As many true foodies and travelers to Vietnam know, the street food in Vietnam is second to none in terms of its wide availability, diversity, vibrancy, and amazing taste. It includes the most popular and well-known Vietnamese dishes, as well as local dishes unique to each area. In short, Vietnam is a real foodie’s paradise, and for good reason. Some of the best street food in Hanoi definitely has stuck with me and I am so thrilled to share my experience with you!

My Personal Experience with Vietnamese Cuisine

I’ve always enjoyed Vietnamese food, but my exposure to the cuisine has been pretty limited to a handful of dishes: pho, banh mi, spring rolls, vermicelli bowls, to name a few. And my bet is, unless you’re Vietnamese, you’ve got a Vietnamese bestie, or you’ve been to Vietnam, you’re likely in the same boat. Not the worst boat to be in, I should mention. They’re all delicious, but I knew I was missing out on so many truly authentic and traditional dishes.

Since I knew I was no expert on Vietnamese food or its history, I booked a private food tour with Hanoi Street Food Tour for my second day in the city. The food tour was something brand new for me, but something I’ve always dreamed of doing after years of admiring some of my favorite food/travel content creators. And to my surprise, it was not only easy to book, but so affordable, even as a private tour! It was the highlight of my 11-day trip to Vietnam and I’m so excited to share it with you! Keep reading to learn about the best street food in Hanoi!

7 of the Best Street Foods in Hanoi

I started out the day by grabbing some coffee at a cafe near my hostel and then headed to the Hanoi Street Food Tours office, where I paid for the tour, and met my tour guide, Sarah, or Ngoc bich. We chatted briefly and then had a shot of rượu, or rice wine, said the Vietnamese cheers, “một – hai – ba – dzô” (meaning “one – two – three – drink”). She then took me all around Hanoi Old Quarter to try the best Vietnamese street food dishes. Not all of the restaurants and food stalls have an online presence, so I’ve added the address to each place!

1. Bánh cuốn

Perhaps one of my favorite dishes of the day, bánh cuốn has stolen a piece of my heart (and my stomach too). Bánh meaning cakes (and other baked goods that contain flour) and cuốn meaning rolls, the name translates to “rolled cakes” and they are such a delight to eat! The batter is made primarily of rice flour and the traditional filling is usually a combination of pork, onion, mushrooms, and jicama, which are then rolled up and cut in half before being served. This was my first time trying bánh cuốn and there was just something comforting and satisfying about the warmth of each bite of freshly steamed rice rolls with a balanced mix of flavors coming from the filling. The fragrant chilies, kumquats, and sauces on the side are just the added touch to make each bite a perfect one.

Address: 17 Ô Quan Chưởng (located near the Old East Gate)

2. Chả rươi

At first glance, chả rươi resembles a small omelet/pancake dish. With a special ingredient though, chả rươi is no ordinary omelet. It is, however, a very rare dish, unique to Hanoi and other northern Vietnamese cities. What makes chả rươi so unique is the sandworm, which is limited to the fall and early winter season. Yep, you read it right – this is a type of deep fried omelet that has deep-fried ragworts, egg, onions, pork, fragrant dill, and other spices. The sandworms are thoroughly rinsed in hot water and the tentacles are removed prior to mixing them in with the rest of the ingredients. I know what a lot of you are thinking, and honestly, it was delicious and so full of flavor, I didn’t even really notice the presence of sandworms (though my tour guide was so kind to pull one out of the omelet for me to try alone lol). Plus, the sandworms and eggs make the dish protein-packed and hearty – the perfect snack for a chilly day.

Address: 1 Hang chien

3. Bánh rán

If you know me even a little, you know that even though I’m an overall foodie, I have a sweet tooth. So the next stop was naturally a favorite – though I’m not sure I could eat more than 3 in one sitting. Bánh rán is a Vietnamese deep-fried rice ball with a mung bean and coconut filling. With a crunchy, yet chewy exterior, and a soft, sweet coconut and mung bean paste for the filling, it’ll leave you wanting another bite and another bite – I didn’t have any drinks while eating this, but I was thinking that it’d be perfect with a cup of hot coffee or tea. In northern Vietnam, it’s called bánh rán, where as in the rest of Vietnam, it’s referred to as bánh cam. The main difference is bánh cam is coated with sesame seeds and bánh rán is usually coated in a thin crust of caramel.

