Hanoi by Night
November 17, 2007
In the West, people go out to pubs, nightclubs and the cinema in the evenings but what do Hanoians do on a typical night out? As I’m from the South of Vietnam, it’s been interesting finding out. I have done some research in my five or so years in the capital and I think now it’s time to report the findings.
Even though the weather is cooling off, Hanoians are still out and about, maybe more so than in the summer, especially late at night.
From about this time of year, many people dine out at Lau (hot pot) restaurants and street-side grilled beef restaurants which are becoming popular now. A good mix of groups of adults and teenagers can hang out for a few hours, eat heaps and drink lots of ruou (rice wine) for the cost of ten beers at a bar. Another option which is enjoyed by many is going to ruou dan toc(traditional wine) shops, where customers sit on mats at low tables like in Japanese restaurants, drinking wine, eating grilled and dried fish, cuttle fish, grilled Nem(sour pork mince wrapped in banana leaves) and rice crackers.
It’s quite different in Nha Trang, where I come from. My friends and I used to sit on the beach and drink wine or beer with fresh mango, guava or some other sour fruits and dip rice crackers in Mam tom ot(shrimp sauce with chilli) which tastes great. But there’s no beach in
Another place where many teenagers go late at night is a lane off
Young Hanoians really enjoy getting dressed up for these outings, too. While the men look like they’re going to work in black trousers and perfectly ironed shirts, the girls are dressed up beautifully in glitzy tops and short skirts. It’s a real contrast, though I have noticed recently that young Hanoian men are taking more risks with their appearance these days.
What about old folk? I’ve been talking to quite a few older people, and they said they like going out for a few glasses of rice wine or inviting friends over to their houses to drink, but not too late because they prefer to wake up early for morning exercise than go to bed late.
I don’t know which group I belong to so I’m going to do some more ‘research’!
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I definitely agree with you for the lovely night out in Hanoi. I used to travel Hanoi once and took sightseeing around the Old Quarter at night. Yes, you rarely find those loud discotheques but simple night market where people gather, walking, selling, buying things. At each small street that connect one another to become this charming Old Quarter, you will see most of the houses with their front area used for selling something, like tea, coffee, pho (Vietnamese noodle), sweets, Vietnamese foods with unfamiliar look for us, and even hot pots. There are also shows some days, like music bands or traditional dance shows with local music instruments.
Yes, it was another trip of memory. And I should recommend that Exotissimo Travel is the tour operator of excellent travel service in Vietnam.