Ta Hien Beer Street @ Hanoi [Vietnam]

When you have already experienced the vibrancy of Bui Vien Street in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), you would assume that things would be crazier at the well-known beer street in Hanoi, Vietnam's capital. 

At most 225 meters, depending on where you measure the start of the beer street, the passage was narrower with commercial establishments laying out tables and chairs, leaving just one narrow passage for passersby / curious onlookers / potential customers.

Things were a lot quieter towards the end but I might be wrong since we arrived pretty early at about 7.00 pm and we know how crazy things might develop as the night falls. 

One humongous mural art at the side; our intention was just to walk past but when Alex found a barber shop for him to have a trim, we decided to wait for him by ordering some beer at one of the many bars along beer street! 

I have no idea where each shop's boundary is; touts were everywhere and we just took the service of one friendly guy in front of this Ngon Food and Drink! After a while, I think all the service staff just helped each other to make business. 

Menus for your reference. If you are hungry, you may opt for BBQ / hotpot and for the latter, you can even opt for frog meat! Local beers were cheap; a Bia Viet was just 35,000 dong (about S$2.00)

Honestly, I didn't know where the passage was! By the way, the actual name of beer street is Ta Hien street and like Bui Vien Street in HCMC, it was popularized by foreigners. 

As always, you get street vendors hawking their wares; from helium balloons to hair clasps. I have a distaste for helium balloons given how environmental-unfriendly they are and the situation worsens when customers accidentally / intentionally release them outdoors. 

We noticed this cage filled with ultra adorable puppies! Our dear friend, Lock, spent most of his time playing with them; didn't expect him to be such a fur-ball lover! 

My first beer; must support Singapore's brand! I admit I am not a fan of the old Tiger's brew. The crystal version is much more smoother and palatable! And I heard that their limited edition radler like white grape, was a hit! 

The Kon ordered this; deep fried frogs!!! Even though frog legs are not that uncommon in Singapore, and were popular with the Chinese ethnicity; I had never tried it before.

It's hard to imagine biting into frog meat and as you can see from the photo above, I can literally see its toe nails! But, I was issued a dare and for food, I am willing to accept the dare and take a bite! 

As the rumors go, frog meat did taste a lot like chicken meat, and I am happy to stick with chicken! Deep fried frog skin was memorable although not impressive enough for me to try it again in the future.

More beer! 

While I was getting a bit high from my second beer, there was a sudden commotion and everyone started clearing the street! It was quite a sight with everyone seemingly awaken from their stupor and obediently moved to the roadside. 

Here's the video for your viewing pleasure! According to one of the service staffs, the police will come three times a day and the operators would have to clear the street every single time. Interesting yet befuddling "patrol" since it serves no benefits yet inconveniences everyone. 

Customers were loitering around, not knowing what to do after the police vehicle drove past. Guess we were all wondering if putting back the tables / chairs so quickly after the "patrolling" would result in us breaking any laws. 

Operators would know what to do and before you knew it; tables and chairs were back on the street and it's business as usual. At this point, we also decided to leave as it was our first day in Hanoi and a good rest was necessary for a fresh start on day two. 

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Address

Tạ Hiện, P. Lương Ngọc Quyến, 

Hàng Buồm, Hoàn Kiếm, 

Hà Nội 100000, Vietnam

Map

As above.

Pricing

Bia Viet - 35,000 dong

Bia Halida - 40,000 dong

Tiger Crystal Beer - 40,000 dong

Fried Frogs - 200,000 dong

(Nett)

Click here for the Week-Long Itinerary to Hanoi - City of Lakes @ Vietnam