Vietnam is world-renowned for its vibrant cuisine, featuring excellent use of fresh herbs and ingredients, giving interesting textures to mouth feel.
Whether you like it sweet, salty, bitter, sour, or spicy, or all of it in one bite, the newly launched MICHELIN Guide Hanoi & Ho Chi Minh City 2023 has it all!
To help you choose local eats in the latest edition of MICHELIN Guide Vietnam, we asked our inspectors for their favourite street grub in Hanoi that impressed them most during their Vietnam restaurant inspections.
Top street food bites from the notebooks of our inspectors
Bánh Cuốn Bà Xuân (Recommended, MICHELIN Guide Hanoi & Ho Chi Minh City 2023)
Specialising in banh cuon (Bánh cuốn), or Vietnamese steamed rice rolls, this humble shop in Hanoi sells them made to order. Passersby can see the lady at the door steaming rice sheets and making fresh rolls in front of them. There are two types of banh cuon: the first is the most common, stuffed with minced pork and black fungus, and the other one is egg banh cuon with a soft poached egg added. Diners can also order some pork meatloaf and sausage to eat together and create a dipping sauce by adding fresh herbs, chillies, lime, or garlic slices to the fish sauce. The food is delicious and affordable, an excellent choice for breakfast or a snack.
Phở Bò Ấu Triệu (Bib Gourmand, MICHELIN Guide Hanoi & Ho Chi Minh City 2023)
This street food shop is only open in the morning, but you will find hungry foodies are all here for the only one signature item on the menu, the pho bo. The soup is an intense beef bone stock that has been cooked for 10 hours and sits at the entrance on the charcoal stove. Slurping on a hearty bowl of beef noodle soup is certainly an excellent way to start the day.
Phở Gà Nguyệt (Bib Gourmand, MICHELIN Guide Hanoi & Ho Chi Minh City 2023)
This establishment in Hanoi has been a favourite spot for local gourmands ever since it opened in 2009. It’s always busy with people queuing up for chicken noodles, with soup or dry. You can choose different chicken parts for toppings, such as breast, thigh, wing, and even organs. For a little extra, you can mix thigh and wing, wing and back, or other combinations. Try the chicken thigh as the meat is soft and tender, with a strong meaty flavour that is unbelievably delicious. Dry chicken noodle is also a great choice. In addition to the full serving of chicken on the top, the noodles below are mixed with soy sauce, vinegar, coriander, fried onions, and peanuts for a dish rich in texture and tasty. The shop is open until midnight – perfect for late-night meals.
Tuyết Bún Chả 34 (Bib Gourmand, MICHELIN Guide Hanoi & Ho Chi Minh City 2023)
A big fan of Vietnamese cuisine? You won't want to miss this place in the Vietnam capital. This shop specialises in bun cha (Bún chả), a grilled pork rice noodle dish that is a popular street food in Vietnam. First you will see the staff grilling the pork right at the entrance, enticing you with the mouthwatering aroma. The rice noodles are freshly prepared and served with a plate of herbs, including purple perilla leaves, which add a refreshing flavour to the dish. The food here is made to order, ensuring that it is fresh and delicious. The prices are also pocket-friendly, making it a great spot for locals and tourists alike. As the restaurant is often crowded, we recommend you arrive early, or be prepared to wait for a table.
