A Truly Local Phở Guide in Hanoi

This is a truly local guide with local tips by someone who's family has been living in the Hanoi Old Quarter for generations. 

Welcome to Hanoi — where the best meals are served on plastic stools and everything tastes better with fish sauce. This guide isn’t just about what to eat, but how to order it like a local, with the exact Vietnamese phrases you can show vendors. 

In today series of what to eat in Hanoi, let's have a deep dive into Phở - one of the most famous dish to come out of Vietnam. Phở is usually a breakfast food, normally served hot & brothy, alongside with a cup of cheap street vendor ice tea. 

A bit of Phở History

Phở didn’t come out of nowhere. It likely emerged in the early 1900s, during French colonial rule. The French brought beef — once a luxury — into daily life, and their beloved beef stew, pot-au-feu, began to influence the street food of northern Vietnam.

Hanoians took inspiration, added flat rice noodles (bánh phở), swapped carrots for herbs, and created something uniquely Vietnamese. Some say even the name phở comes from the French word feu (fire). Whether that’s fact or folklore, one thing’s clear: this dish started in Hanoi.

Unlike the Southern version, Hanoi-style phở is all about balance and simplicity:

• A clear, savory broth — not sweet, not cloudy, and definitely not overloaded with spices.
• Thin cuts of beef or slices of free-range chicken (gà ta).
• Minimal garnishes — no hoisin, no basil. Just lime, chili, scallions, and coriander.

1. Beef Pho (Phở bò)

A beef noodle soup made from flat rice noodles (bánh phở), slow-cooked bone broth, and thinly sliced beef, garnished with herbs.

What makes a great bowl of beef Pho?

• Clear, deep broth – Simmered for 6–12 hours with beef bones, onions, and grilled vegetables. Not cloudy or overly salty.
• Beef cut selection – Each cut brings a different texture and richness.
  
• Rice noodles – Silky, never mushy.
  
• Balance – Sweet, salty, umami, a touch of spice and acidity from lime and chili.
• Fresh herbs – Usually scallions, and coriander.

THE BEST BEEF CUTS TO TRY

Personally, people usually get 2 combinations of beef cuts in their pho. So for me it's usually Tái Nạm (so thin rare beef slices, with brisket), and a side of poached egg (trứng trần) - legends have it that it helps guys perform better on the bed, so that might explain its popularity.

Also another personal tip from me is to get the fatty broth, they will add beef fat that melts, and fuse with the broth - making a fatty, umami concoction of flavor. Simply ask for "nước béo". Order also "quẩy", they are those orange deep fried dough that you see everywhere, it is a must when it comes to eating phở! 

After you get the dish:

• Add chili, and vinegar garlic with the garlic bits to your liking (usually the rule of thumb is Beef goes with vinegar garlic, and Chicken goes with lime).
• A great classic combination is to eat with a side of fried dough (quẩy), and a cup of street iced tea (trà đá). 
• Avoid drowning your bowl in hoisin unless you're in the south. Northern phở is cleaner, lighter, and more complex.
  

HOW TO ORDER: 

Use the table above, and choose 2 of your favourite beef cuts. And simply order like so
"phở + _____ + ______", so something like "Phở Tái Gầu".

Where do a local usually eat beef Pho:

All of the locations below are places that I personally eat, so no sponsor B.S that you usually come across from the usual guide on Google.

• Phở Gia Truyền Bát Đàn - 49 Bat Dan Street, Hoan Kiem
  • Open 6-10 AM, 6-8:30PM
  • One of the best beef Pho places in Hanoi, been around since my mother was a child so it says a lot. That authentic, and traditional Hanoi Pho taste.
    
  • Bring cash, and you have to pay before you eat. They do speak English I remember. And you have to bring your bowl to your table yourself, so after paying, please wait in line. The staff will definitely be more helpful knowing you are foreign!

• Phở Mạnh Cường - 23 Hang Muoi Street, Hoan Kiem
  • Open 24 Hours 
  • A really well-known beef Pho place among the local. 
  • On the left there is an amazing tea place that has been around forever (Tuấn Chè). Try to get small package of tea as it retains the smell & flavor better rather than a big package when opened. 

• Phở Thìn - 61 Dinh Tien Hoang Street, Hoan Kiem (next to the Ho Guom lake)
  • Open 6:30AM - 10PM 
  • Opened in 1955, one of the oldest Pho stall in the city. Located in a small alleyway, so it might be a bit "dirty" but the Pho is really good. Might get a bit hot, and humid in the summer tho.
  • A lot of Hanoian regard this place as the OG Pho place in the whole city. Surely it is up there as one of the best, they used to serve the Prime Minister of New Zealand here.

