Hanoi - Evening Walking Food Tour

Flight time between Bangalore (India) and Hanoi (North Vietnam) is about 7 hours. My route included a transit stop of about 3 hours in Kuala Lumpur. My flight landed in time in Hanoi, the weather was cloudy. I had a visa already stamped and immigration was extremely quiet and quick, no questions were asked. I made my way to the baggage carousel and watched the belt go round, and round, and round for a very long time, until no more bags showed up.  

 Finally it dawned on me that my baggage was nowhere in sight. It was the first time that my baggage had gone missing in over 30 years of traveling. Well, I was on holiday, so I did not let that bother me a great deal. The 'lost and found' staff at the airport said they were unable to trace it in the system. The next hour consisted of filling forms and getting photo copies done. 

Paper work done, I located the driver at the door and was finally on my way to Hanoi Guest House on the bustling Ma May Street in the Old Quarter. The Lobby Manager was very kind, he escorted me to a store nearby where I bought some clothes for the day. I was told that my bag should arrive within the next 24 hours. Well, my bag did show up later that night, just past midnight.  

After an afternoon of wandering around the chaotic and colourful Old Quarter, trying to get oriented and learn how to cross the streets, it was time for the Hanoi Evening Walking Food Tour. I had emailed Hanoi Free Walking Tours a week earlier. The team manager Ms Suong had confirmed that a student would be at the hotel lobby by 6 p.m. to take me on the 3-hour walking Food Tour around the Old Quarter. Local food with a local! Yaay! What could be better than that? 

Ms Huan, a student of management, arrived promptly at 6 p.m., and after brief introductions, we were on our way. I was given a nice introduction to the Old Quarter and a few landmarks like the White Horse Temple which was closed at that time.


Stop 1: BANH MI 

Banh Mi has attained fame worldwide, also known as the Vietnamese Sandwich. 

Based on the long French baguette (bread) with a thin crust, it may contain several meats such as chicken, beef and and pork, along with vegetables and sauces like chilly and mayonnaise.  A Banh Mi can taste spicy, salty, sour and sweet, and is easy to eat since the bread is not too hard. 

Stop 2: BANH CUON

While waiting, I learnt some of the Vietnamese signs made using hands and fingers. One of the signs is to hold up the forefinger and thumb crossed at an angle. The side view makes the two fingers appear as the heart. Or, placed a little above the table, the shadow looks like a heart. Neat, isn't it? 

Banh Cuon is made of steamed rice flour pancakes filled with minced pork and mushrooms. These soft pancakes are served with fish-sauce and herbs. Banh Cuon is soft in form, eaten in the morning or evening.

  
























Stop 3: BUN CHA

Bun Cha is made up of many components, including Meat (grilled pork), Rice (vermicelli), Fish sauce, Vegetables, Herbs, along with the usual side dishes such as garlic, chilli, vinegar and sliced limes. 

This restaurant is perhaps the most popular one with local residents and visitors. 

So much so, an imitator has sprung up across the street!

Stop 4: PHO

Well, time for the most well known Vietnamese dish, Pho! We ordered a beef based Pho this time, a change from Pork from the previous stops.

Fresh, hot, simple and tasty! 

It is not surprising that this restaurant is crowded all the time. 

All that food called for some walking, The Hoan Kiem Lake is very busy on weekend evenings, being closed off to traffic. The streets around are the venue for music concerts and games. 

Stop 5: CAFE GIANG

Cafe Giang is located deep inside a building in the Old Quarter, with a long corridor leading the way in, like a typical Hanoi house. The Cafe has the reputation of being the birth place of the famous Vietnamese egg coffee. I was told that the inventor's son now runs the cafe. I did see him sitting at the front desk. 

The cafe is spread over 2-floors, and is super crowded. Small stools are spread all over the floor, typical of Vietnamese coffee shops. 

The second Vietnamese sign I learnt was the sign of the flower, which is made by placing the palms on both sides of the face. 

So, here is the Egg Coffee, at last! The black coffee does contain an egg, in reality, at the bottom, which needs to be stirred with the rest of the coffee. I don't think I would try this coffee very often, being too rich. However, being on holiday, with my baggage still missing, I guess I could be forgiven. 
  

Well, that was the end of a most memorable food tour, consisting of local dishes and egg coffee invented in Hanoi. A highly memorable first evening in Hanoi, as well. Would my bag arrive anytime soon? I wondered. 

The Old Quarter was buzzing at night, with stalls, stores and music shows. Next day, it would be a quick tour of Halong Bay. 

For the free walking tour, I contacted the manager through their web site. I actually got to meet the manager during my Hanoi Full Day Walking Tour the next week. She was showing visitors around Ha Noi. 

Please click here for: Full Day Ha Noi Walking Tour.

Thank you for joining my guide and me on the yummy Ha Noi Evening Walking Food Tour.

For more information on Free Walking tours, please visit: 
http://www.hanoifreewalkingtours.com/ 
or email: 
info@hanoifreewalkingtours.com


This series of my adventures in North Vietnam is pictured here: 

A Day in Halong Bay

Ha Noi to Thung Khe Pass to Mai Chau 

Mountains and Valleys of Moc Chau 

Rice Terraces and Mountains of Pu Luong 

From Pu Luong to the cliffs of Ninh Binh

Exploring Cuc Phuong National Park

Bai Dinh Pagoda Complex

Limestone Cliffs of Trang An

Hanoi Full Day Walking Tour 

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