12 street food worth the trip across Vietnam, editor-ranked by TableJourney. All Vietnam guides.
Phở Gia Truyền Bát Đàn ★ 4.6 · Hanoi
old-quarter · 49 Bat Dan, Cua Dong, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
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.
Tip: Order, pay and collect at the counter. Closes between 10:00 and 18:00 daily; arrive 06:30 to beat the breakfast queue.
Banh Mi 25 ★ 4.6 · Hanoi
old-quarter · 25 Hang Ca, Hang Bo, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
Banh Mi 25 in Hanoi is the Old Quarter's most-photographed banh mi stall, baking baguettes daily and assembling sandwiches across three counters on Hang Ca.
Tip: Three counters at 25, 30 and 32 Hang Ca. Cash or card; sandwiches 30,000-40,000 VND.
Miến Lươn Chân Cầm ★ 4.5 · Hanoi
old-quarter · 1 Chan Cam, Hang Trong, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
Mien Luon Chan Cam holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand for one dish: glass noodles with crispy fried river eel, served wet or dry at a Chan Cam kerb counter.
Tip: Counter seats only; closes when the eel runs out, usually mid-afternoon. Cash only, 60,000-80,000 VND.
Phở Thìn Lò Đúc ★ 4.5 · Hanoi
hai-ba-trung · 13 Lo Duc, Pham Dinh Ho, 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.
Tip: One dish only. Stainless-steel tables and wooden benches; fast turnover, no waiting list.
Xôi Yến ★ 4.4 · Hanoi
old-quarter · 35B Nguyen Huu Huan, Ly Thai To, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
Xoi Yen in Hanoi serves Hoan Kiem's favourite breakfast sticky rice from a corner shophouse on Nguyen Huu Huan, with caramel pork, pate and Chinese sausage.
Tip: Ground floor for the open kitchen; upstairs to sit. Bowls 20,000-50,000 VND; open from 05:00 for breakfast.
Bánh Cuốn Gia Truyền ★ 4.4 · Hanoi
old-quarter · 14 Hang Ga, Cua Dong, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
Banh Cuon Gia Truyen in Hanoi has steamed silky rice rolls over a cloth-stretched cauldron on Hang Ga since 1973, with pork and wood-ear mushroom filling.
Tip: Breakfast and lunch only; closed by mid-afternoon. The rolls are made to order at the front of the shop.
Chả Cá Thăng Long ★ 4.4 · Hanoi
old-quarter · 21 Duong Thanh, Cua Dong, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
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.
Tip: One dish only; price per person is fixed at 250,000 VND. The Duong Thanh strip has the same family running multiple addresses.
Tuyết Bún Chả 34 ★ 4.3 · Hanoi
ba-dinh · 34 Hang Than, Nguyen Trung Truc, Ba Dinh, Hanoi
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.
Tip: Lunch service 11:00-15:00 only. Cash only and the queue spills onto the pavement after 12:00.
Bún Bò Nam Bộ Bách Phương ★ 4.3 · Hanoi
old-quarter · 73-75 Hang Dieu, Hang Bo, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
Bun Bo Nam Bo Bach Phuong has served one dish since 1986 on Hang Dieu: rice noodles with stir-fried beef, peanuts, fried shallots and herbs in nuoc cham.
Tip: Long communal metal tables; share with locals. Cash only, 60,000 VND per bowl.
Bún Đậu Mắm Tôm Cô Tuyến ★ 4.2 · Hanoi
old-quarter · 31 Hang Khay, Trang Tien, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
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.
Tip: Mam tom is fermented shrimp paste with an assertive flavour; ask staff to balance with lime and sugar.
Phở Cuốn Hương Mai ★ 4.2 · Hanoi
ba-dinh · 25-27 Ngu Xa, Truc Bach, Ba Dinh, Hanoi
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.
Tip: The whole Ngu Xa block runs the same dish; if Huong Mai is full, walk three doors down and try the next counter.
Bún Chả Hương Liên ★ 4.1 · Hanoi
hai-ba-trung · 24 Le Van Huu, Phan Chu Trinh, 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.
Tip: The Obama-Bourdain table is preserved in glass on the second floor. Cash and card both accepted.