Dong
Xuan Market is Hanoi’s largest indoor market, offering a wide array of goods
within its four-story Soviet-style building on the northern edge of the famous
Old Quarter.
Start
with the ground floor where you can find a bustling wet market, where locals
buy fresh seafood, meat and vegetables. Go upstairs for printed tees, fabrics,
luggage and much more.
When
you are tired, treat yourself with one (or some) of these street food
essentials of the capital city.
Dong
Xuan is one of the few places selling grilled pork on bamboo stick in Hanoi,
which is an interesting version of bun cha, recently made famous by Obama. The
dish found in Dong Xuan is made in a traditional style: the pork is wrapped in
guise leaves, clipped on bamboo flat sticks and grilled over charcoal. The
smell alone is mouth-watering. It is served with rice noodles, fresh herbs and
a lightly sour dipping source. Photo by Blogphuot.vn
Near
one of the entrances you will find a small snail noodle stand, which is always
packed around noon. The most delicious part of the snail noodle is the broth,
with a light, delicate taste. The snails are a perfect mixture of soft and
chewy. Ask for some fried tofu and turmeric. Each bowl will only set you back
VND30,000-35,000 ($1.33-1.55). Photo by Chien Tran
There's
a pork-rib porridge vendor who starts serving at around 5 p.m. to midnight.
Expect a thick version of porridge, with a fragrant and sweet taste of
slow-cooked meat broth. Topped with deep fried breadsticks and served hot, it
is a bowl made for a cold Hanoi night. A bowl starts at VND30,000 ($1.33).
Photo by Chinh Le
It's
widely known that Hanoians love pho, and southern Vietnamese love hu tieu, a
Cambodian-Chinese concoction that Vietnamese have adapted for their palates.
What you are looking at is, wait for it, pho tieu. The name says it all: this
is the love child of the two beloved hot noodle dishes. Thin white noodles are
served with thin slices of roasted pork, topped with herbs and roasted peanuts.
A bowl costs VND25,000, or just a little more than $1. Photo by Dao Cam Nhung
Instead
of grilled pork, locals also enjoy eating noodles with fried spring rolls,
stuffed with crab meat. It's VND30,000 a portion. You may want to ask for more
of those crispy rolls, at around VND10,000 each. Photo by Tin Pham
Beef
jerky and green papaya salad (left) is a favorite among young people. Your
palate will be surprised, in a nice way, by the attack of flavor: it's spicy,
sour, crunchy, chewy and nutty all at the same time. And it's only VND30,000 a
plate. Photo by Huong Giang.
These
bad boys are banh bot loc, a cute, clear-looking, chewy tapioca dumpling
version that can be eaten any time of day, or night. They are filled with
minced shrimp and pork belly, served with a delicious sweet and sour sauce. A
VND20,000 portion will make you ask for more. Photo by Aophie Dang
Meet
Xuka, a dessert mysteriously named after a popular Japanese manga character. It
is the perfect combination of delicious and colorful ingredients: white coconut
milk and glossy black jelly pieces. Then add a little green jelly. How about
some chewy tapioca pearls? Then red pomegranate. Let's top with some fruit.
Just because we can. Photo by Linh Nguyen
By Tuyet Mai/VnExpress