• Phở Thế Béo - 16 Tran Te Xuong Street, Ba Dinh (near West Lake)
  • Open 7AM - 2PM 
  • Famous for using the hoverboard to pass the Pho bowls around to tables, however, the Pho is super good quality too. Not a very traditional, old-school Pho place, but they have really creative dipping sauces, ask for their classic sauce, and a side of boiled pig brain to be mashed into the sauce (yeah it's really really good).

• Phở Bò Lâm - 48 Hang Vai Street, Hoan Kiem
  • Open 5:30AM - 1PM
  • Phở Bò Lâm is a famous, long-established phở brand, known for serving the best beef brisket in Hanoi. The restaurant attracts a large number of customers every day. With a flavor passed down through generations, the broth is clear and rich, the brisket is exceptional, and the fried dough sticks (quẩy) are unmatched.

From my experience, most good Pho places will generally run out of things to sell after 12:30-1 PM, so try avoiding food places in general that open from 2 PM onwards, as they generally catered towards tourists.

2. Chicken Pho (Phở gà)

Northern-style chicken noodle soup made with a clear, aromatic broth, flat rice noodles (bánh phở), and chicken cooked to perfection. It’s lighter than Phở Bò but just as soulful.

While most people know Phở Gà as a comforting chicken noodle soup, it also comes in a dry version called Phở Gà trộn — a lesser-known but equally delicious take. Instead of being served in hot broth, the noodles are tossed with fragrant sauce, herbs, and shredded chicken, often with a small bowl of rich broth on the side. For this article, we will be focusin the broth version of this - an article about dry noodles will be up soon!

What makes a good bowl of Pho Ga?

• Broth clarity – Should be clear with a slight golden hue, simmered from chicken bones, onion, and ginger. No MSG bomb, no oil slick.
  
• Fragrance over fattiness – It should smell like real chicken, not seasoning powder.
  
• Meat matters – Good vendors use gà ta (free-range native chicken), which is more flavorful and chewy.
  
• Herbs – Fresh lime leaves (lá chanh) or shredded scallions make it shine.
  
• Noodles – Still flat rice noodles, but thinner ones are common for chicken phở.

THE BEST CHICKEN PARTS TO TRY

I really recommend asking for the fatty broth option, as chicken fat has a really rich flavor. So ask for "nước béo".

🔥 Pro tip: The best places give you a bit of skin and bone-in meat for flavor. Gà ta skin is yellowish and slightly chewy — a sign of quality.

Where do a local usually eat beef Pho:

All of the locations below are places that I personally eat, so no sponsor B.S that you usually come across from the usual guide on Google.

• Phở Gà Nguyệt - 5B Phu Doan Street, Hoan Kiem (near the Cathedral)
  • Open 6:30AM - 1PM, 4 PM - 12:30 AM 
  • Michellin-Guide Recommended
    
  • The chicken noodle come with a variety of chicken cuts, but the tender thigh is a favourite – perfect in both soup and dry noodle dishes. Open until midnight, it’s a popular late-night spot.
    
    
  • One of my personal favourite, they also just updated an English menu so everything should be very easy to order. Quality meat, and really good broth.

• Phở Gà Huyền Hương - 20 Bao Khanh Street, Hoan Kiem
  • Open 6:30AM - 9PM  
  • Has English menu
  • The absolute BEST chicken Pho in the world. The price is more expensive than your usual bowl (at around 100.000 VND), but everything is super worth it, amazingly high quality chicken, with crazy rich broth. 
  • Clean tables & utensils, and air conditioning. Lunch is usually packed with people, so you will probably have to wait a bit to get seated - and usually you will be seating in a table with other strangers. 

• Phở Gà Hàng Điếu - 1 Hang Dieu Street, Hoan Kiem
  • Open 6AM - 2PM 
  • Rustic style with yellow-skinned gà ta, popular among the locals.
  • They do not speak English tho, so please show them the phrases, or use Google Translate.

Final Slurp: Why You Can’t Leave Hanoi Without Eating Phở

Whether it’s a bowl of silky Phở Bò tái lăn on a misty morning or a steaming Phở Gà đùi from a sidewalk stall, phở isn’t just food — it’s Hanoi’s heartbeat in broth form. It tells the story of colonial past, street hustle, and quiet family rituals passed down for generations.

In a city full of motorbikes, honking, and movement, phở forces you to slow down. To sit, to slurp, and to savor.

At SnusLAB, we know our readers aren’t just looking for products — they’re here for the real Vietnam. So if you're wandering Hanoi, jet-lagged or curious, make phở your first stop. Start your day like a local, and you’ll never forget it..

Still hungry? Stick around — we’ve got more local food guides, tips, and insider advice coming soon.