Get down – not dirty – in these local neighbourhood faves repping street food well worth a (ding)dong.
Updated August 2019.
Think it’s all roasted Fido and oily pho? No way, Ho-say. Hanoi is home to some of the most delectable street fare to be found anywhere in the world, though it’s oft hiding behind crumbling facades and crusty furny. Pack your appetite for four of the best street food stops in Hanoi.
Bahn Mi 25
It may look more like a moped parking bay-cum-popcorn stand, but what this vendor lacks in looks and floor space it quickly makes up for with some of the city’s most sought-after baguettes, packed with sinful combos of handmade pâté, cured French ham, pork sausages and veggies. Get in good with crust-master Phuong and he’ll even treat you to a complimentary cuppa from his uncle’s tea shop. Baby got buns!
Bahn Mi 25, 25 Hang Ca St, Hoan Kiem. +84977668895.
Banh Cuon Gia Truyen
Gallic influence can be found all over this colonial capital, but nowhere do the French and Vietnamese cultures collide more deliciously than at this dreamy creperie. Get your local rice flour variation stuffed with minced pork, shrimp and ‘shrooms, and since mornings are busier than a hawker at a coach stop, roll by after lunch for a more peaceful parcel moment.
Banh Cuon Gia Truyan, 14 Hang Ga St, Hoan Kiem.
Read More: Four Fab French Restaurants in Hanoi
Giang Coffee
Cappuccino – pah! You’re in cà phê trung territory now. Secreted away behind a drab shopfront in Hoan Kiem, this beloved stalwart has been brewing slightly odd sounding, but great tasting hot n’ cold ‘egg coffee’ blends since Hanoi’s great 1940s milk shortage. Today, this unsuspecting lair is perma-packed with locals and visitors all seeking their sweet caffeine hit, so sit upstairs and take yours on the charming roof terrace replete with creeping foliage and potted blossoms. Jav-Ahhh.
Giang Coffee, 39 Nguyen Huu Huan St, Hoan Kiem. giangcafehanoi.com
Kem Trang Tien
Reading more panel beater than dairy whipper, this local ice cream icon attracts lines out the door no matter the season. If you’ve any room left post Metropole brunch splurge, simply sashay round the corner and follow the crowd beyond the lurid green frontage and motorbikes for lick-alicious scoops, pops, cones and sundaes. You’re welcome.
Kem Trang Tien, 35 Trang Tien St, Hoan Kiem. kemtrangtien.vn
From no-frills street eats to fine French diners, you’ll find the curated list of Hanoi’s best restaurants in LUXE Hanoi…
