Hanoi Street Snacks for Chilly Days: Banh Duc, Rib Porridge & a 100k Route

Winter in Hanoi brings a damp chill all its own. It's also when simple, piping-hot street snacks become one of the great pleasures of Old Quarter life. A steaming bowl of banh duc, a bowl of ginger-scented che san or a plate of crispy banh ran man can warm up an entire afternoon. This guide groups the dishes by walkable areas in Hoan Kiem and Hai Ba Trung, plus a budget-friendly eating route around the Hanoi University of Science and Technology, National Economics University and University of Civil Engineering (known locally as Bach - Kinh - Xay).

Dishes to Try

Hot Banh Duc

Banh duc (savory rice flour pudding) is made by stirring rice flour continuously over the stove until thick, smooth and soft. It's ladled into a bowl, topped with minced pork stir-fried with wood ear mushrooms and doused in sweet-and-sour fish sauce. The pudding is soft, rich yet light, and wonderfully warming on a cold day.

• How to eat it like a local: use a spoon to scoop from the edge of the bowl, mix gently with the topping and sauce, and eat it hot. Add a little chili and garlic if you like.
• When: an afternoon snack, from around 3pm into the evening.
• Where to look: small alleys in the Hoan Kiem Old Quarter, and the markets and streets around Hai Ba Trung.
• Typical price: usually a few tens of thousands of dong per bowl.

Chao Suon Sun

Chao suon sun (pork cartilage rib porridge) is made from ground rice simmered in bone broth until silky and smooth, topped with cartilage ribs, pork floss and fried shallots. It's served with crispy quay (fried dough sticks) cut into pieces and dropped into the bowl.

• How to eat it like a local: add the quay just before eating so it stays crispy, and season with pepper and a little lime and chili if you like.
• When: breakfast or a late-afternoon snack.
• Where to look: the old streets around Dong Xuan Market, the Old Quarter and local neighborhood markets.
• Typical price: a few tens of thousands of dong, depending on how many ribs.

Banh Ran Man

Banh ran man (savory fried glutinous rice balls) have a shell of crispy fried glutinous rice flour filled with minced pork, wood ear mushrooms and glass noodles. They're dipped in sweet-and-sour fish sauce with thinly sliced green papaya and carrot.

• How to eat it like a local: take a small bite and then dip, or cut the ball in half and drop it into the dipping sauce.
• When: an afternoon snack, usually sold from afternoon to evening.
• Where to look: snack stalls around Hoan Kiem Lake and the Old Quarter.
• Typical price: around 10,000 VND each.

Hot Boiled Snails

Oc luoc (boiled snails) are cooked with lemongrass, lime leaves and ginger, making them fragrant with no fishy smell. The dipping sauce of fish sauce with ginger, chili and lime is the soul of the dish.

• How to eat it like a local: use a toothpick or pin to pull the snails out and dip them in the ginger fish sauce. At the end of the meal, Hanoians often ask for some extra snail cooking broth to mix into their dipping bowl and sip to warm up.
• When: late afternoon and evening; most fun in a group.
• Where to look: snack streets in the Old Quarter and the Hai Ba Trung area.
• Typical price: charged by the plate, varying by type of snail.

Banh Troi Tau

Banh troi Tau (glutinous rice dumplings in ginger syrup) are white sticky rice balls filled with mung bean or black sesame, served in a spicy, warming ginger syrup and sprinkled with grated coconut and toasted sesame. They're usually sold by street vendors with shoulder poles or at small roadside stalls.

• How to eat it like a local: sip the ginger syrup first, and eat the dumplings while hot so the skin stays soft and chewy.
• When: winter evenings.
• Where to look: Old Quarter sidewalks and small alleys in Hoan Kiem.
• Typical price: a few tens of thousands of dong per bowl.

Hot Che San

Che san (sweet cassava soup) is made from sliced cassava cooked with sugar syrup and fresh ginger, with cassava starch thickening the soup. Eat it while it's still steaming, with a sprinkle of grated coconut if you like.

