Among the 14 new names named in the Michelin selection category in 2025, there is a culinary address that attracts the attention of diners: Hung Yen Hieu Luc Catfish Canh restaurant on Hai Ba Trung Street, Hanoi.
"My wife and I have been selling catfish soup since 2018, and now have been there for 7 years, and have two locations. Hieu Luc is the name of my husband and brother-in-law, said Ms. Nguyen Thi Tuyen - the owner of the restaurant.
Compared to many other restaurants, being on Michelin's list of honors is really beyond expectations. Not only surprised and moved, Ms. Tuyen and her husband, when receiving the good news, also mixed a little regret.
Since May, I have received invitations from Michelin, but at that time I did not know if it was real or fake, and my relatives even told me to be wary of scams. I left the letter in a corner. Only when I read more news online did I find it again and verify that it was really from Michelin, Ms. Tuyen recounted.
Although they were invited to Da Nang to attend the announcement ceremony, because they thought the restaurant was not sure to be honored, Ms. Tuyen and her husband decided not to participate.
On the morning of June 6, when an acquaintance texted me a congratulatory message, along with a notification link, I learned that my restaurant had been chosen by Michelin. The emotions at that time were very happy and touched, she recalled.
Behind the recognition is a persistent story, from the dishes to the service of the Hung Yen couple.
Initially, the sign only had the words "cold fish cake", but later added the hometown name of the restaurant owner and his wife. The highlight of this rustic dish is the sweet broth, simmered entirely from the bones of the snakehead fish - without pork bones, no noodles or sweeteners.
Ms. Tuyen revealed that the original version of the dong cat soup had to use grilled fish. Selling right on the main street, the smoke from the grilled kitchen was reflected, so the family tried to transform it into fried fish.
"The arrived at 4am. I prepare, marinate, then fry in a pan with less oil, not deep-fried like tilapia. The fish meat is crispy on the outside but still retains its toughness and sweetness on the inside, Ms. Tuyen explained.
The fish sauce is filtered separately and simmered for many hours, creating a slightly sweet, clear broth with a rich aftertaste without being too strong.
mustard greens are carefully selected to combine with fish, creating a light, nutritious, refreshing bowl of soup - suitable for the taste of both middle-aged and young people.
In addition to the quality of the dishes, what makes diners come back is also the service attitude.
Some people have been treated at a hospital recently, but after four years of returning to Hanoi, they still go to the restaurant to eat, saying that they still remember the taste and service of the restaurant. Those are the joys of my wife and I when selling goods, Ms. Tuyen confided.
The restaurant's menu focuses on 3 main dishes: pancakes, pancakes and pancakes. The current price of each portion still ranges from 40,000 - 60,000 VND, remaining unchanged for many years. Some regular customers even ordered the restaurant's own fish to cook in their own way.
Ms. Tuyen said that since being honored by Michelin, the number of visitors has begun to increase significantly.
In the days after being honored by Michelin, customers came to congratulate and ask, some brought photos taken from newspapers to compare whether the restaurant was real or not. Many foreign visitors even just go to the phone to ask. I am not fluent in English, so I have to use an English translator to talk to them, she said.
Sharing about the future development plan, Ms. Tuyen said that she and her husband plan to open a new facility in the central area to serve more diners, but the restaurant menu will remain the same - specializing in catfish dishes only.
Ms. Tuyen also emphasized that if market prices remain stable, the restaurant will not increase prices or change service style just because of the title.
In this year's Michelin list, when people mention familiar names such as pho, bun cha... or high-end restaurants, the appearance of Hung Yen Bich Yen soup is a new highlight, bringing the simple dish of the Northern region to the global culinary map.
