The Drinks That Fill Hanoi Sidewalks Ask a Hanoian for a favourite drink and you may not hear about coffee at all. You are more likely to hear about the simple glasses served from kettles, thermoses and carts on every corner: iced tea, lemon tea, herbal brews and fresh sugarcane juice. These are the Hanoi…
Why Bubble Tea Is Part of the Hanoi Experience Hanoi is famous for pho, egg coffee and sidewalk lemon tea, yet a different kind of drink now fills the city’s corners from the Old Quarter to the French Quarter: bubble tea in Hanoi. Walk around Hoan Kiem Lake on a warm afternoon and you will…
Banh Mi Vietnam on the World Food Map Few dishes travel as well as the Vietnamese sandwich. Crisp bread, rich pate, fresh herbs and a kick of chili have made banh mi in Vietnam one of the most recognised street foods on the planet. The word itself was added to the Oxford English Dictionary in…
Every September, one of Hanoi’s oldest streets transforms into a colourful world of lanterns, paper masks, drums and traditional toys. This is Hang Ma Street Hanoi, one of the most atmospheric places to experience the Mid-Autumn Festival in Hanoi. Known locally as Tet Trung Thu, the festival is traditionally a celebration for children and families….
Ask any local when Hanoi is at its most beautiful, and the answer almost always comes back the same: Hanoi autumn. Between September and November, the city sheds the punishing heat and humidity of summer and settles into something gentler, cooler mornings, golden afternoon light, and streets that finally feel comfortable to explore on foot…
Every October, a distinct sweetness drifts through the streets of Hanoi at dusk, thick enough to stop passersby mid-step. This is hoa sữa Hanoi, the milk flower, and for anyone visiting the city during Vietnam’s cooler months, understanding this small white bloom is understanding one of the most emotionally loaded symbols in Hanoi culture. It…
Among all the edible souvenirs that visitors carry home from Vietnam, few are as tied to a single street as bánh cốm Hanoi. This soft, jade-green rice cake, wrapped in banana leaf and tucked into simple paper boxes, is one of Hanoi’s most treasured specialty foods, a favorite for gift-giving, weddings, and quiet afternoons with…
Few dishes capture the quiet elegance of Vietnamese cuisine quite like bánh cuốn Hanoi. Paper-thin, delicate, and steamed to order in front of you, this rice roll is one of the most beloved breakfast dishes in Hanoi, a favorite alternative to pho for locals and an essential stop on any Old Quarter food tour. This…
If there is one snack that captures the rhythm of Hanoi street food, it is bánh rán Hanoi. Golden, crackling, and sold from the same charcoal-warmed pans that have simmered on Old Quarter corners for generations, this humble fried dough is one of the most satisfying things to eat in Hanoi, whether you are chasing…
Before Hanoi had skyscrapers or scooters, it had scholars. The Temple of Literature Hanoi, known locally as Van Mieu Quoc Tu Giam, was founded in 1070 to honor Confucius and expanded six years later into Vietnam’s first university. Nearly a thousand years on, it remains one of the most atmospheric places in the city, a…
