For great culinary experiences spanning Asia and Europe, don’t miss out on Hanoi, says U.K. newspaper The Guardian.
Vietnam’s capital is among seven famous Asian "food paradises" mentioned in the newspaper’s listing of 20 best food tours in the world. The six others are Bangkok, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Vientiane and Mumbai.
The Guardian said "the fascinating mix of Vietnamese cuisine with Chinese, French and American influences is part of Hanoi’s considerable charms."
Don’t forget to try Hanoi’s signature dishes like banh da ca (soup made with tea-colored noodles from the northern city of Hai Phong) and banh cuon (steamed rice paper roll) dipped in a sauce that balances salt, sweet, spice and sour flavors, it recommended.
"Hanoi is where one can take to the streets and eat like a local," it said.
The city offers some of the most popular Vietnamese dishes like the iconic, fragrant rice noodle soup, pho, the banh mi, a baguette usually filled with grilled pork, meatballs or cold cuts, cucumber, cilantro, pickled carrots, liver pâté and a swipe of mayonnaise, or com tam, broken rice with grilled pork, pig skin, egg and fish sauce.
To quench your thirst, try a cup of dracontomelon juice which can be found at many streets corner in Hanoi; or cool down with a dessert of chewy black fermented sticky rice with yoghurt, the newspaper added.