French daily Le Figaro in a recent article headlined “In Vietnam, eight wonders to taste in Hanoi – a temple of street food” hinted at unmissable food experience in Hanoi. 

Pho (noodle soup)

The eight dishes featured were pho (noodle soup), bun cha (grilled pork with vermicelli), bun rieu cua (crab noodle soup), banh cuon (rolled rice pancakes), banh mi (Vietnamese baguette), banh goi (fried donut), cha ca (fried fish) and ca phe trung (egg coffee).

“Using the words “refinement”, “finesse” and “freshness” to describe the Vietnamese food, there is no shortage of qualifiers to define the thousand flavors of Vietnamese gastronomy,” the article wrote.

The article listed addresses of favorite stalls and shops for each dish while recommending tourists not to try high-end restaurants that often have high prices.

“Throw yourself at the pots that are bubbling in the alleys of the old town, enter these stalls that may sometimes seem unattractive but conceal the treasures of Vietnamese cuisine,” according to Le Figaro.

The article also introduced food tours to wholesale markets in Hanoi, such as Long Bien, Dong Xuan and Quang Ba, one of the largest flower markets in Vietnam.

A wholesale market in Hanoi

Those who like to cook and want to share their culinary discoveries upon their return to France can take cooking lessons offered in a traditional house on the outskirts of Hanoi.

A visit to Hanoi is an invigorating getaway where tourists will be welcomed like chefs, the article concluded.

Banh cuon (rolled rice pancakes)

Banh mi

Bun cha (grilled pork with vermicelli)

Bun rieu cua (crab noodle soup)

Cha ca (fried fish)

Ca phe trung (egg coffee)