10 Hanoi street foods you shouldn't miss!

Hanoi street food isn’t about fancy restaurants or long menus. It’s about timing, balance, and eating what locals eat at the right moment of the day. If you’re visiting the city for the first time, don’t try to eat everything. Eat smart.

In this guide, we’re sharing the Hanoi street food dishes you shouldn’t miss, based on how locals actually eat — what we enjoy daily, and what we’d suggest you try if you want to understand the city through food.

Pho

Made with flat rice noodles, clear beef or chicken broth, fresh herbs, and thinly sliced meat. The broth is light, fragrant, and comforting, especially when you eat it early in the morning.

Bun cha

Grilled pork patties and slices served with rice noodles, herbs, and dipping sauce. Smoky, savory, and slightly sweet, with a perfect balance when mixed together.

Bun rieu cua

A tomato-based broth with crab paste, fried tofu, rice noodles, and fresh herbs (sometimes topped with beef or pork, balut). The flavor is slightly sour, light but rich, and very refreshing.

Banh mi

A crispy baguette filled with pâté, herbs, pickles, and a wide variety of fillings like pork, chicken, eggs, or even simple street-style omelet. Crunchy, rich, fresh, and slightly tangy in one bite.

Banh cuon

Steamed rice sheets filled with minced pork and wood ear mushrooms, served with herbs and dipping sauce. Soft and silky with a mild savory flavor that feels light and delicate.

Xoi

Glutinous rice served with many toppings, from pork and chicken to mung beans or eggs. The taste depends on the topping, but xôi is always rich, filling, and meant to keep you full for hours.

Nom du du

Made with shredded green papaya, dried beef, liver, roasted peanuts, fresh herbs, and light dressing. Crisp, lightly sour, slightly sweet, and very refreshing.

Banh Gio

A warm, soft pyramid of rice flour filled with pork and mushrooms, wrapped in banana leaves. Locals often eat it with pork patties with young green rice and pickled vegetables.

Banh goi

Fried pastry filled with minced pork, glass noodles, mushrooms and egg. Crispy and savory, slightly rich and best enjoyed hot with dipping sauce.

Banh ran

Fried glutinous rice balls coated in sesame seeds, with mung bean or sometimes savory filling. Crispy outside and soft inside, lightly sweet and best eaten hot.

Hanoi street food is best enjoyed slowly, at small local stalls, often on low plastic stools. If you want to go beyond tourist spots and really understand how locals eat, joining our Taste of Hanoi - a local food tour can help you discover places you’d never find on your own.

Eat with curiosity, follow the locals, and let the city guide you.

Dung (Emma)

Beyond Vietnam