Has Michelin truly captured the essence of Hanoi's street food scene?

Many Hanoi street food stalls have been honored with Michelin-starred awards, but the question is: is that enough to boost street food?

Hoan Kiem Lake and bun cha, pho

Bun cha, a popular street food, quickly attracted Michelin's culinary experts from the brand's first season in Vietnam. In 2023, Hanoi had two bun cha restaurants on Michelin's recommendation list: Bun Cha Dac Kim on Hang Manh Street (Hoan Kiem District) and Bun Cha Huong Lien on Le Van Huu Street (Hoan Kiem District). In the same year, Banh Cuon Ba Xuan on Hoe Nhai Street (Hoan Kiem District), Pho Ga Cham on Quan Thanh Street (Ba Dinh District), and Pho Tien on Nguyen Truong To and Quan Thanh Streets (Ba Dinh District) were also among the street food stalls recommended for Michelin.

Sketch of Dac Kim's bun cha (grilled pork with vermicelli)

PHOTO: PAINTING BY THU HANG, HANOI CUISINE SKETCHING PROJECT

Also in the first season, bun cha and pho continued to be honored in the Delicious and Affordable category. These included Bun Cha Ta Nguyen Huu Huan (Hoan Kiem District), Tuyet Bun Cha Hang Than Street (Ba Dinh District), Pho 10 Ly Quoc Su (Hoan Kiem District), Pho Au Trieu (Hoan Kiem District), Pho Ga Nguyet Phu Doan Street (Hoan Kiem District), and Pho Gia Truyen Bat Dan (Hoan Kiem District).

The list of bun cha and pho recognized by Michelin continues to expand in subsequent years. Now, Hanoi has more honored names such as: Pho Khoi Hoi (Hoan Kiem District), Pho Lam (Hoan Kiem District), Pho Ga Cham on Yen Ninh Street (Ba Dinh District), Pho Cuon Chinh Thang (Ba Dinh District). In addition, there are also Mien Luon Dong Thinh (Hoan Kiem District), Mien Luon Chan Cam (Hoan Kiem District), Hieu Luc Canh Ca Ro Dong Hung Yen on Hai Ba Trung Street (Hoan Kiem District)..., all popular street food dishes.

The Michelin map shows that street food stalls are concentrated in Hoan Kiem District, more precisely in the Old Quarter. Additionally, eateries in Ba Dinh District are also very close to the Old Quarter.

"I don't think there's anything surprising about this map. Many good restaurants are concentrated in the Old Quarter. However, there are still many great eateries in other areas. Michelin may not have paid attention to restaurants in other areas, but if the authorities want to promote Hanoi's cuisine and culinary tourism , they have to do that," a food expert shared.

In addition, the expert also noted that no Vietnamese banh mi shop has yet made it onto the Michelin list. "Clearly, Vietnamese banh mi has appeared in many world food rankings, but no banh mi shop has yet made it onto the Michelin list. I regret that banh mi from Hanoi, Saigon, and Hoi An hasn't appeared on this list," the expert stated. In fact, "banh mi" has been included in the Oxford Dictionary with the explanation "A type of Vietnamese sandwich." Most recently, in 2024, Vietnamese banh mi was included in the list of the world's best sandwiches.

Elevating Hanoi's sidewalk eateries and street food scene.

In Hanoi, there are currently no statistics on whether the number of people dining at Michelin-starred restaurants has increased dramatically. However, from a culinary and food tourism perspective, this is clearly a prerequisite for the development of those establishments. In particular, if the right approach is taken, this presents an opportunity for the overall development of Hanoi's culinary scene. For example, the recognition of many excellent bun cha (grilled pork with vermicelli) restaurants could have a positive effect on other outstanding bun cha restaurants in the capital, provided there is a concrete plan.

Michelin selects Chan Cam eel vermicelli.

PHOTO: DINH HUY

One solution is to develop cultural projects promoting cuisine. Recently, when introducing the project "Sketches of the Flavors of Hanoi's Old Quarter ," the proposed content showed that many bun cha (grilled pork with vermicelli) restaurants are also "top-notch" and well worth experiencing. According to author Pham Tien Long, "Hanoi has countless bun cha restaurants, among which the most famous are usually concentrated in the Hoan Kiem area, including bun cha at alley 74 Hang Quat, bun cha at 23 Bat Su, bun cha at 41 Cua Dong, bun cha Chien Loan at 25 Gia Ngu… In addition, nostalgic Hanoi food connoisseurs often seek out familiar restaurants in the alleys of Dong Xuan Market, Luong Ngoc Quyen Street, or Nguyen Du Street to enjoy traditional grilled pork patties: bun cha on bamboo skewers."

Author Pham Tien Long also revealed one of the noteworthy points of the Michelin-starred bun cha restaurant, Dac Kim: "Western tourists also frequently visit the restaurant because its name appears in food, culinary, and travel magazines of Hanoi. They even recommend the restaurant to their friends because the restaurant is very thoughtful in providing forks in the chopstick holder, in case diners are not used to using chopsticks."

The effectiveness of the snakehead fish farming in Hung Yen province will be included in the Michelin 2025 list.

PHOTO: DINH HUY

Thus, the fact that bun cha is on the Michelin list alone shows the need for lists honoring other street food stalls and delicious Hanoi dishes. In addition, upgrading service and thoughtful gestures like "providing forks in case diners are not used to chopsticks" are also extremely important.

Dr. Nguyen Thu Thuy (Vietnam National University, Hanoi) believes that to elevate Hanoi's street food and sidewalk eateries, the first step is to create distinctive and unique products – this will contribute to establishing a unique brand identity. In addition, the following is necessary: ​​"Food safety and hygiene must be ensured. Friendly and enthusiastic service is also essential. Restaurants need to be more proactive in their marketing activities across multiple platforms, interacting with customers so they become ambassadors for their establishment."

Currently, two eel noodle soup restaurants in Hanoi have made it onto the Michelin list.

PHOTO: DINH HUY

According to Dr. Thuy, street food stalls should develop both dine-in and takeaway options. "Integrating technology is also a way to promote this. Using food ordering apps saves on staffing and manages processes; customers can see pictures of the food and prices before ordering. Currently, there are teams specializing in providing food app services, and applying them will significantly improve service quality," Dr. Thuy stated.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/michelin-co-cham-duoc-am-thuc-duong-pho-ha-noi-185250622213809135.htm