Mhen

Lots of good advice in recent post for an itinerary but would still appreciate any more ideas.
We're in our 60's and plan to start in Hanoi and leave from HCMC and are planning to visit Halong Bay, Ninh Binh, Hue, Hoi An add then the Mekong Delta along the way.
We'd like to eat well locally as well as fine dining and are happy to change our plans to dine in unmissable places
Thanks for your help

DinHo

Travel South to North of VN at that time because it is warmer in North.
Do some research on Foodie tours at each place you visit or do your own visit to its night market full of local foods.

crellston

Fine dining is not immediately what springs to mind in Vietnam. It has some of the best food in Asia but is more about street food and small restaurants Doi one or two dishes, but doing them exceptionally well. Food tours are a great, if expensive way to sample a lot of food in a short time. XO a tours is one of the more well known. Whizzing around Saigon on the back of a scooter is a fantastic way to experience the city ( but not for the nervous!)

The most famous of all Vietnamese dishes in Pho, once only served for breakfast but now available all day. Two of my favourite places that we always make a point of visiting are Pho Le in District 3 Saigon and Pho Gia Truyen in Bat Dan, Hanoi.

If good food is a primary objective then consider Hue as a destination. My wife, with help from a Vietnamese friend wrote an entry in our blog describing the various dishes and where to find them in Hue. It is the second post in this section https://accidentalnomads.com/category/vietnam/
Further down there is a post "Saigon to Hue via Hoi An which also has some info on eating in those places including my all time favourite for Ban Xeo, Lac Thien - a must visit if you do go.

My wife also created some google food maps for Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh which are a little old now but should still be ok. If you would like the links, please send me a PM hear or contact me via our blog.

The delta has its own, very different cuisine. One dish I would seek out is Bun Mam Chau Doc. A fermented fish soup stuffed full of fish, prawns, squid etc. - my "death row" meal

Mhen

great, thanks a lot for this, will follow up your ideas

Larsay

There is indeed "fine dining" in Vietnam ! In Hanoi, Didier Corlou, the most famous Chef in Vietnam, owns 3 restaurant : Madame Hien, Porte d'Annam and the superlative La Verticale ; also, in Hanoi, the excellent La Badiane, Green Tangerine and,since a few months, the Blue Butterfly. In Hue, the Ancient Hue and a secret restaurant owned by a genuine Nguyen Princess (both about 100$ pp) s the only 2 which serve GENUINE "Imperial Cuisine"). In Hoi An, Didier Corlou has opened the Co Mai while, in Cua Dai, the owner of the famous Chim Sao in Hanoi has opened a Chim Sao Hoi An. Believe me, this is no "street food" excellent also IF you know where to go (eat in street restaurants which are full of Locals, they know the best ones

Larsay

Sad news concerning my previous message of October 17 ! The famous Porte d'Annam restaurant is definitely closed. Like all other restaurants, it was closed for confinement,, but Didier Corlou had to close for good last week because he could not continue having no clients (it was a fancy restaurant with a mostly foreign affluent clientele) and pay an atrociously high rent . Same thing for the same reasons for a less known, but excellent Hanoi etablishment, A la Folie. Some other fancy restaurant like the 3 other ones own by Corlou or the superlative 5 Spice reopen on 1 Jne.Best Hoi An restaurants also reopened . Apart from that, everything has reopened (Halong Bay, pagodas, temples, etc.), except the borders

KTtravel

We loved our street food tour: https://www.hanoistreetfoodtour.com/...food_tour.html. Our guide was personable and had a great sense of humor.We enjoyed a nice variety of food and had a great time.