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Beyond pho, Hanoi has bun rieu, bun thang, bun oc, bun doc mung and mien luon. Here is how the broths, noodles and textures differ.

A local guide to Hanoi afternoon snacks, from banh goi and nem chua ran to grilled pork skewers, banh khuc, banh ran and che.

A guide to bun doc mung, the Hanoi noodle soup whose defining ingredient is the spongy taro stem called doc mung.

A local guide to Hanoi grilled pork skewers: smoky, sweet-savoury, easy to share and almost impossible to walk past.

What banh ran is, how sweet and savoury versions differ, and why the best one is usually the one just lifted from the oil.

A deep guide to banh khuc, the northern sticky-rice cake filled with mung bean and pork and scented with khuc leaves.

Why banh goi and nem chua ran belong to Hanoi’s afternoon snack culture, and what to expect when you order them.

A local guide to che in Hanoi: what is in the bowl, why there are so many versions, and how to order your first one.

A local guide to trung vit lon in Hanoi: what Vietnamese balut is, how it is served, what it tastes like and what first-time visitors should know.

A local guide to ga tan in Hanoi: herbal chicken, dark aromatic broth, black chicken variations and why locals reach for it on cooler evenings.

A local guide to mien luon in Hanoi, where crispy or soft eel meets glass noodles, herbs and broth in one of the city’s most textural dishes.

A local guide to bun oc in Hanoi: freshwater snails, tomato, sour broth, herbs and what first-time visitors should expect from the bowl.

Discover com and cha com in Hanoi: young green rice, its connection to autumn, and the sweet and savoury foods built around this seasonal ingredient.

Discover bun thang in Hanoi, a delicate noodle soup built from clear broth, chicken, egg, Vietnamese ham and many carefully prepared small elements.

A local guide to bun rieu in Hanoi: crab, tomato, tofu and herbs in a bright, tangy broth, plus how Hanoians actually eat it.

Where Vietnamese cacao comes from, how it differs from better-known origins, and why most visitors have never tasted it.

A practical guide to brewing coffee with a Vietnamese phin filter, including the mistakes that most often go wrong.

What sets Vietnamese coconut coffee apart, and why it's often the easiest entry point for a first-time visitor.

What Vietnamese salt coffee actually tastes like, how it's made, and why it splits opinion even among coffee lovers.

How Vietnamese coffee culture actually works, from the phin filter to the drinks that make Hanoi's coffee scene distinct.