10 Best Local Dishes From Hanoi

A distinctive Hanoi delicacy, cha ca is white fish seasoned with garlic, ginger, turmeric, and dill served on sizzling pan. Diners also get a bowl of rice noodles, peanuts, chopped green onions, parsley, nuoc cham sauce, and red chili slices, all of which are meant to be mixed together with the turmeric fish. 

Cha ca is so popular among locals that there’s a street in Hanoi Old Quarter named after it, though a popular (and affordable) places to enjoy this seafood delicacy is at Cha Ca Thang Long in Duong Thanh Street.

Mien xao luon is a tasty option for seafood lovers, comprising stir-fried glass noodles in an eel-based broth with generous toppings of crunchy eels, bean sprouts, egg, cucumber slices, fried shallots, and purple perilla. As with many dishes in Hanoi, a side of fresh herbs, shaved banana blossoms, and bean sprouts are served on the side. 

Dong Thinh Nha Hang Mien Luon at Hoan Kiem District is a local hangout spot for authentic mien xao luon in Hanoi.

Bun thang or rice vermicelli with chicken, egg and pork can be enjoyed at any time of the day. The clear yet flavorful broth is made with 20 ingredients, including dried shrimp, squid, shrimp paste, green onion, cilantro, ginger, mushroom, beet, fish sauce, sugar candy, and vinegar.

It is also a particularly attractive Hanoi dish as the noodles, chicken, eggs, pork slices, and a dollop of shrimp paste are carefully arranged to resemble a flower. Available mostly within Hanoi Old Quarter, we highly recommend Quan Bun Thang Ba Duc.

Great as a light breakfast or midday snack, banh cuon is a combination of ground meat (chicken, shrimp, or pork), minced wood ear mushroom, onions, cha lua (Vietnamese ham), steamed beansprouts, and cucumbers wrapped in steamed rice flour sheet.

Its overall taste is very mild despite the savory ingredients, so you can dip the banh cuon into nuoc cham sauce for added flavor. You can easily spot roadside vendors selling banh cuon all over Hanoi, but Banh Cuon Gia Truyen Thanh Van in Old Quarter is a good alternate as the restaurant provides menus with English translations.

Shaped like miniature pillows (hence the name), banh goi contains finely-chopped glass noodles, wood ear mushrooms, minced pork, steamed quail eggs, and seasoning within a rice-flour pastry. It is then 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 banh goi with fresh lettuce and cilantro leaves if you find it too greasy to enjoy it on its own.

Xoi xeo or sweet sticky rice usually comes with staple toppings of green mung bean paste, soy sauce, and dried shallots, but you can opt for a variety of add-ins such as pate, boiled chicken, cha lua (Vietnamese ham), marinated pork belly, or preserved eggs for a more substantial meal. 

Some restaurants also serve xoi xeo as dessert, with toppings like dried coconut shavings, roasted sesame seeds, and crystallised sugar. 

Pho may be best known as rice noodles served in soup, but you can also enjoy it in the form of pho xao, which is stir-fried with onions, beef slices, and assorted greens. The flat pho noodles are usually crisp on the outside with a smooth glutinous texture, and most restaurants sometimes add fried eggs and chili sauce to this simple yet satisfying dish. 

Pho Thin 13 Lo Duc Str. is a family-run restaurant within Hai Ba Trung District, where you can savor pho xao at very affordable prices.

Nem chua be (crabmeat rolls) is a popular Vietnamese street food sold in street markets and local restaurants within Hanoi. 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. 

Enjoy nem chua be like the locals do by pairing it with fresh herbs and lettuce, as well as dipping it in nuoc cham sauce.

If you’re an adventurous food lover, then chim quay is a must-try when you’re 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 the nom chim quay, which is a BBQ pigeon served atop a bed of lettuce, cooked onions, carrots, and papaya slices.

Bun rieu comprises thin rice noodles with freshwater paddy crab and shrimp paste that’s served in a tomato broth. A breakfast staple amongst locals, the dish is also garnished with bean sprouts, prawn paste, herb leaves, tamarind or lime, tofu, water spinach, and tomato chunks. 

Like most Vietnamese noodle soups, local restaurants offer a basket of greens and herbs to add to your dish. Popular options include leaf lettuce, perilla leaves, cilantro, shredded morning glory stem, and deep-fried crullers.