Vietnam Practicalities - Noodles in Hanoi 越南河粉

In this post, I will share the outstanding noodle places I visited in Hanoi. Noodles in Vietnam are named after their form. Pho is beef stock and spices to which flat rice noodles (like fettuccine) and thinly sliced beef or chicken are added. Bun is soft rice vermicelli (more cylindrical). Here explains the key staple foods in Vietnam. You can see the difference better in the photo below.

在本帖文我會分享一些在河內我曾到訪的頂尖粉面店，在越南，粉是由它們的形狀而命名的， Pho是比較寬闊的粉，好像河粉或意大利寬麵，通常用牛肉和湯烹調，有時候也會加雞肉。Bun是米造成的柔軟粉絲（圓筒形，似米線），按這裏可認識越南的主糧，又或者你可以看下圖來察覺它們的分別。

When we were riding the airport shuttle to the centre of Hanoi, I read about the best phos recommended by Culture Trip. The top recommendation, Pho Gia Truyen, which is close to our hotel. After check in we headed to 49, Bat Dan. Oops, it was not in service as the food was sold out that day. We were advised to come in the evening.

當我們在搭乘機場穿梭巴士往河內市中心時,我讀到由Culture Trip撰寫的”最好的河粉”,冠軍推介是Pho Gia Truyen,原來很近我們的酒店。在Golden Rooster酒店check-in後我們去到Ban Dan 街49號,哦！關門了!原來食物已經賣光，員工告訴我們黃昏再來。



We tried it the next evening. Only pho was served.  You can choose between raw beef, beef brisket and mix of the two (VND50,000). There was a long queue and the place was crowded.  But it was worthwhile. The broth was excellent, lots of herbs, tender and abundant beef pieces.  We did not need to eat anything else for the night. Our dinner just cost VND100,000 (USD4+).

我們在翌日的黃昏終於可以一嚐美味，這裏只有獨孤一味：牛肉河粉，你可以選擇生牛肉、牛腩或者兩者之混合（50,000越南盾），店門口有很長的人龍，食店也非常擠迫，但我覺得是非常值得的，湯非常之美味，有很多香草的味道，很多牛腩，而且柔軟又滑，當晚我們不需要再吃其他食物了，二人晚餐只需要100,000越南盾，即4美元。



We dined at Pho 10 which was highly recommended by our food tour guide another evening.  It was more expensive but not nicer. It cost VND60,000.  The soup was nice but the portion of the beef was small and the meat was a bit rough.

在另一個晚上我們去了小食團導遊推介的Pho 10，它比Pho Gia Truyen貴，但不是更美味，每碗60,000越南盾，湯的味道很好，但只有很少牛肉，而且有點粗糙。

We tried an excellent Pho Ga Tron at Pho Hong. It is a dry chicken noodle full of flavours. The bowl was full of different ingredients: loads of chicken meat and pho, garlic cloves, Thai basil, shallots and the superb dressing was nicely permeated and assimilated. So good! I wanted to go back.

我們在 Pho Hong 吃了一個超美味的乾撈雞河粉（Pho Ga Tron)，風味濃郁。這道河粉有很多不同的材料，例如好多雞肉、河粉、蒜頭、九層搭、乾蔥等，加上超美味的醬汁滲透和混合於河粉中，太美味了！我真的很想回去再吃一碗。

Another typical noodle dish (likely as the original place) in Hanoi is Bun Cha.  It is grilled fatty pork with rice noodle, herbs and dipping sauce.  Some restaurants put the pork over the noodle, top with herbs and dipping sauce served in a separate bowl. Our restaurant, Nhà Hàng Thanh Hop, served the grilled pork in the dipping sauce and gave two separate bowls of rice noodle and salad. Guests can put the noodle / salad into the dipping sauce and eat with the pork. It was very delicious. We came back another day. It seems to be a popular place for street food tour. Groups were next to us in both occasions. I read that their pho ga tron also draws a lot of guests there.

另一款在河內很普遍的粉是香茅豬肉粉，是炭燒肥豬肉、米粉、香草和蘸汁的完美結合。有些餐廳會將豬肉放在米粉上面然後再加香草，蘸汁是另上的。我們的餐廳Nhà Hàng Thanh Hop將炭燒豬肉浸於蘸汁中，並附上一碗米粉和一碗沙律，客人可將米粉、沙律放於蘸汁中，然後和豬肉一起吃，這是極好的享受。我們光顧第二次，這裡似乎是街頭小食團常到的餐廳，我們兩次到訪，旁邊的都是小食團，之後我讀到這間餐廳的個乾撈雞河粉也是很有名的。

Bun Bo is originated in Hue. We had it once in Hue. Our tour guide bought us to Bun Bo Gio Heo at 60 Bat Su Street. I commented that the one in Hanoi was nice than that in Hue. Apart from beef, beef balls were also served in the bowl of noodles. Soup was superb. Salad with banana flower was served.  The beefy taste is still vivid.

我們在順化吃過源於當地的順化牛肉河粉，美食導遊帶我們去到Bat Su街60號的Bun Bo Gio Heo，我的評價是:河內的順化牛肉河粉比在順化的更好，除了牛肉之外也加入牛丸，湯是非常之美味，那種牛肉的味道仍然在我腦中迴旋。另一特點是沙律裏加了香蕉花，應是我人生的第一次。

Though serving street food, the above restaurants are a bit 'upscale'. Food is served inside at higher tables. Prices are low. The most expensive one cost VND60,000. Most of them price at VND40,000 for one dish. Two people with drinks just costs around VND100,000, USD 4.

雖然是賣街頭小食，但以上餐廳已經比較"高尚"。食物都是在食店內享用，而且有一些較高的枱，價錢低廉，最貴的也不過是60,000越南盾，大部份都只是40,000越南盾一碗粉，兩個人加上飲品也只不過是100,000越南盾，即4美元。

Homemade Bun rieu cua by Meyan

I was hoping to try Bun rieu cua because I love it served in a Vietnamese restaurant in Hong Kong. It caused me to imagine that those served in Vietnam would be better. I even researched and cooked it at home. It was very delicious. I asked two young Vietnamese for nice bun rieu cua. One told me to try it at 7B Ly Quoc Su Street. Unfortunately, it tasted bland and crab meat did not exist. Another one recommended was Bun Rieu Cua Pho Co, I went there twice. Once in the morning and another time in the evening. It was closed. A woman told me to come at 6am. So, no chance! I passed by one in the Old Quarter. But the taste was inferior to my homemade one. Destiny!

我一直都很希望能在越南嚐到番茄蟹肉檬粉，因為我在香港一間越南餐廳吃過最美味的蕃茄蟹肉湯檬粉，我幻想在越南一定能夠吃到更優良的，在此之前我也在網路找尋食譜和在家中烹調，讚!!! 在河內我問兩位年輕的越南人哪裏可找到蕃茄蟹肉檬粉，一個告訴我去Ly Quoc Su街7B，不幸的是食物冇味道也根本沒有蟹肉。另外一位推介 Bun Rieu Cua Pho Co，我到訪過兩次，一次是早上，另一次是黃昏，門都是關上的。有位女士告訴我要早上6:00去，所以沒有機會！在去 Old Quarter的途中看見一個街檔賣蕃茄蟹肉檬粉的，當然要試，但是很失望，它比不上我在家做的，這就是命運！