To Market, To Market: Food & Shopping Recommendations in Hanoi

 

#Travel # Hanoi

Vietnam Day 4

We planned to spend the day checking out some famous Hanoi old quarter streets known for their wares; Hang Gai (Hemp / Silk Street) and Hang Dau (Bags and Shoes) in particular. Many of the streets are named after the wares they sell, there is a silver jewelry street, and one that sells only chocolates, one with wooden handmade products like combs, spoons, etc. I forgot the name of the street which sells chocolates, but it is on the same street where the famous Bach Ma temple is located. Our day was exclusively set for shopping and indulging our taste buds.

We started with some street food right besides our homestay (Hanoi Old Quarter Homestay). We were recommended Bún Dậu Thập Cẩm and but maybe because the rice vermicelli noodle cake was served cold, the sausages and fried tofu were dripping oil, and the shrimp paste was quite pungent …we didn’t enjoy it very much.

I suggest going for fresh grilled dishes with rice/rice noodles and side dishes, instead of fried ones. We had a great time grilling our own food in one of those Korean style barbeque pavement joints (around the corner from our homestay) where we selected our own meat and veggies and had an exciting time listening to the sizzle on our stove grill and gobbling them down with chopsticks. This tabletop K Town grill experience is a must, especially for all the crazy K Drama fans!

For a quick bite while shopping, you can try Banh Xeo (Crispy Pancake) Vietnamese omelette loaded with all the goodies you can think of! One must savour steaming hot Banh Bao (easily available in any of the street food joints) and Salty Cheese Buns at King Roti (Really yum…melts in your mouth!). The liquid nitrogen infused cereal balls also known as Dragon’s Breath are also a fun treat if you want some great videos of vapours escaping your nose and mouth! It tastes okay and we were fine after eating. However, do not indulge little kids just to be on the safe side.

For lunch, you can try Noodle & Roll. They have a great menu to choose from including vegan options. We went there twice as it was right behind our alley and was quite reasonable. We got to finally try fresh Vietnamese Spring rolls (Goi Cuon), and they immediately registered into our favourite food list along with Bun Bo Nam Bo and grilled meat on lettuce wraps! Many a times we have had Bánh mì (Vietnamese Bread Sandwich with choice of fillings) for an early lunch. Make sure, you have it at a street joint popular with locals and fresh and hot. It is a safe bet and fills you up for all the walking around.

For dinner, the quintessential Vietnamese Pho is a must try, although you can get it everywhere throughout the day. If you want to eat at a good restaurant with a decently priced menu, I highly recommend Gecko. Must try their Fish/Veg options in lemongrass flavoured tangy sauce with a side of rice and Cinnamon and Honey tea for a drink. We could never try any of the high-end restaurants as we would always grab a quick bite of something while roaming around and then would not be hungry enough for a proper fine-dining experience! We also missed out Cha Ca La Vong, Vietnamese turmeric fish with dill and noodles. I suggest you don’t miss it… and try it when you are there!

Our meal at Gecko, Hanoi.Photo by Author

The coffee lovers can try all sorts of coffee here. I personally liked the cold versions of Vietnamese coffee and make sure you load yourself with the Vietnamese instant coffee sachets for a steaming cuppa wherever you go! My sisters tried Vietnamese local beer and found it quite light and breezy. There are all sorts of international fast-food joints around the Hoan Kiem Lake area, but we avoided them like plague to save space for local cuisine at all times. Best decision ever!

The entire Old Quarter is a shopper’s delight. It has all sorts of bric-a-brac and is a lucky treasure hunt sort of experience overall. We got some nice bargains for good fancy bags, shoes, clothes, and souvenirs. The Hang Gai Street tailors promise you a customised outfit in 24 hours at a good bargain. We can buy the Vietnamese traditional costume Áo dài for just around (250000 VND/ 773 Rupees/ 11 $), or you can get it custom made in pure silk for around Rs 4000/- (55 $).

The Hanoi Night Market area (personal favourite) is lively during the day also with shops where you can drive a hard bargain and come out smiling ear to ear! Beautiful dresses, shoes, trinkets, caps, hats, silk scarves and shawls, you name it …and the place’s got it!

Every minute we had, after our walking sight-seeing tours, we headed straight to Old Quarter to explore a new street each evening. The Dong Xuan Market is a wholesale market, you can skip it unless you are looking for some good quality leather bags (inspired design copies and not in your face fake).

The French Quarter is mostly a high-end shopping area with elegant French architecture and wide-open spaces and roads, a complete opposite of the Old Quarter, but showcasing another part of Hanoi history and lifestyle. Do try Mochi Ice-cream at Kem Trang Tien, while checking out the Trang Tien Plaza. We didn’t buy anything inside the plaza, but it provides the cleanest place for a toilet break in the area!