Brand positioning: "Culinary Capital"

As a land steeped in millennia of cultural heritage and possessing a diverse and rich culinary treasure trove, Hanoi has elevated its cuisine to a sector of cultural industry. The city has implemented numerous solutions to promote its brand and elevate the status of Hanoi's culinary scene. Many dishes have become "calling cards" of the capital's culture.

Any visitor to Hanoi who wants to plan a food tour will face difficulties. But these difficulties are… pleasant.

Many choices

Choosing a Hanoi food tour is always difficult because the city offers so many options. For example, just with pho – one of the hallmarks of Hanoi cuisine – there are two main types: beef pho and chicken pho.

In Hoan Kiem district alone, there are a series of famous brands such as Pho Ly Quoc Su, Pho Thin, Pho Suong, Pho Au Trieu, Pho Nguyet… If we expand to include vermicelli dishes, there is also a long list of restaurants serving bun cha, bun rieu, bun oc, bun thang… and almost every restaurant is delicious and has its own unique characteristics.

While other localities may only have a few food streets, Hanoi boasts many. Among them, three food streets are professionally organized: Tong Duy Tan Food Street (Hoan Kiem District), Ngoc Island-Ngu Xa Food Street (Ba Dinh District), and Nguyen Van Tuyet Food Street (Dong Da District).

In addition, there are numerous food streets and alleys that have formed naturally due to the demands of daily life, for example, the food streets and alleys of Phat Loc, Dong Xuan, Trang Tien, Trung Yen (Hoan Kiem district); Hoe Nhai (Ba Dinh district) or Ao Sen - a culinary paradise in Ha Dong district…

This rich culinary treasure trove stems from a thousand-year-old cultural heritage and from Hanoi's position as a cultural exchange center for the region, the country, and the international community. Culinary artist Pham Anh Tuyet also admits that she cannot list all of Hanoi's dishes because they are simply too diverse.

Hanoi's specialties like pho, vermicelli, spring rolls, and sticky rice flakes are just some of the popular dishes that many people know about. More importantly, the appeal of Hanoi's cuisine lies not only in the food itself, but in its culinary culture, from the preparation to the way it's enjoyed. Some dishes, made with simple, rustic ingredients, become unforgettable delicacies when prepared with the skillful and refined hands of Hanoians.

Not only is the cuisine of Hanoi's inner city rich, but its suburban areas are also very diverse. Many villages have famous dishes. In 2024, the travel website Tripadvisor announced the top 15 cities with the most attractive culinary scenes in the world , and Hanoi was ranked alongside cities such as Naples (Italy), Athens (Greece), Barcelona (Spain), Paris (France), Bangkok (Thailand), Kyoto (Japan)...

Also in 2024, Hanoi was honored with the World Culinary Award in two categories: World's Leading Culinary City and Asia's Leading Culinary City. Dishes such as pho, spring rolls, and lotus tea have long been considered Hanoi's "cultural calling card".

According to the Strategy for the Development of Vietnam's Cultural Industries until 2020, with a vision to 2030, approved by the Prime Minister in 2016, the cultural industry comprises 12 different sectors. However, in the Resolution on the Development of the Cultural Industry until 2025, with a vision to 2030 and orientation to 1945, in addition to the aforementioned 12 sectors, the Hanoi City Party Committee added cuisine as the 13th sector among the city's cultural industries. This represents a breakthrough in thinking regarding the exploitation of culinary resources.

According to Do Dinh Hong, former Director of the Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports: "Hanoi cuisine has always been rich, diverse, and refined, with specialties such as West Lake snail noodle soup, Hang Khoai street snail noodle soup; Thanh Tri rice rolls, La Vong fish cakes… The list of specialties in Hanoi is incredibly diverse. Some specialties originate from the capital city itself, while others come from other localities, but when they come to Hanoi, they combine with the culture of Thang An (ancient Hanoi) to give these specialties their own unique flavor, conveying the distinct cultural characteristics of Hanoi. This is the basis for Hanoi to promote the value of its cuisine in the development of its cultural industry."

Establishing a strong position and elevating the brand.

The People's Committee of Hoan Kiem District has just completed the renovation project of the Tong Duy Tan - Hang Bong alley food street. Right at the intersection at the beginning of the street, near Tran Phu street, there is an interesting highlight: the statue "The Man Selling Pho" by artist Tran Quoc Thinh.

