Dishes found in Hanoi's narrow alleys captivate Western tourists, who praise them as worth trying on rainy days.

Despite the restaurant being located deep within a narrow alley in the heart of Hanoi, the two Western tourists were still satisfied because it served unique, delicious dishes, and one serving was quite filling.

Aleana and her brother (from New Zealand) recently took a 4-day, 3-night trip to Hanoi. Besides 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 sot vang…

Among them, two Western tourists were particularly impressed with one dish, saying it was perfect to enjoy on chilly or rainy days. That dish was sticky rice with peach blossoms.

Aleana and her brother visited a famous sticky rice with peach blossoms stall in Hanoi.

To enjoy this dish, Aleana and her brother went to a sticky rice stall located deep inside a long, narrow alley on Bach Dang Street.

Although the restaurant has only been open for over 4 years, it has quickly become a favorite dining spot for many customers thanks to its famous sticky rice with peach blossoms.

Upon arriving, the two foreign tourists were surprised to find that behind a narrow alleyway, about 15 meters long and only wide enough for one person to pass through, was a restaurant with a spacious interior.

In the outdoor area, the cafe has set up about a dozen plastic tables and chairs, creating a space that evokes everyday life and a typical street atmosphere.

The sticky rice stall is located in a long, narrow alley, but it 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 sticky rice with peach blossoms. Each serving cost 55,000 VND. When the food was served, Aleana kept exclaiming because the sticky rice looked so delicious.

Besides sticky rice, pork sausage, and thinly sliced ​​cured sausage, the meal also includes pate, a soft-boiled egg, cilantro, fragrant fried onions, some pickled cucumbers, and a bowl of thick, rich meat broth.

In particular, the pork cheek – the most important ingredient that makes this sticky rice dish so popular – is an indispensable component.

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

A close-up view of a mixed sticky rice dish priced at 55,000 VND.

The female tourist humorously remarked that the dish was so generous in portion size that "it felt like the main ingredients were meats, not sticky rice."

Unable to hide her excitement, she quickly took the first bite and exclaimed in amazement at how incredibly tender and juicy the pork cheek meat was.

"This sticky rice dish is pure heaven for meat lovers. The restaurant also serves a bowl of rich, flavorful, and slightly spicy meat sauce," she shared.

Aleana was amazed by the taste of the sticky rice dish.

During the meal, the Western guest also praised the other ingredients. She complimented the sticky rice, the rich and creamy pate, and the tender and flavorful sausage, even saying that "the taste buds were exploding because the sticky rice had so many different flavors."

For Aleana's brother, the soft-boiled egg was the most striking and impressive ingredient. He expressed his curiosity, wondering how Vietnamese people could have come up with and prepared such a unique egg dish.

"I've seen many fried eggs with a white crust, but I really love the vibrant orange-yellow color of this one," he shared.

At the end of the meal, Aleana commented that the sticky rice with peach blossoms was not only delicious but also so filling that it left her feeling completely full.

The two Western tourists praised the unique and delicious sticky rice dish in Hanoi.

Speaking to reporters, Mr. Ho Van Hoa (69 years old) - the owner of the sticky rice stall that Aleana and his friends visited - said that the sticky rice here is served with many different ingredients, but the pork cheek topping is the most popular.

However, Mr. Hoa also limits the number of servings of sticky rice with pork cheek sold each day because the amount of pork in each pig is not much, only a few hundred grams.

"This cut of meat has many soft tendons and isn't as greasy as fat, so customers really like it," he said.

Pork cheek is the meat on the inside of the pig's cheek, near the tongue, with a unique texture of lean meat interspersed with soft tendons and a thin layer of fat.

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

When enjoying this dish, diners can taste the sweetness of honey, the aroma of five-spice powder or oyster sauce, basil, tomatoes, and more.

Besides the perfectly cooked pork cheek, the restaurant's soft-boiled eggs are also impressive because they're all "one in a hundred." Mr. Hoa also uses fresh turmeric to create an eye-catching color for the dish.

The fried eggs are skillfully prepared, with a vibrant yellow color from fresh turmeric and a runny yolk.

"Making scrambled eggs sounds simple, but it requires a lot of skill. You have to choose high-quality eggs so that the yolks don't break when you crack them open."

"I usually crack the egg whites first, then add the yolks. This step must be done gently to avoid breaking them, which would ruin the dish's appearance," the owner revealed.

At the restaurant, each serving of sticky rice costs between 20,000 VND (small portion with 2 toppings) and 55,000 VND (full portion with all toppings), depending on the size. Customers can order according to their needs and preferences, with any amount of toppings they like.

Photo: Locavore Eats

Thanh Hoa's specialty dish is not something everyone dares to try; discerning diners praise it as tastier than shrimp . Made from fresh ingredients and not cooked with heat, but through the skillful hands of the chef, this specialty dish becomes attractive and draws 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