Why Hanoi Food Tour? True Culinary Experience in Northern Vietnam

Hanoi Food Tour becomes the hot trend these days once the foreign tourists have been telling each other about the specialties of “Pho” (noodle soup), stuffed cake, La Vong fish sausage, etc. If you would like to enjoy the authentic yummy dishes of Hanoi, be nimble-footed to experience a Hanoi Food Tour !

About Hanoi and Hanoi Cuisine

Hanoi Capital is the foremost destination in Vietnam to learn about the nation’s history, culture, tourism, and cuisine. The capital land is filled with many outstanding tourist attractions like Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Temple of Literature, Hoan Kiem Lake, Hanoi Old Quarter, etc. Some corners of Hanoi reflect the old and tranquil atmosphere with the narrow alleys and traditional houses. Meanwhile, the other corners of Hanoi are modernized with the skyscrapers, commercial buildings, and industrial zones. As Hanoi is great for tourism, any travel to this Capital is just perfect!

Hanoi Cuisine is historically influenced by the adjacent China, but generations of the Vietnamese people do have their culinary creations and variations. Especially, the most renowned dish in Hanoi is “Pho” (the nutrient and scrumptious soup served with noodle, beef or chicken, and aromatic herbs) that wins the worldwide recognition. And, Hanoi Pho is the unbeatable brand. Together with “Pho,” the traditional Hanoi cuisine is reflected via some other iconic dishes, from the spring rolls to the stuffed cake and the banana flower salad. Let’s discover 5 best foods in Hanoi with Vietnam cooking holidays !

5 Best Foods in Hanoi Capital

Here are the 5 most favorite local foods in Hanoi that everybody should not miss.

#1: Pho

This famous noodle soup goes beyond the border of Hanoi and gets success in the international contexts. Anyhow, remember that Hanoi is the cradle of “Pho,” and is the best place to enjoy the original taste of this wonderful noodle soup. There stand out a wide chain of Pho 24 in Hanoi, from the high-class restaurants to the roadside carts or street vendors. Due to your own interest, it is easy to ask for the beef Pho or chicken Pho. About the most notable Hanoi Pho brands, they are Pho Thin and Pho Bat Dan, and the best address to have Pho in Hanoi is in the Old Quarter.

Phở Bò (rice noodle with beef)
Phở Bò (rice noodle with beef)

#2: Xoi Xeo (a kind of sticky rice)

In almost every outdoor market or roadside carts in Hanoi, it is easy to spot the “Xoi Xeo” dish. This refers to the sticky rice topped with the fried onion and the bean. To boost the taste, sometimes, this sticky rice complex is served with eggs or the steamed chick breast. As usual, the customers can request their favorite flavor and addition. As “Xoi Xeo” is very popular in Hanoi, there are even restaurants dedicated entirely to this dish in the Hanoi Old Quarters. This symbolic kind of sticky rice in Hanoi is ideal for any time of the day, but the Vietnamese people mainly have it for breakfast and lunch. While eating “Xoi Xeo,” a good recommendation is to have a glass of soymilk.

Xoi Xeo (a kind of sticky rice)
Xoi Xeo (a kind of sticky rice)

#3: Banh Cuon (the stuffed cake)

The second top food in Hanoi belongs to the stuffed cake, made from the rice flour including the stuffing of mushroom, ground pork, and seasoning. Even on par with the famous French crepe, Hanoi stuffed cake Banh Cuon wins the connoisseurs’ praises for the appetizing taste of the stuffing as well as the attractive look of the soft rice cake. The steamed and stuffed cake is best to be served with the tasty mixture of fish sauce, sugar, and lime. In fact, Hanoi has numerous addresses that offer this food, from the upscale restaurants to the simple street vendors. What’s more, you have the option of veggie cake to ask for!

Banh Cuon (the stuffed cake)
Banh Cuon (the stuffed cake)

#4: Bun Thang (a unique kind of vermicelli in Hanoi Old Quarter)

While “Pho” has the similar shape to linguine, “Bun” is compatible to spaghetti; yes, you can think of them in this way. Within ‘Bun Thang,” it is the unique food in the Hanoi Old Quarter and is hard to find elsewhere. That makes this dish special and a must to try during Hanoi Food Tour if possible. Together with the delectable taste, this kind of vermicelli is very colorful; you see the yellow of the sliced egg, the white of vermicelli, the green of herbs plus onions, and the off-white of chicken. In particular, Cau Go Street is the ideal address to try the dish.

Bun Thang for Hanoi Breakfast
Bun Thang for Hanoi Breakfast

#5: Cha Ca La Vong (La Vong Fish Sausage)

The La Vong fish sausage is ranked the top food in Hanoi that every tourist should try before die, suggested by the cuisine experts. Originally, the fish sausage would be grilled, and served with vermicelli, peanut, onion, shrimp paste, and dill. The key in this complex is the fish sausage made from the quality fish to ensure that the sausage includes no bone and no much fishy smell. In Hanoi, the best place to have this food is Cha Ca La Vong Restaurant on 14 Cha Ca Street. 

Cha Ca La Vong (La Vong Fish Sausage)
Cha Ca La Vong (La Vong Fish Sausage)

Cooking Classes in Hanoi

The chances are that Hanoi Culinary Tours offer the hands-on cooking experience to the foodies via the well-prepared cooking classes. If you have not had a favorite cooking course yet, then write the following addresses in your memo pad.

First, Hanoi Cooking Center in Ba Dinh has the cooking sessions every day. Often, the learners will buy the required ingredients in the local markets and then practice under the professional chefs’ guidance. People will enjoy their self-cooked dishes. At the send of the session, the best dish would be awarded. Also, the participants can take the cooking recipe home for the later practice. Here, you can choose the cooking classes about Vietnam cuisine, food for kids, street foods, etc.

Second, Old Hanoi in Hoan Kiemhas the daily class and private class for the foodies. Like the other courses, the learners are responsible for buying ingredients, and then carry out the recipe to cook. Within Private Class, it is ideal for a couple to feast each other.

Third, Hoa Sua School in Hoan Kiem offers Vietnamese cooking classes for the foreigners. The cooking sessions are run inside the vocational training center for the disabled youth, and the earnings from the classes are used for their benefits.

Fourth, Highway4 Restaurant in Hoan Kiem provides the cooking class and market tour. The restaurateur attempts to popularize Hanoi cuisine by welcoming the foreigners to practice cooking the Hanoi food.

Fifth, Carambola House – Didier Corlou Residence or Madame Hien Restaurant is where to meet the famous Chef Didier Corlou and follow his cooking class in Hanoi. The fusion between the East and the West is greatly promoted in this address by both Chef Didier Corlou and his Vietnamese wife. 

Conclusion

So why Hanoi Food Tour? The Hanoi Culinary Tour cultivates people’s interest in the Hanoi food, and even gives it a positive boost. Almost every tourist that has experienced the food journey in Hanoi agrees on its unique and fascinating traits. While some individuals give the high scores to the Hanoi famous food like “Pho” and La Vong fish sausage, the others enjoy both Hanoi tourist sites and informative cooking classes. Just a walk around Hanoi Old Quarter, the connoisseurs can find lots of great food to try along the streets (such as Pho, deep fried spring rolls, grilled chicken with lemon leaves, etc.) and fulfillthe stomach. If you go with a good guide, that is wonderful!

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