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against – the museum also acts as a research institute charged with producing ethnologies for Vietnam’s 54 main groups plus their confusion of sub-groups (for more on the ethnic minorities, see "Vietnam’s ethnic minorities"). The grounds contain a growing collection of minority houses relocated from all over Vietnam, dominated by a beautiful example of a Bahnar communal house. To find the museum, follow Thuy Khue Avenue along the southern edge of West Lake and then keep heading west to find the museum 6km out of town, signposted left off Hoang Quoc Viet. City bus #14 stops on the main road 500m from the museum, or a taxi from the Old Quarter should cost around 60,000đ.

On the way back into central Hanoi, you might want to make a brief detour to Ngoc Ha Village, where the mangled undercarriage of an American B-52 bomber lies half-submerged in a small lake. The plane was one of 23 shot down in December 1972 and now serves as a memorial to those who died during intensive raids known as the “Christmas Bombing” (See "The Christmas Bombing"). The lake lies just off Hoang Hoa Tham Avenue towards its eastern end, where a small sign points 100m down a narrow lane between nos. 55 and 57.

Hanoi and around |

Eating

The choice of eating options in Hanoi now rivals Ho Chi Minh City in terms of quality, range and sophistication. You’ll find everything from humble food stalls and street kitchens, the best dishing out top-quality food for next to nothing, to an increasing number of stylish international restaurants, mostly found around Hoan Kiem Lake and in the French Quarter: check English-language listings magazines such as Pathfinder or the excellent New Hanoian website (www.newhanoian.com) for the latest newcomers. There’s no shortage, either, of cafés, whether one-room coffee houses serving thick, strong cups of the local brew, or fancy Western-style places serving cappuccinos and café lattes. Check out, too, some of the first-class patisseries and the handful of ice-cream parlours, catering to all tastes, from green-tea flavour to young rice or rum ’n’ raisin.

If you are self-catering, there are two well-stocked and easily accessible supermarkets, Citimart, on the ground floor of Hanoi Towers, and Intimex, over the road from Hoan Kiem Lake’s western edge. You may also want to find out more about the local cuisine by taking cooking classes (though they are cheaper in Hoi An; see "Eating and drinking"). The best course in the capital is at Hidden Hanoi, 137 Nghi Tam, near the Sheraton Hotel (www.hiddenhanoi.com.vn), which runs classes (Mon–Sat 11am–2pm) for $40 per person, including lunch: Highway 4 (see "The Old Quarter and west of Hoan Kiem Lake"; from $26) and Hoa Sua (see "The Old Quarter and west of Hoan Kiem Lake"; from $22) both run similar courses, too.

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Hanoi and around | Eating |

Street food

For sheer value for money and atmosphere your best option is to eat either at the rock-bottom, stove-and-stools food stalls or at the slightly more upmarket street kitchens, most of which specialize in just one or two types of food. You’ll find food stalls and street kitchens scattered across the city, often with no recognizable name and little to choose between individual establishments, but there are a few that stand out from the crowd: we’ve listed below some of the best places to sample typical Hanoi street dishes.

14 Hang Ga The place to try banh cuon, a Hanoi snack consisting of almost transparent rice-flour pancakes usually stuffed with minced pork and black mushrooms and sprinkled with fried shallots.

52 Ly Quoc Su Come here for banh goi, fried pastries filled with vermicelli, minced pork and mushrooms, and eaten with a thin sweet sauce, parsley and chilli.

67 Hang Dieu The speciality dish is bun bo nam bo, generous bowlfuls of lean beef and noodles, topped with a mound of roasted nuts, garlic and basil.

1 Hang Manh and 1 Pho Hue Both serve bun cha, a Hanoian favourite consisting of barbequed pork chunks in fish sauce, served up with a plate of cold rice noodles.

34 Cau Go and 48b Phan Boi Chau