The main reason to stay at Old Quarter - food and lots of good food! And the they are generally within walking distance. Here is my list of must-try food in Old Quarter:
Xoi Yen
Address: 35b Nguyen Huu Huan, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi.
Xoi is a Vietnamese dish made from sticky rice and comes with different kinds of toppings such as eggs and minced meat. The portion was huge, sharing between 2 girls should be just nice. Our base was the combination of sticky rice and white corns, yes, I had never seen white corns in my life. However, the secret key ingredient of the dish was definitely the green bean paste! My friend thought it's mashed potatoes at the first place until Tiff (my Hanoi friend) revealed its true idenitity. For the toppings, we ordered everything I guess. I would describe the dish as interesting and flavourful, worth a try. =)
Giang Cafe
Address: 39, Nguyen Huu Huan Street, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi.
Just few shops away from Xoi Yen, you will find this little cafe called Giang Cafe. We went there solely for the famous egg coffee. I was curious and worried at the same time. Not everyone could stand the taste of raw eggs and unfortunately I am one of those who have phobia with raw eggs. Luckily it turned out that my worry was unnecessary. The egg made the coffee smoother and thicker while the coffee itself was fragrant and bold. It totally changed my perception towards the egg coffee, haha!
Quan Bun Cha
Address: Dac Kim, 1 Hang Manh, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi.
This was definitely my favourite meal in Vietnam so far!!! I couldn't describe how tasty it was XD Bun Cha means rice vermicelli with grilled porks. The portion was huge, especially the amount of vermicelli given, definitely worth the price of 60000 vnd. We also ordered Nem Cua Be or spring rolls with seacrabs in English.
How to eat Bun Cha? We copied the Vietnamese sitting beside us. And this is what we figured out:
1. Add some fresh herbs and garlic into the bowl of meat.
2. Take some noodles and dip into the sauce.
3. Enjoy the meal then! A big mouthful of noodles with herbs and grilled meat.
Banh Cuon Thanh Van
Address: 14 Hang Ga, Hanoi.
Banh Cuon, steamed rice pancake with fresh shrimps. I shall declare this as my second favourite food in Hanoi. It looked like our chee cheong fun (猪肠粉), but the sauce was different. The Vietnamese version also has a stronger flavours with the fried onions and herbs on top.
Quan Kem Caramen (The recommended stall)
Address: 29, Hang Than, Phuong Nguyen Trung Truc, Quan Ba Dinh, Hanoi.
A lot of food bloggers recommended this particular Caramen stall in Old Quarter. We believed it's closed on the day of our visit due to heavy rain. And thus we ended up in the Caramen dessert shop opposite to the address of the recommended stall. Sigh, the taste was not bad but a little regret for not able to try the recommended one.
Beef Pho (A random roadside stall)
It was really delicious. Love the broth and the tender sliced beef very much. Just squeeze some lime and it would elevate the flavours of the broth. Love love love ~
Xoi Yen
Address: 35b Nguyen Huu Huan, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi.
Xoi is a Vietnamese dish made from sticky rice and comes with different kinds of toppings such as eggs and minced meat. The portion was huge, sharing between 2 girls should be just nice. Our base was the combination of sticky rice and white corns, yes, I had never seen white corns in my life. However, the secret key ingredient of the dish was definitely the green bean paste! My friend thought it's mashed potatoes at the first place until Tiff (my Hanoi friend) revealed its true idenitity. For the toppings, we ordered everything I guess. I would describe the dish as interesting and flavourful, worth a try. =)
Xoi with mixed toppings.
Pickled cucumbers as a side dish.
Delicious green bean paste.
Giang Cafe
Address: 39, Nguyen Huu Huan Street, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi.
Just few shops away from Xoi Yen, you will find this little cafe called Giang Cafe. We went there solely for the famous egg coffee. I was curious and worried at the same time. Not everyone could stand the taste of raw eggs and unfortunately I am one of those who have phobia with raw eggs. Luckily it turned out that my worry was unnecessary. The egg made the coffee smoother and thicker while the coffee itself was fragrant and bold. It totally changed my perception towards the egg coffee, haha!
Mo muoi (fermented apricot), kinda special with the sour taste. A good choice for those who do not have the guts to try egg coffee.
Kem Trang Tien
Address: 35 Trang Tien, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi.
Apparently it's a popular place among the locals. Kem means ice-cream in Vietnamese. We ordered the signature coconut cones. I wasn't particularly impressed but my friend thought it was awesome. No seats are provided but you can walk to the Opera House nearby. We sat on the staircase, enjoyed the breeze and had a small chat. Really miss that moment!
Signature coconut ice-cream.
The Opera House.
Quan Bun Cha
Address: Dac Kim, 1 Hang Manh, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi.
This was definitely my favourite meal in Vietnam so far!!! I couldn't describe how tasty it was XD Bun Cha means rice vermicelli with grilled porks. The portion was huge, especially the amount of vermicelli given, definitely worth the price of 60000 vnd. We also ordered Nem Cua Be or spring rolls with seacrabs in English.
How to eat Bun Cha? We copied the Vietnamese sitting beside us. And this is what we figured out:
1. Add some fresh herbs and garlic into the bowl of meat.
2. Take some noodles and dip into the sauce.
3. Enjoy the meal then! A big mouthful of noodles with herbs and grilled meat.
Address: 14 Hang Ga, Hanoi.
Banh Cuon, steamed rice pancake with fresh shrimps. I shall declare this as my second favourite food in Hanoi. It looked like our chee cheong fun (猪肠粉), but the sauce was different. The Vietnamese version also has a stronger flavours with the fried onions and herbs on top.
Quan Kem Caramen (The recommended stall)
Address: 29, Hang Than, Phuong Nguyen Trung Truc, Quan Ba Dinh, Hanoi.
A lot of food bloggers recommended this particular Caramen stall in Old Quarter. We believed it's closed on the day of our visit due to heavy rain. And thus we ended up in the Caramen dessert shop opposite to the address of the recommended stall. Sigh, the taste was not bad but a little regret for not able to try the recommended one.
Kem Trai Dua, the legendary coconut ice-cream and coconut pudding.
Caramen. The caramel was smooth and thick, immersed in the bitter coffee. Interesting combination.
Beef Pho (A random roadside stall)
It was really delicious. Love the broth and the tender sliced beef very much. Just squeeze some lime and it would elevate the flavours of the broth. Love love love ~
Other Option
Slusnack Fast Food
Address: 25 Hàng Gà, Hàng Bồ, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội, Vietnam.
If you are tired of hot and stuffy eating environment, here is another option for you to escape from the heat. The food was normal, haha. The drinks came in unique flavours and were refreshing.
Lavendar Peach and Strawberry Oolong.
Another traditional Vietnamese-styled food - Banh Mi made with French baguette and various toppings.
That's all for my food hunt in Old Quarter. I really enjoyed the Vietnamese food very much, especially rice vermicelli. I feel like I can have it for all meals in one day. And also Vietnamese coffee, definitely love the strong flavour! Can't wait for my next trip to Hanoi for more good food =)
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