As the final days of the Year of the Dragon approached and the new Year of the Snake 2025 neared, Zoro, a traveler from Japan, embarked on a four-day, three-night trip to Hanoi.

In addition to visiting temples for good luck and experiencing the bustling year-end atmosphere in Vietnam, Zoro took the opportunity to explore Hanoi’s street food scene, sampling many of the capital’s signature dishes.

Among them, beef pho left the strongest impression, which he described as “a feast for the senses” and showered with compliments.

The pho restaurant Zoro visited is a well-known establishment located on Lo Duc Street in Pham Dinh Ho Ward, Hai Ba Trung District.

Established in 1979, the eatery has exclusively served stir-fried rare beef pho since its inception.

Despite arriving late in the afternoon, Zoro was surprised by the steady stream of customers. Patrons patiently lined up to place their orders and pay before enjoying their meals.

The Japanese tourist lined up to try pho in Hanoi. This famous eatery is especially crowded on weekends and during Tet.

At the restaurant, he ordered a bowl of stir-fried rare beef pho for 75,000 VND (approximately $3).

When the steaming bowl was placed before him, Zoro was immediately captivated by its enticing presentation.

The bowl of stir-fried rare beef pho, generously topped with scallions, that Zoro enjoyed.

Taking his first sip of the broth, he was impressed by its rich and complex flavor.

“The broth is so good. The taste is quite diverse, and it’s hard to pinpoint the exact ingredients, but I can definitely sense the delicate sweetness,” Zoro described.

The dish’s fragrant broth even led him to exclaim, “Vietnam is a land of spices.”

While eating, the Japanese tourist continuously exclaimed, ‘So delicious!’

Zoro found it fascinating how the broth transformed when different condiments like garlic vinegar, chili sauce, fish sauce, or lime were added, creating “an even better version.”

Beyond the broth, he also praised the pho noodles and beef. He noted that the beef was tender and flavorful, while the noodles were silky and soaked up the rich broth perfectly.

“This pho is amazing, with so many different flavors. The beef and noodles pair wonderfully with this broth,” Zoro added.

At the end of the meal, he nodded in satisfaction, acknowledging that the dish truly was “a feast for the senses.”

During his time in Hanoi, Zoro also had the chance to try other popular dishes such as pork rib porridge, stir-fried pho, pho rolls, banh xeo (Vietnamese crispy pancakes), and banh mi.