Listed as one of the 1,001 dishes to eat before you die, Cha Ca (Vietnamese Grilled Fish) is a rare yet iconic dish of Hanoi capital city. One of the special things about Cha Ca is that on the menu of the restaurants that serve it, it is usually the only food.
Cha ca Anh Vu Restaurant in Hanoi
Thanks to the strict requirements from the very first process to the final step in order to maintain the unique taste of this special type of fish, Chả cá, a species of cyprinid in Vietnam, is considered as the most complicated one in hundreds techniques to cook/ Semilabeo notabilis. Amongst which, seasoning is particularly sensitive and important. Only a very little change may result in imbalance and damage the whole dish even though the recipe is the same with all the required ingredients.
Not only surprising you with its premium taste, Cha Ca Anh Vu also makes you excited for its shocking low price at around US$20 for a set for 4 people. The taste of Cha Ca Anh Vu may be more charming with one or two glasses of red wine. Indochina travel agency
Address: 116 K1 Giang Vo, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi.
Cha Ca La Vong Restaurant
People consider Cha Ca La Vong, which was named after one street inside Hanoi Old Quarter as one of the symbols of the capital city. This dish, which was first served gourmets in Hanoi since French colonial time by Đoàn family, has become one of the most preferable dishes as well as the pride of Hanoi citizens.
Once being boiled in vegetable oil pan, Cha Ca La Vong gives its best taste. There are some techniques required for the best enjoyment when eating this special dish: use spoon to draw some boiling oil in the pan to pour onto a piece of fish and then enjoy it with an indispensable ingredient – mắm tôm (fish sauce), rice vermicelli, spiced fresh onion, dill, coriander and peanuts.
Address: 14 Cha Ca Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi.
Cha Ca Kinh Ky Restaurant
Attracting a huge amount of both international and local gourmets, Cha Ca Kinh Ky is another standing out place. Before being seasoned during hours then grilled on opened coal oven, every single piece of fishes is carefully filtered.
After getting customers order, the attentive staffs of the restaurant will immediately provide them with a small stove, place a pan on and pour vegetable oil in and wait until it is hot enough. Some golden pieces of grilled fish and fresh green herbal leafs including: pickled onions, basil and coriander together with a few drops of aromatic Cà cuống essence, foaming bowl of Mắm tôm, a dish of rice vermicelli and tiny bowl of peanuts would bring about a real taste of the Hanoi’s exquisite cuisine.
Address:
- 104 Hoa Ma, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi.
- 172 Nguyen Son, Long Bien District, Hanoi.
- 41 Huynh Thuc Khang, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi.
- 621 Lac Long Quan, Tay Ho District, Hanoi.
- 25 Duong Thanh, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi
Cha ca Lao Ngu Restaurant
Referring to Chả cá, hemibagrus is the best species of fish used to cook this dish. However, snakehead fish is now the most popular ingredient to cook chả cá, due to the rareness and the high price of hemibagrus. However, catfish, which is tender and greasier than snakehead fish, is used to make chả cá at Lão Ngư Restaurant. Vetnam private tours
One or two dishes of fried fish stomach, which maybe too strange to westerners are highly recommended for those who are seeking for a more diversified meal.
Address: 171 Thai Ha, Dong Da District, Hanoi.
Cha Ca Thang Long Restaurant
Cannot be expressed by words, the special taste of Cha Ca Thang Long can only be felt by tasting. At Cha Ca Thang Long, all exclusively appear from the ingredients, raw material to soup powder.
When being asked about the secret of cooking such mouthwatering Cha Ca, the restaurant’s owner said that it is the cooking passion, an ambition to make Cha Ca becoming well-known to the world like Pho and the will to carry on a traditional food that create awesome Cha Ca Thang Long.
Address: 19-21-31 Duong Thanh, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi.
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