Bánh chưng shops in Hanoi
With Tết just around the corner, Hanoi is bustling with preparation activities, and now would be a great time to hit the shops for new clothing, flowers to decorate our homes, and of course, bánh chưng. Not only is it a mandatory dish in any Têt meal, but traditions also dictate that it’s a must-have item to offer on the ancestral altars of Viet people.
So, here are 8 bánh chưng shops in Hanoi where you can find innovative variations of this traditional Vietnamese cake, from salmon bánh chưng to low-calorie bánh chưng.
1. Bánh Chưng Bà Kiều – popular online shop with ingredients from mountainous areas
Image credit: Bánh Chưng Bà Kiều
While Bánh Chưng Bà Kiều doesn’t have a shop and only takes online orders, it has still made a name for itself as one of the most sought-after bánh chưng shops in Hanoi in the past couple of years.
A signature here is the bánh chưng Tú Lệ (VND140,000, ~USD6.09), named after the Tú Lệ Commune in the northern mountainous province of Yên Bái, where its ingredients come from. Sticky rice from Tú Lệ is famous for its soft texture and pleasant aroma, which contribute to the taste of the bánh chưng.
Image credit: Bánh Chưng Bà Kiều
Moreover, the rice is dyed using juices from lesser galangal leaves, giving the final products a distinctly greener color than what you’d usually see in a bánh chưng.
Contact Bánh Chưng Bà Kiều via its Facebook page or website, or call the hotline 0989127512 to place your orders.
2. Bánh Chưng Ngon – red bánh chưng made from gấc fruit
Image credit: @huong_blue
Also a well-known bánh chưng shop in Hanoi, Bánh Chưng Ngon is our recommendation for those who find the usual green square bánh chưng too mainstream.
Among the many items available on the shop’s menu, the bánh chưng gấc (VND85,000, ~USD3.69) stands out for its eye-catching red outer layer.
Rest assured that no food coloring is involved here, as the color comes from cooking the rice with a Vietnamese fruit called gấc, which adds a light sweetness to the final product. Gấc is also thought to be beneficial to one’s eyesight and immune system.
Fried bánh chưng gấc
Image credit: Bánh Chưng Ngon
Having a red bánh chưng in your first meal of the new year has some spiritual value as well, as red is seen as the color of luck.
Address: 48B Lane 554 Trường Chinh Street, Đống Đa District, Hanoi
Opening hours: 6.30AM-8.30PM, Daily
Telephone: 0968318765
Website
3. Quốc Hương – long-established shop with bánh chưng and giò chả
Image credit: Giò Chả Quốc Hương
Situated in the Hanoi Old Quarter, Quốc Hương is one of those long-established Hanoian stores that’s been our parents’ go-to place for bánh chưng and other Tết food for decades.
In terms of bánh chưng, Quốc Hương doesn’t offer the other fancy flavors that you can find in some of the other shops, but sometimes, it’s good to stick to the original tried-and-true recipe, prepared from the freshest of ingredients.
A standard 1kg bánh chưng here is offered at a reasonable VND70,000 (~USD3.05).
Image credit: @jongkumsbelly
But another must-have dish in any Hanoian Tết meal is giò chả – Vietnamese meatloaves made by grinding and baking pork and beef into cakes – and this is what Quốc Hương is most famous for.
Come here to bring home satisfyingly chewy and flavorful giò lụa (lean pork meatloaves) (VND250,000, ~USD10.88/kg) and chả quế (pork baked with spices and cinnamon powder) (VND250,000, ~USD10.88/kg) to enrich your Tết dinner table.
The shop always sees long lines of customers near Tết
Image credit: @tuankurt69
Every year in the weeks leading up to Tết, Quốc Hương is always packed full of customers lining up to get their hands on its famous products, but this year, in light of the COVID-19 situation, the shop has urged customers to call 1 day beforehand to order pickup to avoid big crowds.
Address: 9 Hàng Bông Street, Hoàn Kiếm District, Hanoi
Opening hours: 7AM-7PM, Daily
Telephone: 0332483853
Facebook
4. Stay Healthy’s Kitchen – rough rice bánh chưng for the health-conscious
Image credit: Stay Healthy’s Kitchen
We Vietnamese often make memes about gaining weight during Tết from stuffing our faces with all the boiled chicken and bánh chưng, but it is a very legit concern. For a healthier alternative to carb-heavy bánh chưng, Stay Healthy’s Kitchen has got you covered.
True to its name, Stay Healthy’s Kitchen offers a wide variety of low-calorie dishes for the health-conscious, among which the rough rice bánh chưng (VND105,000, ~USD4.56) is all the rage right now.
Image credit: Stay Healthy’s Kitchen
Made from rough rice, which is known to be rich in vitamins and to help lower cholesterol levels, the bánh chưng has a unique purplish color and comes in two variations: the square bánh chưng of northern Vietnam, or the round version aka bánh tét that’s popular in the south.
For those who want to calculate their calorie intake, each bánh chưng here, which is equal to 8 servings, is worth 2,100 calories.
Again, as Stay Healthy’s is an online shop, contact it via Facebook or the phone number 0345598880 to have the food delivered to your doorstep.
5. Madam Nhung – premium-priced bánh chưng and Vietnamese food
Image credit: Madam Nhung
Though bánh chưng at Madam Nhung are three times the usual price, going for VND200,000-VND250,000 (~USD8.69-USD10.86) apiece, they are still sought after by thousands of customers. This speaks volumes about their quality.
