Western tourists cautiously make their way through a dark alley to sample a delicious dish costing 20,000 dong in Hanoi.

Karissa Dumbacher, an American YouTuber with over 4.3 million followers on her personal channel, recently took a trip to Hanoi, experiencing many delicious street food options.

Among the dishes she enjoyed, such as beef pho, rice rolls, banh mi, and bun cha, Karissa was particularly impressed by one snack, considered a familiar afternoon treat in Hanoi: hot banh duc (rice cake).

To enjoy this dish, Karissa went to a famous hot rice cake shop located deep in a small alley at the beginning of Le Ngoc Han street.

This is one of the oldest hot rice cake (bánh đúc nóng) restaurants in Hanoi , considered an attractive dining spot that draws many locals and tourists from all over.

The female tourist said that, despite arriving at night and the alley being somewhat eerie, she couldn't hide her excitement at the prospect of enjoying a delicious street food.

As Karissa cautiously made her way through the narrow, deep alleyway with no streetlights, she was surprised to find that the hidden rice cake shop was quite spacious.

Diners can sit outdoors or indoors at 5-7 plastic tables and chairs already set up. Around them are small stalls displaying ingredients, food, and pots of steaming rice cakes and broth.

At the restaurant, Karissa ordered a serving of hot rice cake. When the dish was served, the Western customer was surprised and kept exclaiming in admiration.

"Honestly, I've never tried anything with this texture before. It's similar to mochi, soft and melt-in-your-mouth but still chewy," she commented.

Western tourists eating hot rice cakes in Hanoi 0.png — A serving of hot rice cake costs 20,000 VND, generously filled with meat, wood ear mushrooms, and tofu.

According to the American YouTuber, the hot rice cake has a soft, smooth, and chewy texture. In addition, the dish includes tofu, minced pork and wood ear mushrooms, herbs, and is served with a hot, flavorful broth.

"I really enjoy hot rice cakes. The toppings really enhance the flavor," Karissa added.

The Western tourist also rated hot rice cake as one of the most appealing street foods he had the opportunity to experience in Hanoi, giving it a 9/10 rating.

Karissa commented that adding chili powder made the dish taste even better.

What surprised Karissa even more was that this delicious treat cost less than $1 (approximately 25,000 VND).

Even though it's often considered a light afternoon snack, she found the hot rice cake filling enough to satisfy her hunger.

The foreign female tourist also commented that hot rice cakes are easy to eat, warm, and very suitable to enjoy on chilly or rainy days.

"Don't hesitate to venture into these small, dark alleys because you can enjoy delicious, hot rice cakes here. You won't regret it," the YouTuber expressed.

Speaking to a VietNamNet reporter, Ms. Pham Thi Noi, the owner of the hot rice cake stall that Karissa visited, said that the stall has been operating for over 30 years. The hot rice cakes here are made according to a family recipe, with rice flour as the main ingredient.

According to my grandmother, the rice must be fresh; old rice should absolutely not be used because it easily has an unpleasant smell and loses its characteristic aroma when cooked.

Additionally, using good quality rice will result in a soft, chewy, and perfectly liquid rice cake base that won't break or crack when broth is added.

Not only the pastry base, but the filling, made from minced meat and wood ear mushrooms, is also finely chopped and roasted by the owner.

When a customer orders, she carefully places the cooked dumplings into a bowl, adds the minced meat and wood ear mushroom filling, a few pieces of crispy fried tofu, then pours in the hot broth and sprinkles it with fried onions and chopped cilantro.

The broth at this restaurant is made from bones and sweet and sour fish sauce, resulting in a naturally sweet and harmonious flavor.

hot rice cake.gif — The hot rice cake at Grandma's shop is made according to a family recipe, with a chewy, soft texture and a harmonious blend of flavors from the accompanying ingredients.

My grandmother said that cooking hot rice cakes isn't too difficult, but it requires meticulous attention to detail. Of all the steps, stirring the batter is considered the most challenging and time-consuming.

However, depending on the restaurant, this dish may be seasoned and the ingredients adjusted according to their own secret recipe to create a unique flavor.

"The hot rice cake dish has been slightly modified nowadays, with more meat, spices, and tofu added, but it still retains its traditional flavor that has lasted for decades," the owner explained.

Grandma's hot rice cake stall is open from 8 AM to 10 PM. Each bowl of hot rice cake here costs 20,000 VND.

Currently, the restaurant not only sells hot rice cakes but also serves other familiar dishes such as snail and banana blossom noodle soup, mixed rice noodles, vermicelli, crab noodle soup, etc., meeting the diverse culinary needs of customers.

Photo: Karissa Eats

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/khach-tay-lo-do-qua-con-ngo-toi-hep-thu-mon-ngon-gia-20-nghin-dong-o-ha-noi-2448494.html