Ahoy, Hanoi!

After another long windy journey on a sleeper bus back to Hanoi from Sa Pa, we arrived just before midnight. On our way to our Airbnb, our driver drove through what we later found out was Beer Street. We were told traffic and streets were crazy in Hanoi but our first look at Old Quarter and Beer Street was eye opening. Thankfully, we chose to stay in the neighborhood of Ba Dinh which was still wild by itself but much less so than Old Quarter.

Because our time spent in Hanoi was much more laid-back than how we typically travel, this post will be organized based on the following categories: sights, food, and transportation.

Hanoi is a massive city. Unfortunately, we did not explore much outside of Old Quarter and our neighborhood, Ba Dinh. This turned out to be a blessing because after spending several days hiking 6+ hours, we needed a more relaxing time. I am sure Hanoi has much more to offer than we experienced but for this trip, it sufficed.

1 USD = around 23,000 VND (Vietnamese Dong). This conversion allowed us to finally feel like millionaires.

Sights

Two sites that impressed us the most were the Hoa Lo Prison Relic and the Vietnamese Women’s Museum.

The Hoa Lo Prison Relic serves as a thought-provoking look into the dark and complex history of Vietnam. This prison was built in 1896 by the French to capture Vietnamese political prisoners who tried to revolt against the imperial French. Most of the prison was destroyed in the 1990s to develop highrises and hotels but there is a small section that remains and is featured in this museum. The struggle of the Vietnamese people in this exhibit was striking and evoked great curiosity for us to educate ourselves more on the history of Vietnam.

We saw the Vietnam flags up everywhere and banners commemorating October 11, 1954, which was a historic day in Hanoi. It is celebrated as The Capital Liberation Day, and is considered the day when Ho Chi Minh established the Communist Party in Vietnam as a means for gaining independence. It is the day when the last French soldiers withdrew from Hanoi and the people flooded the streets in celebration. It was a turning point for the Vietnamese people and put them on a trajectory towards independence and following Ho Chi Minh’s lead.

We also frequently saw local men wearing green A2 style helmets that were worn by the Vietnam People’s Army. We stopped at a cafe for some Vietnamese coffee and it turned out to be a “Soldier Cafe” decorated with camo and old war speakers and methods of communication used in the past. There were many shops selling green war-type clothing and relics.

Also some war-time vehicles were seen on the streets, sometimes with tourists inside, sometimes being used by the current police or military. The presence of the war was still evident, which is in clear contrast to the US where the memory of the war only really lives in those directly impacted. Due to the controversy surrounding the American involvement in the war, there is a desire by many in the states to forget that time in American history.

We visited the Vietnamese Women’s Museum, which was established and is operated by the Vietnamese Women’s Union. It was officially opened in 1995 to research and educate about the cultural heritage of the women in the 54 ethnic communities of Vietnam. It features the practices of marriage, birth, homemaking, work, fashion, and their fight to gain independence for their country. It was fascinating to learn the expansive responsibilities the women of this country take on, as well as their enduring strength to fight for their families and country. I have a lot of respect for them after all I have learned from our trek guide, Chai, and at this museum.

Next was the Temple of Literature. It is a temple dedicated to Confucius and commemorates the importance of education and examinations in Vietnamese culture and from the Chinese influence. The temple was built in 1070 at the time of Emperor Ly Thanh Tong and was a place where people would offer ceremonies, study, and take elite examinations.

The various pavilions and courtyards feature the nations' four holy creatures – turtle, phoenix, unicorn, and dragon. There are stone and steel plaques with the names of each student who was successful in the examinations.

The Thang Long Water Puppet Show nearby Hoan Kiem Lake was an interesting look into an old Vietnamese tradition. It is a form of entertainment the rice farmers created in the fields of the north. When the rice paddies would flood they built puppets and told stories and legends from the farmer experience. The images of the turtle, phoenix, unicorn, and dragon were present throughout the performance, similar to what we saw represented at the Temple of Literature. Our favorite part was the music featuring traditional Vietnamese instruments and beautiful singing. Oddly enough we ran into a family from my school there who was traveling through Vietnam as well.

One of the most interesting sites we went back to several times was in Old Quarter, specifically Beer Street. This is a popular place for tourists to go on street food tours, as well as a place backpackers stop by to enjoy the beer, food, and vibe. It is also the place to get the cheapest beer.

