North Vietnam Recs: Hanoi, Ninh Binh, Halong Bay, the Northwest

[Chris Amirault]

We're heading to Vietnam in May and will be spending our entire visit in the north. We'll use Hanoi as a base and head to Ninh Binh, Halong Bay, and the northwest (probably based in Bac Ha, not Sa Pa). I'm dying for any/all recommendations you've got. Thanks in advance!

[Kerry Beal]

Cooking class at the Hotel Metropole in Hanoi. Starts with a market tour - then back to the kitchen to prepare your meal.

Also worth a meal at Hoa Sua, which is a restaurant that trains disadvantaged youth in the culinary field.

Just tried to dig up my notes - but they appear to be buried in the spare room. There is a french cafe close to the Hilton that is excellent. I'll see if I can find my notes and post the name for you.

Essentially there is good food just about everywhere you go.

[pastrygirl]

Well it's been a few years, and I doubt I could explain where that great place for bun cha gio was even if I remembered, so I'll just say eat as much as you possibly can, eat street food any time you see it, have pho for breakfast like its meant to be. And the water puppet show in Hanoi in the old quarter near Hoan Kiem lake was really quite charming, as were the lacquer etchings (an art form that seems unique to Vietnam) in the fine art museum in Hanoi. I found the food in Vietnam great across the board. There may have been some mediocre western food in there, but that's what you get for ordering pizza in Asia. (People who say there is no such thing as bad pizza have never been to Asia. )

Some photos here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/11037087@N02/sets/72157619833647972/with/3618110120/

Edited December 30, 2011 by pastrygirl (log)

[KD1191]

In my opinion, Hanoi has the best phở anywhere. The simple, pure broth doesn't have as many spices as the southern style, and the garnishes are also used more sparingly in my experience. Nothing gets between you, the meat and the amazing noodles except for a few slices of pickled chile and some onions.

Phở Gia Truyền (49 Bát Đàn) was the best bowl I had in Hanoi. That's it in the picture over there ---->

Here's a close up:

It's on the western edge of the Old Quarter...49 Bát Đàn, east of Phùng Hưng, near where Hàng Gà becomes Hàng Diếu. You can't miss it, but here's a picture of the sign:

Fair warning...Bourdain visited this spot a few months after we were there in '09 and it subsequently appeared in the No Reservations episode "Food Porn II". I don't have any recent reports.

As one who enjoys a good cocktail, you might want to check out Highway 4 & their Sơn Tinh line of liqueurs and brandies. I brought back their Apricot liqueur and Hibiscus brandy, both were great additions to my bar.

I'll second the Water Puppets as a fun experience, but I will add that the seats are not built for anyone over 6'. I'm 6'4" and it was probably the most uncomfortable place I've ever paid to sit.

[rarerollingobject]

Check out My link for some great Hanoi food. And there are some treats/streets worth ferreting out, particularly Grilled Chicken Street and places for good banh cuon (steamed rice 'pancakes', most ephemerally delicious things you can imagine).

I've spent alot of quality eating time in Hanoi, I'll be back in the morning with some more cogent recs when this festive season champagne wears off.

[jmolinari]

Our favorite restaurant in Hanoi was Chim Sao, http://chimsao.com/ . Hanoi was awesome. I would go back to Vietnam in a heartbeat. It was a wonderful place, full of very nice people, and AMAZING food.

Skip Highway 4 restaurant. The food was very meh.

Eat everything you see, and then eat more. And have fun sitting on the microscopic stools in the middle of the street eating a bowl of food.

As far as Halong Bay goes, you need to get your guide (if you have one) to take you to the restaurants where THEY would eat....we convinced ours to do that and it was awesome. Otherwise it seems that the restos are completely tourist oriented.

Oh, if they offer you a bottle of wine on the boat ride, please remember you're going to be charged... A LOT. They failed to tell us this and we wound up with a $50 bottle of crappy wine, assuming it was part of the cruise.

