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For great traditional (and some unusual) Vietnamese food, try Highway 4. The road named Highway 4 crosses the mountains and hill tribes of northern Vietnam, and this trajectory also defines the cuisine and the great fruit, herbal or medicinal flavored rice wine of Highway 4 in Hanoi. All this can be had at reasonable prices, in a pleasant environment that evokes the highlands and is packed with local Vietnamese and western expats side-by-side.

Recommended dishes: Nem Cá, or famous Highway 4 spring rolls with fried catfish and wasabi soy dipping sauce. But tell them to go light on the mayo inside the rolls.  Grilled chicken with lemon leaves (Gà Nương Lá Chanh) and the Bò Xào Dưa Chua (beef sautéed with local pickled mustard greens—translated as sauerkraut but it’s quite different).  A unique and wonderfully textured green that’s only available seasonally is Hoa Thien Lý Xào (sautéed Thien Ly vegetable/flower). For seafood, try the soft shell crab roasted with Tamarind or Salt (Cua Dong Rang Me/Muoi) and Ca Kho To (fish simmered in clay pot). Also good: Green mango (Xoài Xanh) marinated with salt and chili; and for the pork lover—Thịt Kho Tộ (pork carmelized in clay pot with coconut—tourist places tend to use lean sliced pork, while more traditional places like Hwy 4 will use pork belly). Try the sampler set of their Son Tinh liquor.

Coordinates: There are currently 3 locations of Highway 4. The oldest and more crusty of the bunch can be found at 5 Hang Tre, just east of the north end of Hoan Kiem Lake (parallel to and two streets of Hang Be Street, between Hang Mam and Hang Thung, on the east side of the street--look for the saloon doors). There is a downstairs area with a bar and a few tables, and upstairs seating on mats with low bamboo tables. Stick to the downstairs if you want to avoid the heavy smoking and the din during peak hours. Tel: (04) 3926 0639

The Highway 4 at 54 Mai Hắc Đế is south of Hoàn Kiếm Lake, just west of the Phố Huế area (parallel to Phố Huế, one street west, on the west side of the street).  This is a multi-story affair, with some rooms set up with traditional bamboo platforms and low tables, others with tables and stools made from a heavy burled wood from the mountainous region. Rooftop seating at the Mai Hắc Đế location is the least loud and smoky and best atmosphere but reserve ahead because there are only one platform up there with a few tables. Tel: (04) 3976 2647

We are still waiting for reports on whether the latest addition to the Highway 4 empire, recently opened on 575 Kim Ma (across from Thu Le Park, a bit west of the Daewoo Hotel), stands up to the Highway 4 standard. Tel: (04) 3212 8998

For more information on Highway for, visit their website.

See these detailed maps of the restaurant locations.

All photo by Aidan Dockery .