windblown: Eating our way though Hanoi

Back home, we ate Thai at least once a week, easily our preferred cuisine. Well, there's a new favorite in town. When we arrived in Vietnam, all we had were distant memories of some meager pho. We did not know what to expect, and we did not know what hit us.

The Vietnamese rejoice in their food, to the extent we haven't seen anywhere else. Many dishes are simple, but still manage to balance all sorts of flavors – sweet, sour, salty, tangy, spicy. Add in the range of textures, the just-intended temperature, the manner of preparation and presentation (oh the fresh herbs!), even the method of eating (you can wrap so much in rice paper and dip it) – truly scrumptious. And the tastier ones we've discovered were of the street food variety, usually in a “one type of meal only served here” stall (perfected over the years) and much for under two whole dollars. Top it off with exotic fruit and deserts, wash it down with thick, chocolatey coffee or bia hoi, freshly brewed draft beer (10 cents a pop – cheap date!), and you complete the secret to success. We can't get enough. Our expanding waistlines can attest to that.

I read that many people traverse the Ho Chi Minh City-Hanoi route just in search of these gastronomic delights. Our friends, Don and Jinhi, entered Vietnam before us, and learned all the inside trade info. We felt lucky to simply tag along, especially in Hanoi, and... just eat up! Since many menus don't have English, here's a guide to our few favorites (forgive the missing Vietnamese accents).

Banh da cua – crab noodle soup, with pieces of pulled crab, veggies, garnished with fresh herbs, limes and chili

Best we had was on a fishing pier on Cat Ba island.

Banh beo chen dia – minced and fried shrimp with pork crackling in tiny, bite-sized rice crepes - drizzle with a mixture of fish sauce and vinegar and scoop out with a spoon.

Best we had was in some random restaurant in Hue.

Com hen – room temperature rice with baby clams, toasted peanuts, crispy noodles, sesame seeds, bean sprouts, shaved banana flower, pork crackling, fresh herbs, and so much more, and drizzled with exactly 3 tablespoons of the side clam broth

Best we had was in Hue, at 26 Truong Dinh Street. But then the rest of the street seemed to specialize in the same dish.

Bun thit nuong – freshly barbecued pork (charred on the outside, melty fat and tender meat on the inside) with rice noodles, toasted peanuts and fresh herbs

Best we had was on Truong Dinh Street as well.

Nem lui - skewered ground pork, grilled over charcoal

Banh khoai – a crispy yellow rice cake with shrimp, bean sprouts, egg, etc.

The recommended method: grab rice paper, a piece of each of the above, pack in the fresh herbs – basil, mint, others I can't even name, dip in a delicious fish or sesame sauce and wolf up. The best we had was at the Ngu Uyen restaurant in Hue. And... I failed with the photo.

Bo nam nuong – cow belly pieces and herbs and veggies stir-fried in a shared hot pot – a dish for the whole table. Duci, D&J's friend's cousin, lifted the curtain for a us for a view of the favorite local haunts in Hanoi.

Bun cha – noodle soup with grilled pork belly or ground pork, garnished with bean sprouts and fresh herbs.

Oh, the melt-in-your-mouth deliciousness. Best we had was in a little stall, one to the left of So 3 Tran Phu, Tong Duy Tan in Hanoi (2B maybe?). We liked it so much we kept coming back for more. The lady started recognizing our faces.

Cha ca – tender fish pieces butter sauteed in a hot pot with dill and scallions, eaten in a small bowl with rice noodles, sauce, herbs and chillies

Best we had (a tad expensive for $6) was in a one dish specialty restaurant Cha Ca Thang Long in Hanoi.