It’s not just authentic—it’s cheap! These are small, hole-in-the-wall places that I have become a regular at. There is no website for any of them. There is not even a name for most of them. It’s just a place you have to know. There will be no English spoken at these places, but most of them only serve one dish so it’s not difficult to get yourself served without any Vietnamese. You will notice that (almost) all of them are in Ba Dinh District – that is where I live(d), so these are the ‘neighborhood’ places. Most locals should agree that the following list is some of the best that Hanoi has to offer. Enjoy!
PETER’S FRIED RICE PLACE
[ DINNER ]
Address: 264 Doi Can Street, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi
Hours: 5pm – 9:30pm (ish)
Fried Rice is ol' reliable for the picky foreigner. I've been guilty of being that foreigner once or twice, so this place was something of a regular here. Fried rice might sound boring, but rest assured that there's a lot more that goes into these dishes than just rice. This spot is particularly great, not only because of the mix of veggies and beef in their thịt bò cơm chiên, but also because of a very special spicy sauce that they serve. Most rice places in Hanoi serve weird Sriracha knock-offs, but this sauce is very different from that. It's hard to explain. You'll just have to try it.
To be clear, this spot is a hole-in-the-wall, as are many of the best restaurants in Hanoi. The level of English is not high in Hanoi, particularly in places like these, but the woman who runs this place randomly speaks great English. That is a true rarity in Vietnam, and a huge bonus for a westerner like me.
PETER’S OTHER FRIED RICE PLACE
[ ALL NIGHT ]
Address: 25 Xuan Dieu, Tay Ho District, Hanoi
Hours: All night, every night
The previous fried rice place shuts down around 9:30, with the rest of Hanoi. Northern Vietnam is a very traditional place, and Hanoi's businesses are subject to a strict 11pm curfew. For this reason, places that are open all night are rare in Hanoi. After curfew, there are slim pickin’s. But this place stays open all night long.
This listing is title "fried rice place," but that's not entirely accurate. This place serves a pretty big menu. And the food is good! The pho takes the bronze prize for me. Despite being located in the heart of Tay Ho, Hanoi's expat neighborhood, the folks that run this place don’t speak much English. They are used to dealing foreigners though, and are usually easy to communicate with.
PETER’S RICE BUFFET PLACE
[ LUNCH + DINNER ]
Address: So 2 Kim Ma Thuong, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi
Hours: 10:30am-1:30pm & 6pm-9pm
I was having a hard time coming up with accurate, concise names for the various types of restaurants on this list. "Rice buffet" is what I came up with for this one. Here, you'll be served your choice of foods to go with a side of white rice. The buffet includes a huge variety of vegetables and meats, which have been prepared in ways that you might not be familiar with. It's good though!
You should know that only one batch of food is made for each meal. So if you want to get lunch, it's better to show up closer to 11 than 1. If you get here late, you'll be eating the scraps. There is zero English spoken here. However, despite being a complete outsider, I was treated with respect by the owners of this establishment. When some rude Vietnamese asshole would ditch me in line during the lunch rush (and I was too tired to do anything about it), the woman would go out of her way to make sure that she served me before him. During my time in Hanoi, I never presumed to be deserving of gestures like this, but I certainly appreciated them.
PETER’S STICKY RICE + BANH MI PLACE
[ DINNER ]
Address: Ngo 294 Doi Can, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi
Hours: 7pm to 10pm (ish)
This is one of my regular street food places. And when I say "street food," I mean that this is literally a cart. But it's a cart that is set up in the same spot every night. This spot is a small lot between 294 and 306 Doi Can street. The lot sits at a large opening to an alley called Ngo 294 (Doi Can). The lot turns into a small market place at night. The first booth on your right when you enter the alley is run by a middle-aged (bordering on old) Vietnamese woman who will probably be sitting in a plastic chair. There is a wooden bench in front and there are usually lots of people sitting around. It might not seem sanitary but I’ve never had any issues.
She’ll make you a Banh Mi (a sandwich) or little container of rice with all the trimmings. Personally I like to get the sweet sausage, paté and ruôc (Vietnamese hair-thin pork jerky). I don't know if that sounds good or not, but trust me, it's good. I'm a classically picky eater, and I ate here a few times per week. You can get this food in a small Styrofoam package 'to-go.' Oh, and this woman doesn’t speak English.
PETER’S FRIED PHO PLACE(S)
[ lunch + Dinner ]
Address: Intersection between Ngu Xa and Nguyen Khac Hieu, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi
Hours: Lunch – 10pm (ish)
There is no address for this one; it’s an intersection. This intersection has a few restaurants and they all serve the same thing: pho cuon a.k.a fried pho. It will be pretty obvious when you get there. People will be working very hard to get you to chose their restaurant over the one right next to it. It's obnoxious, but don’t worry about choosing the wrong one. Once you’re there, you can’t go wrong.
All of these restaurants are known in Hanoi for specializing in this one dish. It's sort of a foodie hotspot, but an obscure one. I don't often see this listed in tourist guides of Hanoi. None of the people working in these restaurants speak much English—it remains as authentic today as ever! This next place, however, has a bit more draw.
PETER’S CHICKEN PLACE
[ LUNCH + DINNER ]
Address: Ly Van Phuc Street, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi A.K.A. Chicken Street
Hours: Lunch – 11pm (ish)
Chicken Street might be the best chicken I’ve ever tasted. I don’t know why. It just is. When you arrive, you'll have your choice of pretty much every imaginable part of a chicken. There are a surprising amount of options, and it can be the cause of some indecision. Well, I can help you there. Make sure that you order the chicken leg. It is by far the best thing there. Again, I don’t know why. It just is. Get some honey bread on the side, order a few beers, and enjoy!
Notice that this entry says Chicken STREET. Yes, this is an entire street, where every establishment serves the same thing: chicken. Everybody in Hanoi has “their place” on this street that they go to, but after having multiple people bring me to “their place,” I never tasted a huge difference. Also, be forewarned that they don’t speak English.
