A festive start to the Lunar New Year with Sharn and her bestie!

Hanoi, February, 4th, 2025

We were beyond excited to start the Lunar New Year with Sharn and her friend on our Taste of Hanoi tour! These two have explored everywhere - from Europe to Japan - but this time, it was Vietnam’s turn to steal their hearts (and fill their tummies!)

Stepping into the new year, they strolled through Hanoi’s charming streets, still glowing with Tết decorations, and eagerly picked up some Vietnamese phrases from Cream. ("chúc mừng năm mới”, “ngon", “xin chào”, “cảm ơn”- they totally nailed them all! 😆)

But the biggest realization of the day? When in Vietnam, you eat! Vietnamese rice porridge, Vietnamese donuts, salted coffee, … every bite was a discovery. And as for dessert? Let’s just say Sharn’s bestie found the one. 😉 By the end of the tour, their verdict was clear: “Everything was amazing, nothing average at all!” 👏

A joyful start to the new year with our two friends from Australia! 🇦🇺🎉 With an overwhelming number of food choices in Hanoi, they decided our Taste of Hanoi tour was the way to go - and oh, were they in for a treat!

A tiny alley, but Sharn and her bestie’s smiles couldn’t be bigger! 😆 Navigating these narrow lanes was a whole new adventure for them: unexpected, exciting, and so Hanoi. Some of the best food and drinks are hidden in places like this, and they were more than ready to dive in! 🏡✨

Our friends got lost in a sea of colors and flavors! 🌈🍜

Always big smiles when good food arrives! 😆 And of course, no trip to Vietnam is complete without trying the legendary bánh mì! They’ve had it in Australia before, but let’s be real… nothing beats the real deal here! 🥖🔥

Craving something delicious but not too filling? Can’t go wrong with crispy fried pillow dumplings or fried rolls! 😍 Once again, a whole new world of flavors opened up - golden, crispy, and absolutely nothing like what they’ve had anywhere else! 🔥🥟

Sunshine and Vietnamese donuts! ☀️ ✨ Crispy on the outside, soft and sweet inside, just like the warm and joyful spirit of the new year. A bite of this, and you know you're starting the year right! 😋🥠

And then came cháo (Vietnamese rice porridge) - packed with warmth and flavor. 🥣✨ Sharn took one bite and was instantly hooked! There’s just something about a steaming bowl of cháo that feels like a hug from Hanoi itself. 💛

A chilly day in Hanoi, a warm bowl of cháo in hand - pure happiness right here! 🥣✨💛

A dish that might not be as famous internationally but is a true staple in Hanoi - bún riêu (river crab noodle soup). Once again, flavors took over! Sharn’s friend was already full but couldn’t resist finishing the entire bowl. Some cravings are just impossible to fight! 🍜✨😆

Just when they thought they had tasted it all - Vietnamese sweet soup entered the chat. 😆🍨 Sharn’s friend went for jackfruit yogurt, took one bite, and boom: love at first spoonful! 💛✨

Being Aussies, our friends had their doubts about sweetened coffee. But the moment they tried Vietnamese milk coffee with ice and salted coffee, they vowed to drink their way through every café before heading home.

Between sips, Cream also taught them some Vietnamese. “Chúc mừng năm mới” (Happy New Year) was their first challenge, and oh, did they nail it with the cutest accent! 🎉

And that wrapped up a delicious and unforgettable start to the year - not just for Sharn and her friend, but for us as well! ❤️ Ready to taste your way through Hanoi like they did? 🍜✨ Join us on an adventure where every dish tells a story! 😋

Join us to explore the heart of Vietnamese cuisine with our Tatse of Hanoi food tour and create memories that last a lifetime: click here

Ngoc Anh (Ice)

Beyond Vietnam