Edited December 30, 2011 by jmolinari (log)

[Raoul Duke]

Why not Sa Pa? We thought it rural but interesting along with Sa Ba. Of course this was in '98.

[Chris Amirault]

Thanks everyone. Keep 'em coming.

Raoul Duke, "Northwest" signifies Sa Pa, Bac Ha, and Lao Cai. Increasingly I think we're going to use Bac Ha as our base after the overnight sleeper from Hanoi, in time for the Sunday market.

[Chris Amirault]

Updates/questions.

We're in Sa Pa now, and we booked in Ninh Binh as well, so any/all suggestions would be great. Taking a cruise (Dragon's Pearl) in the bay, so no need for recs there.

In Hanoi we're at the Hanoi Elegance Diamond Hotel, in the Old Quarter near the northern shore of the lake. Again, any/all recs are appreciated.

[Chris Amirault]

Has anyone done a tour with these Hanoi Street Food guys?

[KennethT]

Chris, 6 years ago, when my wife and I were in Hanoi, we really enjoyed going to Pho Bo Ly Quoc Su, at 42 Nha Trung. They're around the corner from the big church on the west side of the lake, and have a red Coca Cola awning. We went there 3 days in a row - it was always packed, and no tourists - only locals.

I wish I remember where we went for Bun Cha... it was an awesome roadside place that was basically a tarp set up as a big tent... Bun cha was ridiculous and also the cha gio were awesome too - the best we've had before or since. Unfortunately, since I can't remember where it was, it's not much help to you!

[Chris Amirault]

Thanks, KennethT. Pho Bo Ly Quoc Su is now on my google map!

[KD1191]

Skip Highway 4 restaurant. The food was very meh.

The food wasn't very good, I agree. But, that wasn't the reason I recommended Highway 4...if you missed their line of spirits, you missed something special.

[jmolinari]

Skip Highway 4 restaurant. The food was very meh.

The food wasn't very good, I agree. But, that wasn't the reason I recommended Highway 4...if you missed their line of spirits, you missed something special.

Since we're not big drinkers we went for the food. We did not try the spirits...oh well.

[Chris Amirault]

Bumping this up as the trip approaches. As I was making tea this morning, I realized that I might well be able to pick up some high-quality Chinese tea while in Hanoi. Is that true? Not true? Any thoughts on where?

[kenteoh]

Bumping this up as the trip approaches. As I was making tea this morning, I realized that I might well be able to pick up some high-quality Chinese tea while in Hanoi. Is that true? Not true? Any thoughts on where?

Hi Chris, there doesn't seem to be much Chinese tea in Hanoi, but you can find alot of Vietnamese tea all over Hanoi, although the quality varies.

You can drink and buy pretty good quality Vietnamese teas at OCHÂO Tea House on 25 Xuan Dieu, Tây Hồ District.

[Chris Amirault]

Thanks so much, kenteoh! Do you have any more recommendations to pass along??

[kenteoh]

Thanks so much, kenteoh! Do you have any more recommendations to pass along??

Sure, here you go.

First off, unfortunately, I can't really recommend any good pho places as I've noticed that in the past few years, all of my favorite pho places have slowly but surely gone downhill. I strongly suspect that it could be due to the rapid inflation, leading many proprietors to skimp on the beef bones and amp up the MSG in their stocks. Even as a resident here, I honestly don't know where to go for good pho anymore.

Ao Ta Restaurant at 137 Mai Hắc Đế, Hai Bà Trưng District does pretty decent country style cooking. The standard has dropped a bit since they first opened, but it's still one of the better places around.

Sy Phu at 9 Nguyễn Khắc Cần, Hoàn Kiếm District does a good hotpot, although it's closer to the Chinese style than the typical Vietnamese lau. OTOH, the surroundings are comfortable and ingredients are fresh, unlike some of the roadside lau stalls.

Good bun cha can be had at Bun Cha Dac Kim, 67 Duong Thanh, Hoàn Kiếm District. This is better than the famous one on Hang Manh street with the same name.

