More than 20 years of holding the position of hometown in Hanoi
Leaving her hometown in the early 2000s, Ms. Thu Suong brought memories of Central Vietnamese cuisine to start her life in Hanoi. At that time, Quang noodles were not yet a familiar dish to many people in the Capital.
In 2007, she moved the shop to Khuat Duy Tien street area, from a small shop, she gradually built a number of regular customers thanks to the processing method imbued with her hometown's imprint. More than 20 years have passed, Quang Thu Suong noodle shop still maintains the manual way of doing things and the concept of cooking with meticulousness.
According to the restaurant owner, delicious dishes must first of all retain freshness. Therefore, the ingredients are prepared and processed daily, limiting letting the food last for many days, affecting the flavor.
Stewed beef is also one of the ingredients that diners pay attention to. Ms. Suong said that the meat is cooked to a suitable ripeness to maintain a certain chewiness, not too soft, thereby creating a delicious feeling when eaten with noodles and broth.
The noodles are the most important factor
If broth, meat and raw vegetables create the overall flavor, according to Ms. Thu Suong, the noodles are the most important factor determining whether a bowl of Quang noodles is delicious or not?
Unlike industrially produced noodles, the noodles at the shop are handmade. Rice is soaked, ground into flour, then rolled and sliced into strands. Fresh turmeric is used to create color and natural aroma for the noodles.
Ms. Suong does not choose to make noodles that are too yellow or use color to create eye-catchingness. The yellow color of the noodles comes from turmeric, so it has a moderate yellow color, not bright.
In my opinion, a delicious bowl of Quang noodles, the noodles are the most important. The noodles must be moderately chewy and soft, not mushy when eaten. If the noodles are not good, no matter how delicious the other ingredients are, it is difficult to create a full bowl of noodles," Ms. Suong said.
The noodles after being steamed are sliced into thin, soft strips but still have elasticity. When poured with broth, the noodles are not mushy but retain their characteristic texture.
That is also the reason why the shop does not choose ready-made noodles. For the shop owner, making noodles by hand every day, although it takes a lot of time and effort, helps control the quality, while retaining the flavor close to the traditional way of making.
A bowl of noodles carrying hometown memories
Quang noodles at the restaurant are served with a moderate amount of water, not overflowing like pho or vermicelli. The broth has a rich flavor, combined with meat, shrimp, fried onions and raw vegetables.
The characteristic of the dish lies in the balance between ingredients. Chewy noodles; stewed beef has a certain softness; rich broth and raw vegetables help make the whole dish more light.
According to Ms. Suong, rustic dishes do not necessarily have to be transformed to become elaborate, just need to make the flavor harmonious, both maintaining the characteristic flavor and adjusting it to suit the taste of Hanoi people.
Balancing the flavor to suit the taste of diners while maintaining the unique flavor of Quang noodles is something not everyone can do," the shop owner expressed.
For more than 2 decades, Quang noodle shop has become a place for Central Vietnamese people to regain their familiar flavors, and at the same time help Hanoi diners have the opportunity to experience a dish imbued with regional imprints.
Ms. Le Thi Ha (32 years old, Hanoi) said that after enjoying, the first impression is that the noodles are soft but not mushy. When eaten with stewed beef, peanuts and raw vegetables, the flavor is quite harmonious.
I like noodles the most. They are not like the types of noodles I have eaten before, they are slightly chewy and smell of rice. Beef is also cooked just right, still chewy, so it is quite interesting to eat. I think this is a dish worth trying if you want to find a different flavor in Hanoi," Ms. Ha said.
Amidst a constantly changing era, Quang Thu Suong noodle shop still chooses a simple way of going. Not chasing elaborate variations, not focusing on expanding scale, the shop owner persists with handmade methods and newly prepared ingredients every day.
