Follow the locals to nameless roadside eateries as the cold snap bites in Vietnam's capital.
Snails
Unlike
the spicy snails that are carefully fried or grilled in Saigon, the snails
served on cold days in Hanoi are simply boiled. Feel the steam from the snails
served with ginger sauce and lemongrass. Snails tend to appear in the rivers
around Hanoi between autumn and winter.
Try
the tasty treats in small restaurants at 5 Tong Duy Tan, 1 Dinh Liet, 34A Tran
Phu and 88 Cua Bac.
Sweet dumplings
These
dumplings are made from sticky rice stuffed with mung beans or black sesame.
The rice balls are then soaked in ginger syrup and served hot.
Head
to Hang Dieu, Quan Thanh or Tay Ho far a sample of these sweet balls from
either age-old eateries or street vendors.
Rib porridge
Hanoi
people love rib porridge and it's needless to say why this hot congee with quay
(fried dough) is a perfect choice for a cold day.
There’s
a nameless roadside stall at 2A Ly Quoc Su Street that man locals say serves
the best rib porridge in Hanoi. You can also find this hot treat in Dong Xuan
Market.
Cassava dessert
Cooked
cassava paired with hot ginger syrup is the perfect dessert after a bowl of rib
porridge, and it can be found practically next door at 36 Ly Quoc Su, just a
few steps from the congee joint.
If
not, save your dessert for roadside stalls on Luong Dinh Cua.
Chicken noodles
These
are no ordinary noodles. These guys team up with with stewed chicken and
Chinese herbs. This dish was inherited from Chinese people who used to live in
the Old Quarter.
This
noodle soup tastes best hot and is no doubt a good choice for winter. You can
find it on Hang Bo and on the corner of Hang Can and Luong Van Can.
Blood pudding soup
It
might sound scary but believe it or not, pig's blood is quite popular among
Vietnamese (and Chinese) people. The curd appears in many dishes in Vietnam,
from congee to noodle soup.
As
for this particular blood pudding, there is no porridge or noodles, just the
pudding and bitter mugwort leaves. A nameless eatery at the corner of Cha Ca
and Lan Ong is where Hanoians go for this soup.
Roast corn and sweet
potatoes
These
rustic snacks are found all year round in Hanoi, but winter puts them high on
the what-to-eat lists for both locals and visitors. Check out street vendors to
grab the hot corn and sweet potatoes because you will not find them in fancy
restaurants.
By VNE