Attached for 28 years on Truong Dinh street (Hai Ba Trung ward), Thanh Tung hot banh duc restaurant is still an attractive destination for traditional food lovers. Every noon or late afternoon, customers' motorbikes line up on the sidewalk just to enjoy the familiar flavor of banh duc.
Hot banh duc is a rustic dish, associated with Hanoi cuisine, especially on cool autumn days. For many people, this dish also evokes childhood memories.
When she was young, Ms. Nguyen Thanh Tung often went to many places in Hanoi with friends. Realizing that hot banh duc was popular with diners, she learned how to make it from her mother and then adjusted the recipe herself. Initially, she sold banh duc on the sidewalk. After the number of customers increased, she rented a premise and renovated it into a store as it is today.
After 28 years, the price of a bowl of banh duc has increased from a few hundred VND to 20,000 VND. However, the processing method and flavor of the dish are maintained stably by Ms. Tung.
To make a thick batch of banh duc, when eaten, it almost melts in the mouth, seemingly simple but requires the meticulousness of the baker. Hot banh duc is mixed by Ms. Tung from many types of rice in appropriate proportions to ensure the dough is soft and sticky. Then the dough is ground into water similar to banh cuon, cooked with clear lime water and stirred continuously to make the dough cook evenly, smoothly and not burnt at the bottom of the pot.
Before putting the dough in the electric pot to stir, I have to use long chopsticks to stir all the dough, mixing it with clear lime water, only then will the dough not clump. If I just pour it on like that, the dough will not cook evenly, some places will be thick, some places will be thin," she shared.
Thanks to the application of machinery in the flour stirring stage, the processing process becomes easier, and the quality of finished banh duc also achieves smoothness and consistency more than before.
Each bowl of banh duc will be served with minced meat stir-fried with wood ear mushrooms, the filling is seasoned just right, without MSG to retain the original sweetness of meat and wood ear mushrooms. If you can eat spicy, diners can add a few slices of garlic and chili to feel more fully the salty, sweet, fragrant, and spicy taste of this addictive dish.
Throughout her career, Ms. Tung puts satisfaction and customer experience first.
I always have special respect for customers coming to the restaurant, because their support is the basis for the restaurant to maintain and develop as it is now. Sometimes customers come here to eat, although the restaurant is a bit cramped, it feels comfortable and friendly like being at home. Perhaps that's why the dish also has a much better flavor," the restaurant owner said.
Ms. Doan Thi Kim Nhung (40 years old) and Dao Thi Bich Ngoc (43 years old) are originally devotees of hot banh duc and often visit familiar addresses such as Le Ngoc Han street or Hang Be, two friends knew about the restaurant thanks to the introduction from a long-time friend.
I am quite impressed with the harmony between the ingredients used in the dish. Unlike some other restaurants where spices or broth overshadow the flavor of the flour, I still clearly feel the characteristic aroma of rice flour here. The meat and flour still retain their distinct flavors, not mixed together; the meat is both fragrant and fatty, combined with a mild broth, not harsh," Ms. Nhung said.
Sitting next to the table of the two guests is Mr. Bui Thai (21 years old) - a regular customer who regularly visits the restaurant to eat. Few people know that the predestined relationship that brought Thai to the traditional dish originated from a TV series "Banh duc co xuong" (Banh duc with bones) broadcast during prime time on VTV. The saying "many generations of banh duc with bones" in the movie motivated him to find and experience this dish.
The big plus point of the restaurant is the full meal compared to the price, stable quality over the days and skillfully prepared fish sauce, just right to taste. Especially, in the evening shift directly sold by the female owner, the filling is usually reduced to be richer and richer," he said.
Every day, the restaurant sells about several hundred bowls of hot banh duc with a listed price of 20,000 VND/bowl. In addition to the main dish, the menu here also serves a variety of banh loc, soy milk and tofu pudding - a cooling treat that is always selling very well on hot summer days.
