Sam Cay Si Fish Noodle Soup
The fish noodle shop in Trung Yen alley (Hoan Kiem, Hanoi) attracts customers with its unique pork-rolled fish dish. This is just a small noodle shop with an indoor space of about 10 square meters, mainly with plastic tables on the sidewalk, but it is very crowded. Ten years ago, Ms. Le Thi Sam, the shop owner, used to sell under a banyan tree near Hang Be market, but in recent years she has moved to her yard to sell with the help of her children.
The restaurant is located next to an old banyan tree, so customers often call it Bun Ca Cay Si. This place is famous for its fish rolls with meat, learned from Hue, with its own special recipe. The crust is thinly sliced snakehead fish, the filling is minced pork and wood ear mushrooms. When a customer requests it, Mrs. Sam will fry it until hot, and serve it with sweet and sour dipping sauce.
The fish noodle soup here has a clear broth, simmered from fish bones, tomatoes and the mild aroma of pineapple. A full bowl costs from 45,000 - 50,000 VND, including crispy fried fish served with seasonal greens, usually mustard greens and Malabar spinach. The restaurant is open from 7am - 5pm daily.
Van fish noodle soup
The famous fish noodle shop on Quan Thanh Street was voted by CNN as one of the five must-try dishes in Hanoi. Along with Giang egg coffee or La Vong fish cake, which are rich in Hanoi's culinary culture, Ms. Van's fish noodle is equally popular.
Opened in 2009, Ms. Van initially sold seafood spring rolls, but following the market economy, she also sold fish noodles. After being featured on CNN, the noodle shop that used to sell only 4-5kg of fish now sells up to 400 bowls a day without stopping.
To have delicious bowls of noodles, Ms. Van is very meticulous in importing ingredients. The shrimp, fish cakes and rice paper must be of the best quality imported from Hai Phong, the noodles are from Phu Do village and the tilapia is chosen for its firm meat and few small bones. No need to marinate with spices, the fish is deep-fried at the right temperature so that the outside is crispy but the inside is soft and moist.
In particular, the broth is sweet from fish bones, tomatoes, yeast and sea worms. The sour taste of yeast is not too strong, so it is very popular. A full bowl costs 35,000 - 45,000 VND. However, many tourists are not satisfied with the hygiene and slow service.
Grass carp head vermicelli
This fish noodle shop has been around for 20 years and has attracted a lot of customers. It is located on Hong Phuc Street (Ba Dinh, Hanoi). The owner is Ms. Luong Thi Luyen, who opened the shop in 2001. The special thing about this shop is that it uses grass carp instead of tilapia like other shops. Her secret to preparing the dish is to remove all the black membrane because that is the fishy part and contains a lot of dirt. The fish head is split in half lengthwise and deep-fried until crispy.
In addition to using tomatoes, Ms. Luyen also uses pineapple juice to create a light, fragrant and sweet taste for the broth. A full serving includes fish noodles, fish cakes and fish intestines. Fish heads are sold for 40,000 VND per half. The shop is open from 7am to 8pm daily.
Thai Binh fish noodle shop
Located in a small alley 21D Hang Bai in Hanoi, the small, nameless noodle shop with no signboard still has customers lining up to eat.
The restaurant’s specialty is boiled fish, deboned, then braised in fat with fresh turmeric and fish sauce. Once the spices have been absorbed, the fish is simmered for up to three hours. As a result, the fish meat is rich, firm and not fishy at all.
The restaurant is open all day, usually busiest at noon. Prices range from 35,000 - 55,000 VND/bowl. On the busiest days, the restaurant can sell about 1,000 bowls.
