Hello! I suppose you all must have heard about Pho, one of the most famous dishes of Vietnam, somewhere. No suprise it has officially become a word in English dictionary now. And if you’re visiting Hanoi soon, honestly, you MUST NOT miss this thrilling treat!
Hanoians often have Pho for breakfast. Pho is such a delighting dish, a balance combination of complicated aromas and ingredients. It can easily be found everywhere in Hanoi, but to get the authentic taste of traditional Pho, you should consider following restaurants – The best pho in Hanoi.
Best Pho in Hanoi – Vietnam
1. Pho Bat Dan (Phở Bát Đàn)
Pho Bat Dan is one of most famous Pho restaurants of Hanoi. To get a bowl of pho, you have to queue and wait rather long. That alone tells you how yummy it is to local people. The restaurant is always very crowded, especially on Sat and Sun mornings. Hanoi people get there to enjoy “real pho” of Hanoi cooked by artisans following a hundred-year-old family recipe.
Here is a tip for couple diners. One of you queue to order 2 bowls of Pho and the other go find 2 seats and keep the place. It’s super crowded, you know why right? Find those delicious seats at Pho Bat Dan, 49 – Bat Dan street. Every local knows it!
2. Pho Thin (Phở Thìn)
Pho Thin, at 13 – Lo Duc street, has been famous since 1970s. It’s pretty far from the Old Quarter but certainly worth a try because like everything else, you can let yourself be surprised with endless Pho flavor with a little twist because each family has their own secrets. My dad, living in Lao Cai city (close to Sapa town), is a food gourmet. In a time visiting Hanoi for just 1 day, he spent haft of the morning waiting and enjoying a bowl of pho at Pho Thin. He have had pho at many other restaurants but complimented that Pho Thin is really different.
Indeed, the recipe of Pho Thin has almost not changed for over 30 years (from the 1970s) and it keeps the traditional flavor of Hanoi Pho from hundreds of years ago.
Pho Thin opens from 5am to 9pm and be crowed all day.
3. Pho 10 – Ly Quoc Su (Phở 10 – Lý Quốc Sư)
Also a famous brand of Pho Hanoi, Pho Ly Quoc Su is now offering their wonderful food at 3 locations:
- No. 10 – Ly Quoc Su street
- No. 42 – Hang Voi street
- N2A – Hoang Minh Giam street
But the first place (the original address of the brand) is the best. Pho here is very delicious and has many flavors and options to choose from. The soup is amazing!
The restaurants open from 6am to 2pm and 5.30pm to 10pm.
4. Pho Vui (Phở Vui – Happy Pho)
Pho Vui is located at no. 25 – Hang Giay street (phố Hàng Giầy), in Old Quarter area – the center of Hanoi city, which is also a good choice for those without much time. The restaurant offer various kinds of pho. Many of my friends, including Vietnamese and foreigners, enjoyed this choice of Pho and said it’s very tasty.
Look out for the big red sign saying “Phở Vui” and you’re one step away from a hot bowl of good Pho!
5. Beef Pho on the sidewalk of Hang Trong street
If you want to enjoy Pho Hanoi and “sidewalk culture” of Hanoi people at the same time, let’s get to Hang Trong street, just a few streets away from Hoan Kiem lake. You are advised to try out Pho Bung (Phở Bưng) at the front of 1 – Hang Trong street. The food here is cheaper of course, about $1 – $1.5/bowl. You’ll sit on a little plastic (or hopefully wooden) low stool and look at people passing by, knowing your’re so in Vietnam. It opens from 4pm – 8pm.
Hope you will enjoy the traditional taste of Hanoi to the fullest!
