Truc Bach – West Lake: lakeside afternoon flavors – rolled pho, shrimp cakes, lotus tea, snail noodle soup and sunset over West Lake (half day)

Introduction

Leaving the Old Quarter, Hanoi has another food area connected to the water. The afternoon begins at Truc Bach Lake with rolled pho, a dish born on Ngu Xa Island itself, then follows Thanh Nien Road, passes Quang An lotus tea village, stops for West Lake snail noodle soup and ends as sunset falls over West Lake.

Highlights

• Ngu Xa Island: stories of the old bronze-casting village and 'Rolled Pho Street'
• Pho cuon and pho chien phong – two dishes born in the Truc Bach Lake area itself
• West Lake shrimp cakes on Thanh Nien Road, a long-standing afternoon treat
• Visit a family in Quang An Village to learn about scenting tea with West Lake lotus stamens and enjoy tea in the traditional way
• A bowl of snail noodle soup with refreshing sour rice-vinegar notes, a specialty of the villages around West Lake
• Sit by West Lake and taste a flight of three craft beers brewed in Hanoi (or juice)

Suitable for

• Food lovers who want to explore Hanoi beyond the Old Quarter
• Friends and families wanting a gentle afternoon walk by the lake

Services included

• Vietnamese-speaking guide throughout the journey (English-speaking guide quoted upon request)
• All tastings and lotus tea
• Flight of three craft beers or juice
• Taxi between stops

Services not included

• Taxi back to hotel
• Additional drinks
• Personal expenses

Some photos: Wikimedia Commons — NKSTTSSHNVN (CC BY-SA 4.0); NKSTTSSHNVN (CC BY-SA 4.0); vi:User:Rungbachduong (CC BY-SA 3.0); David Berkowitz (CC BY 2.0); Christophe95 (CC BY-SA 4.0); RB Photo (CC BY 4.0); Jakub Hałun (CC BY 4.0); Viethavvh (CC BY-SA 4.0); Phương Huy (CC BY-SA 4.0).