For Pho Cuon, which is rice noodle rolls with stir fried beef, go to Huong Mai @ 25 Ngũ Xã Street, Ba Đình District. There are tons of other pho cuon places in the surrounding area, but this one seems to be the most consistently crowded.

Do try the herbal chicken (Ga Tan) at the tiny stall at the inter-section between Luong Van Can Street and Hang Bo Street in the Old Quarter. Seating is cramped and uncomfortable, but the food is worth it. Since it might be a bit hard to spot the first time, here's a link to an article (in Vietnamese) with pictures of the location.

If for some reason you are looking for vegetarian options, you can try Adidaz at 173 Nghi Tàm Street, Tây Hồ District or Trúc Lâm Trai at 39 Lê Ngọc Hân Street, Hai Bà Trưng District. While arguably not as good as Chinese or perhaps Japanese vegetarian cuisine, the two options above are pretty decent.

Since you're not going to Hue, here are a few recommendations for Hue food in Hanoi. Bánh Xinh serves Hue style rice cakes and other snacks. It is located at Alley 72, Trần Hưng Đạo Street, Hai Bà Trưng District. It's not as good as the real thing in Hue, but is probably your best bet in Hanoi. Go during lunch time or slightly later, they start running out of certain items after that. After lunch, go next door for the Che (sweet soup dessert with crushed ice), which is one of the best in Hanoi, but also definitely the most expensive.

Another Hue style eatery in Hanoi is Bun Thit Nuong at 3A To Hien Thanh, Hai Bà Trưng District. They sell bun thit nuong (cold rice vermicelli with grilled pork) and banh xeo, which are fried savory pancakes with pork and shrimp fillings. You can find the same dishes in Saigon, but the ones here are done in the Hue style. I can't vouch for its authenticity, since I didn't try them in Hue, but they taste pretty good to me.

For Sapa, the food I had at Cha Pa Garden Hotel at 23b Cau May Street was the best I had there. They do simple Western food but with mostly local ingredients. I was there a few years ago and recall that the local salmon was good and the wild honey they served with pancakes at breakfast was fantastic, was so disappointed I didn't manage to snag a bottle, as they only had limited supplies.

That's all I can think of so far. Will post again if I think of any more.

Edited April 12, 2012 by kenteoh (log)

[Chris Amirault]

rarerollingobject, can you shed some light on "Grilled Chicken Street"?

kenteoh, thank you very much! I'm eager to try the herbal chicken in particular....

Leaving in less than two days!

[rarerollingobject]

rarerollingobject, can you shed some light on "Grilled Chicken Street"?

kenteoh, thank you very much! I'm eager to try the herbal chicken in particular....

Leaving in less than two days!

Ooh, forgot to come back to this thread..sorry about that.

Anyway, chicken street is Pho Ly Van Phuc (Ly Van Phuc Street). The very last stall was the best one, IIRC. Look for the blue chairs (though those are ubiquitous, granted). Bones everywhere and beer..heaven.

[Chris Amirault]

Excellent. A quick internet search does indeed confirm that the last stall is the one to hit. Thanks!

[rarerollingobject]

Excellent. A quick internet search does indeed confirm that the last stall is the one to hit. Thanks!

Any chance you'll be posting pics, Chris? Would love to see what you're eating. Am actually heading to Hanoi myself now, in June..afraid of the heat, but craving the food!

[Chris Amirault]

Just now getting pix and notes in some semblance of order. Thanks again to everyone who posted information, much of which we used. I must say that we agreed, on the whole, with kenteoh about the pho, which was merely ok-to-good in most of the many, many stalls we tried. There were two notable exceptions: the post-spa pho at our hotel (Hanoi Elegance Diamond), of all bowls, was very good indeed. The other exception I'll write about in a bit.

Ninh Binh was utterly unremarkable in terms of food and drink -- nothing to report. Sapa had a few decent joints, and we returned repeatedly to one, Nature View Restaurant on the Fansipan Road heading down toward Cat Cat village, that consistently had very good Vietnamese standards. On Halong Bay we were at the mercy of the Dragon's Pearl junk cruise chefs, who, thankfully, were quite consistently great, though the final evening meal (grilled meats and seafood served in a spectacular cave) was an overcooked bust.

