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Hanoians are known for their hospitality and also their curiosity! Whenever a friend visits the capital, we generously invite them to try the best dishes, the unique specialties of Hanoi, and then eagerly await their reaction after tasting them.
In anticipation of the visit of US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to Hanoi for the US-North Korea summit in February, the people of the capital city have been excitedly welcoming them along the city's central streets. Over the past few days, they have also been wondering: what Hanoi cuisine will these two distinguished leaders choose to enjoy during their visit?
Spring rolls, soup... these are always familiar Vietnamese dishes that have appeared many times in banquets for heads of state from various countries.
This afternoon, February 27, 2019, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc hosted President Donald Trump for traditional Vietnamese specialties such as mango salad, fried spring rolls, fish cakes, sticky rice with shrimp wrapped in lotus leaves... and for dessert, lotus seed and longan sweet soup. But that was a state banquet.
"If you were to offer Chairman Kim/President Trump a traditional Hanoi dish, what would you offer?" - This was the question posed to netizens by a Facebook fan page called Hanoi. The post received thousands of likes, shares, and thousands of lively comments.
Travellive has selected and compiled 12 of the most recommended dishes to introduce below.
1. Egg coffee
According to Tinn, over 300 cups of egg coffee were served free of charge at the International Press Center for the US-North Korea Summit. Notably, only three people from Hanoi's famous Giang coffee brand were invited to attend this special international event.
Egg coffee is served in many places, but nowhere prepares it as authentically as Giang's. It's not mixed with any additives or flavorings; it's purely the bitter aroma of coffee, the richness of whipped egg yolks, and a hint of sweet cream, giving Giang's egg coffee a unique character. The coffee is always served warm, with an irresistible aroma.
2. Bun cha (grilled pork with vermicelli)
Bun cha is a dish consisting of rice noodles, pork patties (grilled in slices or fried in oil), a sweet, sour, salty, and spicy fish sauce with pickled papaya, fresh herbs, and various condiments (minced garlic/chili). Originating from Northern Vietnam, this dish is one of Hanoi's most enduring specialties and can be considered a signature dish of the capital city.
This is also the dish that the 44th President of the United States, Obama, chose to enjoy when he visited Vietnam three years ago.
Bun cha is usually eaten at lunchtime – this seems to be an art form that reflects the unique culinary style of Hanoi, where discerning diners carefully consider the best time to enjoy the dish.
3. Crab noodle soup
Bun rieu is a traditional Vietnamese rice noodle dish. There are many types of bun rieu, including bun rieu with crab, bun rieu with fish, and bun rieu with snails and beef... This distinctive dish is famous not only domestically but also internationally, especially in places with large Vietnamese communities.
Bun rieu has a refreshing sour taste, which is why Vietnamese people enjoy it in the summer.
Bun rieu cua consists of finely ground freshwater crab paste, fried tofu, tomato broth with fermented rice vinegar, shrimp paste, onions, banana blossoms, and various fresh vegetables. This dish is very nutritious, containing calcium from the ground crab shells, iron from the pork broth, and vitamins and fiber from the vegetables.
4. Bread with pate, sausage, egg, and shredded pork floss.
Pate sandwiches are toasted bread filled with one or more slices of pate (usually made from pork liver), along with vegetables such as cilantro, cucumber, radish, carrots, sausage, butter, shredded pork floss, and sometimes a slice of fried egg or char siu pork. The usual condiment is spicy chili sauce. Pate sandwiches are commonly eaten for breakfast due to their convenience, speed, and suitability for all ages, from students to factory workers and office staff.
5. Mixed rice paper salad
Mixed rice paper salad (Bánh tráng trộn) is a very popular snack among young people in Hanoi and has gradually become a popular street food in the capital for many years. With the sourness of mango, the spiciness of chili sauce, the sweet and chewy texture of rice paper, squid, beef, and quail eggs, this sour and spicy mixed rice paper salad is loved by many tourists visiting Hanoi. However, it is actually a dish originating from Southern Vietnam.
6. Grilled chicken feet
Grilled chicken feet are a dish made from chicken feet using a grilling method. They are usually marinated before grilling to absorb the flavors, grilled until slightly charred and golden brown, and served with various fresh vegetables or pickled cucumbers. This is one of the specialties in Vietnamese cuisine, a popular and affordable street food enjoyed by most people who like to eat and drink.
7. Bun dau mam tom (Rice noodles with tofu and shrimp paste)
Bun dau mam tom is a simple, rustic dish in Northern Vietnamese cuisine. It's often enjoyed as a light meal or snack at lunchtime or in the afternoon. The main ingredients include fresh rice noodles, fried tofu, rice patties, fermented pork sausage, boiled pork, shrimp paste mixed with lime and chili, and served with various herbs such as perilla, mint, basil, lettuce, and pickled eggplant.
This dish is usually beautifully arranged in a bamboo tray.
8. Beef Pho
Pho is a traditional Vietnamese dish, and arguably one of the most representative dishes of Vietnamese cuisine. The main ingredients are rice noodles and broth (or soup, as it's called in the South), along with thinly sliced beef (or chicken). It also includes condiments such as soy sauce, pepper, lime, fish sauce, chili, etc., depending on personal taste. Pho is commonly eaten for breakfast or as a late-night snack, but in large cities, it's enjoyed throughout the day.
Pho is always best enjoyed hot. Making a delicious bowl of pho depends heavily on the experience and traditional secrets of the cook, with the broth being especially important.
9. Pork offal porridge
Pork offal porridge is a type of porridge cooked using the traditional method, combined with a sweet broth made from pork bones or pork offal stock, and the main ingredients are boiled pork offal and sausage. Pork offal porridge is relatively common, even quite affordable, in Vietnamese cuisine, widely sold at pork offal shops throughout the country, forming a trio of dishes eaten in order at a meal: blood pudding, pork offal, and pork offal porridge, often paired with rice wine.
10. Mudworm patties + pork sausage
Rươi patties are one of the unique fried patties in Vietnamese cuisine. While relatively uncommon in some regions, even those where rươi are found, it is quite popular in Hanoi's culinary scene. Its popularity is likely due to the fact that the main ingredient, rươi, is the easiest to prepare when cooked with eggs. This patty is served with hot rice or vermicelli noodles with dipping sauce.
Pork sausage (giò) is a dish made primarily from finely ground meat (from livestock or poultry), mixed with other ingredients, tightly wrapped into a cylindrical shape, and usually cooked by boiling or steaming. It is popular in Vietnamese cuisine from North to South with many variations. In particular, a plate of sausage sliced into many evenly sized pieces is always present on Tet (Lunar New Year) feast tables.
11. Sticky rice cake (Bánh khúc)
Bánh khúc is a type of cake originating from the Northern Delta region of Vietnam, made from the leaves of the khúc plant (there are two types: common khúc and glutinous khúc), glutinous rice, mung bean filling, and fatty pork. The cake is usually made during the khúc plant season – around February and March in the lunar calendar – and is often eaten with sesame salt.
In Hanoi, these cakes are usually sold in the evenings because of their warm, filling nature.
12. Tea
Che is a dessert commonly served in Asian cuisine. In Vietnam, che is a popular treat enjoyed as a dessert or afternoon snack to cool down. It's a liquid dish, where the most important ingredient is sugar. All types of che are sweet. There are many varieties, such as che khuc bach, che longan, che mango, che khoai, che ba cot, etc.
