Northern Vietnam culinary adventure
For some people, traveling can be challenging if they are resistant to trying new foods.🥢 I am lucky however, that I enjoy experiencing new things and flavours.
Unlike Thailand, admittedly there were a few misses with the food, but when it was good, it was very, very good! Deb and I are both quite adventurous when it comes to food - which means we would try almost anything! Following are some of the places I would recommend!
Hà Nội
When we arrived in Hanoi we were a bit tired, so didn’t venture far that first day - only a couple of shops away from our hotel (Golden Sail) was a restaurant called V Cuisine. It serves both traditional as well as vegetarian options. I had the Vegetable Pho (Phở rau) there, and it was a hearty bowl of fresh vegetables, tofu and noodles. This is a good option if you are craving veggies. I’m not a big meat eater and noticed that all the dishes in Vietnam were served with plenty of meat and limited vegetables, but often with a side of herbs. This place had generous portions, a large menu to choose from and the service was great.
Photos L-R: map of V-Cuisine restaurant on 69 P. Hàng Buồm in the Old Quarter of Hanoi; V Cuisine; Pho rau
Coffee/Tea/Juice
Vietnam is the second largest producer of coffee in the world (after Brazil).[1] I had the most incredible coffee there, whether an espresso, latte, Vietnamese traditional coffee or any of their specialty coffees (like egg coffee or coconut coffee).
We definitely had coffee at way more places than I could mention here, but our first egg coffee and coconut coffee was at Movitas Cafe (1 P. Lãn Ông, Hàng Đào, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội). Both coffees were very sweet - so I learned to ask for half-sweet everywhere else.
For just a great cup of Vietnamese coffee (hot or cold) we often visited Lam Coffee (51, Hàng Buồm, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội). It is a very small cafe, but we enjoyed the charming atmosphere, and the coffee.
Nearby (also on P. Hàng Buồm Street) is 22 Carpe Diem Tea & Coffee - where I had the orange/cinnamon tea on ice. It was very refreshing and the owner was super friendly!
I wouldn’t normally order a sweetened coffee back home, but I could really get addicted to the Vietnamese coconut coffee. 🥥🍵 This iced brew is probably the one food thing I will miss the most about Vietnam.
I can’t even express how good the fresh pineapple juice 🍍was at Le Pain Lee (14B P. Nguyễn Khuyến, Văn Miếu, Đống Đa, Hà Nội) where we stopped on our walk to the Temple of Literature (and again on our walk back for another glass of juice). I was thrilled by the cute elephant on the sealing which keeps debris out (served with a straw).
Photos above - L-R: Coconut coffee and croissant (Movitas); egg coffee and croissant (Movitas); Lam Coffee store front; shelves of coffee and accessories at Lam; mural inside Lam Coffee; coconut coffee (Lam); 22 Carpe Diem store front: coffee and iced cinnamon/orange tea (22 Carpe Diem); Le Pain Lee; freshest pineapple juice
Food
We ate at many restaurants and food stalls during our stay in Hanoi. All were good, but some more memorable than others.
We did have an amazing meal of noodle soup w/ vegetables, snails and pork, large bowl of herbs and fried bread, on the last day in Vietnam. The serving dishes at Bún ốc - sườn also have their name and address on it, which is handy for finding it again. Note their menu was only in Vietnamese and there were no other foreigners eating there, but it was definitely the best meal we had in Hanoi.
Another thing we tried while wondering around the Old Quarter, were the fried bananas 🍌from a street cart. I didn’t take a picture (unfortunately) but it was absolutely delicious. The fried bananas I’ve tried in Canada don’t even come close!
Cruise Food
My friend and travelling companion, Deborah R, already mentioned the food on the cruise (in Ha Long Bay) in her previous guest blog post, Food, Glorious Food, so I won’t reiterate it here, other than to say it was always beautifully presented, there were lots of options, and it was very tasty.
Ninh Binh
We tried several local dishes and enjoyed all the food in Ninh Binh. I do have to mention the Phở rau at the Trang An Retreat. It was so good my eyes teared up from happiness the first morning I had it. I also had it for breakfast every morning we stayed there!
Photos: delicious Vegetable Pho and fruit platter (passion fruit, oranges, watermelon and bananas) at Trang An Retreat
Bat Trang
While we didn’t actually stop for a meal while visiting the pottery village and museum in Bat Trang, we did stop for coffee at GỐM coffee & tea. Like (I presume) every shop in the village they had at least some pottery for sale. They also had some great murals, and wonderful tea!
L-R: a couple of the murals, with a display of pottery for sale; iced chrysanthemum tea
The culture, people and food of Vietnam created a lasting impression on me. I can only hope that I will be able to return!
P.S. If you are here in Calgary, Alberta and are looking for some great Vietnamese food, I would highly recommend the new restaurant Alô Viet Kitchen (12 St NW - off Kensington Road). Every single menu item I’ve had there has been incredibly delicious! The chef, Nhi, takes obvious pride and care in preparing the food. 🍚🥢
Photos L-R: Bun Classic bowl, with spring rolls and shrimp; Bò Kho; Oxtail Bún Bò Huế; spicy calamari
[1] Vietnam produces 17% of the global share, according to the US Department of Agriculture, Foreign Agricultural Service (2024) 2023/2024 Coffee Production. online at https://fas.usda.gov/data/production/commodity/0711100
