The 43-year-old popular banh goi shop in Hanoi, the owner reveals the secret

In front of the shop there is an ancient banyan tree, so since some time, this place has been called "banyan tree pillow cake".

Mr. Dat (owner of the restaurant) said that his parents opened the restaurant in 1982, after passing on the profession from an acquaintance - a Chinese person.

In the early years, the restaurant only sold 3 basic types of cakes: fried dumplings, salty fried cakes and sweet fried cakes. Later, the restaurant added many snacks such as fried spring rolls, sour spring rolls, wontons, fried dumplings, tapioca dumplings, pho rolls, etc. to serve the diverse needs of diners.

W-banana pillow.jpg — The banh goi and banh ran shop is located next to an ancient banyan tree. Photo: Nguyen Huy

Every day, the owner and staff start preparing the filling, making the dough and shaping the dumplings at 5am. After more than 40 years of being in business, banh goi is still the most popular dish. The dumplings are fried until golden brown and piping hot. The crust is thin, crispy and gives off an enticing aroma.

"Many regular customers have moved 15-20km away, but if they have the chance, they still come here to buy my banh goi," Mr. Dat shared.

Mr. Dat said that to make delicious banh goi, all ingredients must be carefully selected, from the flour used to make the crust to the filling inside. For many years, his family has been buying good flour, mixing, fermenting and making the crust every day.

The filling includes minced pork shoulder or rump, wood ear mushrooms, jicama, shiitake mushrooms, carrots, onions, vermicelli noodles, and indispensable Chinese sausage with a little pepper to enhance the aroma. "Chinese sausage is the ingredient that creates the special flavor of the dish. Without Chinese sausage, the dumpling is no longer delicious," he revealed.

All ingredients are seasoned just right. The vermicelli inside is just cooked, not mushy, sticky and not dry or hard.

When customers order, the owner will stir the fried cakes in the hot oil pan. The aroma will make empty stomachs growl. The cakes are served with a sweet dipping sauce with a few small slices of papaya and a plate of raw vegetables.

Fried cakes are also the dish that makes the restaurant famous. Mr. Dat shared that the sticky rice used to make the cake crust must be soaked for 2 hours the day before, ground and drained overnight.

The next morning, the dough is kneaded thoroughly and then skillfully shaped into the crust. The salty filling is made similarly to the filling for the dumplings, but without the Chinese sausage. The sweet filling is made from mung beans, steamed for about 2 hours, mixed with sugar and beaten by hand until thick and soft.

The cake crust and filling must be kneaded evenly by hand. Photo: Nguyen Huy

All the cakes at the shop are fried once right after being finished and fried a second time when customers buy them to ensure they are hot and crispy. Sweet donuts cost 6,000 VND/piece, savory donuts cost 9,000 VND/piece.

"Making donut shells is very elaborate and time-consuming, so the shop closes when it's sold out and doesn't make any more," said Mr. Dat.

The dipping sauce is mixed according to a family recipe. "My dipping sauce largely determines the deliciousness of the dish," he shared.

The restaurant has added more dishes such as crab spring rolls, fried sour spring rolls, rice cakes, pho rolls... to diversify the choices for customers. Photo: Nguyen Huy

Every day, the restaurant welcomes hundreds of customers, including many international tourist groups. To meet the demand, the restaurant has expanded its space to the first and second floors. In the evening, customers often fill all the spaces of the restaurant.

Ms. Hanh, Ms. Tuyet and Ms. Nga ( Hanoi ) are long-time regular customers of the restaurant, having been there since their student days.

"We have been eating here for nearly 20 years. Now the restaurant has many more dishes, but the banh goi is still the most special: full filling, fragrant sausage that is rarely found anywhere else, harmonious dipping sauce. We visit the restaurant to enjoy and reminisce about old memories," the group of close friends shared.

On the Google app, the restaurant has received nearly 800 reviews, achieving 4.3 out of 5 stars. Most diners praise the variety of dishes and reasonable prices, of which the fried dumplings are the most popular.

The downside of the restaurant is that it is quite small and doesn’t have many seats. If you come during peak hours, you often have to wait a long time.

The restaurant is located near the Cathedral, so visitors can combine a visit to the church with exploring delicious restaurants around the area. The restaurant opens at 9am and closes at 9pm-10pm.

'Food paradise' around Hanoi Cathedral, attracting visitors from morning to night Hanoi Cathedral is an attractive destination for domestic and international tourists. Not only has a long history, ancient and unique architecture, the area around the church is also considered a "food paradise" attracting those who love the capital.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/quan-banh-goi-43-nam-dong-khach-o-ha-noi-ong-chu-tiet-lo-bi-quyet-2459280.html