Our first experience was on a weekday evening and it was pretty busy with many shopkeepers hollering at us to come sit at their stall. We ended up stopping for a few beers and to watch the mayhem that ensued. We sat right along the road to watch motos and even cars squeezing through the narrow streets and hoards of pedestrians. We returned on a Friday night and didn’t enjoy it as much considering it was packed and we soon felt too claustrophobic. We returned frequently to this area because the food there was unmatched.

One place I enjoyed visiting is called the Zo Project, which is located along a small path following the train tracks. It didn’t look like a place we were supposed to walk, but we gave it a try and thankfully it turned out great. It is a small shop that serves as a storefront for papermaking workshops among other activities. Its mission is to preserve the making of Do paper – the traditional handmade paper of Vietnam. Do paper is made by a painstaking process that involves more than 100 steps. I enjoyed perusing the shop and chose several items as momentos to take with me as well as support this social enterprise.

On our last night we went to the Weekend Night Market in Old Quarter. It is an expansive market that goes on for blocks and blocks. It was full of souvenirs, clothes, shoes, food, and much more. It was interesting to experience, but I think we prefer the night markets of Thailand.

Food

Eric, as always, will take over the food part of our journey.

Before visiting Vietnam, our view of Vietnamese food was pretty simple, Banh Mi, Pho and grilled meats. We have experienced Tonkin Annam in Bangkok which explores various other dishes from Vietnam. Outside of that, our scope of the diversity of Vietnamese dishes was and still is limited. Due to the language barrier it was difficult to know what various stalls made and sold. We decided to explore on our own instead of getting a food tour guide, which might have expanded the types of food we tried. However, we are not disappointed by what we found and chose to eat each day.

That said, the first restaurant we went to was Mậu Dịch số 37. Recommended from a friend, we learned that this restaurant, back in the 70s and 80s was a state-run food store where you could exchange ration coupons for your food rations and other essentials. The menu mimics one of those ration books and the decor is all from that time period as well. It was nice to start at this restaurant because we were able to try dishes we wouldn’t be seeing again on our trip. They were simple stir fries and fried foods from the North. Some were similar to Thai dishes (but without chili).

The only other meal we had that were not the staples, was at Quan An Ngon. This place was huge and packed with people. The kitchen set-up was unique in the sense that each station was outside preparing a different part of the menu. It gave us night market vibes. The food here reminded us of Tonkin Annam in Bangkok. It as great and gave us another inside look into how northerners eat up here.

Outside of these two sit-down meals, most of our other meals were at street stalls and consisted of Pho, Bahn Mi, or what became our favorite dish, Bun Cha.

Pho 10 Ly Quoc Su and Phở Thìn were both exceptional. In Thailand, simple broth soup is hard to come by so it was nice to have such a heart warming, straightforward noodle dish to enjoy.

In total, we tried seven different bahn mi spots. They were all such light bites that we could get one to go, eat it along the way to another spot, and repeat. We learned the beauty of a good pate and the difference between homemade vs. store bought.

Our favorites among the many we had were at Bánh Mì 25 and Bánh Mỳ Đức Long Kebab. Bánh Mì 25 was touristy but was tasty and had a cool vibe. We tried both their bánh mì and their deconstructed bánh mì (bánh mì Chảo). The kebab place was right along Beer Street but we did not see almost anyone there as we ate. It was by far the biggest sandwich we had during our stay and probably the most delicious. It easily stood up to the other sandwiches we tried even though it was fusion.

Our favorite meal we had by far was bún chả. It is said to have originated in Hanoi, and we can easily see why. According to Wikipedia, bún chả is served with grilled fatty pork (chả) over a plate of white rice noodle (bún) and herbs with a side dish of dipping sauce. Sounds simple but the flavor is unbelievable. While we did have a bowl of bún chả pho in Sa Pa, we weren’t entirely sure what it was at the time.

Our first, true experience with it was at Bun Cha Dac Kim. It seemed well established as both locals and tourists were occupying the many floors of seating. We did not know how to order but noticed everyone was eating the same thing.

