Dutch photographer Ab Stokvis captured a balut egg shop in Hanoi in the 1980s. The long wooden bench and floral-patterned tablecloth were familiar sights in daily life and at small business establishments of the time.
Many Hanoi eateries and street stalls then had little more than a handwritten sign and a few wooden tables and chairs, but hold lasting memories for locals. Photos documenting the rhythm of life in the capital during that era are often shared among photography communities online.
American photographer William E. Crawford captured two men drinking green tea at a sidewalk stall beside a lighter gas refill stand at 8 Ly Thai To Street in 1988.
A scene outside an eatery at 72 Ma May Street in 1988.
Crawford was among the first western photographers to visit northern Vietnam after the war ended. He first came to Hanoi in 1985 with some filmmakers and American veterans, and subsequently returned many times. He photographed the city’s streets and daily life to document Hanoi’s transformation in the post-war years. Crawford’s works have been exhibited in both the U.S. and Vietnam, and featured in the photo book "Hanoi Streets 1985 - 2015: In the Years of Forgetting" (2018).
American freelance photographer Andy Tarica captured a sidewalk bun cha (grilled pork noodle) stall in Hanoi in 1995. He said he loved the capital’s street life and was especially struck by the food stalls with their small plastic stools.
Japanese photographer Yuichi Kobayashi photographed drink stalls and street food vendors on Hang Bong Street in 1998.
He first came to Hanoi in February 1995 and spent much of his time wandering through the city’s streets, capturing everyday life there. On his personal page, the photographer often shares images of the scenery, people, and traffic in the capital more than 30 years ago.
