EDITOR'S NOTE

Many foreign tourists to Hanoi are not only impressed by dishes imbued with traditional Vietnamese culture, but are also attracted by dishes that are considered "strange, strange, and not everyone dares to try".

VietNamNet newspaper introduces a series of articles "Foreign visitors try Vietnamese food in Hanoi" about the experiences of international tourists when enjoying Vietnamese dishes in this city.

Nate (from the US) currently lives in Vietnam and spends time exploring the S-shaped land through traditional culinary culture as well as attractive destinations.

The Western tourist revealed that he was very impressed with Hanoi because of its beautiful natural landscape, delicious food and affordable prices. Among them, he quite loved bun dau mam tom although this is a dish that not all foreign tourists dare to enjoy.

According to Nate, bun dau mam tom is an iconic street food of Hanoi, tourists should not miss it if they have the opportunity to visit here.

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Nate commented that bun dau mam tom is a must-try Hanoi delicacy.

Nate said he tried the vermicelli with shrimp paste dish at a sidewalk restaurant in Quan Tho 1 alley, O Cho Dua ward, Dong Da district. Here, he ordered a full portion, including vermicelli, crispy fried tofu, green rice sausage and boiled pork leg, for 30,000 VND.

The ingredients are neatly arranged on a round plate lined with dong leaves underneath, served with sliced ​​cucumber and herbs (perilla, Vietnamese coriander).

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The dish of vermicelli with shrimp paste that a Western guest experienced at a sidewalk restaurant

The Westerner tasted the first piece of vermicelli with shrimp paste and exclaimed, “It’s so delicious.” Then he continued to enjoy fried tofu, green rice sausage, and pork leg.

“I liked everything on the plate but the most impressive thing was the fresh noodles,” Nate commented.

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American tourists nodded with delight when tasting vermicelli with tofu and shrimp paste.

Because he was so fascinated by the taste of vermicelli with fermented shrimp paste, the American tourist ate nonstop and finished it all in a moment.

He even said "so delicious" which made the female owner laugh with delight at the young customer's compliments and satisfaction with the "national" dish.

He kept praising the delicious vermicelli and fried tofu dish.

Some people around saw that and suggested that Nate come back to the restaurant next time if he wanted to eat vermicelli with shrimp paste or try another dish, vermicelli with grilled pork.

Faced with enthusiastic recommendations from the locals, the American man appeared happy and promised to return to enjoy the delicious food.

It is known that Nate visited Hanoi in 2019. Returning to Vietnam last November, he went to Hai Phong, then spent time exploring Hanoi's cuisine.

In addition to vermicelli with shrimp paste, Western guests also experience other dishes such as bread and sweet soup.

Photo: Nate in Vietnam

The Westerner's unexpected reaction when trying pig intestines dipped in shrimp paste . The first time trying pig intestines dipped in shrimp paste in Vietnam, the Westerner admitted that this dipping sauce smelled a bit disgusting but tasted very good, "not as bad as I thought".