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When Floods Turned into Fun – A Rainy Hanoi Food Tour with Brendan’s Family

Hanoi, September, 30th, 2025


When Floods Turned into Fun – Eat & Dance with Brendan’s Family!

Although Hanoi wasn’t directly hit by typhoon Matmo, the rain turned the city into one big lake. Instead of hiding indoors, Brendan’s family put on their raincoats and joined us for a real Hanoi food tour - because nothing can stop true food lovers!


From the first stop, we couldn’t stop laughing. Every dish we tried? Gone in seconds! Maybe it was the extra “seasoning” from the sky - or maybe it was just the joy of sharing good food with good friends. Their little boy was the happiest of all, splashing through puddles, dancing in the rain, and turning every flooded corner into his own mini water park. Hanoi’s chaos had never looked this joyful!


Even after the tour, we couldn't stop thinking about that day. A few days later, the family even video called Linh just to keep laughing and chatting - that's when we knew it was more than just a tour; it was the start of our friendship.


Come see how we turned a rainy day into a feast full of laughter and memories 🌧️🍜

“This is the flavor we’ve been looking for!” Even though it wasn’t their first time in Vietnam, the green papaya salad still took them by surprise: so fresh, so light, and perfectly balanced in flavor.
Here, our little boy - Tom learned to align the chopsticks and offer them to his parents and sister - Ellie before the meal. After the tour, he kept doing it everywhere, turning it into a sweet new habit that melted his mom’s heart. 🥢
Our family is practicing a Vietnamese word that we think is so important that you should learn it, too: “ngon”, meaning “delicious”! It's a compliment for today’s bowls of noodles.
It's not the "pho" or "bun" you see everywhere or at the top of online lists. It's “bánh đa cua” - crab noodle soup that stole our family's hearts and of course there's nothing left.
Linh managed to convince Tom to try Vietnamese steamed rice rolls. After the second bite, he gave her a big thumbs-up, and before we knew it, the plate was wiped clean! 😆
Along the way, we stopped to try some local fruits. Like many of our guests, the family mistook longan for lychee at first - but after Linh showed them how to peel and eat it, the whole bag was gone in no time! 😄
The floodwaters rose to our ankles, and Tom couldn’t hide his excitement. He and Ellie played and danced in the rain. They looked happier than they did at the water park. 😆
These are our family's bright smiles while trying the Vietnamese donut with extra delicious "sky's seasoning."
"This is the best dish I've ever had!" Brendan said after trying “bánh giò” - pyramid rice dumpling. He was impressed because it tasted unlike anything he had ever tasted before.
The rain kept pouring, but it couldn't stop us from heading to a local market to find the can't-miss dessert, "chè" - sweet soup.
Tom was excited about everything, from the "waterfall" pouring from a tarp roof on the street to the "flowing steam of water" under Linh’s seat. He was really immersing himself in Hanoi life!
The surprise wasn't over yet as Linh guided our family to a hidden alley tucked right in the Old Quarter, which was filled with red Vietnamese flags.
This hidden specialty café is small but cozy and charming. Our family instantly fell in love with it, especially its coffee. Could you guess what we tried and love the most?
Here's our photo together. Linh hugged Tom tightly and smiled broadly because we knew we would meet Brendan's family again, either in Hanoi or somewhere else, who knows?

Ready to Explore Hanoi’s Hidden Culinary Gems?

Don't hesitate to hit us up - we’d love to show you Hanoi through our eyes, with all its flavors, laughter, and little hidden corners 💛 click here

Dung (Emma)

Beyond Vietnam


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