Hanoi Street Food Tour Review: A Delicious Adventure

So, you like yummy eats, right? Like, exploring a fresh locale bite by tasty bite? That means you’ve thought about a street chow outing while plotting out your travels. I’m going to tell you my experiences chowing down in the older sections of Hanoi, and what I think of the “Hanoi Street Food Walking Small Group Tour.” I’m also going to try and get you hungry! The heart of Vietnam’s tempting eating scene might be right there.

Why A Hanoi Street Food Tour is Right For You

Going solo through the tight alleyways of Hanoi is alright, though it’s almost easy to get lost in a sea of motorbikes, that is. That also means you might miss some of the real gems, right. Especially when those gems happen to be foods that you’ve frankly, very little clue about. And I mean, street food, by its very own nature, could be just a little hit-or-miss with hygiene; joining a tour that’s led by a person who knows where all the great, super tidy places are could be, basically, gold. Food outings aren’t, like, just feeding your face, though, because too it’s learning the culture and that real past by seeing what the locals actually eat. Seriously, I got to try eats that, on my very own, I probably would’ve walked straight past.

The local guides tend to be, usually, fountains of knowledge. They also can explain each and every single dish, and how people enjoy them, so it really opens your eyes. You can also, you know, ask them anything and everything pertaining to Vietnamese habits, basically. For a few hours, that chaotic, beautiful city transforms into this great big open eating space just for you. It can also get a little intense making those split decisions trying to choose what bun cha place is worth your precious money.

Booking My Tour: First Impressions

Selecting the outing can actually make or break your own feel of eating chow in Hanoi, as I see it. I went and checked quite a number of choices before picking this “Hanoi Street Food Walking Small Group Tour”. The “small group” piece? Very crucial for me, for real. I can’t deal with those herds of travelers when I’m trying to get the lowdown and make talk with the main guide, anyway.

The outing also boasted that you can eat at, very, at least six different places, too. That felt very promising, and a chance to try all different types of stuff, too. And, also, it had really great reviews from chow-hounds, you know, saying how the tour leaders understood their eating scene well. It had people talking and the pricing was right, it seemed; it wasn’t also the least costly outing, though I’m very keen on not skimping on eats; you have to eat, right?

The Hanoi Street Food Walking Tour Experience: A Bite-by-Bite Account

So, on tour day, I ended up meeting my crew and tour leader right at the rendezvous spot close to the Old Quarter. Luckily we only had, more or less, eight folk in our eating posse. This definitely, you know, helps with making things really personal and quite interactive. Our head person, whose name was Lien, grew up right here. She really knew this place extremely well.

Stop 1: Pho – It’s Almost More than Soup!

Lien kicked us off by saying the how’s and why’s about pho, very probably, the most well known of the nation’s exports, right. We popped into this back-alley spot that I definitely, as a matter of fact, wouldn’t have paid mind to myself, though apparently it had pho being slurped since the early morning. The broth tasted amazing and deep, and the noodles tasted so fresh. It was, definitely, not the pho that you might grab in other countries; This? Way more legitimate, obviously.

Stop 2: Banh Mi – The Humble Sandwich

You think all sandwiches might be pretty the same. Nope, they aren’t, actually, so next up: banh mi, right. It is just the best fusion of crunchy baguette bread that’s inherited from the French; this comes with different savory fillings like pate, cured meats, fresh herbs, that little touch of chili… We all got to this hole-in-the-wall where all the local school children gather at lunch time, usually. It really tasted special eating it elbow-to-elbow with a crowd that, actually, lived right there.

Stop 3: Bun Cha – Hanoi’s lunchtime Hero

Then it was lunchtime so the next stop meant bun cha, right. We had tasty grilled pork served alongside vermicelli noodles that you dipped into this rich broth, really. Lien, very knowledgeably, showed us to put this together with some greens and then those fresh herbs. It was so super flavorful; sweet, savory, just very refreshing. So I have a food recommendation for you. Try the bun cha if you ever get the chance. Okay?

Stop 4: A Sweet Interlude

Then, we stopped for “che,” as they say in Vietnam, alright. The country seems to love the sweet soups, just, like, sweet dessert puddings which each carry different bits. We had some that, seemingly, carried jelly and tapioca pearls that were swimming in light coconut milk. So super refreshing, and so just what we needed, for real.

Stop 5: Egg Coffee – A Real Must

It can’t be claimed you’ve seen Hanoi until you have enjoyed egg coffee, you see. Now, trust me – it actually does sound kind of odd, however, honestly it tastes delightful. It actually comprises vigorously whisked egg yolks and condensed milk added on top of very hot java. That looks much like a foamy, sweet custard; like your fave dessert in beverage form, too. We went to this quaint café which apparently created this very coffee, like your real hidden find, right.

Stop 6: “Food Street” Last Hurrah!

Then finally, the tour stopped at a buzzing “eating street” which is near Hoan Kiem Lake. Here, that, we could basically, pick anything at all we also wished to sample. Lien really walked us through how those vendors operated, plus handed us good tips for keeping safe while eating, basically.

What I Learned from the Food Tour

Outside of, basically, getting to chow down tasty local delicacies, I took far more out of my walking outing with Lien. The locals understand eats to be, well, more than mere living fuel; it’s so much an expression and thing to enjoy, okay? Each bite actually has tales that talk about its past, also traditions. I also feel far more relaxed and much more surefooted checking out street eateries going it by myself too, right.

Also, really do attempt to make conversation with the vendors. It is something they usually might like; possibly some of them barely are exposed to people that do not come from around their region. Get familiar with some key phrases in Vietnamese for buying food plus being very polite.

Value for Money: Does this tour cost?

If I’m being honest here, at first, I wasn’t so very certain whether I actually wanted to hand over the cash to sign for any type of outing when in fact I can, very nearly, wander round and eat when I wished. Yet I honestly feel I tasted great cuisine while also getting some key insight, so, too, the “Hanoi Street Food Walking Small Group Tour” actually turned out great worth, frankly. And especially getting that inside wisdom coming straight from someone so close to the city? You can’t very measure that!

Check the prices online, however generally assume around $30-45 American, okay. To me, splitting that payment out over so many delicious eats made it a sound plan. I got stuffed, definitely!

Final Thoughts: Would I Suggest It?

Yeah, in fact, for a person who relishes eats plus that rush found when one explores places with true cultural significance, the “Hanoi Street Food Walking Small Group Tour” is a fantastic option, alright. Lien really opened my mind not only to what Vietnamese individuals actually eat, though why this is true. And it is an awesome introduction to Ha Noi for people too nervous to dive in and explore themselves, basically!

So book yourself a space with that walking chow outing – your stomach could love this. Seriously. My rating is a tasty ten stars!