Fine Drinking: Hanoi Style

Hanoi's drinking culture is very similar to its eating culture. There are lots of places to wet your whistle and mix with the locals. Normally, the places are street side joints equipped with the same small tables and chairs found in pho restaurants. Shuffling from restaurant to restaurant, I begin to wonder if they even make anything other than doll house sized furniture. However, the flow of beer and good times makes it easier to deal with the squatting conditions and the cramp in my leg.

The ever popular "bia hoi" is a marvel in all of Vietnam. Full during all hours of the day and night, these beer halls are a staple of Vietnamese culture. It has its place as the premier social meeting spot for midday lunch or late night get-togethers for most Vietnamese. These halls are used to meet with friends or to meet with coworkers; to celebrate a special occasion or to discuss the days events over a few cold ones. The customers also range from business men in suits to housewives in pajamas; local Vietnamese to travelers from all over the world. A cultural experience like no other!

Fresh draught beer is served at pennies a glass and are usually quite tasty if not high in alcohol percentage. The price of a glass of beer is so low that at 25 cents a glass, the cleanliness of the establishment does not even factor into the enjoyment of the bia hoi. A good bia hoi needs lots of space, a collection of different characters and, of course, a free flow of Hanoi's finest beer. Escaping the heat in a bia hoi is a common past time and a necessary act in the oppressive Vietnamese summer. The humidity is unavoidable and a cool beer is exactly what the doctor ordered.

These beer halls also serve as restaurants serving a variety of dishes usually coated in MSG. The food can be as cheap as the beer itself and is also surprisingly enjoyable for the price. The menus are usually in Vietnamese and difficult to translate, especially after a few beer. The staff are usually mindful of this and try to make suggestions accommodating to a foreigners palate. Some spots provide menus with picture references, but if all else fails, looking around at other tables and pointing at dishes being enjoyed by the Vietnamese works wonders!

However, the local bia hoi is not the only place to enjoy Hanoi beer. All of the small convenience stores sell bottles of beer for cheap. And the best part is that they can be enjoyed while walking down the streets at your own leisure. This is one of the amazing things about Vietnam and the rest of Asia. Asian countries definitely know how to enjoy their beer but my only complaint is that they don't make beer like we do in the Maritimes. If you're reading this, please send Keith's!