By AF Reeves - @afreeves23

During travel research for the upcoming holiday season, my first port of call was, obviously, food. While some more righteous travellers than I might insist that great food can be found everywhere if you look hard enough, a sentiment with which I broadly concur, it’s still fair to say that some culinary scenes are more appealing than others.

China, now offering visa on arrival to EU passport holders, showed early promise, but for a Brit with no Celtic lineage, visa fees and the faff of embassy appointments felt a tad excessive for such a short break. I may no longer be eyeing Peking duck for Christmas dinner, but my algorithm has been suitably retrained and now floods me with the spicy goodness of our northern neighbours.

Naturally this brought me to thinking, where are all the amazing spicy Chinese-style noodles in Hà Nội? You would think that with such proximity to the “Middle Kingdom”, and strong remnants of a more homogenous past still present in Vietnamese culture, we would have a broad, healthy choice of such hot and ready delights. Apparently not.

A quick online trawl and a skim through local foodie groups turned up only a few contenders. Yes, the Tantan (Dandan) noodle counter in the Lotte Mall food court is decent from an entry-level perspective. But being the backwards snob that I am, it’s all a little too safe and clinical to be entering the commercial equivalent of The Death Star searching for what is almost certainly hiding out in some far-flung rebel base.

First up from the list of intrigue: Tiệm Mỳ Gia Phát Ký. On arrival it immediately ticked the visual boxes, like stepping into a Hong Kong diner, and that is ultimately where its strengths lie. The beef and prawn noodles were wet and delicious in equal measure, they will satisfy a craving for width, but the chilli oil never quite elevated things to expected heights. Still, go for the strong dim sum selection and stay for a notably less Vietnamese take on hủ tiếu.

Next: Mỳ Vinh, somehow ‘hiding’ an embarrassing 800 metres from my home of the previous four years. This ultra-friendly, family-run spot, as they seemingly always are, might house the second-best Taiwanese-style bowl I have had in Hà Nội (real ones know the number one), and there is an argument it takes the crown. 

It looks the part too: pale wood, mini terrariums, bright, stylised lighting, all in contrast to a dark, rich, complex broth. The braised beef is tender, the char siu well spiced, but the beef tendon steals the show. Gelatinous in the best way, neither chewy nor slimy, it is quite literally ‘melts in the mouth’ good. The broth is less spicy, the noodles less firm than Taiwanese inspired offerings elsewhere, but nonetheless, still a real contender.

And yes, I know these are not the spicy mainland noodles you kept reading for, but it would be remiss not to mention such a find. Plus, they also do a bowl of dry, spicy Sichuan noodles that are not for the faint-hearted: lovely hand-cut ribbons layered with ground pork, bok choy and peanuts, soaked in a warning-red sauce. With three tiers of heat, anyone venturing beyond level two is receiving a frankly masochistic level of pleasure from their food. All in all, a must-visit.

Finally, and just when I thought we might be coming up short here, a friend mentioned some noodles down south in the “depths of Hà Đông, near Hà Nội University”. Not exactly the depths, nor technically Hà Đông, but his tip came via a Chinese basketball buddy and there is a sizeable Chinese student contingent down there. The omens were good. The result: beyond all expectations.

Turn off Nguyễn Trãi Road and a stone’s throw from the university sits a side street like no other: Korean, Chinese and Vietnamese joints huddled together, with no shortage of students to feed. At the beginning of the road is an unassuming noodle shop which is not to be, or rather cannot be, found on Google Maps. Its owner, Mr Liu Zelin, however, is anything but. 

Originally from Chongqing, famed for their Xiao mian noodles, he originally took his city’s flavours to Fuzhou on the opposite side of China, expanding to ten shops, before pivoting to Hà Nội on the advice of friends here when the Fuzhonese economy slowed.

“Am I really going to just give up and lie flat?” he asked himself. Fluent in neither Vietnamese nor English, he was genuine in wanting to share his story and culture.

"Chongqing noodles are what ordinary people eat every day back home," he told me. "They are not high-end cuisine; they are deeply rooted in everyday life."

The broth here is, in a word, aromatic. Chiefly down to the work that goes into it. With 90 per cent of the seasoning imported directly from China, there is a concerted effort to deliver an authentic taste to a southern Hà Nội back street. 

Mr Liu’s aim is simple: "Without going to Chongqing, people can experience real Chongqing flavours in Việt Nam. Through one bowl of noodles, let Hanoians understand Chongqing and its food culture."

It is rare to meet an owner so open and eager to set the narrative. His perspective is as refreshing as the flavours his noodles deliver. 

The broth carries a bold, fragrant heat from a mix of chillies in its bright, oily red. It takes over the whole mouth, spicy, umami, with that signature numbing mala, this is Sichuan. The depth lingers and pulls you back long after the noodles and sweet, slow-braised beef disappear. Rugged, yellow-brown strands made from imported Ukrainian flour give a chewy, almost elastic bite, garnished with crushed peanuts and greens.

If that’s not enough, there’s yet another Chinese spot nearby with a broader menu and an equally authentic feel, so precious about their low profile they asked not to be named, nor photographed. For those who have found themselves this far, an eagle eyed patron may look for the large red signs further down the street on the left, you won’t regret it.

All told, I think the question is answered. To my senses, these are Hà Nội’s best spicy noodles. Whether you agree or not, you’ll have to head south and find out for yourself. VNS

• Tiệm Mỳ Gia Phát Ký

57 Tô Hiến Thành Street, Hai Bà Trưng, Hà Nội

Tel: 0936 393 958

Head here for Hong Kong-style hủ tiếu.

• Mỳ Vinh

9 Ngõ 65 Vạn Bảo Street, Liễu Giai, Ba Đình, Hà Nội

Tel: 0945 658 878

Head here for Taiwanese or dry sichuan noodles.

• Liu Zelin Chongqing Noodles

5 Ngõ 1 Đại Học Hà Nội, Văn Quán, Nam Từ Liêm, Hà Nội 

Head here for a taste of Chongqing.