That having been said, we did have dozens of interesting food & drink experiences in Hanoi, and I'll do my best to recap them here. A few quick notes: the Metropole is worth checking out if for no other reason than to see the interior, some amazing photographs of Colonial-era Hanoi, and the Bamboo Bar, where some wag announced in the 1920s that it was the only place in Hanoi where you could get any drink you wanted -- sans water, of course. We also had a few drinks, snacks, and lunch at the Intercontinental Hanoi West Lake, all of which were terrific: a quality caipirinha, an icy Asahi, housemade sausages, killer croissants, and a pricey but lavish buffet the day before our 32-hour return travel.

No pix for those, but I did capture several of the other Hanoi eating experiences, so: more soon.

[rarerollingobject]

Just now getting pix and notes in some semblance of order. Thanks again to everyone who posted information, much of which we used. I must say that we agreed, on the whole, with kenteoh about the pho, which was merely ok-to-good in most of the many, many stalls we tried. There were two notable exceptions: the post-spa pho at our hotel (Hanoi Elegance Diamond), of all bowls, was very good indeed. The other exception I'll write about in a bit.

Ninh Binh was utterly unremarkable in terms of food and drink -- nothing to report. Sapa had a few decent joints, and we returned repeatedly to one, Nature View Restaurant on the Fansipan Road heading down toward Cat Cat village, that consistently had very good Vietnamese standards. On Halong Bay we were at the mercy of the Dragon's Pearl junk cruise chefs, who, thankfully, were quite consistently great, though the final evening meal (grilled meats and seafood served in a spectacular cave) was an overcooked bust.

That having been said, we did have dozens of interesting food & drink experiences in Hanoi, and I'll do my best to recap them here. A few quick notes: the Metropole is worth checking out if for no other reason than to see the interior, some amazing photographs of Colonial-era Hanoi, and the Bamboo Bar, where some wag announced in the 1920s that it was the only place in Hanoi where you could get any drink you wanted -- sans water, of course. We also had a few drinks, snacks, and lunch at the Intercontinental Hanoi West Lake, all of which were terrific: a quality caipirinha, an icy Asahi, housemade sausages, killer croissants, and a pricey but lavish buffet the day before our 32-hour return travel.

No pix for those, but I did capture several of the other Hanoi eating experiences, so: more soon.

Excellent! Very much looking forward to the report of your adventures.

[rarerollingobject]

OK, I'll go first. Have been in the Hanoi for the last week, basically doing nothing but eating (and sweating; 95F and 80% humidity, oy..).

Mostly a mix of old street food favourites (it's my fifth time here) and a couple of tourist joints when we just needed A/C. I've tried to include a pic of the shopfront, and the address, should you try to find them.

First, bun cha; a very Hanoi dish of grilled pork belly and pork patties, with a sweet fish sauce broth, vermicelli noodles, herbs and a side order of nem cua be, crab spring rolls. Had this at Bun Cha Nem Cua Be Dac Kim, at 67 Duong Thanh St.

Then, onto sticky rice with chicken breast, and with caramelised pork belly. The chicken is particularly moist at this place near Hoan Kiem lake, and their chilli sauce is to die for. I also love the shreds of lime leaves that come with. The place is at, look for the Xoi (sticky rice) sign, 29 Hang Hanh St.

Banh cuon, gossamer thin rice paper crepes made to order, stuffed with pork mince and mushrooms and served with a sweet fish sauce for dipping. Banh Cuon Gia Truyen. Heineken only $1.50! 14 Hang Ga St.

And my absolute favourite drink in Vietnam, iced ca phe sua da..strong, strong coffee with condensed milk. This one was at Paris Deli, Nha Tho St.

Stay tuned, lots more to come!

Edited June 22, 2012 by heidih (log)