Dozens of booths featuring the street foods of Vietnam, the Republic of Korea, China, Thailand and Japan attract a huge number of visitors. Different Hanoi specialities with a variety of tastes and colours entice hundreds of visitors. Customers can buy o mai (dry apricot) at a price of VND20,000 per 100 grams. Famous cakes are on sale at the festival such as sticky rice cakes, Ho Tay shrimp cakes and pho cuon (rolled rice pancakes). A booth for Korean (RoK) street food offers visitors a wide range of choices to buy their favourite dishes. Quail egg cakes Korean dishes come in many different colours, flavours and preparations, including fried chicken with sweet spicy sauce, kimbap, spicy rice cakes, grilled fish cakes, and grilled skewers. Girdle-cake is one of the special street foods in Ho Chi Minh City, delighting young people in Hanoi. Dorayaki donuts, made famous in Japan's Doremon manga, contain a variety of ingredients such as chocolate, mung beans, red beans, and meat … [Read more...] about 1,000 street foods served up at Hanoi festival
Dry ice ice cream
Hồng Ngọc Dynastie serves tradition in comfort
Viet Nam News by Nguyễn Mỹ Hà I had wanted to take my guest out to have Hanoian bánh cuốn (steamed rice crepe with meat and fragrant mushrooms stuffing) because she is Vietnamese but living in France and absolutely adores the dish every time she returns to Hà Nội. When I proposed it, however, she declined. My guest can enjoy herself when I take her out to small Hanoian eateries, where you can have only one dish, perfectly cooked but with no fancy tables or air-conditioning. But her French husband does not like the heat and humidity while dining. Instead, she proposed a place where the grapefruit salad, she said, was so good I had to try it. The restaurant Hồng Ngọc Dynastie is the exact opposite of the typical Hà Nội casual dining experience. It’s new and clean and well-decorated. Most importantly, the mahogany hardwood chairs are comfy. And the spacious room was well-ventilated. After we settled in, we began to … [Read more...] about Hồng Ngọc Dynastie serves tradition in comfort
CNN lists 40 delicious Vietnamese foods
1. Pho What list of Vietnamese cuisine would be complete without pho? According to CNN, it's almost impossible to walk a block in any major Vietnamese destination without bumping into a crowd of hungry patrons slurping noodles at a makeshift pho stand. This simple staple consisting of a salty broth, fresh rice noodles, a sprinkling of herbs and chicken or beef, features predominately in the local diet -and understandably so. It's cheap, tasty, and widely available at all hours. 2. Cha ca Hanoians consider cha ca to be so exceptional that there is a street in the capital dedicated to these fried morsels of fish. This namesake alley is home to Cha Ca La Vong, which serves sizzling chunks of fish seasoned with garlic, ginger, turmeric and dill on a hot pan tableside. “Cha Ca La Vong may be the busiest but the service is a bit gruff and the food is overpriced. Instead make your way to Duong Thanh in Hanoi's Hoan Kiem district, where you'll find plenty of more affordable but just as … [Read more...] about CNN lists 40 delicious Vietnamese foods
7 desserts to cool Hanoi’s hot summer
Khuc Bach sweet cheese tofu “Che khuc bach” is a cold dessert believed to originate from Hong Kong with buttery cubes of "cheese tofu," preserved longans or lychee, and silvered almonds. The cubes are the main part made from cheese, milk, cream and gelatin powder to create a soft and chewy texture. Unlike other desserts that are usually sweet, this dish has a milder taste. The dessert made a storm first in Saigon, and has slowly won the hearts of many people across the nation due to its refreshing taste. There are many dessert shops serving "che khuc bach." You can try some at 33 Quang Trung Street, 9 Tran Phu Street and 93 Hang Bac Street. Gooey yogurt Yogurt is frozen, cut into small cubes and mixed with coco powder to make this soft and sticky dessert. This dish is famous around the Hang Non area in Hanoi. Yogurt with glutinous jelly During peak time, you can see a long line of customers waiting in front of 5B Dinh Liet to buy this dish. Due to the small venue, it's best … [Read more...] about 7 desserts to cool Hanoi’s hot summer
5 street food spots deep rooted in the heart of Saigonese
Nam’s beef jerky salad This little shop with no signboard on Nguyen Van Thu Street, District 1 is the destination of many food lovers in Saigon, serving a popular urban snack that brings together fresh papaw, carrots and dried beef, all thinly sliced and mixed with vinegar, fish sauce and dried crushed peanuts. The perfect combination of sweet, sour, peppery and salty flavors costs only VND16,000 ($0.70). Nam, the owner, opened the shop in 1975. He has retired now and let his daughter take over the business. Nam Loi’s fish noodle soup The rice noodle is served with pâté chaud, a Vietnamese multi-layer savory puff pastry. Photo by VnExpress/Phong Vinh This noodle soup restaurant has been standing on Ton That Dam Street, District 1, for 70 years. The diner serves hu tiu, a rice-based noodle which is tough and transculent, in tasty and light broth, with thin fish slices on top. The rice noodle is served with pâté chaud, a Vietnamese multi-layer savory … [Read more...] about 5 street food spots deep rooted in the heart of Saigonese