Welcome to HANOI and its delicious food

Em ỏi… very likely the first words in Vietnamese one hears upon landing. The curl on top of the "o" makes the sound veer towards "eu", but not too much. When I first heard it and had understood that it was to call someone's attention, I thought it was an informal way of doing so. Something like Hey you! But it is not, not informal, that is. It is the proper way to address a man or woman younger than oneself. An older woman is addressed as Chi ỏi and an older man as Anh ỏi. At my age I don't have to memorise those two as age-wise I'm in the top five percent of the population.

Hoan Kiem lake area at night

Old town 1 and 2

I've been in Hanoi now for slightly more than a week and enjoy every minute of it. For logistical reasons I'm staying in a hotel in Dong Da district bordering Hoan Kiem district on the west, which to me is the main tourist centre of Hanoi, as Hoan Kiem Lake and the old town are located within it. The lake, during the day, is a most enjoyable place to stroll and relax on one of the many benches nicely shaded by the trees. And evenings it is teeming with life, young couples and families unwinding after a day at work, while groups of elderly are doing calisthenics. The old town is a beautifully chaotic treasure of old houses and gnarled trees, shops and eateries spilling out on the sidewalks, motorcycles, scooters, cars, blaring horns and people, especially people. Fairly small, the old town consists of some 36 streets only. Originally, specialised merchants and trades were concentrated in a particular street. To some extent that can still be observed although in a watered down form.

From the number of eateries and the number of customers one could easily conclude that one half of the population is serving food to the other half. And what lovely food it is.

My favourites follow below:

Phở, the ubiquitous noodle soup with a rich, clear broth made from a long boiling of different meats.

Bún chả is a dish of grilled pork and noodle, which is thought to have originated from Hanoi. Bun cha is served with grilled fatty pork over a plate of white rice noodle and lots of green herbs with a side dish of dipping sauce.

Bánh cuốn is made from a thin, wide sheet of steamed fermented rice batter filled with seasoned ground pork, minced wood ear mushrooms. The dipping sauce is called nurac cham.

The rice sheet of bánh cuốn is extremely thin and delicate. It is made by steaming a slightly fermented rice batter on a cloth which is stretched over a pot of boiling water.

Bánh cuốn

Making of bánh cuốn sheet

Bánh my, a term for a type of bread that is derived from the French baguette. Typical fillings are roast pork belly, pork sausage, pork liver pâté, fried egg, to which is added fresh cucumber slices, cilantro, sliced chilies, spicy chili sauce and mayonnaise.

Papaya salad, made from shredded young papaya, herbs, various meats, such as slices of pork, pork liver or jerky, herbs, and with a vinegar based dressing.

Banh xeo, a flat pancake made of rice flour with turmeric and filled with shrimp, fatty pork, sliced onions, and button mushrooms. It is eaten with lettuce and various local herbs and dipped in nurac cham. Rice papers can be used as wrappers for the banh xeo and the accompanying vegetables. 

Nem cuon, fresh spring rolls, and nem ran, crispy deep fried spring rolls.

Lẩu is a Vietnamese rendition of steam boat with assorted vegetables, meats, seafood, and spicy herbs.

In my personal opinion, the best place to enjoy the full variety of Vietnamese cuisine is Quan An Ngon. In its four restaurants in Hanoi more than 300 local and street food dishes will give you an unforgettable experience.

Quan An Ngon, addresses in Hanoi:

1.       18 Phan Boi Chau

2.       34 Phan Ding Phung

3.       R4-B2 Vincom Royal City

4.       25T2 Trung Hoa Nhan Chinh