When you’re in Hanoi, these are ten dishes you should never miss to make your trip complete:
- Banh Cuon. Banh Cuon or rice noodle roll is basically steamed fermented rice batter spread out into a thin, wide sheet and stuffed with seasoned ground pork, minced wood ear and minced shallots. It is best served with nuoc mam which is a combination of fish sauce, sugar and lime. It is a specialty of both Hanoi and Vietnam.
- Bun Cha. Bun Cha is grilled pork noodle soup. It is served with a plate of white rice noodle or bun, grilled fatty pork or cha, fish sauce and herbs.
- West Lake Shrimp Cake. West Lake Shrimp Cake is shrimp patties dipped in batter and served with sweet and sour fish sauce, green papaya and carrot slices. It is named so because it was made in a diner near West Lake in the 1970s.
- Cha Ca La Vong. Cha Ca La Vong is grilled fish served with bun, peanut, green onions, dill and shrimp paste.
- Probably one, if not the most, famous Vietnamese dishes. It is a combination of rice noodles made in a soup broth and accompanied with either bo (beef) or ga (chicken). The noodles are flash boiled until they are soft, topped with meat, and then sprinkled with chopped green onions. The dish is then complemented with herbs, usually fresh sawtooth, mint and Vietnamese coriander, and also with homemade chilli sauce.
- Bun Rieu. Hailed as one of the best street foods in Asia according to CNN, this rice noodle with crab dish is definitely a must-try when in Hanoi. It is made of round rice vermicelli that’s made into a tomato soup and topped with pounded crab meat, deep-fried tofu and congealed blood. The crab is freshwater. A side dish of purple shrimp paste which is pungent but tasty, chilli and fresh herbs complete the meal.
- Banh Mi Sandwich. Banh Mi sandwiches are actually French baguettes filled with different kinds of meat and vegetables which have made their way into Vietnamese menu. They are so filling that they can be eaten not only as snacks but as a meal.
- Ca Phe Trung. Ca Phe Trung or Vietnamese egg coffee is a blend of egg yolks, condensed milk, sugar, butter and laughing cow cheese whisked together until it becomes fluffy and then mixed with hot coffee. It has a rich, tiramisu-like taste that is so good that it was named one of the World’s Top Ten Drinks by no less than Buzzfeed, a big American online social news and entertainment company.
- Rolled Noodles. Called Pho Cuon or Vietnamese Rolling Pho, this dish is made of rice paper shell that has the same thickness as pho noodle and cooked slightly. It is then filled with herbs and green (usually cilantro, mustard leaf and lettuce) and thinly-sliced beef cooked with garlic and pepper. The meal is best served cold with a bowl of fish sauce, garlic, carrots, radish, vinegar, boiled water, chilli and sugar (for dipping).
- Xoi Xeo. Xoi Xeo or Vietnamese sticky rice and mung bean is another popular dish that can be found in almost all diners, markets, and even streets in Hanoi. It has a bright yellow colour which makes it all the more attractive, aside from its delicious taste and cheap price. In the streets, it is kept warm by being placed in a bamboo basket and either carried on the shoulders or tied behind the bicycle of sellers. Because it is very affordable, it is a favourite food among workers, students and other people under budget, but its taste and quality are actually world-class, making it one of the must-try foods in Hanoi.
Image by http://www.dallasobserver.com/restaurants/searching-for-the-secrets-of-pho-in-hanoi-plus-pictures-of-the-food-and-people-of-vietnam-7035705