The bronze statue realistically depicts a man selling pho in the early 20th century, carrying a basket on his shoulder, one side holding a stove, the other containing the cooking utensils. The street space is more spacious, clean, and rich in traditional culture, decorated with lanterns, and the entrance gate is also inspired by an ancient gate.

These are the "plus points" for Tong Duy Tan food street, which has already become famous as Hanoi's oldest food street, with many well-known eateries.

Artist Nguyen The Son, the project's art curator, said: "Talking about the Old Quarter means talking about long-standing cultural values. Therefore, when implementing the project, we tried to enhance the artistic 'content' of the street. For example, the bronze statue 'The Man Selling Pho' is the first artwork in Hanoi located in the middle of a street. Through this, tourists will have a deeper appreciation for Hanoi's culture, not just come to enjoy the food."

Besides improving infrastructure, Hoan Kiem district is also implementing a series of solutions to affirm its position and elevate the value of Hoan Kiem's ​​cuisine. As part of its digitalization roadmap, since August 2024, the Hoan Kiem District People's Committee has launched the Hoan Kiem Cuisine App on iOS and Android operating systems. The Hoan Kiem Cuisine App organizes restaurants and dishes in a logical manner.

Customers can search by food category; restaurant category; category based on customer preferences… As soon as they find their favorite dish, restaurant, or eatery, they can order food and reserve a table directly through the app with just a tap. Simultaneously, Hoan Kiem is implementing measures to improve commercial civility and ensure food safety and hygiene…

This is just one of many activities aimed at exploiting and promoting the value of culinary resources that Hanoi has implemented in recent times. After initial "exploratory" steps, the city's three specialized food streets have now formed distinct styles. The Tong Duy Tan - Hang Bong alley food street bears the cultural imprint of the old town.

The food street on Ngoc-Ngu Xa Island is designed and decorated to evoke the lifestyle of the subsidy era. The highlight of this street is the train carriages of the No. 6 tram line – where models of tram carriages are designed as exhibition spaces, showcasing the culture, life, and serving dishes from that era. Although only opened earlier this year, Nguyen Van Tuyet food street also emphasizes "modern cuisine," with a convergence of dishes from various regions and international cuisine.

Suburban cuisine is also strongly participating in this trend. Many traditional local delicacies have now become highly marketable products. Notable examples include Phu Nhi rice cakes and Thach Xa sticky rice cakes.

In particular, at two famous tourist destinations, Duong Lam ancient village and Bat Trang pottery village, enjoying local specialties has become an indispensable part of the experience for both domestic and international tourists. For Bat Trang pottery village, dishes like bamboo shoot and squid soup, and stir-fried squid with kohlrabi are widely known.

Based on traditional dishes from Duong Lam Ancient Village, the Duong Lam Ancient Village Management Board, in collaboration with local restaurants, has launched the "lotus feast" product line, featuring dozens of dishes and beverages with the flavors of Duong Lam, targeting high-end customers.

In recent years, Hanoi has also organized a series of annual events promoting its cuisine, such as the West Lake Lotus Festival, the Hanoi Culinary Culture Festival, and the Hanoi Tourism Gift Festival. These events not only showcase the beauty of Hanoi's cuisine but also present a refined and sophisticated Hanoi in the preparation and enjoyment of its dishes.

However, compared to exploiting culinary resources in tourism, exploiting culinary resources to develop the cultural industry has many novel aspects. For example, cuisine contributes to the cultural industry in many fields: tourism, fashion, performing arts, etc.

A concrete manifestation of this trend is the integration of cuisine with artistic performances by many restaurants. Therefore, a new approach is needed. In addition to promotion and introduction, many experts believe that to truly appreciate the value of cuisine, it's necessary to view it from the perspective of heritage and culture to create depth in the product.

Dr. Dang Phuong Anh (Faculty of Tourism Studies, Hanoi University of Social Sciences and Humanities) argues that when introducing and promoting Hanoi's cuisine, and when linking cuisine with tourism development, attention should be paid to the cultural space and the interaction between diners and the subjects of the dishes.

Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Thi Anh Quyen from Hanoi University of Culture suggested that Hanoi needs to develop a more specific strategy for promoting culinary culture in conjunction with the development of the cultural industry, so that other localities can use it as a basis for implementation. The city also needs to develop focused culinary tours and organize more international exchange and cooperation events on culinary culture. Many experts also suggested that Hanoi should consider exporting its specialty dishes on a larger scale to affirm its position and elevate the brand of the capital city.