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| Many of Hanoi's delicious dishes gain international fame, such as "bun cha” (rice vermicelli with grilled pork and fresh herbs). (Photo: VNA) |
Tripadvisor introduced Hanoi’s cuisine as "refined and delicate”, saying that Hanoi dishes are renowned for their natural flavors, clear broths, fresh herbs, and simple seasoning.
Hanoi, with its rich culinary quintessence, offers visitors unique dining experiences from humble street food stalls to Michelin-recognised high-end restaurants.
The capital city’s cuisine is renowned for its refinement, subtlety, and the diverse natural flavors of local ingredients. Many of Hanoi's delicious dishes have gained international fame, such as Pho, “bun cha” (rice vermicelli with grilled pork and fresh herbs), cha ca (grilled fish), and pho cuon (fresh spring rolls).
Tripadvisor also suggested that visitors check out all of Hanoi’s best hits by taking a street food walking tour around the Old Quarter, where they will get to try another local favourite.
Among the list of world’s Top 15 must-visit food cities were Hawaii and New Orleans of the US, Jamaica of Caribbean, Paris of France, Bangkok of Thailand, Kyoto of Japan, and others.
According to the municipal Department of Tourism, in 2024, the city’s tourism sector will develop and promote new tourism products, focusing on exploiting cultural and historical strength, associated with rural craft villages and local cuisine.
The department will build a Food Tour map, allowing visitors to explore and experience Hanoi's cuisine. The city has also organised activities to promote and culinary cultural values to domestic and international visitors.
In response to tourism promotion programmes to attract visitors in the summer and autumn of 2024, as well as the 70th anniversary of Hanoi's Liberation Day (October 10, 2024), several units in Hanoi are working to diversify cultural and culinary experiences for residents and visitors.
Mu Cang Chai among world’s top 25 most incredible places that look unreal
Mu Cang Chai district in the northern mountainous province of Yen Bai has been named among the top 25 most incredible places in the world that look unreal but exist, VOV reported the articles compiled by family travel magazine Wanderlust Storytellers.
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| Terraced rice fields in Mu Cang Chai district. (Source: VOV) |
According to details provided by the website, Mu Cang Chai is one of the most beautiful places in the nation and is famous for its stunning terraced rice fields.
“These emerald-green terraces, sculpted into steep mountainsides by the Hmong people over centuries, create a living landscape that transforms with the seasons,” says Wanderlust Storytellers.
June is widely regarded as the best time in which to capture the stunning landscapes of terraced fields in Mu Cang Chai as local farmers prepare their new rice crop.
The place is also full of hiking trails and boasts a vibrant local culture. It is a draw to both domestic and foreign tourists and is among the main places which travelers are keen to return to.
This comes after Mu Cang Chai terrace field was included in the list of the 50 most beautiful places in the world in 2020 by Big 7 Travel.
Among the top 25 most incredible places compiled by Wanderlust Storytellers is Zhangye Danxia Landform of China, Trolltunga of Norway, Abraham Lake of Canada, Ice Cave at Vatnajökull National Park of Iceland, Meteora Monasteries of Greece, Petra of Jordan, The Wave in Arizona of the United States, Preikestolen (Pulpit Rock) of Norway, and Socotra Island of Yemen.
HCM City and Hanoi among top 10 most affordable cities in Asia
Kayak, a metasearch engine for travel services, has named Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi among the top 10 most affordable places to travel to in Asia, reported VOV.
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| Bui Vien street in district 1, HCM City, is called 'western street' as it's a famous attraction for foreign travelers (Photo: thanhnien.vn) |
According to Ethan Crowley, a trip planner at Kayak’s Asia Desk, the cost to book direct flights from San Francisco to Ho Chi Minh City starts at just US$660 for a round trip, according to their flight schedule.
Moreover, he noted that this is currently one of the only direct nonstop flights from Southeast Asia to North America.
Along with affordable flights, Crowley said that food and lodging is also affordable. He considers Vietnam to likely be “the lowest-cost country for travelers” in all of Southeast Asia.
Crowley also stressed that Vietnam is one of two countries to feature twice on this list, a fact that’s not surprising to people who are well versed in travel around Asia.
“You have a country with great cheap food, great value hotels, and great transport. Accommodation, from the low end up through luxury, is much cheaper than the surrounding countries,” he revealed.
He added that business-class domestic flights in the nation are excellent value and also make the experience in the country's crowded airports much more enjoyable, with even economy flights being far cheaper than similar routings in the U.S.
Crowley concluded by stating that Vietnam’s “street eats are some of the cheapest in the region.”
Rounding on the list of the top 10 destinations were Taipei City of Taiwan (China), Jakarta of Indonesia, New Delhi of India, Bangkok of Thailand, Manila of the Philippines, Tokyo of Japan, Kuala Lumpur of Malaysia, and Osaka of Japan.
Five Vietnamese cuisines among top 100 Asian stir-fry dishes
According to VOV, TasteAtlas, a website dedicated to discovering fresh ingredients, traditional dishes, and authentic restaurants from around world, has listed five Vietnamese cuisines among its top 100 Asian stir-fry dishes.
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| Rau muống xào tỏi is named among top 100 Asian stir-fry dishes by TasteAtlas (Photo:Serious Eats) |
The local featured dishes are Rau muống xào tỏi (Morning Glory Stir-Fry), Phở xào (Stir-Fried Pho), Miến xào cua (Crab Meat and Glass Noodle Stir-Fry), Quả su su xào tỏi (Chayote Squash and Garlic Stir-Fry), and Ốc hương (Sweet Snails).
According to TasteAtlas, Rau muống xào tỏi, a traditional Vietnamese delicacy which is also suitable for vegetarians, ranked 13th on the list.
It's made using a combination of morning glory (water spinach), garlic, fish sauce, salt, sugar, and oyster sauce. The water spinach is blanched, before being stir-fried with garlic, salt, and sugar, while the fish sauce is added near the end of the cooking process.
The vegetable dish is served hot, usually as a part of a three-course meal, which is made for a great accompaniment to white rice.
Meanwhile, Phở xào, which is often regarded as a more convenient variation of the classic phở, came in at 27th.
Placed 65th on the list, the website shared that Miến xào cua is a traditional Vietnamese delicacy consisting of stir-fried glass noodles and crab meat. This traditional dish often appears in restaurants, but it's also prepared at home and enjoyed on special occasions.
Quả su su xào tỏi, a traditional Vietnamese dish originating from Sapa, ranked 68th, while Ốc hương, which is usually stir-fried in a large wok with a sweet and sticky sauce, claimed 71st place.
Established in 2015, Taste Atlas connects with 9,000 local restaurants, introducing more than 10,000 dishes, thousands of reviews, and research carried out by culinary experts and chefs.
Vietnamese food on Paris Olympics menu
According to VNA, Vietnam’s two popular dishes of pho (noodle soup) and nem (spring rolls) have been chosen by host France to serve athletes at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
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| Vietnamese pho (R) and nem are served at the 2024 Paris Olympics. (Photo: VNA) |
According to Seasia, an independent and trusted premier source of news about Southeast Asia, in the Asian pavilion, pho is served in three main meals, with its nutrition information published on the official system.
The organising committee also gives special favour to nem, which is introduced as “Vietnamese cuisine” and written in Vietnamese instead of using the popular name of spring rolls.
Approximately 10,500 athletes from 206 countries and territories across the globe are competing at the world’s leading sports competition from July 26 to August 11./.