Three Stylish Ideas For Your Best Food In Hanoi

Already, the temperatures have reached the 30's. I watch them with heavy lids through the windows of our cab.

It is 7 30 am and the locals are commuting, as are we, into the city. My very first impression of Vietnam is of Hanoi, after three arduous connecting flights. Previously known as Banh Goi Chay, name change reported May 2017.

Mainly serves fast food: Vietnamese sandwiches, banh goi, banh ran, fried spring rolls and chè (a dessert that can be made of different types of bean, lotus seed, agar agar jelly, coconut and coconut milk). A small 100% vegan stand open on the street. Serving vegan food, coffee, non-alcoholic beverages.

Part of international chain of vegan restaurants opened by followers of Supreme Master Ching Hai, an advocate for veg living. Owner supports street and disadvantaged Vietnamese youth. Opened Nov 2015, a vegan restaurant and cafe with an earthy design.

That's saying a lot considering that pho is easily the most served dish there. And that's besides the fact that Pho Gia Truyen, a pho joint loved by locals and frequented by travelers, makes some of the most wonderful and comforting steaming bowls of pho in the Vietnamese capital. But when you consider the line pouring out into the street and the quick and efficient way they deliver their pho, you'll quite easily forgive them Attraction for tourist in Hanoi those shortcomings.

To be perfectly honest, Pho Gia Truyen is not the most welcoming place or the most accommodating. What is clear is this: you cannot leave Hanoi without feasting on Bún Cha Huong Liên's now world-famous bún cho while rubbing elbows with the locals. A gastronomic frenzy that yields Obama-inspired meal combos and has Western tourists descending on a local haunt that's now plastered with vignettes of the iconic moment … whether this is a good or a bad thing remains to be seen.

What happens when Anthony Bourdain and President Obama enjoy a night out in Hanoi? On the narrow sidewalks are rows of scooters and motorcycles neatly arranged between food stalls and temporary outdoor dining setups, which are reminiscent of cafes in France except with tinier tables and ridiculously short plastic stools. Hasty motorcyclists weave their way through the cramped streets, expertly avoiding crossing pedestrians, as friendly shopkeepers and smiling vendors tout their colorful merchandise to fearless tourists eager to haggle or take a quick, if cheesy, photo.

You will have a chance to try Hanoi Street Food in local small restaurants in Hanoi Old Quarter and try from 8 to 10 vietnamese dishes and drinks. Whenever I choose to go here I am never disappointed. If you want to be in one place where you can try all sorts of delicious and wonderfully varied local cuisine then this is your spot.

Quan An Ngon is, to me, the best way to experience street food without being on the street. My last insider tip will be a bit of a wild card. Luckily, there are, in my opinion, more and more places throughout the world that are no longer satisfied with presenting the poorer cousin to pizza, the international imitator, as I call it. Pizza 4p's in Hanoi would make an old man with white hair and a curled mustache in Naples proud.