If Ho Chi Minh City has a famous "mortuary sticky rice" restaurant with many customers, then in Hanoi there is "altar sticky rice" which is also bustling with business every night.
This sticky rice shop is located on De La Thanh Street, a street that gathers many wooden furniture stores. Different from the bustling scene of furniture trading during the day, every night, there are many late-night food stores here, selling a variety of dishes.
"Xoi ban tho" is one of the late-night eateries that customers tell each other about. According to research, the owner is Ms. Tham (38 years old, Hanoi). She said that the family sticky rice shop has been in business for more than 30 years. Previously, the chef was her aunt.
"In the past, my aunt rented out her house to them to sell worship items. At night, when they didn't sell anything, my aunt used the space to open a night sticky rice shop. The shop became more and more crowded but the space was too small, so she used small wooden altars as dining tables.
At first, many customers were also... scared, but my aunt reassured them that these were just like wooden tables, mainly samples for customers to see first. Later, customers became familiar and passed on the name "altar sticky rice" to each other, Ms. Tham said.
Previously, Ms. Tham’s two nieces and nephews sold goods at 528 De La Thanh. More than 10 years ago, when Ms. Tham took over, the shop was moved to a nearby location. Here, the owner arranged plastic tables and chairs to serve customers.
Ms. Tham's stall is neatly arranged with more than 20 types of side dishes such as eggs, ham, sausage, pate, Chinese sausage, etc. Next to it are 3 pots of char siu, braised pork, and stir-fried chicken with mushrooms.
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According to the owner, to make sticky rice always delicious and smooth, you must choose high-quality yellow sticky rice. This type of rice is famous for its plump, round grains, natural aroma and sweetness. "I buy sticky rice, wash it and soak it for about 2 hours. If I soak it for too long, it will be crushed when cooked, if I soak it for too short, the sticky rice will be dry and hard," said Ms. Tham.
In addition to white sticky rice, the restaurant also has sticky rice with mung bean and fried sticky rice for customers to choose from. A bowl of sticky rice costs from 25,000 to 50,000 VND, accompanied by rich meat sauce and sweet and sour, crunchy pickles. The sticky rice is cooked just right, drizzled with a rich meat stew.
The menu at the restaurant is very rich, with many types of side dishes at various prices for diners to easily choose according to their preferences.
Ms. Tham said that meatballs are her favorite side dish. After choosing fresh and delicious pieces of meat, she grinds them, season them to taste, and shapes them into even, round balls. The meatballs are steamed until cooked, then cooked in a special sauce according to her own recipe, making the dish delicious and rich.
The pate is also made by Ms. Tham herself. "My pate has a balanced ratio of lean meat and fat, combined with spices such as five-spice powder, cinnamon, etc. to create a very unique flavor that cannot be mistaken for anything else. The steaming process lasts 7-8 hours, helping the pate to be soft and smooth and have a rich flavor," Ms. Tham shared.
Other dishes such as sausages, ham, sausages, and pork floss are all imported daily by the owner from reputable suppliers.
"There are customers who have been with the restaurant for decades, eating here since they were students, until they got married, had children, and still come here to eat. There are people who have traveled far away, or come back from abroad, they still remember and visit to enjoy my sticky rice," said Ms. Tham.
The restaurant's most popular dish is mixed sticky rice. A 30,000 VND bowl of sticky rice will include eggs, sausage, dried beef, Chinese sausage, pate, pork floss, onions, braised pork, etc. A 40,000 VND bowl will have additional meatballs or char siu, depending on the customer's needs. A full 50,000 VND bowl of sticky rice has about 10 - 12 ingredients, only people with a big appetite can finish it all.
The sticky rice shop opens from 5pm to 5:30am the next day. The staff takes turns doing each step, from preparing to finishing the dishes. On average, the preparation process takes about 3-4 hours. According to Ms. Tham, the shop is busiest from 10pm to 2-3am the next day.
"Actually, I never count how many servings of sticky rice I sell each day. I only know that there are about 3-4 full baskets of sticky rice. When the sticky rice in the pot is running low, I add more to sell. I flexibly adjust the quantity to suit the actual situation. On nice days when there are often many customers, I will cook a little more," said Ms. Tham.
Mr. Kien (Cau Giay) has been eating at the restaurant for over a year. "At first, I came here because of the name 'xoi ban tho' (altar sticky rice)', which was quite curious. But when I came here, I was impressed by the delicious-looking, full-bodied, rich-flavored, and delicious bowl of sticky rice. This is an attractive late-night dish with reasonable prices," Mr. Kien shared.
Mr. Ta Cong Minh (Hai Ba Trung) came here for the first time thanks to a friend's recommendation. "I find the sticky rice of the restaurant quite delicious, the sticky rice and ingredients blend together. Maybe I will become a regular customer of this restaurant. The owner and staff are also very generous and friendly," said Mr. Minh.
Overall, the ingredients are meticulously prepared, the spices are just right, creating a harmonious whole. The pot of sticky rice is always kept hot, the sticky rice grains are fragrant and fatty. However, compared to some other sticky rice shops in Hanoi, the flavor of the sticky rice here is not really outstanding. On weekends, the shop is often crowded, customers may have to wait a bit.
Currently, on De La Thanh street, there are 2 sticky rice shops with the same name "sticky rice for the altar", both of which are quite crowded. Depending on taste, diners can choose the appropriate location.
Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/quan-o-ha-noi-co-ten-doc-la-co-chu-ban-may-thung-xoi-moi-dem-2315720.html
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