Hanoi Old Quarter Food Tour: A Review with 10 Delicious Tastings

When it comes to seeing a city, there is almost no way that is much better than taking a walk and really getting into all those small alleyways and side streets. When you combine that with yummy eats, well, that is something else! Recently, I had that very experience on a Hanoi Old Quarter Street Food Walking Tour that included 10 tastings, and, honestly, it really was quite the highlight of the entire trip. The busy streets, amazing aromas, and, obviously, scrumptious flavors provided a complete sensory feast. If you have been thinking of going, let me tell you what you might find.

Booking and Initial Impressions

Getting this tour sorted out turned out to be a pretty easy job. Plenty of outfitters run similar excursions, and you might find them on big platforms or through local recommendations. So, do some comparison shopping to see who gels best with you when you book. Communication after I booked the tour felt very friendly. Meeting instructions looked crystal clear, and there wasn’t a problem locating our guide.

Our guide’s welcoming personality set the mood right from the get-go. Clearly enthusiastic when it came to Hanoi cuisine, and happy to walk through many facets of it. He started out, almost like anyone would, by asking about food restrictions and preferences; as that is good practice, because, as I was saying, nobody wants surprises related to the consumption side of any trip. I’m definitely not about shellfish; that’s not a huge issue in Hanoi, that’s for certain.

First Few Bites: Appetizers and Insights

First up came *Banh Goi*, or, if you want, pillow cakes. Basically, it’s fried pastry stuffed with minced pork and vermicelli. It was wonderfully crispy and oh so very delicious, but definitely super hot. This wasn’t just eating; you get some culture on the tour, too it’s almost as if you got more familiar with the food’s backgrounds and ingredients thanks to the guide. Next was *Nom Du Du* (green papaya salad), very tangy and had this light crisp feel, that’s just refreshing given how sticky Hanoi can be. It was a brilliant intro to just how many wonderful tastes Vietnamese food plays around with.

We ate both sat down on little plastic chairs on the street, which is so common in Hanoi. The place where we were dining appeared to be filled with local residents, a terrific indicator.

Pho and Bun: Noodle Adventures

Come on, did you actually believe we could bypass *Pho* on this tour? This legendary soup was next, with a steaming bowl of chicken pho. The broth seemed rich, and I got the impression that all the spices were playing really well. The noodles did have that nice springy texture and the chicken was nicely soft; this was definitely the version you just long for on any wet day.

Also *Bun Cha* showed up later — vermicelli noodles together with grilled pork, along with lots of greens and a dipping sauce that tasted fishy. This one is usually offered as a lunch dish within Hanoi and does come with the unmistakable chargrilled smokiness which complements the freshness from the greens perfectly.

Hidden Gems and Unexpected Delights

Then we wandered down those back streets, tasting snacks that I might very well have passed right by alone. The *Banh Cuon* (rice noodle rolls) was light and delicious. We watched somebody prepping these paper-thin rolls directly then ate it straight off their workstation along with fried shallots and a dash of fish sauce.

It’s almost as if every tasting spot came with something that offered its own little look at Hanoi’s life behind all the storefronts. You get some conversation together with all those vendors and the insights our guide threw in simply made the food even tastier.

Sweet Endings

To make certain everything finished off perfectly, we visited spots for dessert that provided the local touch. We sampled *Che*, that is, a sweet dessert soup along with so many toppings; also, Vietnamese egg coffee — this intense mix of coffee together with egg yolk seems strangely very addictive.

That egg coffee happened to be the great endpoint to the tour. The small cafe did feel quite cool to just rest as you look back through what we have been through, tasting all those delicacies together.

Overall Experience and Value

Basically, the Hanoi Old Quarter Street Food Walking Tour provided both fun and lots of insight. Obviously, all those dishes came out very flavorful but just as satisfying happens to be how you see all those dishes made together with meeting those folks that are really passionate to cook them every day.

Value-wise, you know, it looks like this tour happens to be money quite well spent. You just eat a ton, also you find that Hanoi’s food culture can go pretty deep too. Plus, wandering with some knowledgeable guide can, arguably, make any city feel more welcoming.

Recommendations

Here is a handful of tips, should you make a decision to try the tour. Very first, wear comfy shoes! Hanoi Old Quarter can be busy to be walked so comfort really matters quite a lot. Bring a camera to capture everything! Come there very hungry! Basically, there’ll be ample for everyone. Finally, consider drinking a water or other drink at intervals when going through, keeping yourself feeling refreshed.

Final Thoughts

This street food walking tour turns out to be an terrific opportunity to get to learn about Hanoi, tasting dish after dish. When you love great food and wish to feel a city through its dishes, you really ought to reserve some place in there!