"King of the Crepes This is a reliable place to sample one of Hanoi 's indigenous classics: banh cuon, or steamed rice rolls stuffed with minced pork and chopped wood-ear mushrooms. Less a restaurant, more a hole-in-the-wall with a few tables and chairs strewn around, this venue makes up for its lack of sophistication with giant-sized portions of the delicate rolls."

"Ngo Chien Sweet corn, lightly battered and fried, served sizzling hot with a bowl of dipping sauce - SO delicious. I couldn't remember the name of this amazing dish, so I emailed an expat we met living in Ha Noi. Matt told me it's called ngo chien (translation: little kernels of heaven), a perfectly apt description."

"Dong Xuan Market, Hanoi One of the best parts about visiting Hanoi as a traveler is the food—so fresh, so delicious, and so abundant that you can literally trip over it when trying to navigate the city's notoriously crowded sidewalks. This vegetable vendor outside Dong Xuan Market was just one of many selling a rainbow of raw ingredients, but her harmonious arrangement strategy made her goods stand out that much more. To get to Dong Xuan Market, which also has an enormous covered market, start at the northwest side of Hoan Kiem and walk up Hang Dao, which turns into Hang Ngang, Hang Duong, and then Dong Xuan, all without your having to take a single turn."

"Pho Ga Pho Ga (chicken pho) is traditional to northern Vietnam and is served all day. The best time to get it from a local vendor is early in the morning because it's SO fresh and makes for a perfect breakfast. As a side note about this photo, I love spicy food so I thought that this was the perfect amount of chili peppers. As they warmed up however they spread a layer of hot chili oil over the soup making it very very spicy. While the colors make for a pretty picture, I had a stomach ache later. Stick to about 3 slices and then see how it tastes in 10 min."

"Dinner with locals Via AFAR.com, I met some American pilots now living as expats in Vietnam. They were nice enough to take us out to some delicious local dinner spots and on motor bike rides through the outskirts of the city! This place, Pho Cuon Huong Mai, was far from the tourist district and incredibly tasty. For some wonderful recommendations message Ryan Goheen on AFAR.com: http://www.afar.com/users/ryan-goheen"

"A Sandwich to Be Reckoned With There are more complex items in Vietnam's culinary arsenal, but for sheer, simple enjoyment few things beat the humble banh mi. A filled baguette stuffed with all variety of goodies from grilled pork to pickled daikon and tasty pate, the sandwich has transcended its origins to become one of the country's greatest food exports. Purists would argue that the best versions can be found in the central regions (and particularly in Hoi An), but Hanoi has some sterling choices, too, such as Banh My Thien Su, which offers some of the most generously stuffed baguettes in the city."

"Chicken Glorious Chicken Some of the most delicious grilled fowl in Hanoi can be found on Ly Van Phuc, colloquially known as "chicken street." The meat here is marinated in buckets before being thrown onto the grill. Although it possibly wouldn't pass many modern standards of hygiene, there's no denying the deliciousness of the finished product."

"Golden And Delicious Another dish that originates in Hanoi , banh tom is made from battered and deep fried shrimp and sweet potato. The distinctive orange/gold colour comes from the flesh of the potato and turmeric powder in the batter. Wrap the morsels in leaves and herbs and dip into nuoc cham (fish sauce with chilli)."