This week, let me take you on a food tour in Hanoi!
We’ll be sampling the famous bánh mì (Vietnamese-style baguette), Café Dinh’s egg coffee, and visitting the train street + a popular buffet restaurant, Sen Tây Hồ 😋
I had one last good brunch on Era Cruises before the tour group departed for Hanoi. It was good weather for a Hanoi trip, not too sunny or cloudy.
There was a small boat that transferred us back to the cruise port.
From Halong Bay, we took the express highway and reached Hanoi in just two hours. Else, it would take four hours!
On the way to Hanoi, we stopped in a big, touristic shop that sold various things made with bamboo.
In this shop, you could get charcoal toothpaste, breathable boxers or undies, wiping clothes that were easy to be washed no matter how oily or greasy the table was, etc…
My mom, sister, and I went to the toilet and sat with the tour group for around 30 minutes, listening to the product demonstration. Afterward, we went out and waited for others to finish their shopping.
For this trip, we were determined to only spend money on food and snacks. We made it, yaaay!
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Sampling Bánh Mì in Hanoi, Vietnam Trip
We reached Hanoi city at around two o’clock. Our local tour guide had ordered bánh mì for all of us to enjoy on the bus.
When in Vietnam, you must try bánh mì! This popular Vietnamese baguette is different from the baguettes that are sold in Europe or Malaysia.
The baguette is short, crispy, and easy to tear with your teeth. It’s chewy but not too chewy, a bit airy. In the middle of the baguette normally there are vegetables and thin pork slices.
If you don’t eat pork, there are many options in the shop 😊
Some of you may be wondering why a French bread like baguette is very popular in Vietnam. Well… back in 1857, Napoleon III decided to invade Vietnam.
Besides Vietnam, France also invaded Laos and Cambodia, forming Indochina. The colonisation in Vietnam ended in 1954.
That’s why my friends… When in Hanoi, you should try their bread and pastries! I guess the locals learned the art of making great bread and pastries from the French ❤️
They are really good… like the ones I had on the cruise and in the hotels 😍
Before we went to sample the famous Hanoian egg coffee, we visitted a temple in the Old Quarter. Sorry, I forgot the name of the temple. It was good to have a walk after eating 😊
Also read: “Halong Bay Cruise Review: Era Cruises”
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Café Dinh Egg Coffee, Old Quarter, and the Famous Train Street – Hanoi
A trip to Hanoi, Vietnam isn’t complete without sampling the famous egg coffee. It’s literally made of egg, condensed milk, and coffee!
Café Dinh is one of the most popular cafes in Hanoi known for its egg coffee. For me, its egg coffee was too sweet and my allergy soon flared up although I only had a few sips.
It was nice, though! Maybe it was because of the egg or the coffee was too strong so my allergy flared up.
Some people like it and some people don’t. Nevertheless, when in Hanoi, just try everything that is famous! 😁
Although it’s famous, Café Dinh isn’t a big, elegant cafe. It has a quaint vibe, with its old alley and narrow staircases. Entering the cafe was like going back in time… I like it!
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As you can see from the photos above, the tables and chairs in Café Dinh are very small. Actually, many cafes and restaurants in Hanoi use petite tables and chairs.
Luckily, I’m also petite so I had no problem sitting on those chairs, hehe!
Alright, now let’s walk around the Old Quarter, Hanoi! In Hanoi, you’ll find Old Quarter and New Quarter.
Like their names, the buildings and surroundings in Old Quarter are old and chaotic while the ones in New Quarter have modern designs and are more organised.
I feel Hanoi is similar to Jakarta, where you could find many shops and small restaurants on your left and right. Oh, the air is also polluted due to the many motorcycles and cars.
Definitely, wear comfortable shoes, guys! Leave your high heels at home.
If you’re a coffee lover, you could google the best cafes in Hanoi to sample their coffee. After that, remember to drop by the famous Hanoi train street!
Unfortunately, now the train street only allows a certain number of tourists to enter the area. It’s sad because the decision means lesser tourists and less income for the cafe owners.
But it was made for safety purposes. If the street gets too crowded, when the train comes, it would be difficult for people to move aside.
Too bad that I was with a tour group hence I couldn’t wait and explore this area.
I heard there were many cute cafes there. It would be a unique experience drinking coffee on the balcony, especially when a train passed by!
The Hanoi train street is located at 74A, đường tàu, P. Trần Phú, Cửa Đông, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội, Vietnam.
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A Hearty Meal at Sen Tây Hồ, a Premium Buffet Restaurant in Hanoi
If you’ve had your Vietnamese food craving fulfilled, try the buffet at Sen Tây Hồ! This buffet restaurant in Hanoi is famous among locals and tourists.
The restaurant is HUGE and decorated elegantly. When you enter the gate, there’s a huge park with a huge tree adorned with beautiful lights, a fish pond, a foosball table, and a stage for live music.
Talking about a grand welcome!
Sen Tây Hồ is an international buffet restaurant where you can find Spanish, Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese food, etc…
The interior design is elegant and spacious. There are long tables for big groups and normal-sized tables for families or couples.
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To me, the fresh seafood stations are the most attractive. Its grilled scallops cooked in Vietnamese-style are a must-try!
You can also opt for cheese scallops. Then, there are lobster, giant prawns, crabs, etc…
My favourites are the grilled scallops, stir-fried vegetables, fried rice, oxtail cooked in herbal soup, and the desserts 😍😍😍
This premium buffet restaurant reminds me of Jogoya, a Japanese and international buffet restaurant in Kuala Lumpur. Overall, I think the food in Jogoya tastes better than Sen Tây Hồ.
But there are some dishes in Sen Tây Hồ that are not served in Jogoya. Also, Sen Tây Hồ buffet price is cheaper than Jogoya (around RM100 vs RM150++ / 22 USD vs 33 USD).
Aah… I should have taken a video! But I had only 1.5 hours in this restaurant, so I wanted to use it well for eating, hehe… 😋
I hope the photos are enough to give you a glimpse of Sen Tây Hồ and its food 😉
Alright guys, that’s a one-day express trip in Hanoi. In the next blog post, I will take you to… hmm either Halong Bay and sampan ride, or another Hanoi city trip.
Thank you for reading and have a wonderful week! 🌻🌼🌷
💖 15% OFF ALL TOURS! Click below and enter my discount code: 💖
CLARA15
Click “Add Promo Code / Voucher” and enter CLARA10 when you checkout at onelifeadventures.com
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