If Ho Chi Minh City has the famous "morgue sticky rice" restaurant with many customers, then in Hanoi there is "altar sticky rice" which is also bustling with business every night.

This sticky rice shop is located on De La Thanh Street, a street that gathers many wooden furniture stores. Different from the bustling scene of furniture trading during the day, every night, there are many late-night food stores, selling all kinds of dishes.

"Xoi ban tho" is one of the late-night eateries that customers tell each other about. According to research, the owner is Ms. Tham (38 years old, Hanoi). She said that the family sticky rice shop has been in business for more than 30 years. Previously, the chef was her aunt.

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Ms. Anh - owner of the "altar sticky rice" shop. Photo: Kim Ngan

"In the past, my aunt rented out the house to them to sell worship items. At night, they didn't sell anything, so my aunt used the space to open a night sticky rice shop. The shop became more and more crowded, but the space was too small, so she used small wooden altars as dining tables.

At first, many customers were also... scared, but my aunt reassured them that these were just like the wooden tables, mainly samples for customers to see first. Later, customers became familiar and passed on the name "altar sticky rice", Ms. Tham said.

Previously, Ms. Tham’s two nieces and nephews sold goods at 528 De La Thanh. More than 10 years ago, when Ms. Tham took over, the shop was moved to a nearby location. Here, the owner arranged plastic tables and chairs to serve customers.

Ms. Tham's stall is clean and tidy with more than 20 types of side dishes such as eggs, ham, sausage, pate, Chinese sausage, etc. Next to it are 3 pots of char siu, braised pork and stir-fried chicken with mushrooms simmering.

The sticky rice shop has many types of side dishes. Photo: Kim Ngan

According to the restaurant owner, to make the sticky rice always delicious and smooth, you must choose high-quality yellow sticky rice. This type of rice is famous for its plump round grains, natural aroma and sweetness. "I buy the sticky rice, wash it and soak it for about 2 hours. If I soak it for too long, it will be crushed when cooked, if I soak it for too short, the sticky rice will be dry and hard," said Ms. Tham.

In addition to white sticky rice, the restaurant also has sticky rice with mung bean and fried sticky rice for customers to choose from. A bowl of sticky rice costs from 25,000 to 50,000 VND, accompanied by rich meat sauce and sweet and sour, crunchy pickles. The sticky rice is cooked to a moderate consistency, drizzled with rich meat sauce.

The menu at the restaurant is very rich, with many types of side dishes at various prices for diners to easily choose according to their preferences.

Ms. Tham said that the meatballs are her favorite side dish. After choosing fresh and delicious pieces of meat, she grinds them, season them to taste, and then shapes them into round balls. The meatballs are steamed until cooked, then cooked in a special sauce according to her own recipe, making the dish delicious and rich.

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Ms. Tham and her staff quickly pack and deliver sticky rice to customers. Photo: Kim Ngan

The pate is also made by Ms. Tham herself. "My pate has a balanced ratio of lean meat and fat, combined with spices such as five-spice powder, cinnamon, etc. to create a very unique flavor that cannot be mistaken for anything else. The steaming process lasts 7-8 hours, helping the pate to be soft and smooth and have a rich flavor," Ms. Tham shared.

Other dishes such as sausages, ham, sausages, and pork floss are all imported daily by the owner from reputable suppliers.

"There are customers who have been with the restaurant for decades, from when they were students, until they got married, had children, and still come here to eat. There are people who have traveled far away, or come back from abroad, they still remember and visit to enjoy my sticky rice," said Ms. Tham.

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A full bowl of sticky rice, enough to fill you up at night, costs 30,000 VND. Photo: Kim Ngan

The restaurant's most popular dish is mixed sticky rice. A 30,000 VND bowl of sticky rice will include eggs, sausage, beef jerky, Chinese sausage, pate, pork floss, onions, braised pork, etc. A 40,000 VND bowl will have additional meatballs or char siu, depending on the customer's needs. A full 50,000 VND bowl of sticky rice has about 10 - 12 ingredients, only people with a large appetite can finish it all.

The sticky rice shop opens from 5pm to 5:30am the next day. The staff takes turns doing each step, from preparing to finishing the dishes. On average, the preparation process takes about 3-4 hours. According to Ms. Tham, the shop is busiest from 10pm to 2-3am the next day.

"Actually, I never count how many servings of sticky rice I sell each day. I only know that there are about 3-4 full baskets of sticky rice. When the pot of sticky rice is running low, I add more to sell. I flexibly adjust the quantity to suit the actual situation. On nice days when there are usually many customers, I will cook a little more," said Ms. Tham.

Mr. Kien (Cau Giay) has been eating at the restaurant for more than a year. "At first, I came here because of the name 'altar sticky rice', which was quite curious. But when I came here, I was impressed by the delicious-looking, full-bodied, rich-flavored, and delicious bowl of sticky rice. This is an attractive late-night dish with reasonable prices," Mr. Kien shared.

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Mr. Kien (white shirt) and his friend praise the sticky rice dish at the restaurant. Photo: Kim Ngan

Mr. Ta Cong Minh (Hai Ba Trung) came here for the first time thanks to a friend's recommendation. "I found the sticky rice of the restaurant to be quite delicious, the sticky rice and the ingredients blend together. Maybe I will become a regular customer of this restaurant. The owner and staff are also very generous and friendly," said Mr. Minh.

In general, the ingredients are meticulously prepared, the spices are just right, creating a harmonious whole. The pot of sticky rice is always kept hot, the sticky rice grains are fragrant and fatty. However, compared to some other sticky rice shops in Hanoi, the flavor of the sticky rice here is not really outstanding. On weekends, the shop is often crowded, customers may have to wait a bit.

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The shop is busiest from 10pm the previous day to 2-3am the next morning. Photo: Kim Ngan

Currently, on De La Thanh street, there are 2 sticky rice shops with the same name "sticky rice for the altar", both are quite crowded. Depending on taste, customers can choose the appropriate location.

The over 40-year-old "morgue sticky rice" shop in Ho Chi Minh City, customers line up to buy every night . The sticky rice cart nestled on Tran Phu Street (District 5, Ho Chi Minh City) is a familiar place for many generations of diners. This place is often known by the creepy name - "morgue sticky rice".