Spread at Uu Dam Chay © Jeon Haein
How to Eat Healthy in Hanoi
The importance of healthy eating for a healthy life can never be stressed enough. Let us take you to Hanoi, where you’ll find plenty of healthy choices.
What constitutes a healthy meal? In the past, healthy eating meant consuming food deemed good for your energy and stamina. Today, there’s something far deeper to it. Gone are the days when people would literally eat anything that had four legs if it was good for their body, with their dining table being the only exception. The paradigm shift toward healthy eating, with the younger generation at the forefront, isn’t limited to any one country. In the past, we focused on what we eat and how much we eat. Today, it’s about how and why we eat the food. Also, we pay closer attention to who makes the food and what recipes and production processes are adopted. For us to have truly “healthy” meals, we must consume food that is nutritionally beneficial in terms of its ingredients and preparation. In addition, the consumer must be able to connect with the producer’s healthy philosophy and put it into practice. Against this backdrop, veganism, which entails abstaining from the use of animal products, and farm-to-table, which promotes serving local produce, have found footing.
Hanoi, one of the world’s top food destinations, has been caught up in the healthy eating fever. Vietnam has always been a country that, while upholding its proud traditions, has embraced foreign cuisines and offered its own, unique reinterpretations of dishes from outside. Vietnam was ruled by China for over 1,000 years and was under the French colonial rule for a century. It was followed by the Vietnam War. Vietnam’s tumultuous history is one of continuous foreign invasions, and ironically enough, it was from these difficult times that Vietnam was able to lay foundation of a rich culinary culture. To this day, the Vietnamese are actively studying the latest global gastronomic trends and translating them into their culinary language. Here are restaurants at the forefront of the healthy eating movement in Hanoi, a city that offers the perfect blend of the traditional and the trendy.
Hanoi, one of the world’s top food destinations, has been caught up in the healthy eating fever. Vietnam has always been a country that, while upholding its proud traditions, has embraced foreign cuisines and offered its own, unique reinterpretations of dishes from outside. Vietnam was ruled by China for over 1,000 years and was under the French colonial rule for a century. It was followed by the Vietnam War. Vietnam’s tumultuous history is one of continuous foreign invasions, and ironically enough, it was from these difficult times that Vietnam was able to lay foundation of a rich culinary culture. To this day, the Vietnamese are actively studying the latest global gastronomic trends and translating them into their culinary language. Here are restaurants at the forefront of the healthy eating movement in Hanoi, a city that offers the perfect blend of the traditional and the trendy.
Uu Dam Chay © Jeon Haein
Uu Dam Chay, Top Destination for Vegetarians
Uu Dam Chay, located in the French district to the south of Hoan Kiem Lake, is a high-end restaurant serving quality vegetarian dishes. The word ‘chay’ means vegetable in Vietnamese, and ‘Uu Dam’ comes from the sacred flower in Buddhist scriptures, ‘Udumbara.’ The restaurant strives to serve healthy dishes that help you attain peace with the body and the soul alike, while also delivering auspicious spirit of the Buddhist philosophy and essence of Mother Nature.
A well-prepared vegetarian meal will open doors to a whole new culinary world for the uninitiated. Vegetarian dishes help accentuate the taste of ingredients that would be overshadowed by meats and their stronger flavor. Taking the center stage at this restaurant are the sour flavor of the tropical star fruit, the astringent taste of the unripened banana that Southeast Asians enjoy, and the bitterness of wild greens. Recipes here help bring out the best in vegetables and grains. The purple-toned pecan soup and the steamed corn with quinoa using the whole husk are so creative and brilliant to make your jaw drop.
A well-prepared vegetarian meal will open doors to a whole new culinary world for the uninitiated. Vegetarian dishes help accentuate the taste of ingredients that would be overshadowed by meats and their stronger flavor. Taking the center stage at this restaurant are the sour flavor of the tropical star fruit, the astringent taste of the unripened banana that Southeast Asians enjoy, and the bitterness of wild greens. Recipes here help bring out the best in vegetables and grains. The purple-toned pecan soup and the steamed corn with quinoa using the whole husk are so creative and brilliant to make your jaw drop.
Salad, pecan soup and steamed corn with quinoa at Uu Dam Chay © Jeon Haein
Crispy fried tofu © Jeon Haein
The interior design that evokes the image of a royal palace in a Buddhist country will enhance your dining experience. Buddhist statues and lotus leaves that decorate all corners of the restaurant set the peaceful, almost reverential tone. Patrons will say dining at this restaurant will make them feel healthy and at peace. And that’s exactly what Uu Dam Chay wants its guests to experience.
