Hanoi food is delicious. From cha ca to banh tom, here are five Vietnamese dishes every visitor should try — including US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during their summit.
Though it’s highly unlikely the pair will be hitting the streets for any meals, it’d be a shame it they didn’t take the time to sample at least a bit of the local cuisine.
And then of course there’s the world-famous pho. Made with rice noodles, this beef noodle soup is a must-try on the streets of Hanoi — not to mention readily available overseas.
But there’s much more to the city’s diverse food scene.
Hanoians consider cha ca to be so exceptional that there is a road in the capital dedicated to these fried morsels of fish — Cha Ca Street.
Along the busy road, where spiderwebs of exposed electric wires hang overhead, dozens of specialists compete to sell the best cha ca — crispy turmeric-marinated fish that’s fried tableside in a pan with herbs.
The most famous restaurant on this strip is Ca La Vong — one of the oldest eateries in Hanoi — and the first to set up shop on Cha Ca Street, over a century ago.
The dish itself dates back more than 130 years. It was first invented by the local Doan family, who served the special meal to troops during French colonial rule.
Deceptively time-intensive, Hanoi-style banh tom, or shrimp cakes, have just a few main ingredients: freshwater crayfish or shrimp from West Lake, flour and sweet potato.
