The stories on the following pages are based on interviews with bar and restaurant owners operating in two suburbs of Vietnam’s two major cities.

Rarely do you get a tiny, street-side eatery that has made itself into a photo opportunity. But that is exactly what has happened at Go Dog, a New York-style hotdog joint on the main drag of Thao Dien.

Indian restaurants have had their place in Hanoi for many years, serving up all sorts of treats — some of which are authentic, and some of which have been toned down to cater to the sensitive palates of the clientele.

Eating Thai food in Vietnam in a street food setting just got easier with the opening of Thai Street on Thao Dien.

The concept behind MAD Society — Modern Asian Dining, is to take traditional Vietnamese dishes, and to fuse them with other Asian ingredients.

Established in Hong Kong back in 2013, and landing in Hanoi two years later, Linguini Fini specializes in serving up Italian-American dishes, all made in-house.

Tay Ho’s first dedicated sports pub, Republic, made its mark on the capital a few years back after owner Chris Vella finished his eight-year stint as a manager with the Al Fresco’s Group.

When Lubu opened just under five years ago, it was the only restaurant on the Lang Bao Chi end of Thao Dien. The Deck, Mekong Merchant, La Villa, Les Trois Gourmand, La Plancha and Papagayo were all up and running, but in this part of the suburb there wasn’t anything. Just Lubu.

Some people go to extreme lengths to hire the right staff. In the case of Peter Holdsworth, man-behind-the-scenes at District Federal, it meant flying halfway across the world.

Chops is one of those success stories that restaurateurs dream about. Established in 2015 by Scottish-born Richard Andrew Bardsley, the emerging chain of burger joints has so far opened one new location every year.