Our gastronomic journey through Hanoi

Our gastronomic journey in Hanoi continues! With the huge selection of street food at every corner of Hanoi, one never goes hungry!

The Old Quarter is a haven for street food. Walk along its streets and you’re bound to find something to soothe your hungry tummies! On our many walks around the Old Quarter, we found street stalls selling Vietnamese noodles, grilled cuttlefish, fried calamari and fresh-cut fries, snails, salads, banh mi pate, fried rice and local dishes, grilled chicken/pork on sticks and lots more! It is a never-ending discovery … our only complain being not enough time to savour them all.

On weekends where a section of the Old Quarter houses the weekly night market, even more food stalls are set up. A walk through the night market reveals two stalls selling freshly made bread and pastries which looks and smells delicious. Then there’s steamed sweetcorn, ice-cream, lollipops of every size and color, grilled chicken (much like satay), cuttlefish, desserts and of course, the Banh Mi Pate! In the day, virtually every corner of Hanoi has at least one food stall. We had delicious pho for breakfast at the cost of USD1. I’m sure it could have been cheaper and that we’re actually paying tourist prices, but USD1 is a small price to pay for such delicious comfort food.

At a street corner at Van Mieu we found a nifty little shop selling Bun Cha and Nem Cua Be (fried spring rolls). The smells emanating from the little charcoal grill is enough to make me swoon!

Who can resist the thick Vietnamese drip coffee? I like mine black with sugar. The coffee is robust and oh-so-good! It’s the perfect wake-me-up drink. As a matter of fact, we loved the coffee so much we packed some home along with the stainless steel drip.

For desserts there are little shops along the Old Quarter that sells cut fruits drizzled with condensed milk and of course, countless sweet soups. It’s enough to give one a sugar high! One thing about the Vietnamese is they all love their sugar.

If you're looking for something healthier, fresh fruits are a great option. We found some big custard apples for VND50,000 for 3 fruits. It's a little pricey, but still much cheaper than what we'll have to pay for in Malaysia. The fruits were so sweet! Their apples are crisper than the ones back home too.

We had a great time scouring the streets of Hanoi for good food. Our daughter had such a great time there that she's asked us when we'll be back in Hanoi.

Markets in Hanoi, Vietnam

Morning markets are a bustle of activity in Hanoi. They are colourful, noisy and packed with people.

I managed to squeeze in two visits to the morning markets, one of which was located just right next to our hotel on Ly Thong Kiet.

My exploration started innocently enough. There were pottery stalls outside but the real deal is in the interior of the market. The first thing I saw upon stepping in was a row of stalls selling roasted dog meat (thit cho). Dog meat is considered a delicacy in Vietnam and I’ve been told they are delicious. However, one man’s meat is another’s poison. I could not muster up enough courage to stomach these just yet, so it’s best I gave it a pass. Anyway, I'm still thinking whether I should post the photos. Should I or not?

Further down are stalls selling vegetables and noodles. The interior of the market is dark and dank with the occasional motorbike coming in or out.

At the further end of the market there are sundry shops selling instant pho and all sorts of sauces for a Vietnamese meal. I love my pho so I bought some to bring home too!
The last stalls at the market are flower and fruit stalls with huge strawberries, blueberries, custard apples and dragonfruits. The burst of colour at the fruit stalls are such a huge contrast to the stalls inside the market.

The other market I went to was one that I stumbled on in the Old Quarter. It’s an open-air market which is bright and airy. There were lots of stalls selling all types of food crowded with people eating their breakfast.

The stalls are similar to the market at Ly Thong Kiet although I don’t see any dog meat stalls here.

Snapshots of Hanoi, Vietnam

I visited Hanoi during end of February this year. If I had any reservations about visiting Vietnam earlier, all those were quickly put to rest the moment I landed in Hanoi. My friends who had visited Hanoi a few years back had told me that there’s nothing much to see so I was always a little hesitant. However work commitments landed me in Hanoi and what an eye-opener that was! I took to Hanoi immediately, loved the landscape, loved the quirky makeshift foodstalls, loved the way the vehicles weave in and out of traffic, even loved the noise!

There’s a certain charm to Hanoi that does not appear anywhere else.

I loved the quaint little shops of the Old Quarter which is rich with over 1000 years of history. The best way to see the Old Quarter is by foot. I walked every morning from the hotel at Ly Thong Kiet to Hoan Kiem Lake (the Lake of the Restored Sword) then on to the Old Quarter and relished every single moment of it. The Old Quarter is made up of 36 old streets, each street named after the product sold such as silk, toys, lacquerware, foodstuff etc. There is a bustling night market on weekends that stretch to the very end of the Old Quarter, packed with all types of goodies. I also loved the calm at Hoan Kiem Lake, where young and old gather every morning for tai-chi or to just sit watching reflections of the city by the lake. The calm in the lake of course belies the noise that surrounds it. Yet, it is the noise that adds to the charm of Hanoi.

Morning exercise in Hoan Kiem Lake

Reflections of the Tortoise Pagoda in Hoan Kiem Lake

The serene Hoan Kiem Lake in the morning

There is something very romantic about the picturesque footbridge (Bridge of the Rising Sun) to Ngoc Son pagoda at Hoan Kiem Lake.

Directly across Hoan Kiem Lake is the very popular Hanoi Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre. In the afternoons, busloads of tourists converge on the theatre to watch the water puppets show. It’s a show unlike any other and should not be missed. The puppet play is on water, showcasing the various life scenes in Vietnam. The puppetry artists are swift with their movements and the puppets come to life in front of your very eyes.

The buildings in Hanoi are reflections of Vietnam’s French colonial past. The old buildings have soul and it’s what I liked most. The grand St. Joseph cathedral, is Hanoi’s very own Notre Dame.

The exquisite Hanoi Opera House is a vision of Vietnam’s grandeur.

There are many pagodas within walking distance from our hotel. Amongst my favourite is the Quan Su Pagoda which is Hanoi’s largest and most popular pagodas. I will be back to Hanoi for a proper holiday in October, and frankly, I just can’t wait to be back.