Prepare for a mouthwatering affordable escapade through this list of 5 dishes under $1 in Hanoi!

Hanoi is the capital of Vietnam and well, it is home to an array of delectably irresistible dishes of both local cuisines and international.

However, how do you plan on tasting everything with only a few bucks saved up in your pocket? This article has just saved the day for you, read on to know 5 dishes under $1 in Hanoi that you can dig in.

Xoi xeo

To top the list of these 5 dishes under $1 in Hanoi list is Xoi xeo or xeo sticky rice. This usually comes with staple toppings of green mung bean paste, soy sauce, and dried shallots, but you can opt for a variety of add-ons like pate, boiled chicken, cha Lua (Vietnamese ham), marinated pork belly, or preserved eggs for a more substantial meal.

Other restaurants serve xoi xeo as dessert, it is topped with dried coconut shavings, roasted sesame seeds, and crystallized sugar.

A known affordable xoi xeo restaurant is the Xoi Yen, which serves a fancy bowl from only 15,000 VND.

Banh cuon

Made from a thin, wide sheet of steamed fermented rice batter with a mixture of cooked seasoned ground pork, minced with ear mushroom, and chopped onion.

Banh cuon is then garnished with fried shallots, fresh basil, bean sprouts and steamed/fried pork ham.

It is best paired with its signature dipping fish sauce Served on the side is the signature dipping fish sauce.

Banh cuon is made special by the rice sheet that is thin and delicate – these sheets are created through steaming a slightly fermented rice batter on a cloth stretched over a lot of boiling water.

This dish is best eaten at breakfast and is mostly preferred by locals and foreigners.

Local insight: Though traditionally served for breakfast, this is also a popular late night snack.

Price: starting from VND20,000.

Chao suon

A popular rice porridge or also known as congee won the hearts of food enthusiasts. This dish is mostly enjoyed by people sitting comfortably on plastic stools.

Chao suon, known as rice porridge stewed with pork ribs. It is typically served with the crispy finger-shaped souffle’ batters, known as ‘quay’, these are then cut into small pieces and topped right in the congee instead of in a separated bowl or dish.

As an added kick some vendors would also serve pork floss or sliced pork cartilage with the traditional bowl.

A little bit of tip, try adding ground pepper and red chili powder especially when having a bowl of Chao suon during winter – it warms you up for the season.

Chao suon can be eaten during breakfast or lunch at affordable prices, just around VND15,000 (US$0.65) to VND25,000 (US$1.1) per serving.

Banh duc nong

In Hanoi and the central region, banh duc is served hot, hence the name banh duc nong (nong means hot). The rice flour and water are boiled until thick or flan-like, topped with cooked ground pork, chopped nam meo (wood ear mushroom), fried tofu, hanh phi (fried onion), and fish sauce. It is a very popular dish especially in the wintertime in the north and central region.

Another popular variation is called banh duc dau phong (peanuts), whole peanuts are added when boiled, and the mix is then cooled and cut into small bite-size pieces. It should be served plain with either nuoc tuong (soy sauce) or mam tom (fermented shrimp paste).

Price: starting from VND15,000.

Banh tom Ho Tay

Banh tom is a shrimp patty specialty original from the area around West Lake (Ho Tay) in Hanoi. First, the dough is made with wheat flour, cornstarch, freshwater, egg, salt, pepper, turmeric powder, and sweet potato. Instead of grinding the shrimp into a paste (like a fishball), the fried seafood is usually left whole — sitting atop the crunchy cakes.

This is dipped into cooking oil and the shrimps are placed on top. The whole thing is deep-fried for about 5 minutes until the shrimp pancakes become golden brown.

It’s typically served with lettuce leaves for wrapping, plus chili, lime juice and fish sauce for dipping.

Price: from VND 10,000-15,000/piece