Enjoying yourself North
Timetable North
Breakfast, lunch, dinner. As in France, three meals a day, but at different times. Breakfast is often eaten at dawn. In the street, between 6 and 7 a.m., the Vietnamese savor pho, or at home, glutinous rice(soi), accompanied by salt and sesame. Tourist establishments generally offer Western breakfasts. Lunch is served around 11 or 11.30 a.m. Restaurants are generally open until 2pm. In the evening, the Vietnamese dine around 6:30pm (a little later in town). Establishments close relatively early, around 9:30-10pm.
Budget & Tips North
Vietnamese cuisine is rightly renowned for its low-cost flavors. Emblematic dishes such as pho, bun bo (or bo bun) or bun cha make it possible to have lunch or dinner for less than 100,000 VND (around €4). However, restaurants in tourist areas tend to charge high prices for what is often very average quality. In the big cities, gourmet restaurants and those in luxury hotels often offer value-for-money lunch menus that make them easily accessible. In general, you should expect to pay between €7 and €15 per person for a meal in a mid-range restaurant, and over €20 per person in a more chic establishment. For more than €35 per person, you can dine in well-known restaurants and grand hotels. Expect to pay at least €50 per person to dine in one of Hanoi's Michelin-starred restaurants. Note that beer is not very expensive in Vietnam, but a bottle of wine can quickly add to the bill.
What costs extra North
In high-end restaurants, or in certain establishments in major cities that provide an invoice, prices on menus are exclusive of tax, but the amount of tax (15%) must be mentioned. Tipping is welcome, but not compulsory. In local restaurants, finger wipes in sachets are often charged at 2,000 VND.
The local way North
Many Vietnamese frequent com bui (literally "to eat dust", in reference to times of scarcity), which serve simple but mostly delicious cuisine. The bia hoi also serve good food at low prices; the choice is more varied and dishes are accompanied by one - more often several! - glasses of cold, sweet beer. They are frequented by tables of chatty men and are part of the street scene. Each region has its own specialties and gastronomic delights. All to be enjoyed on small tables, balanced on narrow benches or unbalanced on tiny stools.
To be avoided North
Food safety has become a major concern in the emerging countries of Southeast Asia, and particularly in Vietnam. In Vietnam's cities, the demands of the emerging middle class are increasing as they consume more.
In short, no paranoia. It will spoil your stay and prevent you from enjoying the delights of Vietnamese gastronomy. Simply a little common sense and prudence: avoid ordering game, most often illegally hunted in remote regions, or even in other countries (Laos or Cambodia...), transported and preserved in dubious conditions; always favour freshness, especially with seafood; avoid "gastronomic adventures". Most of the time, kitchens are in the open air, and it's easy to check the quality and freshness of the food you eat. Vigilance without turning into a phobia..
Some sound advice:
Beware of intestinal parasites, especially flukes. They can be found in raw vegetables and freshwater crustaceans (crabs, crayfish, etc.).
Donot eat raw fish served with their scales.
Avoid eating raw crabs and raw fish salads.
Simple hygiene measures (washing hands, eating washed raw vegetables, peeled fruit, etc.) can help prevent intestinal parasites (amoebas, worms, etc.).
And, of course, only drink sealed bottled water, or boiled water (tea, coffee).
The ice served in restaurants does not always comply with hygiene standards as regards transport, but it is generally manufactured by specialized companies, which limits the risks.
Kids North
They're always welcome. In restaurants frequented mainly by local customers, it's not uncommon to see children engaged in joyful, disorderly and noisy activities, without parents being bothered. In tourist establishments, booster chairs are often available, and many restaurants even offer menus specially concocted for little ones.
Smokers North
In theory, smoking is banned in unventilated public places. In practice, the ban is respected in high-end establishments, more or less in big cities and tourist restaurants, and not at all in the provinces and rural areas.
Tourist traps North
Ask for a menu with the price of each dish, so you can order with full knowledge of the facts. Always check the bill meticulously and recount the number of beers... In the case of seafood restaurants, ask about the price of fish, shellfish and crustaceans before eating them.
Take a break North
Timetable North
Café opening hours are similar to those of other businesses, i.e. they depend on the mood of the owner. They are busier in the afternoon and evening than in the morning. Generally open 7 days a week, closing around 10pm.
Budget & Tips North
Drink a cup of coffee, enjoy a cup of tea or a freshly squeezed fruit juice, sip a beer: in Vietnam, these pleasures enhance the trip without threatening the balance of the budget, however tight it may be... A little more expensive in city centers and tourist areas, but nothing like the rates charged in European capitals.
Age restrictions North
The legal age for buying and consuming alcohol in Vietnam is 18. In practice, however, many establishments do not respect this law...
What's very local North
Vietnam is one of the world's largest coffee producers. So it's hardly surprising that the Vietnamese spend a lot of time in the cafés, which are packed from midday until evening. After office hours, another institution is the bia hoi, a kind of philosophical café, where the clientele, mainly men, like to forget the worries of home and discuss the major issues of life over a lightly alcoholic beer.
