Hanoi Street Food - Part 2 - Ivan Teh

Hanoi Street Food - Part 2

More Hanoi Street Food that I've tried during other visits to Hanoi, Vietnam, continuing from Part 1.

Chả Cá Lã Vọng / La Vong Grilled Turmeric Fish And Dill

This list includes dishes not listed in Hanoi Street Food - Part 1. While cuisine is mostly Vietnamese, there are also influences from French and Chinese cuisines.

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The Bánh Cuốn / Pork And Mushrooms Rice Noodle Rolls is a Northern Vietnamese speciality, consisting of thin sticky rice noodle rolls (made with fermented rice batter and arrowroot flour) stuffed with tender minced pork and springy diced wood ear mushrooms, garnished with crispy fried shallots. The Bánh Cuốn / Pork And Mushrooms Rice Noodle Rolls carry lovely grainy earthy sweet savoury flavour, and skilled hawkers strive to stuff the rolls with as much filling as possible without it breaking. Some stalls may choose to add other ingredients into the stuffing, such as stewed jicama, bean sprouts, lettuce, yellow onions, spring onions, or shrimp. Usually served with a side of fresh crisp cilantro or coriander for added vegetal herbal bitter sweet flavour, and the traditional Nước Chấm / Vietnamese Dipping Sauce (made from fish sauce, lime juice, white sugar, white vinegar, and water) which has lovely tangy zesty sour salty savoury sweet flavour. A common add-on is Chả Lụa / Pork Bologna Sausage, which is bouncy with meaty savoury salty sweet flavour.

Bánh Cuốn / Pork And Mushrooms Rice Noodle Rolls

Bánh Cuốn / Pork And Mushrooms Rice Noodle Rolls

Bánh Cuốn / Pork And Mushrooms Rice Noodle Rolls

Bánh Cuốn / Pork And Mushrooms Rice Noodle Rolls

Inspired by the French, the Bánh Mì Pate Chả Nóng / Pork Pate And Ham Sandwich is among the more common sandwich options in Hanoi, Vietnam. The stubby Vietnamese style baguette bread is more crisp flaky on the exterior and soft moist on the interior, compared to a regular long French style baguette bread. The filling in this rendition comprises juicy cucumber, crisp yellow onions, tender pork ham, and soft pork pate, dressed with a house sauce. The Bánh Mì Pate Chả Nóng / Pork Pate And Ham Sandwich holds bright meaty vegetal sweet savoury salty flavour.

Bánh Mì Pate Chả Nóng / Pork Pate And Ham Sandwich

Bánh Mì Pate Chả Nóng / Pork Pate And Ham Sandwich

Bánh Mì Pate Chả Nóng / Pork Pate And Ham Sandwich

There are 4 varieties of local Vietnamese beers, most of which retail for an average price of VND ₫10,000 per can. They share similar characteristics; bright golden colour, low alcohol content, light grainy straw wheat taste, gentle carbonation, and is usually best drunk chilled. In (a non-scientific) anecdotal order of popularity with locals; the top is Beer Saigon Special, followed by Beer Hanoi, then Beer Halida, and rounded off with Beer 333 Premium Export. Enjoy responsibly!

Beer 333 Premium Export

Beer Hanoi

Beer Saigon Special

Beer Halida

Bún Chả / Grilled Pork Noodles is a simple but appetizing dish which has a long history in Hanoi, and its resulting popularity has seen it spread to other parts of Vietnam. A favourite lunch dish of locals, it consists of a few components. There's soft thin rice vermicelli noodles with mild grainy sweet notes, and crisp fresh salad (usually comprising lettuce, cilantro, mint leaves, and basil leaves) with vegetal earthy herbal sweet bitter flavour served on the side. There's a bowl of traditional Nước Chấm / Vietnamese Dipping Sauce (made from fish sauce, lime juice, white sugar, white vinegar, and water), garnished with crunchy green papaya and carrot strips, which has lovely vegetal tangy zesty sour salty savoury sweet bitter flavour. You can opt to add diced garlic and chili for added herbal spice notes. The star is the grilled pork belly strips and grilled minced pork meat balls, tender and juicy with smoky meaty savoury salty sweet flavour. Locals will often encourage visitors to the city to eat Bún Chả / Grilled Pork Noodles at least once.