Hanoi’s Old
Quarter is always a must-see for anyone visiting Vietnam. It is located at the
northern end of Hoan Kiem Lake and is where many economical hotels, tourist
shops and cafes in Hanoi are concentrated at.
It has
existed for thousands of years. Despite its old and “torn-down” outlook, it is
also the place where locals enjoy and have fun in. You can easily see cafes,
pub, local delicacy and shops around. We thought that the shops would only sell
retro vintage items but we were wrong. Many local designed boutique was located
there too.
This was my
first time visiting Vietnam though this trip was not purely for travel. This
trip was to attend my friend’s wedding in Hanoi. With a few days to spare, my
group of friends decided to explore a few area – Hanoi Old Quarter, Halong Bay
& Ninh Binh ( “land version of halong bay”).
Our itinerary
is as follows:
SG→Hanoi
Old Quarter → Halong
Bay → Ninh
Binh →Hanoi
Old Quarter
This post is
focus on food and some attractions that is situated in old quarter.
Food
1. Bun Cha
Bun Cha is a
Vietnamese dish of grilled pork & noodle believed to be originated from
Hanoi. This dish is served with grilled fatty pork (cha) over a plate of white
rice noodle (bun) and herbs with a side dish of dipping sauce/broth.
The white
rice noodle (bun) was tasteless and soft. It was meant to be dipped into the
bowl of broth which is sweet. The grilled pork was slightly crispy and coupled
with the sweet broth, the combination was perfect.
Bun Cha is
sold almost everywhere in old quarter. Usually, diner would order “nem” (spring
roll) to go with it. The spring roll was crispy and fragrant. They tends to be
sold out real quickly.
Location:
Old Quarter
Street Food
Price: 35,000VND
(Bun Cha)
8,000VND (Spring Roll Per Piece)
2. Egg Coffee
The Vietnamese coffee is brewed in a
small cup with a filter before the addition of a well-whisked mixture of the chicken
egg yolk, sweetended condensed milk, butter and cheese. The cup is placed in a
bowl of hot water to keep its temperature. (Hot Option). For cold option,
crushes of ice were added into the cup.
One of the most popular place to
consume this cup of goodness is from –Giang Café. One of the oldest café located
in old quarter.
The coffee is
pretty delicious and you will find them so amazing and unforgettable. The egg
flavor is really fat, the coffee flavor are really both fragrant and bold.
Location:
Giang Café
39 Nguyen Huu
Huan Street , Hoan Kiem – Hanoi Old Quarter
Price:
17,000VND
3. Xoi
Xoi is a vietnamese dish made from glutinous rice and other ingredients.
Itc an be served as a dessert or even as a main savoury dish. It is a common
on-the-go breakfast item and a popular snack nationwide.
Xoi Yen is the stall which we visited. It specialises in sticky rice
topped with goodies, such as sweet asian sausage, fried egg and slow-cooked
pork.
We have order xoi xeo which consist of which is sticky rice topped with a
layer of mung bean paste), with strips of mixed meat and a fried egg. It tastes
pretty delicious and light. It’s a brand new experience eating like local
tasting their local delights.
Location:
35b Nguyen
Huu Huan, Hoan Kiem - Hanoi Old Quarter
Price: 15,000VND
4. Vietnamese Desserts
Chè
4 Mùa Hàng Cân serves a variety of vietnamese desserts. They are pretty sweet
for our liking but if you happen to have sweet tooth, this is a place to visit
for a bowl of sweetness!! Do note that it is not foreigner friendly as
everything was in Vietnamese. We can only order food by randomly pointing our
fingers on their menu.
This
dessert comprises of a mixed of corn, grass jelly, atap seed and red bean
paste.
Location:
4 Hang Can, Hoan Kiem – Hanoi Old
Quarter
Fun
There is pretty much nothing in the
old quarter except the visit to Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre to watch the
famous water puppet show which last for 45 mins.
The content of water puppet
performance showcase daily life of Vietnamese farmers (cultivating, tending
buffalo, catching fishes…), communal entertainment (swimming contest, dragon
dancing…), or historical legends (Le Loi returns precious sword…), with modest
performance way have appealed audiences for centuries.
Location:
57b Dinh Tien Hoang Street, Hoan Kiem –
Hanoi Old Quarter
Price: 100,000VND
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