All that and dim sum at these five Chinese restaurants in Hanoi

Anh Beo Restaurant

At 131 Nguyen Ngoc Vu Street, Cau Giay District, stands Anh Beo Restaurant run by a Chinese couple. It has two floors with six tables each. On the wall on the first floor is a large menu board with a dizzying variety of dishes ranging from VND35,000-100,000 ($1.5-4.3).

Delicacies such as noodle soup with crispy duck and stir-fried beef noodles with wonton dumplings are yours to relish. Customers can enjoy the dishes after watching them being made in the kitchen on the first floor. The homemade soy milk greatly complements the dishes.

Sui cao De nhat Dong Bac (Northeast’s Finest Wonton)

If you prefer your food to be spicy and fat, head for Sui cao De nhat Dong Bac Restaurant at 102-G22 Huynh Thuc Khang Street in Ba Dinh District. Situated close to the main street, the restaurant is easy to find. The menu compensates for the humble appearance of the place, offering everything from sweet sour meat and fried lo mein noodles to Sichuan-style tofu and all types of dumplings. But be warned that the food is quite spicy.

It is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Prices range from VND30,000-80,000 ($1.3-3.5). The canned ginseng tea here is highly recommended to refresh your palate.

Hem Thuong Hai (Shanghai Alley)

Situated at 11 Nguyen Thi Dinh Street, Cau Giay District is Hem Thuong Hai, a restaurant popular with youngsters. The stark red window frames, roof tiles and colorful lanterns in the building instantly transported customers to Shanghai. Beautiful paintings cover the walls on all three floors.

Besides the obvious dumplings, the menu also offers meat skewers, dry goat hot pot, snail chicken feet hot pot, oyster salad, fish grilled over coal, and other unique specialties. According to reviews, the restaurant offers authentic Shanghai cuisine with its rich flavors and low levels of spiciness. The average tab per person is around VND200,000 ($8.6). 

Tiem Chu Long (Uncle Long’s Eatery)

Tiem Chu Long, which specializes in roast duck and char siu barbecue pork, is at 79 Hang Luoc Street in Hoan Kiem District. The meat here is known for its good marination and tender and juicy texture, which pairs well with noodles.

Depending on the size, dishes cost from VND40,000-50,000 ($1.7-2.2). Though it has limited space, the eatery attracts large numbers of customers who are happy to eat on the sidewalk or order takeout. Its eye-catching red and black decor and friendly staff make up for the lack of space. 

Sui cao Dai Loan (Taiwanese Wonton)

At 17 Dai La Street, Hai Ba Trung District, near the Dai La – Bach Mai intersection is a clean and spacious restaurant called Sui cao Dai Loan. As its name suggests, it serves all styles of dumplings like har kow, fried and steamed wonton and xiaolongbao besides noodle dishes.

Its har kow dumplings have received high praise for their succulent fillings and doughy, yielding outside. Dishes cost VND25,000-70,000 ($1.1-3). The restaurant is open the whole day but is busiest during lunch.