Dishes, not restaurant lists
What to Eat in Hanoi
6 dishes worth ordering in Hanoi — what each one actually is, what to expect when it lands on the table, how to say it, and roughly what it costs. 1 of them are vegetarian. We rank dishes, not restaurants: a dish is a stable thing you can find in many places, and where it's best changes faster than any list stays honest.
#1
Phở bò
fuh BAW · typical price: ₫40,000–70,000
What it is: Beef noodle soup with a clear, star-anise-scented broth — Hanoi is its birthplace.
What to expect: A breakfast food. Northern phở is restrained: fewer herbs and no hoisin by default, unlike the southern style. Add lime, chilli, and garlic vinegar from the table.
#2
Bún chả
boon CHAH · typical price: ₫45,000–80,000
What it is: Charcoal-grilled pork patties and belly in a sweet-sour dipping broth, with rice noodles and herbs.
What to expect: A lunch dish — most specialists sell out by mid-afternoon. Dip the noodles and herbs into the bowl; don't pour it over.
#3
Bánh mì
bun MEE · typical price: ₫20,000–45,000
What it is: A crisp mini-baguette with pâté, cold cuts or grilled meat, pickled vegetables, and herbs.
What to expect: The bread should crackle audibly. Hanoi versions are simpler than Saigon's — often just pâté, meat, cucumber, and chilli.
#4
Chả cá
chah KAH · typical price: ₫120,000–200,000
What it is: Turmeric-marinated fish sizzled at the table with dill and spring onion, eaten with noodles and shrimp paste.
What to expect: A dish with its own street named after it. The fermented shrimp paste (mắm tôm) is optional but is the authentic pairing.
#5 · vegetarian
Egg coffee · Cà phê trứng
kah feh CHUNG · typical price: ₫35,000–60,000
What it is: Robusta coffee under a whipped egg-yolk-and-condensed-milk cream — a 1940s Hanoi invention.
What to expect: Served in a small cup sitting in warm water. It drinks like liquid tiramisu; the old-quarter originals hide up narrow staircases.
#6
Bánh cuốn
bun KOO-un · typical price: ₫30,000–60,000
What it is: Gossamer steamed rice sheets rolled around minced pork and wood-ear mushroom, with fried shallots.
What to expect: Watch it made — the batter is steamed on cloth stretched over a pot and lifted off with a bamboo stick. A light breakfast with nước chấm.