Walk up Long Bien Bridge and to the sandbar in winter. It has to be winter to walk such a long distance without getting tired. Because the corn, harvested right on the sandbar, is irresistibly sweet and fragrant. Because the tomato vines, taller than a person, are beginning their harvest season, with clusters of ripe, juicy red tomatoes hanging from the branches – and of course, they are incredibly delicious.
Eat Duy Tri Yogurt: The yogurt is creamy like ice cream and comes in many flavors. There are two branches (one in Yen Phu, one in Hang Buom), but you can never get to either one right away; you always pass by and have to turn back to look carefully because the shop doors and signs are always tiny.
Thai sweet soup and sticky rice ice cream. These two dishes, although not originally from Hanoi, have been “Hanoi-ized” to a great extent. The sweet soup has a unique flavor; it’s not overly sweet but refreshing, with a creamy, crunchy taste of fresh coconut. The first restaurant was on Phan Dinh Phung Street, then moved to Kim Ma Street.
Still eating. Bun dau (vermicelli with tofu) in Phat Loc Alley. I had lunch there yesterday with a friend from Saigon and I’m already craving it.
Sitting and relaxing in the grounds of Hoang An Pagoda. The pagoda is located near Tay Ho Palace, the grounds (seem) larger but always quiet and deserted, even on full moon days.
Wandering through the suburban fields during harvest season. The scent of fresh straw, the pungent smell of burning fields, and even the smell of burnt buffalo/cow dung. These smells are unlike any other, very pleasant and very down-to-earth (hmm, both cheesy and romantic).
Sidewalk coffee/iced tea and Hanoi draft beer on Nguyen Du Street: For coffee, I usually go to Nguyen Du Street, you can sit on the sidewalk in winter or summer. My favorite iced tea shop is on Huynh Thuc Khang Street, right in front of the land registry office. When I worked nearby, I drank it every day. Draft beer is an added bonus, not my favorite, but because “Hanoi is incomplete without draft beer” :D.
Take a walk around Hoan Kiem Lake. This is something you should definitely try or do regularly, especially on cool days. You can detour to the Frog Garden, sit there and chat a bit, or go to Dinh Le Street to browse (maybe without buying) a few books.
Eat street food. Fried shrimp patties at the corner of Hang Luoc Street. Yogurt or caramel at the beginning of Hang Than Street. Hot sticky rice cakes at Dong Xuan Market… Hanoi doesn’t have as many street food options as Saigon, but (it seems) everything is special.
Listen to the loudspeaker announcements in Hang Da Street in the morning while having breakfast at Pho Phu Xuan and Cafe Nghia. These loudspeaker announcements are not as common anymore, and I don’t know when they will disappear completely. Pho Phu Xuan is a family business that has been around for 3-4 generations. The feeling of having breakfast in Phu Xuan, then walking to Nghia Cafe across the street, and listening to the neighborhood loudspeakers blaring is very strange, very old-fashioned…
