Your vegetarian and halal guidance around the world
When I think of the middle-eastern vegetarian cuisine I tend to think of falafel, hummus or other kind of mezze (tapas-like small dishes). The middle-eastern cuisine is endless and it has so much more to offer. It uses fresh herbs or spices without being excessive. …
Hanoi was our last destination in Vietnam and the city was hectic. Couldn’t expect differently when visiting a capital which is also the second largest city in Vietnam, after Ho Chi Minh City. The streets were filled with eateries that have small tables and chairs outside. Since the city felt so stretched out me, you practically could go anywhere to find a place to eat.
~ Lobster queen
I remember reaching this place was quite a walk from where we were staying. We underestimate that 20 minutes walk is slightly more challenging in the streets of Hanoi. When we arrived at Lobster queen, there were no other visitors. Normally, that wouldn’t be a good sign, but luckily Lobster queen prove us wrong. Their most favourite menu is the lobster roll that comes with pumpkin soup and salad. It was a tasteful combo. Other than lobster, they also serve scallops and prawn rolls. The selection on the menu was limited, but your visit here should be for one thing only: The Lobster queen.
Price: $ – $$
Suitable: lobster and prawn fans
~ Lifted coffee & brunch
We visited Lifted coffee & brunch for a brunch. The day we visited this place, it was quite packed. Lots of tourists came to have brunch as well. This place has different things on the menu, such as toast, sandwiches, bagels, bowls, eggs, mostly western style brunch. For drinks they serve healthy smoothies, but also frappes’s, all kind of milkshakes and of course coffee. I took a simple cheese sandwich and juice. Not much should go wrong with this order, so I was good.
Price: $ – $$
Suitable: vegetarian
~ Cafe Dinh
We got to know this cafe because we took the walking tour in Hanoi. A special thing about this cafe is that they serve egg coffee. This place is now owned by the daughter who invented this egg coffee. Milk was scarce back in the time, so this ingredient got replaced by whisked egg yolks. Honestly, I was too scared to try egg in my coffee, but my husband did and he did not like it too much. Nevertheless, they also have black coffee and some other drinks. It is still nice to see this authentic place with all the small wooden tables and chairs.
Price: $
Suitable: beverages only
~Bancong cafe & restaurant
This cafe/restaurant is located at the heart of the old quarter, which is a neighbourhood you might want to visit in order to grasp the Hanoi local experience. Also in this area you will see the eateries on almost every street, where small plastic chairs and tables are lying around across the pavements. Nevertheless, if you want to experience a little more fancy but not paying too much, you might want to visit Bancong cafe & restaurant. They serve western food, including pasta and pizza, but also some Vietnamese dishes (not halal nor vegetarian) and quite some desserts. I ordered pasta pesto and some chocolate cake, it was good.
Price: $$
Suitable: vegetarian menu available
~ Chayfood
As mentioned earlier, Hanoi knows quite a number of purely vegetarian/vegan restaurant and I visited one of them. Chayfood serves few western but also Asian/ Vietnamese dishes, like the spring rolls, bhan mi sandwich, and other dishes that comes with rices or noodles. I wouldn’t say I had the best vegetarian meal but it was ok for me to mention the place for you to try yourself as well.
Price: $ – $$
Suitable: vegetarian, vegan, halal
When I think of Vietnam I mostly think of their fresh/clean ingredients that they use in the dishes. Like coriander or rice paper which is being used for making spring rolls. They are also known for some of their meaty dishes, like the Pho soup. Overall finding halal places was quite challenging, but vegetarian/vegan ones are easier to find. The latter probably due to the Buddhism being partially incorporated in the daily life of some Vietnamese. We visited Da Nang, Hoi An and Hanoi.
South-Korea an Asian country known for k-drama, k-pop and k-beauty. But they are also known for their bbq, kimchi and their spicy tteokbokki. I must admit that South-korean spiciness is on a different level. Also it was hard for a vegetarian to find your way …
I did not stay too long in Seoul, but there is at least one area where you definitely should visit if your looking for diverse places to eat and see small local shops: Ikseon-dong Hanok village. Hanok is a traditional Korean house and it was built in the 14th century. 20 minutes walk away from the Ikseon-dong Hanok village, you can see the Bukchon Hanok village, which is a famous neighbourhood worth the visit.
~ El Carnitas
You would not expect a good Mexican place in an asian country, but this place in the Ikseon-dong area was honestly one of the best Mexican I have ever visited. The ingredients were really fresh and tasteful. I had shrimp taco’s and vegetarian quesadillas. Mind you that the place is not that big and it can get packed in the evenings. You can always come by and let your name written down till they will let you know when you can take a seat.
Price: $ – $$
Suitable: Limited shrimp and vegetarian dishes
~ Flipper’s Ikseon
There are many dessert places around Ikseon-Dong neighborhood, we tried several of them and we enjoyed some soufflé pancakes. Except for pancakes, you can get some lemonade and other mixed juices here as well.
Price: $ – $$
Suitable: Dessert
~Gurkha Restaurant
Gurkha is an Indian/Nepali/Chinese restaurant located in the Myeongdong neighborhood, another area that you should visit when in Seoul. At this restaurant they serve vegetarian/vegan and also halal meals. Not much can go wrong when visiting this type of cuisine which serves flavorful dishes. However, always tell the waiter if you can’t handle spiciness, so they could consider that while preparing the meals.
Price: $ – $$
Suitable: Halal, vegetarian and vegan
~Street food – Myeongdong
While walking around in the Myeongdong area, you would be seeing lots of street vendors. Most of them has halal certificate, consider trying some local/authentic dishes as well.
Price: $ – $$
Suitable: Halal, vegetarian and vegan
~HBAF
Although this is not a restaurant, but it is worth mentioning if you want to bring home some “souvenirs”, you might want to consider buying HBAF. They are selling almonds/nuts with the most wholesome flavour, such as honey butter, tteok-bokki, cookie& cream, and many more. I did ask in the shop if the nuts were halal, the seller claimed to be halal. But always ask for yourself! You can find the shops at the Myeongdong shopping area.
