Northern Vietnamese Cuisine: Restrained, Aromatic, Cold-Weather

Vietnamese food differs dramatically by region. Northern cuisine — anchored on Hanoi and the Red River delta — is the country's most understated. Less sweet, less spicy, more herb-driven, more fish-saucy than coconut-y.

Climate and ingredients

The north has cool winters and hot, wet summers. This shapes the cooking:

• More freshwater fish than seafood (the cold delta waters).
• Less coconut, less tropical fruit.
• Pork and chicken dominate; beef arrived with the French.
• Strong use of mắm tôm (fermented shrimp paste) — pungent enough that some southerners refuse it.
• Distinct herb palette: tía tô (perilla), Vietnamese balm, fish-leaf herb, sawtooth herb.

Hanoi's signature dishes

• Phở — the famously austere northern version (clear broth, no bean sprouts, no hoisin). More →
• Bún chả — grilled pork, rice vermicelli, herbs, warm dipping sauce. More →
• Bún thang — a delicate chicken-and-egg vermicelli soup, a celebration dish.
• Bún ốc — snail noodle soup with tamarind broth.
• Chả cá — grilled, turmeric-marinated freshwater fish, finished tableside with dill and spring onion. Eaten with vermicelli and shrimp paste.
• Bánh cuốn — steamed rice-flour pancakes filled with minced pork and wood-ear mushroom.
• Nem rán / chả giò — fried Vietnamese spring rolls (called nem rán in the north, chả giò in the south).
• Phở cuốn — fresh phở-noodle wraps with grilled beef, a Hanoi invention.

What you don't see in the north

• Sweet broths and the dipping-sauce style of Saigon.
• Heavy coconut milk.
• Tropical fruit garnishes on savoury dishes.
• A lot of fresh chilli — chilli is offered but used sparingly.

Where to eat well in Hanoi

The Old Quarter is dense with specialist single-dish shops — each shop does one thing, all day, for generations. Look for shops that are loud at lunch.

• Phở Bát Đàn — northern phở, queueing system, no nonsense.
• Phở Thìn Lò Đúc — Hanoi's beloved stir-fried-beef phở.
• Chả Cá Lã Vọng — the famous original, on Chả Cá Street. Touristy now but still good.
• Bún Chả Hương Liên — the Obama-Bourdain one. Bún chả is excellent at most lunch shops in Hanoi; this one is just famous.
• Bún Bò Nam Bộ on Hàng Điếu — a southern noodle dish made northern-good.

Drinks

• Bia hơi — fresh draft beer, brewed weekly, sold the same day in pavement bars. Cheap. Variable. Wonderful in summer.
• Trà đá — iced jasmine tea. Free at most meals or pennies if charged.
• Cà phê trứng — Hanoi egg coffee. A specialty: whipped egg yolk and condensed milk poured over strong coffee. Like tiramisu in a cup.