Hanoi: All the shopping, all the eating, all the seeing

Once you overcome the paralyzing fear of crossing the street in Hanoi, you’ll find the city’s subtle charm and mix of old and new architecture, and tantalizing street eats everywhere. The cultural and historical hub of Vietnam, Hanoi’s Old Quarter is the place to be for any adventurous eater, history buff, or shopper on the lookout for local art and antique treasures.

First, start the day off with a hearty breakfast: bun cha is a dish of grilled pork (cha) and a plate of white rice noodles (bun) with a bowl of fresh herbs and a vegetable broth. If you don’t mind waiting in line, head to Bun cha Huong Lien at 24 Le Van Huu Street – Barack Obama and Anthony Bourdain famously shared a meal there in 2016! Don’t be surprised to see rows of small plastic stools and chairs (toddler size) on the sidewalks, it’s the Vietnamese way to dine al fresco! And typically the more crowded the sidewalk, the better the food.

Vietnam is famous for its coffee, and both a dark, strong version, and a…slightly different version: egg coffee. Known as ca phe trung, egg coffee is a Hanoi specialty in which creamy soft, meringue-like egg yolk foam is whipped on top of a shot of coffee. Its definitely sweet, and unlike anything else. The best place to go is Café Giang on Nguyen Huu Huan, which is run by the son of the inventor of the creamy concoction (according to legend: Nguyen Van Gian was working at the Sofitel Hotel in 1946, when there was a shortage of fresh milk, he had the idea to whisk an egg yolk as a substitute and the patrons loved it!

Slightly less traditional is Cong Caphe, famous for its communist era memorabilia and servers dressed in vintage green army fatigues. Cong Caphe serves us variations of Vietnamese coffee, the best is topped with whipped coconut sorbet. And be sure to pick up a package of their roast beans for the trip home.

Now to shopping, the Old Quarter is the best place to find everything from vintage wooden board games, hand woven silk scarves, oriental pottery, and perhaps a pair of knock off Nike sneakers. The Old Quarter is a maze of tiny streets, and even tinier shopfronts. It is difficult to distinguish one from the other, so the best way to see it all is to wind your way down Ta Hien Street, Hang Da Street, and Chan Cam Alley. Beware of the motorbikes speeding by, and be sure to try to bargain. My favorite place for home goods is Dragonfly shop on To Tich and Hanoi Hannah for silk scarves on Hang Gai.  

To fuel up for an afternoon of shopping stop by Maison Marou on Tho Nhuom. Marou is a Vietnamese “bean to bar” chocolate company specializing in pure dark chocolate. Their café serves up amazing hot chocolate, and the chocolate bars are almost too beautiful to eat (and make very good gifts!).

While you could easily spend a week sightseeing in Hanoi, I would make a point to walk around Hoan Kiem Lake, or Sword Lake, which is in the heart of Hanoi. On the footpath around the lake you’ll see locals out for a stroll, exercise groups working up a sweat, and old folks line dancing! Hoa Lo Prison is another main tourist attraction, a former French prison during colonial times, it was used by the North Vietnamese during the Vietnam War to hold US prisoners, most famous of those being the late Senator John McCain. Lastly, finish off the day at the Temple of Literature, a beautiful garden built in 1070 that was the country’s first university.

For dinner, look no further than Quan An Ngon. They serve authentic street food, all family recipes, in an open pavilion in the courtyard of an old French villa. The menu is nearly as long an encyclopedia, and at a very reasonable price, you can try one of everything!