Food in a narrow alley in Hanoi makes Westerners fascinated, praised as worth trying on a rainy day

Although the restaurant is located deep in a small alley in the heart of Hanoi, the two Western guests were still satisfied because the food here was strange, delicious, and one portion was enough to fill them up.

Aleana and her brother (from New Zealand) recently had a 4-day, 3-night trip to Hanoi. In addition to visiting some tourist attractions, they also spent time experiencing delicious street food such as bun cha, banh cuon, bun rieu, pho cuon, ga tan, pho sou vang...

Two Western guests were particularly impressed with a dish, saying it was perfect for chilly or rainy days. It was sticky rice with peach cheeks.

Aleana and her brother went to a famous xoi ma dao restaurant in Hanoi.

To enjoy this dish, Aleana and her brother went to a sticky rice restaurant located deep in a long, narrow alley on Bach Dang street.

The restaurant has only been open for more than 4 years but has quickly become a favorite dining destination for many diners thanks to its famous sticky rice dish.

As soon as they arrived, the two foreign tourists were surprised because behind the 15m long alley, the very narrow path, only enough for 1 person to pass through, was a restaurant with an airy space.

In the outdoor area, the restaurant has about a dozen sets of plastic tables and chairs, creating a space imbued with everyday life and a typical street atmosphere.

The sticky rice shop is located in a long and narrow alley but attracts a large number of customers.

At the restaurant, after looking at the menu, Aleana and her brother decided to order two full servings of peach sticky rice. Each serving costs 55,000 VND. When the food was served, Aleana kept exclaiming how delicious the sticky rice was.

In addition to sticky rice, sausage, and thinly sliced ​​sausage, the meal also comes with pate, soft-boiled eggs, coriander, fried onions, a little pickled cucumber, and a bowl of thick gravy.

In particular, peach flesh - the most important ingredient that makes the sticky rice dish famous here - is an indispensable ingredient.

“The food was served almost immediately. The owner even enthusiastically brought out a giant tray of soft-boiled eggs for us to admire,” Aleana shared.

Close-up of mixed sticky rice with peaches for 55,000 VND

The female tourist humorously commented that the dish was so filling that "it felt like the main ingredients were meat, not sticky rice."

Unable to hide her excitement, she quickly enjoyed the first bite and exclaimed in surprise at how incredibly tender and juicy the peach flesh was.

“This sticky rice dish is truly heaven for meat lovers. The restaurant also serves a bowl of rich, delicious, and slightly spicy meat broth,” she shared.

Aleana exclaimed over the taste of the sticky rice dish.

During the tasting, the Western guest also praised the remaining ingredients. She praised the sticky rice, rich pate, soft and flavorful sausage, and even compared it to “an explosion of taste because the sticky rice has many different flavors.”

For Aleana’s brother, soft-boiled eggs are the most prominent and impressive ingredient. He expressed his curiosity, not understanding why Vietnamese people could think of and prepare such a unique egg dish.

“I've seen many fried eggs with white crusts on the outside, but I really like the shiny orange-yellow color of this egg,” he shared.

At the end of the meal, Aleana commented that the sticky rice with peach cheeks was not only delicious but also so filling that it made her "full".

Two Western guests gave many compliments to the unique and delicious sticky rice dish in Hanoi.

Sharing with reporters, Mr. Ho Van Hoa (69 years old) - the owner of the sticky rice shop that Aleana and her siblings visited, said that the sticky rice here is served with many different ingredients, but the sticky rice is the most popular.

However, each day, Mr. Hoa also limits the number of servings of sticky rice with peach-shaped pork sold because each pig does not have much of this meat, only a few ounces.

"This part of meat has lots of soft tendons and is not as greasy as fat, so diners really like it," he said.

Cheek is the meat on the inside of the pig's cheek, close to the tongue, with a special texture of lean meat mixed with soft tendons and a thin layer of fat.

According to the restaurant owner, the peach meat is marinated carefully and meticulously prepared with more than 17 ingredients and spices. However, the restaurant does not use fish sauce when marinating the meat to avoid the strong smell of the fish sauce overpowering the natural sweetness of the meat or the aroma of the other ingredients.

When enjoying, diners can feel the sweetness of honey, the aroma of five-spice powder, oyster sauce, basil, tomatoes...

In addition to the peach meat, the restaurant's soft-boiled eggs also leave a strong impression because "a hundred eggs are the same". Mr. Hoa also uses fresh turmeric to create eye-catching colors for the dish.

The fried egg dish is skillfully prepared, with the yellow color of fresh turmeric and the shiny yolk.

“Fried eggs sound simple but it requires a lot of skill to make. The eggs must be of good quality so that the yolks do not break when cracked.

I usually beat the egg white first and then add the yolk. This step must be done gently to avoid breaking the egg, which would ruin the aesthetic of the dish,” the restaurant owner revealed.

At the restaurant, each portion of sticky rice ranges in price from 20,000 VND (a small portion of sticky rice with 2 toppings) to 55,000 VND (a full portion of peach sticky rice), depending on the portion. Customers can order according to their needs and preferences with the amount of accompanying ingredients as desired.

Photo: Locavore Eats

Thanh Hoa specialties are not something everyone dares to try, gourmets say they are more delicious than shrimp . Made from fresh ingredients, not cooked by heat, but through the skillful hands of the chef, this specialty becomes attractive, attracting customers thanks to its naturally sweet and refreshing flavor.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/mon-an-trong-ngo-hep-ha-noi-khien-khach-tay-me-man-khen-dang-thu-ngay-mua-2451963.html