The reason Hanoi’s Old Quarter became the culinary capital of the world

As darkness crept into each small alley, merchants began to pack up their goods. The day’s trading activities end, but the rhythm of old town life does not stop. Instead, large pots of steaming broth appeared on the sidewalk. Diners sit on stools, waiting for their turn to be served.

This scene depicts a typical image of Hanoi’s old town today, but can also easily be reminiscent of a century ago, even many centuries before that.

History from street names

“Hanoi’s Old Quarter has existed since 1,000 AD and has always been a bustling trading center. People from provinces and even other countries have come here. In particular, there was a large immigration wave of Chinese people in the 17th century,” said Trinh Khanh Linh, culinary historian and PhD student at the University of Michigan (USA).

Traces of its trading heritage remain in the names of each street. Each street is named after a guild, specializing in trading one item. Rich jewelers once settled on Hang Bac Street. Thuoc Bac Street is where doctors practice. Hang Thiec became the domain of welders and on Hang Chieu street, traders exchanged carpets and mats.

Currently, most old streets no longer sell items with their proper names. Hang Fish Street, Hang Chicken Street or Hang Bun Street are now mentioned more often thanks to their food, restaurant or another item. “On Hang Khoai Street, where vegetables used to be sold, you will see people selling boiled sweet potatoes and cassava,” shared Andrea Nguyen, an award-winning cookbook author. “History is hidden in street names, but you have to know how to “read” them.”

International characteristics

When the merchants gathered, the chef also appeared. “Street vendors gathered together, and that competition led to the birth of many dishes we know today,” Linh added. Noodles (or fiber dishes) were imported from China and became mainstream. And now most Vietnamese street foods have international characteristics.

By the end of the 19th century, another cultural layer was formed. The French colonial period reshaped the architecture, infrastructure, culture and cuisine of Hanoi. However, like previous influences, Vietnam has adapted rather than just received. Pho, the most typical dish, with influences from China, Vietnam and France, is perhaps the best example.

“Vietnamese people have distilled the essence of French cuisine and localized it, adjusted the preparation and flavor, not simply imitated it,” said Charles Degrendele, head chef of Le Beaulieu, a restaurant in the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi hotel, Michelin Guide 2025.

Le Beaulieu, opened in 1901, was one of the influential culinary institutions in the city at that time. “For more than 125 years, there have been a large number of Vietnamese and foreign chefs who worked at this hotel. Then, they opened their restaurants. That alone created a great influence on the way they operated the kitchen and cooked later,” Degrendele shared.

For most of the 20th century, going out to eat in Hanoi was mainly about enjoying street food or in hotels. This only began to change in the 1990s when Vietnam opened its economy. And the old town is where those shifts begin.

“I was born in 1994, and the restaurant opened in 1998, so in a way, I grew up with it,” said Long Nguyen, member of the family restaurant Hanoi Garden on Hang Manh Street, Michelin Guide 2025.

Today, Hanoi Garden is a well-known address in the old town. But opening such a restaurant nearly 30 years ago is quite special. “In the 1990s, independent restaurants hardly existed outside of large hotels,” Mr. Long added.

Proud of roots

“Most of my childhood memories are associated with eating in the old town. Sitting on a bench in a dark house, enjoying a simple breakfast in the cold Hanoi is a memory I will never forget,” Long added. For him, the old town is the core foundation of Vietnamese cuisine. Without those roots, chefs will simply copy from abroad instead of building something new based on identity and heritage.

Truong Quang Dung, chef and owner of Chapter restaurant (Michelin Guide in Hanoi), also grew up during that time in the old town. Using traditional ingredients such as corn or eel to create modern dishes, his menu has Vietnamese identity but still explores something new. “We are not trying to change Vietnamese cuisine, but are raising the standard to approach world class,” he said.

For young chefs, Hanoi’s Old Quarter is still a launching pad. “Sooner or later, some of the young people here will open their own restaurants, and probably still in the old town,” Dung added.

Old town cuisine today is extremely diverse. Restaurants not only cook according to Vietnamese tastes, but also aim for global standards in taste, service and experience. Mr. Dung also admitted that, no matter how much we talk about innovation, the nature of the old town is still a traditional, edgy and sometimes grim trading area.

“People are difficult but the food is delicious,” he said happily. That rigor, according to him, is what preserves tradition. The people of the old town are very proud of their origins. If you want to find authentic original flavors, look to recipes in the old town.

As long as there are still evenings, pots of broth, stools, old town cuisine will still exist. “That’s what makes Hanoi different from the rest of Vietnam. It’s a rustic charm and a layer of preserved time, making it so attractive,” commented Andrea Nguyen.