Searching for a chicken feet stall hidden deep in a small alley in Hanoi, I found it packed with customers.

Despite being located in an extremely narrow alley, with an old and cramped staircase leading up, the fried chicken feet with fish sauce and salt-roasted chicken feet stall run by Mr. and Mrs. Quy still attracts a large number of customers.

At 11:30 AM, three out of four rooms in the restaurant owned by Mr. Do Xuan Quy (41 years old) were packed with customers. Staff continuously brought out plates of fragrant, hot fried chicken feet and salt-roasted chicken wings to serve. In the cramped kitchen, the owner and staff were busy receiving and serving dishes.

"This place is always crowded; if you don't arrive early, you'll have to wait a long time. Yet, I've been eating here for 10 years and I'm still not tired of it. Before, the owner used to put the food in bags and lower them down from the second floor for customers, and the seating was much more cramped than it is now," shared Ms. Yen (Cua Nam Ward, Hanoi ), a regular customer of the restaurant.

Ms. Yen (in the dark blue shirt) often invites her friends to this chicken feet restaurant for lunch. Photo: Nguyen Huy

The restaurant owned by Mr. and Mrs. Quy has been selling fried chicken feet/wings with fish sauce and salt for 10 years, becoming one of Hanoi's famous street food spots, despite its inconvenient location. Many customers liken finding the restaurant to "playing hide-and-seek," and those lacking patience will have to "give up and leave."

The restaurant is tucked away in a very narrow alley on Hue Street (Hai Ba Trung Ward), with a simple, hard-to-find sign. Customers have to park their motorbikes outside for 5,000 VND each, walk through the narrow alley (only wide enough for one person), and then climb the old staircase to the second floor. The restaurant is located in a communal apartment where Mr. Quy's family has lived for three generations.

The road leading to the chicken feet restaurant.

"Previously, my wife and I only received guests in the living room. Later, as we had more guests, we had to open up other rooms and even buy our neighbor's house."

"Currently, the floor area is about 120 square meters, capable of accommodating more than 100 customers at a time. The restaurant uses low tables and cushions, like the familiar way of eating at home. I added a door and created a separate area for shoes to avoid disturbing the neighbors," Mr. Quy said.

The narrow stairwell is cluttered with belongings from other households in the area. Photo: Nguyen Huy

The couple had previously moved to Ho Chi Minh City to start their business. The young couple enjoyed snacking at street food stalls and were particularly fond of fried squid with fish sauce. Back home, Mrs. Quy researched and developed a recipe for fried chicken with fish sauce. In 2015, they decided to bring this dish back to Hanoi to start a business.

"Back then, we didn't have any staff and did everything ourselves. My mother would help with cleaning and carrying things to serve customers. Opening the shop at home saved us money on rent, even though the location wasn't ideal," Mr. Quy said.

Mr. Quy - the owner of a famous chicken feet restaurant. Photo: Nguyen Huy

When it first opened, the restaurant only offered fried chicken with fish sauce and salt-roasted chicken, along with a few side dishes like pickled cucumbers and french fries.

According to Mr. Quy, the chicken feet and wings are sourced daily from a familiar supplier, then cleaned and briefly boiled with ginger and lemongrass to remove any odor. The chicken is then coated in flour and stored in the refrigerator. His wife prepares the sauce using four different spices, including high-quality fish sauce that isn't too salty; the sauce has a reddish-brown color and a harmonious balance of salty, sour, sweet, and spicy flavors.

“During peak hours, we fry the chicken until it’s about 60% cooked, and only re-fry it when a customer orders to maintain its crispness and warmth. The chicken is crispy on the outside, infused with sauce, and tender and flavorful on the inside. The special batter helps the chicken stay crispy for longer without becoming dry or tough,” Mr. Quy shared.

Fried chicken feet with fish sauce cost 14,000 VND/piece, chicken wings cost 28,000 VND/piece. Photo: Nguyen Huy

The fish sauce for the fried chicken is prepared and sold out within the day. For the salt-roasted chicken, the salt-roasting powder mixture is also homemade by Mr. and Mrs. Quy each week, not using store-bought ingredients.

"This batter is made quite meticulously, especially the process of frying the shrimp crackers and then grinding them finely. Thanks to this, the dish has a distinctive flavor; many customers comment that it reminds them of potato chips," Mr. Quy said.

Salt-roasted chicken and fish sauce-fried chicken are the two most popular dishes. Photo: Nguyen Huy

To cater to the diverse needs of their customers, Mr. and Mrs. Quy gradually added dishes to the menu such as chicken feet with lemongrass and chili, spicy chicken, Thai hot pot, etc. The Thai hot pot at the restaurant has also received positive reviews on social media applications.

The main section of the restaurant was packed with diners. Photo: Nguyen Huy

Currently, this chicken feet restaurant has a 4.3/5 star rating from nearly 400 reviews on Google. The space can feel a bit cramped when crowded. A positive point is that the owner and staff are friendly, the service is quick, and the place is clean. The restaurant is open from 11 AM to 2 PM and 4 PM to 10 PM daily.

Hidden away in a small alley, this Hanoi-style café boasts a balcony where 'customers could sit all day without getting bored.' Stepping into the narrow alley, barely wide enough for two people to pass each other, and climbing a steep, somewhat precarious staircase, visitors will be overwhelmed by the sight of a warm café evoking the nostalgic charm of old Hanoi. In front of the café is a balcony overlooking the lush green Ho Gươm Lake.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/mo-mam-tim-quan-chan-ga-nup-sau-trong-ngo-nho-ha-noi-khach-ngoi-chat-cung-2473015.html