We sat down between two other couples and just pointed to their food. Seconds later, a woman brought us two bowls of grilled pork in a soup with veggies at the bottom, a huge plate of herbs and greens, a massive plate of vermicelli noodles, and a large plate of spring rolls. We saw people adding the herbs and noodles to their bowl of meat so we followed suit. It was magical. Em and I didn’t even speak a word to each other the entire time we were eating. 15 minutes later, we were still pounding away at our bowls making sure we finished every last drop. It was absolutely incredible. To make it even better, they gave us this fruit drink we had never had before. After asking the people sitting next to us, we found out that the fruit is called Dracontomelon. It was so freaking good I spent the rest of the trip trying to find more places that sold it.

Because the hours for other bún chả spots we wanted to try didn’t match up to our schedule, we were only able to fit in one more place called Bún Chả Hàng Quạt. This place only had a small sign with a man standing out front. Em had passed it several times trying to find it as I waited. You walk through a narrow alley where several women are each working a small station making and preparing bowls of bún chả. There was almost no seating we saw but were told to sit at a single tiny table, which was shorter than our knees. We waited for them to bring the same meal we had the day before. We couldn’t be happier. The broth was a darker color, probably due to a darker sugar or fish sauce they were using. Again, we were speechless. The staff enjoyed watching how much we loved the meal. They had the same fruit drink as before which made everything right in the world.

To compare both meals, is dumb. They were both out of this world and if I could go home and replicate even a tiny bit of the taste, I would be a happy man.

Other quick food endeavors we had while in Hanoi were as follows. While Emily generally chooses tea, she took full advantage of the Vietnamese coffee scene. We watched sugar cane be squeezed through a juicer and drank the raw juice. It was slightly bitter and very sweet. A dessert we saw on the street all over but found a stall right near our stay was called bánh rán. They had mung beans inside and rolled in either sugar, or honey. When you shake the dessert, you can hear the ball of mung bean rolling around inside. These were delicious and when made fresh, were the perfect snack between meals.

Transportation

The traffic we experienced in Hanoi is unlike anywhere else we have traveled so far. It definitely is something to observe and gawk at as a tourist. It is true what they say, crossing the street is a cultural experience in itself. The most common method of transportation in Vietnam is by motorbike, a whopping 85% of people use motos throughout the country. It is currently one of the top 4 consumers of motos (behind China, India, and Indonesia).

The popularity of motorbikes mixed with the dense population, lack of infrastructure and traffic rule enforcement leads to the rather chaotic streets in Hanoi. While in the city, Eric and I got around the city via moto or by foot. Unlike in Bangkok, most moto drivers are quite chill. They might make left turns through traffic, drive on the opposite side of the street, or take round about routes, but the whole time they are going pretty slow. My analogy for traffic in Bangkok compared to Hanoi is this: Bangkok is like a river, and Hanoi is like a babbling brook. The traffic current in Bangkok is generally stronger/faster and the traffic infrastructure is a bit more in place.

The current of traffic in Hanoi isn’t as strong, but the crisscrossing and veering this way and that especially at intersections is constant. Honking is constant and the main strategy for crossing intersections. It isn’t used with aggression but more to alert other drivers of your presence. There are traffic lights, but they only last about 30 seconds compared to the lights in Bangkok that can last well over 100 seconds. The flow in Hanoi is slower but even more constant than Bangkok.

We did see accidents on two occasions and they were resolved quickly since traffic doesn’t stop for anyone. Thankfully, no one was seriously injured either time.

All this traffic talk is to say that the streets of Hanoi set the tone of the city in many ways. Locals are quite used to the chaos of it all and they have adapted amazingly. The city is noisy and always on the move, but the people were always kind and welcoming to us.

As a parting gift to ourselves we wanted a practical souvenir that would remind us of our experience in Vietnam. A tiny, plastic stool came to mind. We saw everyone from street food stalls to shopkeepers using them and Eric wanted one for when he cooks outside back in Bangkok.

We enjoyed our adventure to Vietnam and can see ourselves returning to see the coast and beautiful bays, as well as visiting the South. I am curious to observe the differences between the north and south considering their split histories. That said, the north was beautiful and chaotic, delicious and freeing. We hope to visit our neighbor again soon.

I loved the flower murals on nearly all of the electrical boxes.

Here’s a photo dump of art on the streets: