HANOI E.BUDDIES | Hanoi Food Tour

Itinerary

Hanoi Food Tour

Are you wondering what to eat in Hanoi, one of the food paradises in Southeast Asia? Don’t worry, join Hanoi e.Buddies’ food tour to try Vietnamese local dishes.

Tour information:

Duration: 4-hour tour (recommended time 11AM or 6PM)
Transportation: On foot/taxi
Suitable for: foodies who want to try yourself with different Vietnamese dishes
Language: English

Note:

The duration may be changed upon your actual circumstances.
Without special requirements, the transportation for this food tour is walking in the old quarter area.
Below are some of the recommendations for must-try dishes; the actual food stops in the tour will be chosen by the guide in accordance with the actual circumstances and preferences of tourists.

Phở—Vietnamese noodle soup

A trip to Hanoi will never be complete until you try a tasty bowl of Phở, a globally known signature dish of Vietnam. Phở consists of freshly made rice noodles in the fragrant and savory meat broth filled with slices of beef or chicken and a plateful of leafy greens and herbs. Simple as it may look, the dish itself requires the best cooking technique, especially for the broth. Although you may see Phở at Vietnamese restaurants in your country, we believe the taste and feeling are a big difference when trying Phở here in its birthplace.

Pho in Hanoi e.Buddies food tour

You may not know:

Pho was added to the Oxford and Cambridge dictionaries.
In 2025, Pho is in the 2nd rank among 20 of the world’s best soups by CNN.
In Japan, April 4 (4/4) is the Day of Pho because of the homonyms between Pho and 4 (four).

Bánh mì—Vietnamese sandwich

Bánh mì is the most popular Vietnamese street food, and you can find plenty of Bánh mì stalls while walking in Vietnam. People can eat Bánh mì every day, for breakfast, lunch, or even dinner. Although its origin is French, we have made it distinctively in our own Vietnamese way. Bánh mì‘s most common fillings are pate, cucumbers, fresh herbs, pickles, and condiments such as chili sauce. Besides pate, you can also choose egg, chicken, barbecue pork, or mixed, depending on your tastes. With a Bánh mì in hand, you will savor spicy, salty, savory, sweet, and aromatic tastes in each bite.

Banh mi in Hanoi e.Buddies’ food tour

You may not know:

Like Pho, Banh mi was added to the Oxford and Cambridge dictionaries.
Vietnam’s Banh mi is different from the French baguette.

Cafe trứng—egg coffee

Cafe trứng is a delicacy of Hanoi and a unique treat for every tourist when coming here.

An Australian tourist trying egg coffee at the famous Hanoi train street

This specialty was invented by a bartender at the Metropole Hotel, Nguyen Van Giang, who came up with a recipe to use whisked egg yolk as a substitute for fresh milk that was often in shortage during the 1940s. Egg yolk is whipped until it becomes a creamy, soft, meringue-like foam and is poured into a cup with hot coffee that seeps through the foam so it perches on top of the cup. It’s the sweetness of condensed milk, the creamy taste of the egg, and the bitterness of the coffee that are in harmony, leaving a mesmerizing taste among tourists.

Egg coffee in Hanoi e.Buddies’ food tour

You may not know:

Famous singer John Legend tried egg coffee during his first visit to Hanoi in 2022.
The egg coffee shop of the dish’s founder still exists in the old quarter area.
Not far from the original shops of the founder, Mrs. Bich, daughter of Mr. Giang, also has her egg coffee shop with a view to the Hoan Kiem Lake.

Bún chả—Barbecued pork with vermicelli

Bún chả is one of the most flavorful and outstanding dishes of Vietnamese cuisine.

Bun cha in Hanoi e.Buddies’ food tour

In a portion of Bún chả, you will have grilled pork and meatballs placed in a bowl of hot broth made of fish sauce, vermicelli, and fresh herbs. The hot broth is made of Vietnamese fish sauce (nước mắm) mixed with water, vinegar, lime, sugar, garlic, chili, carrot, and green papaya. This is one of the Hanoi food specialties not to be missed.

A portion of Bun cha

You may not know:

Upon his State visit to Hanoi in 2016, former President Barack Obama and the late Chef Anthony Bourdain once tried Bún chả at a local shop.
Bún chả can be served with nem rán (fried spring rolls) as its side dish.

Tràng Tiền ice cream/Thủy Tạ ice cream

In the scorching summertime of Hanoi, it is a must to cool down during our summer tour by trying ice cream at the two most famous and traditional ice cream shops: Thủy Tạ and Tràng Tiền.

Ice cream in Hanoi e.Buddies’ food tour

Located by the famous Hoan Kiem Lake, Thuy Ta is known for its cool lime mint ice cream sticks. Just a short walk away to the southeast of the lake, Trang Tien ice cream, founded in 1958, is famous for its classic stick ice cream—especially flavors like cốm (green sticky rice) and coconut—loved by generations of locals. Enjoying these simple yet legendary treats is not only about taste but also about experiencing a sweet piece of Hanoi’s history.

Note for your food experience!

The above food stops are suggested. You can customize the tour, or our guide may also refer different dishes depending on the actual situation. Please note your allergy or food preference in the ‘Requirements’ section of our booking form for a better plan.

As stated on our public media, our tours in Hanoi are free of charge; however, you are expected to cover all expenses, including but not limited to those incurred by your guide. In this case, for a food tour in Hanoi, those expenses are the costs of food.