Taste of Hanoi - A taste of home

Hanoi, December 23rd, 2025

The perfect way to explore the flavors of Hanoi? Doing it as a big family reunion! And for Julie’s family, our Taste of Hanoi tour was more than a food journey, it was the very first time returning to Vietnam together as a three-generation Vietnamese-American family.

They had imagined what Vietnam might look like, and had been familiar with Vietnamese food, but experiencing it in real life: eating where locals eat, sitting on tiny stools, walking through hidden corners, hearing the stories behind each dish from Cihara and Casey, made everything more vivid than they had ever pictured. Every stop became a bridge between past and present. From “nộm” - green papaya salad with beef jerky, “bánh cuốn” - steamed rolled rice pancakes to bánh gối - “fried pillow dumplings”… our family loved them all.

And the highlight of today? Definitely when we were sitting in the “chè” – Vietnamese sweet soup shop. The space, the aroma, the taste - everything left a deep impression for Julie’s family. But the special part was the stories that we shared. “Mom used to make “chè” for us back in the US, but it was long ago, and we miss that time a lot.” Sitting there, chatting about life in Vietnam and America, the connection between each family member, each generation and with Cihara and Casey naturally grew stronger.

Today for Julie’s family wasn’t only about tasting Vietnamese food, it was about tasting home, together, for the very first time. Scroll through the photos and you’ll feel that warmth in every frame.

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  Together with Casey and Cihara - our local companions for today, Julie’s family is ready to dive int

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  Here we are at the “nộm” - papaya salad with beef jerky shop. Our friends loved eating in such a loc

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  Everyone loved the fresh, tangy sauce. But it wasn’t just about eating, they also learnt Vietnamese

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  There’s nothing like munching on tiny balls of “bánh rán” - Vietnamese donuts with all the members i

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  “Bánh cuốn” - steamed rolled rice pancakes were another hit of today’s food journey. The soft, silky

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  Just looking at their faces we know they love it! One blink of an eye and the bowls were empty. Woul

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  The special part? Sitting in a local shop, enjoying “chè” - sweet soup and sharing stories together.

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  The night ended with laughter and excitement at Hanoi Train Street, where three generations sat side

If you’re looking for a family-friendly food tour in Hanoi, we’d love to show you the city the way locals do. 👉 Check out our Taste of Hanoi walking street food tour

Ngan (Hazel)

Beyond Vietnam