A Tour of Ha Noi: Exploring Its Charm, Street Food, and Historical Traces

The author visited Ha Noi on a chilly December day. “It’s only 6 AM, but Ha Noi is already bustling and lively”, he exclaimed. To foreign visitors, a morning in Ha Noi appears full of life, with street vendors carrying baskets of roses, chrysanthemums, and tulips on bicycles weaving through the streets. Elderly women danced to upbeat music around Hoan Kiem Lake. Nearby, office workers in formal suits sat on plastic stools by the sidewalk, chatting over steaming bowls of pho.

According to Nikkei Asia, Ha Noi has developed rapidly since 1975. The city is now filled with cafes, thrift stores, restaurants, and craft workshops. According to the Hanoi Department of Tourism, the city welcomed 4 million international visitor arrivals in 2023, most of whom stayed in the bustling Old Quarter, a maze of 36 narrow streets.

Many shops here once specialized in producing goods for the Vietnamese royal court. On Hang Bac Street, silversmiths still craft intricate jewelry. Meanwhile, Hang Ma Street is famous for decorative paper and stationery, transforming into a vibrant "Christmas Wonderland" in December with red and white ornaments.

The author was introduced to some of the city's best eateries. Navigating through streets packed with motorbikes - the primary mode of transportation in Vietnam - they stopped at a small eatery selling banh xeo, a crispy pancake filled with shrimp, pork, and bean sprouts, served with fresh herbs and dipped in a sweet and tangy fish sauce.

The next stop was a restaurant serving cha ca lang, a Ha Noi specialty featuring grilled catfish marinated with turmeric and galangal, cooked over charcoal. The dish is stir-fried with scallions and dill in hot oil and served with soft rice noodles, roasted peanuts, and pungent shrimp paste.

Another dish sampled was bun cha, consisting of grilled pork patties and slices of pork belly, served in a sweet and tangy dipping sauce, accompanied by rice vermicelli and fresh herbs. This dish gained global fame after former U.S. President Barack Obama dined on it with the late celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain at Bun Cha Huong Lien in 2016.

Nikkei Asia noted that coffee holds a special place in Vietnamese life. The country's Central Highlands region is a powerhouse for robusta coffee cultivation. Today, Vietnam is the world’s second-largest coffee exporter, accounting for more than 40% of the global robusta supply.

One of Ha Noi’s must-try specialties is egg coffee. At the renowned Giang Café, egg yolks are whipped with sugar and condensed milk to create a rich, creamy foam layered over strong black coffee. Other notable variations include salt coffee, which features a creamy salted topping, and coconut coffee, made with aromatic coconut milk.

Ha Noi’s historical traces remain evident, from Hoa Lo Prison - marking Vietnam’s struggle for independence from French colonial rule - to the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hotel, which once served as a shelter during wartime.

Additionally, Nikkei Asia listed 10 must-try experiences in Ha Noi:

1. Enjoying street food

2. Taking a city tour to explore Vietnamese history

3. Visiting Hoa Lo Prison Museum

4. Exercising by Hoan Kiem Lake in the morning

5. Exploring the Temple of Literature (Van Mieu - Quoc Tu Giam)

6. Attending a pottery-making class

7. Savouring egg coffee

8. Tasting Vietnamese banh mi

9. Watching a water puppet show

10. Spending half a day at the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology to learn about the daily life and traditions of Vietnam’s ethnic communities.