To combine eating with exploration, head to these locations crammed with interesting restaurants and food stalls.
Pho Cam Chi (Cam Chi Street): This narrow lane is packed with local eateries turning out cheap, tasty food for a few dollars. Cam Chi translates as “Forbidden to Point” and dates from centuries ago. It is said that the street was named as a reminder for the local residents to keep their curious fingers in their pockets when the king and his entourage went through the neighborhood. Cam Chi is about 500 meter northeast of Hanoi train station. Adjoining Tong Duy Tan is also crammed with good eating.
Cam Chi Food Street
Duong Thuy Khue (Thuy Khue Road): On the southern bank of Tay Ho (the West Lake), Thuy Khe Road features dozens of outdoor seafood restaurants with a lakeside setting. The level of competition is evident by the daredevil touts who literally throw themselves in front of oncoming traffic to steer people towards their tables. You can eat well for about 150000 VND per person.
Truc Bach: A quieter waterfront scene is around the northeast edge of Truc Bach Lake. Many Lau (hotpot) restaurants are huddled together in an almost continuous strip for a few hundred meters. Grab a few friends and settle in at one of the dinky lakeside tables for a DIY session of fresh seafood, chicken or beef. It’s perfect on a cool Hanoi night.
Truc Bach is famous with frog hotpot
Pho Nghi Tam (Nghi Tam Street): About 10km north of the central Hanoi, Nghi Tam Street has a 1km-long stretch of about 60 dog-meat restaurants: keep an eye out for the words Thit Cho. Hanoians believe that eating dog meat in the first half of the month brings bad luck, so the restaurants are deserted. On the last day of the lunar month, however, they’re packed with locals.
Dog meat in Nghi Tam Street
(Source Lonely Planet)
