Hanoi is undoubtedly a food paradise awaits every tourist to discover. Influenced by Vietnam’s cultural roots and regional diversity, Hanoi has a rich culinary tradition, including the best of Vietnamese cuisine. Tourists can easily enjoy fresh tofu, noodles, and every green herb under the sun in every corner of the city. There are wide ranges of food to choose, from Vietnamese traditional delicious noodles, Banh mi to sophisticated vegetarian and vegan food prepared with regional influences. However, it is not an easy task to find good, inexpensive vegetarian food in Vietnam and especially in Hanoi’s Old Quarter.
Firstly, you should keep in mind that most of Vietnamese dishes contain fish sauce, and, vegetarian Vietnamese food is sometimes not an exception. Fish sauce is obviously made of fish, and that makes it not vegetarian at all. So if you can’t reconcile yourself to eating a tiny bit of fish sauce when you visit Vietnam, there is a great possibility that you will miss out on the best vegetarian Hanoi experiences.
Secondly, before trying any dish, make sure that it is for a vegetarian. If you are not eating in a restaurant for vegetarian, it is for the best to make a clear point to the waiter that you “an chay”. Learn the Vietnamese word for vegetarian, as you are not always accompanied by a Vietnamese speaking person, and not every Vietnamese person knows how to speak English. You know, it is always better to be safe than sorry.
After being careful in choosing any dish, it is time for vegetarians to enjoy the wonderful dishes of Hanoi. There are wide rages of food that you can choose from. Green Papaya Salad / Nom Du Du with crunchy shredded papaya, crushed roasted peanuts and many leafy green herbs. The sauce is the most unique part of the dish, with honey, rice vinegar, and fish sauce, which create a balanced and very enjoying flavor.
Green Papaya
Steamed Noodles / Banh Cuon is another good dish that a vegetarian can enjoy in Hanoi. Banh cuon is the combination of fine rice flour and water, the basis of Banh Cuon. For vegetarians, the noodles are topped with a layer of crispy fried shallots. For everyone else, pork is added as well — so please remember to order yours “an chay”!
As with most foods in Vietnam, the toppings are considered an important part of the dish. Banh Cuon is served with a sauce of rice vinegar, water, and a very familiar ingredient, fish sauce.
Vegetarians to Hanoi can also enjoy Deep-Fried Breads The pillow cake comes stuffed with noodles, mushrooms, and fresh lettuce. This kind of cake is very popular in Vietnam, and it is crispy even after being in the fryer.
And if you are a person with a sweet mouth, Coconut Rolls / Bo Bia is a wonderful option. It is sold by people riding around using their bicycles with a steel box on the back marked “Bo Bia”. The dish contains a corn flour wrap, thin and stretchy, like rice paper, a layer of crunchy fried sugar cane, a large portion of freshly grated coconut, and some black sesame. All the materials are wrapped up as a little tube to be enjoyed.
Delicious “bo bia”
Besides those dishes, there are also many kinds of fresh drinks and juices that you can enjoy. Hanoi, Vietnam is truly a little paradise for all of us. And if we know how to discover it right, the experiences in Hanoi will be unforgettable.
Vietnam Visa on Arrival
For visitors who want to discover the charm of Hanoi and Vietnam in general, please visit our website Vietnam-visa.com to look for further information on Vietnam Visa on Arrival. With this type of application, all procedures are made online, and you will get your visa stamped at the international airport that you arrive at.
The fee for Visa includes service fee and stamping fee. Simply select your nationality to check requirements and full guide to get the convenient Vietnam Visa On Arrival. For example, if you are Indian, you can get visa to Vietnam from India by filling a simple online form, get Visa Approval Letter after just 2 hours – 2 working days and get visa stamped at Vietnam Airport on your Vietnam arrival day.
If you face any difficulty in terms of Visa application, please contact us through mail [email protected] or phone number (+84) 946 583 583 to seek for help. We will try to help you at our best.