Address: 52 Hang chien

4. Bún chả

 My all time favorite dish of this tour, bún chả was mouth-watering and literally a burst of flavor in your mouth. I didn’t grow up eating pork and now still, I tend to stay away from it unless I’m traveling. But, oh my. This dish took the cake. Said to have originated in Hanoi, bún chả is a grilled pork noodle soup. Don’t let the simplicity of the name fool you, though. It’s packed with flavor and I swear, you will want to finish the bowl even after you’ve declared you’re full. Like most Vietnamese dishes, bún chả is served with an assortment of fresh greens, chilies, and a vinegar sauce on the side.

Besides being a tasty dish, it’s held in high regard in Hanoi, in particular, because of Barack Obama. Anthony Bourdain and President Obama enjoyed bún chả together in 2016 and only then did the dish become internationally recognized. Barack was such a remarkable spectacle in Hanoi, in fact, that I heard they even enclosed the table he sat at in glass for the foreseeable future. I guess there’s a first for everything, right?

Address: 21 Nguyen Huu huan

5. Nộm thịt bò khô

Nộm thịt bò khô, or dried beef salad, is a refreshing dish made with beef jerky, fresh papaya, fresh mint, and slices of dried beef, all tossed in a light fish sauce dressing. If you love Thai food, this might remind you of som tum, or papaya salad, but it’s a world apart from that. Still refreshing, it isn’t nearly as bold in flavor compared to som tum and not nearly as spicy (unless you had a lot of chilies). What I personally loved about it was the salty, heartiness of the meat, balanced with the freshness of the papaya and the sweet and sour vinegar sauce. I ended up adding a couple chilies for some heat, too.

Address: 23 Hoan lien

6. Cà phê trứng

Though I’m much more of a tea lover, I will almost never pass up a good quality cup of coffee. Luckily for me, good coffee is in abundance in Vietnam, so I had my fair share (and then some) during my 11-day trip. Cà phê trứng is egg coffee. Yep, egg inside coffee. During the French war, egg coffee was invented in response to a milk shortage. Almost more dessert-like in my opinion, cà phê trứng is made with a sweet, thick, creamy layer of an egg yolk and condensed milk mixture sitting atop the rich, bitter coffee. Though home to Hanoi, cà phê trứng is enjoyed throughout Vietnam by both locals and foreigners. 

Sarah also ordered gỏi cuốn, or fresh spring rolls. If you like Vietnamese food, you’ve surely had or at least seen these often. They were filled with fresh, crunchy vegetables and the dipping sauce was delicious. Pretty typical for Vietnamese cuisine and nothing to write home about, but still good.

Address: so 8 Gia ngu

7. Kem xoi

Vietnamese cuisine is largely known for its savory dishes, but their sweets are top-notch too! Kem xoi is sticky rice topped with coconut ice cream, shredded coconut, and toasted coconut. The sticky rice is usually made with pandan, therefore is green and gives the dish a nice color and flavor. It was cold, refreshing, and not at all too sweet. I enjoyed it with a small serving of durian. The perfect end to an amazing food tour!

Address: 95 hang bac

Some Additional Info About Hanoi Street Food Tours

I know that was probably a lot of information to swallow – get it? But in all honesty, this was just the very beginning of an 11-day feast and I can’t wait to share with you all of my favorite and not-so favorite foods I tried in Vietnam in my next blog post. 

Oh, and if you fancy a street food tour during your trip to Hanoi, please check out Hanoi Street Food Tour, tell them I sent you, and ask for Sarah – she was absolutely amazing. She was kind, helpful, and informative, giving me background knowledge on some of the dishes I tried. It was such a pleasure spending the day with her. In fact, at the end, I jokingly asked her if I could book another tour with her. I didn’t, but perhaps I would because it was such an incredible experience! If you’re unable to book with Sarah for some reason, I’ve heard the other tour guides at Hanoi Street Food Tour are all females and all great and can accommodate any special dietary restrictions!

Have you ever gone on a food tour? Where and did you love it? Tell me in the comments below!