Phở Thìn Lò Đúc is a street-food stop in Hai Ba Trung, Hanoi.
Pho Thin Lo Duc in Hanoi is the Lo Duc kitchen where Nguyen Trong Thin invented stir-fried beef pho in 1979, with a richer broth than any other pho house.
Must order: Pho bo tai lan: beef stir-fried in garlic and oil, then ladled into a deeply aromatic anise broth.
Tip: One dish only. Stainless-steel tables and wooden benches; fast turnover, no waiting list.
Address: 13 Lo Duc, Pham Dinh Ho, Hai Ba Trung, Hanoi
Bun Cha Huong Lien in Hanoi has poured charcoal-grilled bun cha on Le Van Huu since the 1990s; Obama and Bourdain shared a meal here in 2016.
Try: Bun cha
Order: Combo Obama: a bowl of bun cha with grilled pork patties, a seafood spring roll and a Hanoi beer.
Tip: The Obama-Bourdain table is preserved in glass on the second floor. Cash and card both accepted.
Bun Dau Mam Tom Co Tuyen is the Old Quarter's most-recommended bun dau counter on Hang Khay, plating fried tofu and rice noodles with fermented shrimp.
Try: Bun dau mam tom
Order: Bun dau mam tom: fried tofu, rice noodles, boiled pork, fried pork roll and the canonical pink mam tom dip.
Tip: Mam tom is fermented shrimp paste with an assertive flavour; ask staff to balance with lime and sugar.
Cha Ca Thang Long in Hanoi is the Michelin Bib Gourmand cha ca specialist on Duong Thanh, with turmeric catfish finished tableside in dill and onions.
Try: Cha ca turmeric grilled fish
Order: Cha ca for two: turmeric catfish, dill, spring onions, peanuts and the house mam tom dip.
Tip: One dish only; price per person is fixed at 250,000 VND. The Duong Thanh strip has the same family running multiple addresses.
Pho Cuon Huong Mai runs the Ngu Xa pho cuon strip in Hanoi, wrapping fresh rice-noodle sheets around stir-fried beef and herbs at a tiny Truc Bach counter.
Try: Pho cuon rolled rice noodles
Order: Pho cuon rolled rice noodles with beef and herbs, plus pho chien phong puffed pho on the side.
Tip: The whole Ngu Xa block runs the same dish; if Huong Mai is full, walk three doors down and try the next counter.
Pho Gia Truyen Bat Dan in Hanoi is the Old Quarter's queuing Michelin Bib Gourmand pho counter on Bat Dan, family-run for five decades and self-service.
Try: Pho bo
Order: Pho tai nam: rare beef and flank steak, with a side of quay fried dough.
Tip: Order, pay and collect at the counter. Closes between 10:00 and 18:00 daily; arrive 06:30 to beat the breakfast queue.
Bun Cha Huong Lien in Hanoi has poured charcoal-grilled bun cha on Le Van Huu since the 1990s; Obama and Bourdain shared a meal here in 2016.
Try: Bun cha
Order: Combo Obama: a bowl of bun cha with grilled pork patties, a seafood spring roll and a Hanoi beer.
Tip: The Obama-Bourdain table is preserved in glass on the second floor. Cash and card both accepted.
Tuyet Bun Cha 34 in Hanoi holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand for lanceleaf-blumea pork patties charcoal-grilled at six pavement tables on Hang Than.
Try: Bun cha
Order: Bun cha mix: a serving of pork patty and pork belly, soft rice vermicelli and a tangy nuoc cham.
Tip: Lunch service 11:00-15:00 only. Cash only and the queue spills onto the pavement after 12:00.
