out those bubbles!

Would a trip to Vietnam be complete without a big steaming bowl of phở? No, me thinks not.

I heard the best pho is in Northern Vietnam, in Hanoi. Naturally, I had to have a bowl (or several).

Phở is typically made with beef, but I opted for chicken because I had a feeling it would be like the best chicken noodle soup I’d ever had, times ten. I was wrong - it was even better than that.

The noodles were soft and toothsome. Perfectly slurpable. The chicken was moist and flavorful. The onions were cut so thinly they were virtually translucent. Thanks to their thinness, they wilt a bit in the hot broth, which makes them easily stick to the noodles, so you get a soft piece of onion in every bite. Love. And of course, the herbs. Tiny rings of spring onion and leafy sprigs of cilantro offer freshness that keeps this comforting bowl of warmth on its toes. Add a squeeze of lime, and a sliver of red chili and done. All of these elements are delicious but the broth is truly where its at. It’s deep yet light, complex but straightforward. The perfect broth. I could drink a bucket and be completely satisfied. It’s that good.

Phở is perhaps the most famous Vietnamese dish of all. But did you know it’s typically eaten for breakfast? Not lunch or dinner, as I’d assumed. I think this means I can eat it for any meal, amiright?

Also, check out those noods. I just want to dig my hands into that basket and squish them around. Don’t they look good?! These get a gold medal, a double A+. Absolute noodle heaven.

I included a couple of photos of the front of the shop, in case you’re interested.

Oh and not to ruin your appetite but I found these things grossly fascinating. What are they? Does anyone know? Sheep…. balls? Eyeballs? Honestly I have no clue. In case you wanted a reminder that not everything in Vietnam was delicious, scroll down 😬

Dumplings? Or something… I didn’t try these but I kind of wish I had.

At the market, I tried another, totally different kind of noodle. Compared to the bánh phở made of rice, these noodles were clear, round, and delicate.

Cellophane noodles, also known as glass noodles, are a type of transparent noodle typically made from water mixed with one of the following: potato starch, sweet potato starch, tapioca, or mung bean starch. In many ways, these reminded me of the Korean sweet potato noodles I’ve had from the H-Mart at home.

But this time, the noodles were livened up with fresh mung beans, crispy fried shallots, cilantro and - get this - eel.

I’ve never been much of an eel person and I blame this on bad mall sushi. One you’ve had greasy less-than-fresh eel from a conveyer belt at a sushi shop situated next to your local TexMex place, you, too, will be forced to rethink eel altogether. Also, I think my distaste has something to do with the eels from the Little Mermaid. Not even joking. When I was five I went to Disneyland and, according to my parents, I hid under the seats when Ursula and her eels came onto the stage. But can you blame me? Those eels are creeeeppyy. As are real-life ones.

Ursula’s slimy henchmen. Does this look like something you’d like to eat? Probably not.

Random question: Did any of the Disney movies scare you? Those Huns in Mulan were pretty terrifying too. But, I digress.

Back to food! In this dish, eel is served as crunchy, salty crisps that reminded me more of bacon than mall sushi. Despite my previous aversion, these were some excellent fried eel noods. With a little squeeze of juicy citrus and a few slivers of hot red chili, these were an excellent market find.