Hanoi is always an attractive destination for all Vietnamese people and foreigners around the world. So when it comes to food, if you visit Hanoi, what dishes should you try? Let’s find out.
Pho
Pho is known as one of the most common staple dishes in Hanoi that anyone who visit the city should try this dish without a doubt. In fact, it is hardly possible to find that authentic taste in any other place outside.
Generally, there are two kinds of Phos; Pho Ga and Pho Bo (chicken white noodles and beef white noodles). However, Hanoians preferably like Pho Bo over Pho Ga, therefore many shops just sell Pho Bo.
A typical bowl of Pho Bo has the ingredients of reasonable slices of beef, onion leaves, garlic, white noodles and soup. For Pho Ga, instead of beef, the cook will prepare the dish with chicken meat.
The taste of Pho is always unforgettable. If you eat it once, you would probably find it hard to forget the taste ever. Therefore, be sure not to miss this local favorite when you visit Hanoi.
Bun Cha
Bun Cha is a local dish that includes noodles, grilled pork rolls, assortment of vegetables, and a bowl of sweet and sour fish sauce. This dish originated from northern Vietnam and can be considered as one of the main specialties of Hanoian cuisine . Bun Cha has some similarities over Bun Thit Nuong (rice noodles with grilled meat), a staple dish more commonly eaten in the southern Vietnam. The sauce is distinctive with a rather different taste, particularly the grilled pork also has a slightly different taste and shape due to the different preparation method.
Banh Cuon
Banh Cuon is also called Banh Uot. Its English name is steamed rice roll. Banh Cuon is basically made from a thin, wide sheet of steamed fermented rice batter, filled with a mixture of cooked seasoned ground pork, black fungus, minced shallots, with the taste enhanced with fish sauce.
Banh Cuon is particularly eaten with eggs and Cha Lua (Vietnamese pork sausage), typically eaten by Hanoians for breakfast.
Bun Dau Mam Tom
Bun dau mam tom is a popular dish in Hanoi that you can easily find around the city. It is basically a local dish that includes bun (white noodles), fried tofu, boiled pork belly, fresh herbs, basils, cucumbers, completed with a special type of sauce.
The sauce of this dish, shrimp paste, is in fact the game changer from other Vietnamese dishes – in other words, the smelliest. If you think you are not up to this strong distinctive smell and taste, you can always opt to change to fish sauce.
Just so that you know, eating Bun Dau Mam Tom along with Mam Tom (shrimp paste) is what complements the unique taste of this dish. In Hanoi, the locals usually enjoy this dish together, with a cup of green tea leaves mixed with kumquat.
