Gastronomy

With US President Donald Trump visiting Hanoi to meet with Chairman of the Workers’ Party of Korea and Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong Un this week, the world's gaze is now on the capital of Vietnam. Here are five dishes every Hanoi visitor -- not just global leaders -- should try.

NDO - ‘Khau nhuc’, a type of braised pork belly seasoned with several kinds of herbs, is one of the must-try dishes for gourmets visiting Vietnam’s northern province of Lang Son.

Roasted grasshoppers were very popular for families living in countryside as they are healthy and tasty.

NDO/VNA - Pho (noodle soup), one of the traditional dishes of Vietnam, was introduced to Australian friends during a Vietnam culture festival in Canberra on March 4.

Known as a specialty of Hai Phong, a beautiful coastal province, nem cua be (crab spring rolls) seems not only to satisfy your taste but also bring you a little sunshine, a little sea breeze and even a little hardship of coastal locals.

Besides its pristine beaches and white sheep herds, Phan Rang in Ninh Thuan Province is also famous for its cuisine, especially fish cake noodles.

‘Banh da cua’, a dish featuring banh da (locally-made flat rice noodles), crab meat, pork broth and vegetables, is the pride of the people in the northern port city of Hai Phong, just as 'pho' is to Hanoians.

Its name is a little bit confusing, it’s actually not a cake at all, but a dish of thin rice noodles woven into intricate bundles.

Bun dau mam tom, a dish including a stinky sauce and tofu, is a definite must for daredevils undisturbed by the idea of pungent shrimp paste.