While traveling in Vietnam, my wife and I were leery of venturing off on our own to sample street food. We generally ate at restaurants, saving street food for places our guide took us to. On our last day in Vietnam, we were able to hang out with a couple of local college students, who showed us around Hanoi. Part of the benefit of hanging out with college students is that you are bound to find some good cheap eats. Such was the case with our lunch at a small street food cafe called Bun Bo Nam Bo.
Bun Bo Nam Bo is located at 67 Hang Dieu Street in the Old Quarter of Hanoi. The small "kitchen" is located on the street side, with the narrow interior housing long metal tables. Guests are seated communally with other diners. Wherever there is a place to sit down. This place was crazy busy when we visited, but we were able to secure seats in the front section. The food is prepared right there on the street and served quickly. The selection is simple. Bun Bo Nam Bo, leaf wrapped sausages and drinks. That's the menu.
Bun Bo Nam Bo is a simple dish. It is a beef and vermicelli dish that is as delicious as it is simple. The beef is marinated in fish sauce, sugar, lemon and chili. The marinated beef is grilled up when you order. The bed of vermicelli includes lettuce, cucumber, fried shallots, bean sprouts, cilantro and chopped peanuts. It is an exceptional combination of flavors. It is fresh, delicious, fast and cheap. A healthy serving of Bun Bo Nam Bo runs 60,000 dong, which is less than three US dollars. The soft drinks run 10,000 to 15,000 dong, which is less than a dollar. The sausages (which I did not care for) run 6,000 dong, which is about a quarter. The four of us ate our meals and go out for under fifteen dollars, with a tip included. Tipping is generally not done at street food shops, but it wasn't refused, either.
One other aspect of Bun Bo Nam Bo that I enjoyed was the people watching. The restaurant draws an eclectic crowd. Tourists, backpackers, locals and business people dine side by side. At any given time, you might hear three or four languages being spoken in the small shop. As fun as it is to watch the patrons come and go, don't linger too long. The turnover is fast in this joint. And they need the table space. If you are in Hanoi and want to try some legit street food, this is the spot I would send you to.