One of the best sellers here is the bánh tét ngũ hành, or five-element bánh tét, which is dyed in multiple colors using natural ingredients such as pandan leaves and black salt, which not only adds to the aesthetics but also the flavors.
Aside from bánh chưng, Madam Nhung is also known for several other Vietnamese dishes, from cá kho (VND150,000-VND250,000, ~USD6.52-USD10.86) – fish cooked with spice and soy sauce – to thịt đông (VND140,000, ~USD6.08) – pork cooked with mushrooms and spices and left frozen into a jelly-like state.
Address: 8 Quán Sứ Street, Hoàn Kiếm District, Hanoi
Opening hours: 6.30AM-11PM, Daily
Telephone: 0914921018
Facebook
6. Nương Bắc – beautifully packed bánh chưng to buy as gifts
Image credit: Bánh Chưng Nương Bắc
Bánh chưng is not only a dish to treat your guests to when they come to your house, but also makes for an appropriate new year gift when you’re the one doing the visiting. And if you need something more formal to give to your teacher or your boss, Nương Bắc has bánh chưng carefully packed in beautiful boxes.
Image credit: Bánh Chưng Nương Bắc
And it’s not just the packaging that stands out either, as Nương Bắc’s offerings also have some pretty unique flavors to offer. The salmon bánh chưng (VND220,000, ~USD9.54), for instance, adds an innovative spin to the traditional bánh chưng recipe, replacing the belly pork filling with salmon. This might be an option worth checking out if you find the usual pork fillings too heavy.
Address: 86 Pháo Đài Láng Street, Đống Đa District, Hanoi
Opening hours: 8AM-6PM, Daily
Telephone: 0915210399
Website
7. Hà Thành Vegan Restaurant – vegetarian bánh chưng
Image credit: Bánh Chưng Chay
The traditional bánh chưng is always made with bean and pork fillings, as according to legend, it represents the Earth and all the animals and plants living on it. In our modern society, however, more and more people are turning to meat-free diets for moral, religious, or health reasons. If you’re one of them, hit up Hà Thành Vegan Restaurant to get your bánh chưng fix guilt-free.
Black rice vegan bánh chưng
Image credit: Bánh Chưng Chay
A typical green bánh chưng here goes for VND50,000 (~USD2.17), whereas fancier versions such as bánh chưng gấc or bánh chưng nếp cẩm – bánh chưng made with black rice – will set you back VND60,000-VND70,000 (~USD2.60-USD3.04). They all come with ground beans and faux meat fillings.
A meat-free Vietnamese meal at Hà Thành Restaurant
Image credit: Bánh Chưng Chay
Aside from bánh chưng, Hà Thành is also a well-loved vegan restaurant where you can find a casual, comfortable dining space and vegan adaptations of everyday Vietnamese dishes such as nem (spring rolls) (VND45,000, ~USD1.95) and phở cuốn (phở rolled with veggies) (VND60,000, ~USD2.60).
Address: 17 Lane 73 Giang Văn Minh Street, Ba Đình District, Hanoi
Opening hours: 8AM-2PM and 5PM-9PM, Daily
Telephone: 0906077598
Website
8. Đỗ Thế Gia – young rice bánh chưng and Vietnamese snacks
Image credit: ĐỖ THẾ GIA – Bánh mứt gia truyền
Located northwest of Hanoi, Đỗ Thế Gia is a century-old shop that specializes in products made from cốm – young rice that’s harvested and processed at the right time so it has a green color, a pleasant aroma, and a slightly sweet taste when well-chewed.
As such, we highly recommend the bánh chưng cốm (VND140,000, ~USD6.07) here. Of course, you can also find this bánh chưng variation at some of the other shops in this list, but what Đỗ Thế Gia offers are delicious delights with a soft, sticky texture and rich cốm flavors.
Image credit: ĐỖ THẾ GIA – Bánh mứt gia truyền
Also, don’t forget to pick up a few boxes of mứt – Vietnamese jam made by cooking fruits with sugar. While not a main dish on the dinner table, mứt is still a must-have Tết treat to offer to visiting guests as something to snack on during casual conversations.
The lotus seed mứt (VND55,000, ~USD2.38) – where lotus seeds are infused with the aroma of pomelo flowers and coated in a thin layer of sugar – is great to have with tea, while the kumquat mứt (VND60,000, ~USD2.60) has an addicting sweet and sour taste.
Address: 264 Võ Chí Công Street, Tây Hồ District, Hanoi
Opening hours: 8AM-8PM, Daily
Telephone: 0904128687
Facebook
Shops to buy bánh chưng in Hanoi for Tết
Whether you’re a non-meat eater, are careful about your calorie intake, or are simply looking for a change from the original bánh chưng, you’ll find some bánh chưng flavors to your liking at one of these 8 shops in Hanoi.
And of course, buying Tết gifts for others is also a nice way to show your love to friends and family during this joyous occasion, and if you’re in need of some suggestions, check out our recommendations for creative Tết gifts here.
For more stories, check out:
- Vietnamese Tết traditions and customs
- 8 differences between northern and southern Vietnamese Tết
- 8 creative Tết gift sets
- 8 Vietnamese traditional festivals
- 12 áo dài brands for Tết
Cover image adapted from Bánh Chưng Nương Bắc and Stay Healthy’s Kitchen
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