In the “Obama episode”, or Parts Unknown: Season 8, Episode 1 ‘Hanoi’ (2016), Anthony Bourdain uncovered Hanoi, through its Old Quarters, food and way of living.
Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, then home to seven and a half million people. In winter, it’s chilly and damp; in summer, hot, humid, subtropical.
Perhaps the changing seasons are what make Hanoi so special. Think: seasonal delicacies, rituals, and fleeting emotions.
After 60 years of French colonization, the imprints are undeniable. The boulevards and many buildings are French—but its heart and soul is always, always Vietnamese.
Coffee sipped on a low plastic stool by the sidewalk is Hanoi’s answer to a Parisian terrace.
As Anthony Bourdain put it: “I think food, culture, people and landscape are all absolutely inseparable.” So let us uncover Hanoi along his way—through its cuisine, people, winding streets, and even a lunch with former president Obama.
Tai Chi at dawn
A day in Hanoi starts with the usual high-pitched whine of thousands of motorbikes. People hauling goods, opening shop fronts. The sound of a wildly free market in a system that’s decidedly not.
And its people have been up since dawn, or even before dawn—some practicing Tai Chi, others Zumba.
There are early birds, and then there are earlier birds. If you wander around Hoàn Kiếm Lake or West Lake at dawn, you’ll see aunties already in mid-movement.
For Anthony, no Zumba. But breakfast? Sounds much better.
The must-eats in Hanoi
Bún Ốc
This is the thing they do here better than anywhere else. A spicy, wonderful broth with tomato, herbs, noodles, and fresh snails.
And how do you know it’s a good spot? Do what Anthony Bourdain did. Look for a lady without an actual store—just a carrying pole on her shoulder, two baskets filled with bún (vermicelli), ốc (snails), bowls, spoons, and a bubbling pot of broth. No sign. Just locals huddled on tiny plastic stools, slurping.
Even though the humble street-side stall that Anthony Bourdain went to is no longer at its original spot on Lương Ngọc Quyến, but it lives on at a new address.
- Address: 29 Tạ Hiện
- Opening hours: 7:30 AM – 3:00 PM
Bún Chả
There is no better place to entertain the leader of the free world, in his opinion, than one of these classic, funky, family-run noodle shops you find all over the city.
If there’s any dish as typical and uniquely Hanoi as it gets, it’s bún chả. Served with vermicelli, pork patties, and grilled pork belly in a broth called nước mắm (fish sauce).
“Slurping is totally acceptable,” said Anthony.
To this day, Bún Chả Hương Liên is lovingly called Bún Chả Obama—a warm and unironically Vietnamese way to remember a special guest. The very table and chairs Obama once sat at are now framed behind glass.
- Address: 24 Lê Văn Hưu
- Opening hours: 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Cussing Noodles
The name comes from the owner—famous for her free and frank way of communicating. In other words: She usually yells at people.
But you put up with the abuse, you’ll get this glorious, steaming bowl of rice noodles in return. Spicy chilies, hearty pork broth, pig’s knuckle and snout. It’s the only item on the menu—and honestly, it deserves to be.
Tip: Be decisive. Make your order straight to the point.
- Address: 41 Ngô Sĩ Liên
- Opening hours: 8:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Hạ Long Bay
Hạ Long means “where the dragon descends into the sea.” Legend says a great dragon charged down to protect Vietnam from foreign invaders.
Floating fishing villages like this used to be found in nearly every sheltered cove or corner of Ha Long Bay.
But as Vietnam becomes a more popular tourist destination, authentic fishing villages are starting to disappear. The government has been relocating fishing families inland, hoping to minimize their ecological impact.
Bia hơi: Vietnamese happy hour
When the sun sets and vendors set up stools, you know it’s happy hour in Hanoi.
“In Vietnam, sometimes, to be truly friends, we have to drink until we are drunk.”
Bia hơi refers to the roadside joints where locals gather to drink freshly brewed draft beer straight from the keg.
It’s not strong—just 3 to 4 percent. So you’ll need to drink a lot.
- Address: You can find bia hơi at almost every corner of the streets in the Old Quarter.
- Time: Dusk til midnight.
The history of Vietnam is a history of war
Peace only truly arrived in Vietnam in 1989.
A thousand years under the Chinese. Eighty under the French. Then came the Japanese. When the Americans left in 1975, came conflict with Cambodia.
Remember what they call the Vietnam War? Here, it’s “the American War.”
Those years were defining—for both Vietnamese and Americans who lived through them. And though conflicted feelings remain back home, here, the war has become something else. For many, it’s not even a memory.
Vietnam is still a poor country, but living standards are rising. Hardline economic policies have softened. Tourists are coming in more than ever.
Just a few decades from now, the entire population will be made up of people who’ve never lived through war. And that, in itself, is a beautiful thing.
“Vietnam: It grabs you and doesn’t let you go. Once you love it, you love it forever.” – Anthony Bourdain.