Hanoi House

East Village

& why it made the Carpe City list

Casual Vietnamese home-cooking that is consistently delish.
Traditionally a walk-in spot but they now offer limited reservations.
Usually crowded, sometimes with a line outside, but it moves pretty fast.
If you have a big group, definitely make a reservation.
Although it’s small, they have a decent size bar where you can also grab a bite.
Get: This is one of those menus where you can’t go wrong. However, our tasting group really enjoyed the Summer Rolls, Lemongrass Pork Bun Cha and the Hanoi Style Beef Pho (more about Pho below!) with the Bone Marrow addition. Fabulous.
Recently they opened up Hanoi Soup Shop a couple of doors down at 115 St. Marks which has counter service and a few seats if you just want to grab something quick or to-go.

Pho is Vietnam’s national dish, a simple, hearty food made of three ingredients: noodles, meat, and a delicious broth.
Although in the U.S. you’re likely to have Pho for dinner, in Vietnam it is usually eaten at breakfast time.
While many people pronounce it like ‘faux,’ the correct Vietnamese pronunciation is ‘fuh.’
Pho actually refers to the kind of noodles in the dish, which are long flat rice noodles.
If you ask for pho, you’re likely to get pho bo, which is beef broth with sliced beef. There is also pho ga, which swaps the beef for chicken. Pho heo contains pork. Vegetarians among us will want to ask for pho chay.

Hanoi is the capital of Vietnam and has been a city for over 1,000 years. In 1010 Ly Thai To King established Hanoi as the capital; it was originally called Thang Long, which means ‘soaring dragon.’ (Ly Thai To King claimed to have seen a dragon soar over the Red River.)
The buildings are tall and narrow to avoid paying exorbitant property taxes – houses are taxed based on width, not height!
Situated on the banks of the Red River, Hanoi literally means ‘the city inside rivers.’.
The French colonized Vietnam in the late 1800s, which has led to a profound French influence in the city. The Long Bien Bridge of Hanoi was designed by Alexandre Gustav Eiffel, whose other works include the Eiffel Tower and New York City’s Statue of Liberty.
Hanoi’s Old Quarters is known as 36 Streets and includes over 70 narrow alleyways and streets, each named after the influential artisans and merchants who lived and worked there. One of these streets is nicknamed the “train street” where twice a day a diesel train comes barreling through within a few feet of the houses. You have to see it to really believe it.