St. Joseph’s Cathedral in Hanoi is not only a popular destination for local and international tourists thanks to its long history and iconic architecture, but the surrounding streets are also known as a "food paradise" that captivates those who fall in love with the capital.

Early in the morning, visitors to the area can enjoy some of Hanoi’s best pho at places like Tu Lun Pho on Au Trieu Street, Oanh Pho on Tho Xuong Alley, or Pho 10 Ly Quoc Su.

Located right next to the cathedral, Tu Lun Pho attracts lines of customers daily. Diners often wait in queues, grab plastic stools, and eat their pho on the sidewalk.

This pho shop has earned the Bib Gourmand award from Michelin for three consecutive years (2023–2025) for offering delicious food at affordable prices.

Unlike most pho restaurants in Hanoi that use a clear broth, Tu Lun’s pho features a cloudy, fatty soup. The beef is machine-sliced, then pounded and thinly spread into the bowl before being drenched in boiling broth.

This preparation preserves the meat’s natural sweetness. Each bowl of pho costs around $2.25.

A hub of famous pho restaurants

Just a few hundred meters away, Oanh Pho in Tho Xuong Alley also enjoys long lines of customers and features the flavors of Nam Dinh-style pho.

During peak morning hours, especially on weekends, both indoor and outdoor seating areas are packed. The owners even borrow sidewalk space from neighbors to place more stools.

Thinly sliced rare beef is quickly cooked in boiling broth to retain its sweetness, fragrance, and nutrients. The tendon brisket is fresh and tender, just perfectly boiled. Prices start at around $1.65 per bowl.

Another well-known spot is Pho 10 Ly Quoc Su, not far from the cathedral. Also a Bib Gourmand awardee for three years, the restaurant is often packed, especially with foreign tourists who line up outside. Prices start at $2.85 per bowl.

A street snack paradise

Grilled fermented pork (nem chua nuong) is a famous street food here, typically sold from early afternoon to late at night. The pinkish meat is slightly charred and sticky on the outside, grilled on banana leaves.

It’s served with chili sauce, jicama, and green mango. Other popular snacks like fried potatoes and deep-fried fermented pork are also available.

Another popular snack near the cathedral is the pillow-shaped savory pastry at Goc Da (Banh Goi Goc Da). The humble eatery, with just a few simple tables and chairs, is always packed during rush hour.

The golden-fried pastries have thin, crispy skins and fillings of pork, wood ear mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, vermicelli, and Chinese sausage. They are served with a traditional dipping sauce and a side of fresh herbs and pickled papaya. Each costs about $0.55.

In autumn, vendors carrying trays of green rice (com) appear around the cathedral. The soft, aromatic rice wrapped in green leaves is a must-try. Green rice or sticky rice with green rice is on every local’s "must-do in Hanoi autumn" list.

You can sip egg coffee, snack on green rice or its sticky rice version, and enjoy the charming streetscape around the cathedral.

Eel noodle soup and hearty pork rib porridge

Close to the cathedral is Ngo Huyen’s famous pork rib porridge shop. The dish is made from ground rice and pork bone broth. The result is a smooth, thick, and creamy porridge with no grainy texture.

Pork cartilage is carefully prepared and simmered to remain tender yet crunchy.

At the corner of Chan Cam and Ly Quoc Su streets is the famous Chan Cam Eel Noodle Shop, often crowded with customers. Bowls are filled with vermicelli noodles, blanched bean sprouts, vinegar-marinated cucumber and carrots, Vietnamese coriander, and either crispy or soft eel, depending on the guest’s preference.

The fried eel is crispy but not oily, burnt, or chewy – and retains its crunch until the last bite.

The mixed noodle dish is tossed in a soy sauce blend with a balanced sweet-sour-salty-spicy flavor. The soup version features a hot, fragrant eel-based broth that’s naturally sweet without MSG.

The eel salad combines bean sprouts, banana blossom, cucumber, carrots, fried shallots, and herbs with crispy eel and a tangy-sweet dipping sauce. It’s refreshing, nutty, and crunchy.

Linh Trang & Nguyen Huy