70th anniversary of Hanoi's Liberation Day Vietnam - Asia 2023 Smart City Summit Hanoi celebrates 15 years of administrative boundary adjustment 12th Vietnam-France decentrialized cooperation conference 31st Sea Games - Vietnam 2021 Covid-19 Pandemic
Home / Travel / Food
Bread Beefsteak – nice fusion between Western and Vietnamese cuisine
Ha Phuong 12:15, 2018/08/06
Hanoi cuisine has many classic dishes such as pho, banh cuon or bun oc, but it has also changed a lot over time.
Banh mi bit tet (bread beefsteak) isn’t a traditional dish of Hanoians. However, it cannot be missed in your list of street food if you stay in Hanoi for a long time. After trying too much delicious dishes in Hanoi, now it’s time to explore a little Western flavor, banh mi bit tet is perfect choice.
 
Banh mi bit tet in Hoe Nhai street, Hoan Kiem district, Hanoi. Photo: Ha Phuong.
Banh mi bit tet in Hoe Nhai street, Ba Dinh district, Hanoi. Photo: Ha Phuong.
You may have tasted banh mi, which is Vietnamese-style burger. Once you try Banh mi bit tet, you’ll see a beautiful combination between the Western and Vietnamese cuisine. Banh mi bit tet isn’t the beefsteak that is served in classy French restaurants, it is the local beefsteak that is served in streetside eateries with tiny plastic stools.
Hanoians' adaptation of banh mi bit tet is the one that includes thin beefsteak, french fries, a few plum tomatoes, spring onions and to top it off a fried egg sunny side up, all served sizzling on a hot plate. Enveloping all of this is a tasty sauce. beefsteak is eaten with traditional Vietnamese banh mi (bread), not a French baguette. This is the version that will offer you a fresh look at how a beefsteak is prepared.
In Hanoi, you can found banh mi bit tet in many street, but beating all of the above is the tiny street of Hoe Nhai, here almost the whole thoroughfare sells banh mi bit tet.

 
Banh mi bit tet.
Banh mi bit tet.
In recent years, Hoe Nhai street in Ba Dinh district has become so well-known locally that it is called “Bit tet street”. There are a series of streetside joints here that look almost the same. During lunchtime, you will see Hoe Nhai become bustling with diners, which is a total contrast to the peace of the small street in the morning. If you come here for the first time, you can be dazzled by plenty of booths and restaurants close by and do not know which one to choose obviously.
My recommendation for you is Bit Tet Ha Cuc restaurant. The presentation of the dish is quite similar throughout Hoe Nhai. However, Bit Tet Ha Cuc is said to serve the most delicious beef and sauce.
Banh mi bit tet here costs around VND70,000 (US$3) per portion. Bit Tet Ha Cuc is at 6 Hoe Nhai, Ba Dinh, Hanoi. It’s the only joint in the street that offers free Vietnamese sandwich and fries, as well as free wifi. The eatery opens from 8 a.m till late at night.
Other news
18:06, 2024/04/10
MICHELIN Guide sets its sights on Vietnam’s central region
After Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, Danang is the latest city to be added to the MICHELIN Guide's list of culinary destinations in Vietnam.
09:01, 2024/03/03
Pho Festival 2024 to feature 50 brands
During the three-day festival, people will be able to enjoy pho from 50 brands across the country at a special price.
07:28, 2024/02/08
Vietnam, South Korean share some similarities for New Year
There is something in common when celebrating the New Year in the two countries, especially in cuisine.
11:02, 2023/12/15
Pho wins over South African gourmets
Many South Africans, members of the diplomatic corps and Vietnamese expatriates have enjoyed and learned about Pho and Vietnamese cuisine.
18:29, 2023/11/23
Student project done to promote Hue cuisine
Both local and international travelers have expressed positive feelings about the app, which makes it easier to find restaurants in Hue.
20:13, 2023/11/20
One-Word Cream Cake for teachers on Vietnam's tradition
Teenagers in Hanoi have started the trend of painting a word on cakes for their loved ones.