• How to eat it like a local: stir well so the coconut blends into the soup, and eat slowly because it's very hot.
• When: afternoon and evening.
• Where to look: long-running che stalls in the Old Quarter and around the markets of Hai Ba Trung.
• Typical price: from around 10,000 to a few tens of thousands of dong.

Cha Ruoi

Cha ruoi (sand worm omelette patties) is a seasonal specialty. Ruoi are mixed with egg, minced pork, dill and spring onions, then fried until golden and served with rice vermicelli, fresh herbs and sweet-and-sour fish sauce. It's rich, fragrant and very distinctive.

• When: the main ruoi season in northern Vietnam runs roughly from the 9th to the 11th lunar month, i.e. around late autumn into winter.
• Where to look: bun cha restaurants and northern Vietnamese eateries in the Old Quarter and Hai Ba Trung.
• Typical price: higher than other snacks since ruoi is a seasonal ingredient.

Hot Banh Cuon

Banh cuon (steamed rice rolls) are thin rice sheets steamed on the spot, rolled around a pork and wood ear mushroom filling, sprinkled with fried shallots and dipped in warm fish sauce with cha (Vietnamese pork sausage). Perfect for a cold morning.

• Where to look: the Dang Van Ngu housing complex and the streets around the Bach - Kinh - Xay area.
• Typical price: around 35,000 - 50,000 VND per plate.

Bun Rieu Top Mo

Bun rieu top mo (crab noodle soup with crispy pork cracklings) features a mildly sour crab broth topped with crispy, rich pork cracklings, served with fresh herbs. Stalls usually open from early morning until late at night.

• Where to look: around the Bach - Kinh - Xay area.
• Typical price: around 35,000 - 69,000 VND per bowl depending on toppings.

Banh Goi and Tra Thach

Banh goi (fried pillow-shaped pastries) have a thin, crispy shell filled with pork and glass noodles, served with fish sauce for dipping. Paired with a cool cup of tra thach (tea with jelly), it's a classic student combo.

• Where to look: the courtyard of the Kim Lien housing complex, usually only open in the late afternoon and evening.
• Typical price: banh goi around 13,000 VND each.

Eating Tips

Ordering and Mealtimes

• Ask the price first at street vendors or stalls without a price board, especially if you're an international visitor.
• Afternoon snacks like banh duc, banh ran and che are usually sold from around 3pm, and many stalls sell out early on cold days because they're so busy.
• Long-running stalls are often cramped, with low plastic stools, and you may need to share a table. This is perfectly normal sidewalk culture in Hanoi.
• On weekends and at peak hours, eateries in the housing complexes get very crowded; arrive early or be prepared to wait.
• Carry small-denomination cash; many stalls accept bank transfers via QR code, but not everywhere accepts international cards.
• Families with young children should be careful with very hot dishes like porridge, che and banh duc; let them cool a little before giving them to kids.

A 100,000 VND Eating Route in the Bach - Kinh - Xay Area

This area centers on Tran Dai Nghia, Dang Van Ngu and Kim Lien streets, home to many long-standing eateries serving students and locals at affordable prices. You can walk or take a short ride-hailing motorbike taxi between stops.

• Morning: a plate of hot banh cuon at the Dang Van Ngu housing complex (around 35,000 VND), or a basic bowl of bun rieu top mo.
• Late lunch: stop by a che stall on the second floor of the Kim Lien housing complex and try milo dam (crushed Milo with ice) for around 28,000 VND. On cold days, you can swap it for a hot che if the stall has one.
• Afternoon: head down to the Kim Lien courtyard for a banh goi (around 13,000 VND) and a cup of tra thach.
• Total: around 80,000 - 100,000 VND, with a little left over if you want an extra banh goi.

Combining with Hoan Kiem

If you're staying in the Old Quarter, you can spend the morning on rib porridge, the afternoon strolling around the lake eating banh ran man and hot banh duc, and finish the evening with boiled snails or banh troi Tau. The two areas aren't far apart, about 15 - 20 minutes by vehicle depending on traffic.

You don't need a fancy restaurant to eat well in Hanoi's cold season. All it takes is a warm jacket, a little patience waiting for a seat and a modest budget to savor the street snacks that have fed generations of Hanoians.