Hanoi during Tet (Lunar New Year): strolling through the streets and enjoying the food.

Shrimp cake stalls around Tay Ho Palace

Every Tet holiday, anyone strolling around West Lake will surely see long lines of cars and motorbikes heading to Tay Ho Temple. People flock there to pray for a prosperous and lucky new year. After the ceremony, it's not uncommon for people to feel a little full and crave an afternoon snack. The shrimp cake stalls around the temple are a reasonable and appropriate choice.

It's fitting because this isn't a dish that Hanoians eat regularly like pho, vermicelli, or as a snack like fried cakes or rice cakes... but it seems to be remembered only on special occasions. Two or three times a year, people take their families to temples and then stop by to enjoy shrimp cakes. It's fitting because each shrimp cake isn't too big or overwhelming, just the right amount to satisfy and be delicious. Two whole shrimp, with their heads and bodies attached, their legs intact, and their tails folded, are fried in a base of flour and shredded sweet potatoes. The finished product is golden brown and fragrant. The dipping sauce is perfectly balanced with salty, sweet, and sour flavors, served with papaya and fresh vegetables. Dipping the hot cake into the sauce is incredibly delicious, but it's best to eat a little; eating too much will make you feel full. Hanoians eat it this way too; eating just enough is what truly tastes good.

Coffee shops by Truc Bach Lake.

The festivities were over, the shrimp cakes had been enjoyed, but going home to rest now would be a waste of the vibrant spring weather. Many chose to detour along Thanh Nien Street to Truc Bach Lake to have coffee and chat with friends.

During Tet (Vietnamese New Year), there's no shortage of cafes open here, from those with pristine white walls, bright glass windows, and long sofas inside, serving blended drinks and juices for young people, to those with just a coffee counter, a jar of sunflower seeds, and a few plastic or canvas chairs by the lake catering to middle-aged people. Customers celebrating Tet can find whatever type of place they like to sit and chat.

But sometimes, people come to Truc Bach Lake for a drink, four parts for the food and six parts for the scenery. Here, it's as if, after a busy year, one finally has time to truly quiet down and observe the life around them. The lake is bustling with families happily pedaling pedal boats, a pleasure perhaps rarely experienced on ordinary days. Couples stroll along the lake's edge, chatting animatedly like lovebirds.

Pho cuon (rolled pho) in Ngu Xa street.

After drinking, you get hungry again, so you have to eat; that's also part of the joy of Tet, being able to eat, drink, and have fun. If you're tired of boiled chicken, banh chung (sticky rice cake), fried spring rolls, etc., perhaps you should try pho rolls or fried pho in Ngu Xa street.

Nowadays, many families also make pho rolls at home during Tet. This simple dish consists of stir-fried beef wrapped in thick rice noodles with herbs, dipped in fish sauce and served with sliced ​​papaya. Yet, eating it at a restaurant always has a unique flavor that cannot be replicated at home.

This dish has plenty of vegetables and just the right amount of meat, making it both refreshing and satisfying for dinner. Those with a hearty appetite might devour a dozen in one go and still crave more, while those with a smaller appetite can still enjoy at least five to feel truly satisfied. A delicious dish isn't just about good ingredients and skillful preparation, but also about how well it complements everyday meals.

Beef pho and crab noodle soup can be found along Tran Phu Street and Phung Hung Street.

There are countless delicious dishes in Hanoi, perhaps even all the Tet holiday wouldn't be enough to list them all, but the things that people remember and crave in the new year are simply everyday treats like pho, bun rieu, bun oc...

Many people consider themselves addicted to pho; they feel restless and incomplete without a bowl of pho made with beef and other high-quality ingredients. They could eat three bowls a day, but going three days without pho is unsettling. That's why, during Tet (Lunar New Year), even with a table full of delicious dishes, they still feel the need to go for a bowl of pho to feel satisfied. Pho restaurants are open throughout Tet, and the Tran Phu and Phung Hung streets have many delicious options. At the pho stalls near the train tracks during Tet, the sounds of slicing meat and onions, ordering food, and paying bills create a constant, noisy atmosphere. Eating a bowl of pho is like reuniting with an old friend; it feels familiar, but in the festive atmosphere of Tet, it's truly special.

Rice noodle soups like crab noodle soup and snail noodle soup are different. Some people wouldn't eat them all year, but they crave them during Tet (Lunar New Year). The refreshing taste of tomatoes, the fragrant aroma of pounded freshwater crab, and the perfectly balanced sourness of the broth, eaten with fresh vegetables, help to balance the palate. Those plump, glossy lips, already full of chicken, meat, and sticky rice cakes, now find relief from the sweltering effects of Tet and the fatigue of traveling. They feel renewed energy, ready to continue their spring excursions. When tired of lavish feasts, many people long for simple yet exquisite dishes.

April