Hanoi’s 2nd food street coming up near expat area

Work on the hub at the Dao Ngoc-Ngu Xa area in Truc Bach Ward is almost complete with authorities installing a welcome gate, lighting and public toilets.

The area will be closed to vehicles from 7 p.m. to midnight on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

It will be the second food street in Hanoi after the first came up at Tong Duy Tan-Cam Chi in Hoan Kiem District 10 years ago.

Colorful lanterns have been put up along the street to light up the night.

Foreign tourists pose for photos on Ngu Xa Bridge, part of the new food street.

The bridge has got a new electric lighting system.

Canadian tourist Vicky Bolduc, while standing on Ngu Xa bridge, said: "This is the first time I have visited Vietnam. The neighborhood is so beautiful, so I stopped here to take pictures."

Food stall owners in Dao Ngoc-Ngu Xa are busy decorating their eateries with new signboards and lanterns.

The Truc Bach Lake area is home to many cafes and eateries. At night locals and tourists typically flock there to enjoy grilled dishes, including a unique specialty invented right there: pho rolls.

A graffiti-covered wall on Nguyen Khac Hieu Street.

Old houses on Ngu Xa bridge are being repainted to give the food street a spanking new look.

Dao Ngoc-Ngu Xa food street is in Truc Bach Lake, next to the touristic West Lake. Graphics by VnExpress/Khanh Hoang

The new food street is not far from Tran Quoc Pagoda, which at nearly 1,500 years old is as the oldest pagoda in Hanoi. The pagoda stands on a small peninsula on the east side of West Lake, next to Truc Bach Lake. Photo by Shutterstock

Thanh Nien Street between West Lake and Truc Bach Lake is brightly lit at dusk. Lines of blackboard trees provide the street with ample shade and ancient temples add a sense of spiritual tranquility. Photo by Nghiem Dinh Chinh