Address 34 Hang Bai, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi
Phone +84-98-134-98-98
Address 34 Hang Bai, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi
Phone +84-98-134-98-98
Maison de Tet Décor © Jeon Haein
Maison de Tet Décor, Leading the Way for Healthy Dining in Hanoi
Maison de Tet Décor is a café and a bistro, and is regarded as a leader in the healthy-eating trend in Hanoi. This place is run on three major principles: One, to serve quality coffee. Two, to only provide organic beverages. And three, to make nutritious food. All vegetables used here are harvested from the café’s own, small organic farm outside Hanoi. All the eggs are laid by pastured chickens. Coffee beans are brought in from around Vietnam and are roasted in the café, while tea and honey are purchased from a farming family in the mountains in northern Vietnam. This is how this café/bistro maintains a close tie with local communities. It also runs projects to support the underprivileged, the visible minority and local tribes. It provides a meeting space for artists, too.
Healthy salad with chickpeas, avocado, assorted nuts and fresh vegetables © Jeon Haein
Organic detox juice © Jeon Haein
The menu covers both Vietnamese and Western cuisines. The healthy salad, served with autumn squash, chickpeas, avocado and fresh vegetables, is always the go-to dish for those seeking a low-calorie and highly nutritious meal. There are also a wide selection of vegan dishes. Organic, detox juices are just the type of healthy beverages for the modern people.
Address 26 Quang Ba, Tay Ho District, Hanoi
Phone +84-24-3823-9722
Website maisondetetdecor.com
Address 26 Quang Ba, Tay Ho District, Hanoi
Phone +84-24-3823-9722
Website maisondetetdecor.com
Poke Hanoi © Jeon Haein
Poke Hanoi, Healthy Dishes Made Just for You
We all have different constitutions. No matter how great a dish is, it won’t do you any good if it doesn’t suit your constitution. And here, we have a restaurant where you can find healthy eating options just for you. It’s Poke Hanoi, located near Hoan Kiem Lake. It’s Hanoi’s first poke restaurant.
Poke, a signature Hawaiian dish, means ‘a small square’ in the local vernacular. It originated back during Ancient Hawaii, when people ate small pieces of fish, mixed with salt and seaweed. Immigrants from all over the world added flavors of their local cuisines, giving birth to the poke bowl that we see today.
Poke, a signature Hawaiian dish, means ‘a small square’ in the local vernacular. It originated back during Ancient Hawaii, when people ate small pieces of fish, mixed with salt and seaweed. Immigrants from all over the world added flavors of their local cuisines, giving birth to the poke bowl that we see today.
Poke bowl © Jeon Haein
Ingredients for poke bowl © Jeon Haein
The poke bowl is the culinary version of haute couture, since you can make your own bowl by choosing your favorite ingredients. Pick from the selection of brown rice, salmon and shrimp, plus other seafood, and about 20 types of vegetables and seaweeds. The taste will vary depending on the amount of rice and the choice of toppings. And the bowl exclusively belongs to you.
This is the best place to heal in Hanoi, a restaurant that lets you enjoy a build-your-own bowl of healthy food under natural light. It’s tucked inside a narrow alley, making it a bit difficult to find. Follow the sign and arrows, and you’ll spot this hidden gem of Hanoi.
Address 11B Hang Khay, Trang Tien, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi
Phone +82-90-348-32-18
This is the best place to heal in Hanoi, a restaurant that lets you enjoy a build-your-own bowl of healthy food under natural light. It’s tucked inside a narrow alley, making it a bit difficult to find. Follow the sign and arrows, and you’ll spot this hidden gem of Hanoi.
Address 11B Hang Khay, Trang Tien, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi
Phone +82-90-348-32-18
Where to Stay in Hanoi: LOTTE HOTEL HANOI
LOTTE HOTEL HANOI, a new landmark in Hanoi, is located in the upper floors of LOTTE CENTER HANOI. The hotel offers a view of the entire city, and the rooms are inspired by the traditional Vietnamese patterns. It has 318 rooms. The restaurant serves a wide variety of dishes using local Vietnamese specialties and fresh ingredients from around the world. Its rooftop bar lets you enjoy the beautiful skyline of Hanoi.
Address 54, Lieu Giai St. Cong Vi Ward. Ba Dinh, Hanoi
Inquiry +84-24-3333-1000
Website www.lottehotel.com/hanoi-hotel
Address 54, Lieu Giai St. Cong Vi Ward. Ba Dinh, Hanoi
Inquiry +84-24-3333-1000
Website www.lottehotel.com/hanoi-hotel
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