We spent the morning with Tu, actually Van Cong Tu, who is a food blogger and tour guide to the markets and street food vendors in Hanoi. We went on foot through small alley ways and side streets getting a different view of daily life in this city. Tu carefully vets the vendors he chooses and makes sure that the food he recommends is fresh and cooked very hot. We took his word for it because if you were a fainthearted type you might be put off by the cooking environs. Tu was a marvelously knowledgeable guide and the morning was great fun and filling!
In any case, we began with Vietnamese coffee and ended with a steamed green rice cake with mung bean in it as a dessert. In between, we sampled crab rolls with dipping sauce washed down with beer (at 10 am no less!), fried shrimp cakes (a dough made from wheat flour and sweet potato with a shrimp with head that is deep fried) served with another dipping sauce, fresh pineapple from the market, and a wonderful bowl of pork with rice noodles and lots of cilantro stirred up with a bit of hot sauce.
We also walked through the market where everything is very fresh be it produce brought in from the countryside, fresh eggs–chicken, quail and duck eggs–fresh fish (live), live frogs, live chickens and other fresh meat. You select your chicken or pigeon or fish and it is then killed and prepared for you. The women vendors cut up and pluck all the feathers or hairs from the meat. They will peel the garlic cloves for you too. Bamboo was available in several forms as well. Everything is prepared to your liking. Quite a production and all very colorful.
Yes it does sound like you have to be a bit brave to try all the food. But sounds like it couldn’t be any fresher!