Foreign visitors try crispy food in Hanoi's Old Quarter, praise it as both cheap and delicious

Although not knowing exactly what the ingredients are, the foreign visitor still found the food in Hanoi to have impressive flavors, praised the cheap prices, and enjoyed the feeling of eating while watching the bustling old town at night.

Ariane Cruz – a tourist from Brazil recently traveled to Hanoi and spent time experiencing the cuisine of the Old Quarter.

While walking on Ta Hien street, Ariane was interested in the scene of people comfortably sitting and eating on the sidewalk, so she decided to stop at a crowded beer house.

“This restaurant is small but all the tables are full. I find it very interesting. The restaurant is so crowded, the food must be delicious,” Ariane said excitedly.

Ariane Cruz enjoys fried spring rolls in Hanoi's Old Quarter

Here, after being suggested by the staff, she chose to drink beer and ordered a plate of fried spring rolls to go with it. The foreign female tourist revealed that she really liked this dish, praising it as suitable for dinner.

Fried spring rolls (nem ran) is a Vietnamese dish that was once on the list of "100 best fried dishes in the world ", according to the ranking announced in early 2025 by the prestigious culinary website TasteAtlas.

Previously, Vietnamese fried spring rolls were also included in Taste Atlas' list of "100 best appetizers in the world" and were also in the top "50 best dishes in the world" voted by CNN.

A full serving of fried spring rolls costs about 80,000 VND.

When the hot fried spring rolls were served, Ariane exclaimed with admiration for the attractive appearance of the dish. In addition to the spring rolls, the restaurant also served sweet and sour sauce and herbs. The Brazilian customer could not hide her excitement and immediately tasted the first fried spring roll.

“So delicious. The spring rolls are fried crispy, the more you chew, the more impressive it is,” she commented.

According to Ariane’s observation, the fried spring rolls had a crispy crust, and the filling consisted of many different ingredients. Although she did not know exactly how the dish was prepared, she still recognized some vegetables in it such as onions, green onions, and carrots.

“The ingredients are perfectly combined, and it tastes even better with fish sauce. This fish sauce has a sour taste, like vinegar,” Ariane commented.

Foreign female tourist enjoys fried spring rolls, continuously praising them as cheap and delicious

The Western guest also commented that, in her personal opinion, the fried spring rolls in Hanoi are not only tasty and delicious, but also very cheap.

“The food is delicious and the prices are super cheap. A plate of spring rolls like this costs only 16 Real (about 80,000 VND),” she added.

In addition to the taste and price, the friendly and enthusiastic attitude of the staff and owner is also a plus point that makes Ariane feel impressed about her culinary experience in Hanoi's Old Quarter.

She also said that she was very satisfied when she could enjoy delicious food, watch the bustling streets and immerse herself in the local atmosphere.

It is known that during this short trip, Ariane also took the opportunity to taste some other attractive street foods and drinks in Hanoi such as fried cakes, green rice cakes, tapioca dumplings, egg coffee, Trang Tien ice cream...

Photo: Ariane Cruz

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Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/khach-nuoc-ngoai-thu-mon-gion-rum-o-pho-co-ha-noi-nuc-no-khen-vua-re-vua-ngon-2455603.html