In the bustling city, diners can still find small eateries in alleys in Hanoi, where each meal is not only to fill but also to make people miss family meals, or to miss the trading period. Not the meticulousness or flashiness in the presentation, but the kindness and meticulousness in each Vietnamese meal that accurately scores points in the hearts of diners.
There, diners will see a pot of pork belly that only stays for 45 minutes, and two- Steamer fish for 4-5 hours. Each bunch of vegetables is selected every day from the local farm to have a bowl of soup and a plate of cool green vegetables. The tofu is just soaked, the pot of beef stew is rich next to a plate of burning rice and crumbling.
Located on Tran Vu Street, Ba Dinh District, Tran Doan Restaurant No. 37 is one of the rare Vietnamese restaurants awarded the Bib Gourmand 2025 title by Michelin for its unique flavor and affordable prices.
Opened in 2011, the restaurant has changed address twice. With space recreating the 70s - 80s, each corner of the restaurant is a slice of national history: From the old stitching machine to the rough wooden tables and chairs, from the handwritten paper menu to the way of giving stamps when ordering dishes - all like bringing diners back to the not-so-distant past.
There, familiar Northern dishes such as banana and bean snails, soy sauce, garlic fish, fried tofu with onions are presented simply, not mermaid-colored, but bring back a whole region of memories - poor but warm meals, thunderous winter afternoons, the sound of mothers calling to eat rice in a small alley.
Ms. Dang Thanh Thuy, the restaurant owner, shared that the idea of building a restaurant style like the Transaction era was originated by her from difficult childhood memories.
"My childhood was a difficult period of subsidy. All necessities are distributed by the State in the form of stamps. After growing up, I was advised and supported by my grandparents, parents, siblings... combined with passion and understanding of cuisine, so I decided to build a Trading restaurant, partly to help future generations better understand the history of the nation," said Ms. Thuy.
Diners coming to the restaurant are quite diverse. Young people come to learn about how their grandparents and parents had experienced the past. The elderly come to find childhood memories, family memories... There are even guests who promise to bring gifts of ancient items to the restaurant, recording many impressions of a past.
Impressive culinary experience combined with realistic stories about a historical period recreated through each meal has contributed to helping this restaurant be highly appreciated by both domestic and international diners. Previously, the restaurant appeared on many international media channels such as: The New York Times (USA), NHK TV (Japan), Australian newspapers...
It is worth noting that the restaurant does not choose an exaggerated or commercialized style, but silently nurtures a value: So that Vietnamese people, wherever they are, can still find the flavor of homemade rice - something that can be forgotten in the midst of a bustling life, but has never lost its place in everyone's mind.
Vietnamese cuisine may not need to be flashy to be recognized in the international arena. With just a round tray of rice, a complete spirit, a true story, we can contribute to laying a solid foundation for national culinary identity on the world map.
