1946 is one of those Vietnamese restaurants a Hanoian will bring you to for an experience of the local cuisine and local atmosphere in a more comfortable environment than a street stall.
Hidden down a small alley, it can be noisy and smoky but the food's dependably good from a broad menu of Hanoian cuisine.
Set over two levels, there are conventional tables and chairs downstairs. Upstairs diners are seated on the floor at low tables.
1946's location is a little out of the way which means tourists are not a big part of the crowd here.
I'm told that 1946 refers to the year Hanoi's food supply began to improve following the calamitous World War II famine and Japanese occupation. More than 1 million Vietnamese are thought to have died of starvation as the war caused upheaval in the economy and food supplies were diverted to Japanese troops.
1946 was also the year that Vietnam's war of independence against the returning French colonial forces began.
On our most recent visit, we couldn't help but notice that the place was looking a tad grubby. Food was still good and the place was still buzzing - it's even expanded.
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