Thanh Van Banh Cuon has existed for nearly a century, and is a familiar destination for Vietnamese gourmets on Hang Ga street. In 2026, the restaurant was honored by the Michelin Guide in the Bib Gourmand category (restaurant serving delicious, quality food at affordable prices).
Ms. Tran Thi Van - the shop owner recounted: "Starting from a street vendor wandering along the road opened by my grandmother in the 1930s, the shop gradually grew stronger over decades of ups and downs. To date, my generation of grandchildren is the fourth generation to take over the family business.
According to Ms. Van, the restaurant has been crowded for many years and is always fully booked. Being honored by the Michelin Guide helps the number of customers coming to the restaurant increase significantly, especially international customers.
The secret to creating the characteristic flavor of Ms. Van's banh cuon lies in the chewy fragrant crust and the mild fish sauce flavor.
Although I have staff support, I always make banh chung and season it with fish sauce myself. The family recipe does not lie in a fixed recipe but in the extremely standard taste of the cook to flexibly add and subtract, ensuring the quality of the dish is always uniform every day," Ms. Van revealed.
Following the tour guide, Aaron and John - two tourists from New Zealand were excited when experiencing this unique dish for the first time.
John said: "I used to eat Changfen - Chinese-style banh cuon with a similar processing method, in which the crust is made from thinly spread rice flour, inside the filling rolls. However, the flavor of banh cuon here is much richer.
Sitting next to John's table was Daniel, a British male tourist who also praised the traditional Vietnamese dish.
He shared: "The shell of the banh cuon is chewy and fragrant, the rich dipping sauce creates a wonderful overall flavor. Moreover, what impressed me when I stepped into the shop was the processing process being done right in front of customers, I could witness firsthand the process of making a banh cuon.
When I meet someone in Vietnam and they have the opportunity to come to Hanoi, I always tell them that they must try this dish.
For the first time eating banh cuon in Hanoi, the French couple - Garbi and Romeo also expressed great impression. Barbi expressed: "Google Maps suggested that I try coming here. However, the taste of the dish surprised me more than expected. If I had the opportunity to return to Hanoi, I would definitely return here.
The dish menu ranges from 45,000 - 100,000 VND/serving. In addition to banh cuon, the restaurant also serves bun thang and a variety of drinks for diners to choose from.
