Must-try street food in Vietnam (part 4)
Shall we continue to explore dishes to try in big cities in Vietnam.
- Egg coffee.
Egg coffee is a drink originating from Vietnam made from coffee (robust coffee) with chicken eggs (with honey added) and sweetened condensed milk. “Giang Coffee” is the oldest and most famous coffee shop in Hanoi serving this drink. According to the current owner of the shop, egg coffee was born in the late 1940s in Hanoi, stemming from the scarcity of fresh milk at that time, so the first owner of the shop used yolks. Chicken eggs as an alternative solution, later, this is a specialty of Hanoi.
The rich taste of eggs mixed with the aroma of coffee creates the unique flavor of a cup of coffee. You should drink the coffee while it’s still hot, otherwise it will be fishy and difficult to drink. Later, some shops also sprinkled a little brown cocoa powder on top of the egg coffee cup, both beautiful and to add to the already very attractive flavor.
But like any traditional dish, when drinking, people must slowly stir the foamy layer, bringing each small spoon to their mouth to melt the beaten eggs, spreading the rich flavor. Egg coffee cups are usually small, low cups that fit in the palm of the hand, just enough for people to enjoy, find delicious but still crave and miss.
The fragrant cup of coffee is made from coffee, eggs and milk but has a strange attraction to anyone who has ever had the opportunity to enjoy it. Egg coffee is especially suitable for people who cannot stand the bitterness of filter coffee, but still want to enjoy and sip a little. The sweet, fatty taste of eggs and milk will eliminate the most “unpleasant” part of coffee, leaving only a sweet, attractive aroma.
- Bun dau mam tom.
(Vermicelli with tofu and shrimp paste)
Talking about vermicelli, Vietnam has many specialties. Each hot bowl of vermicelli is a unique feature of each region. However, vermicelli with tofu and shrimp paste is an interesting story because it can be eaten with many other dishes and the dipping sauce, although not sophisticated, has a unique character.
Looking at the small, pure white noodle rings, golden fried tofu slices placed next to green basil, cinnamon, marjoram, perilla and a bowl of spicy shrimp paste, many diners are curious to try it. An important ingredient is fried beans and dipping sauce. Choose soft tofu, fried until golden brown or burnt, depending on each person’s request.
Only when it’s almost time to eat should you fry the beans to keep them hot, crispy, and delicious. Particularly, shrimp paste is made from fresh ground shrimp so that when finished, the sauce must be fragrant and have a pink color. Shrimp paste is often mixed with sugar and MSG to taste, then add a little lemon and chili. The special feature of this dipping sauce when eating vermicelli with tofu is that it is sprinkled with a layer of oil after frying the tofu, making the bowl of shrimp paste smooth, greasy and eye-catching.
- Shrimp cakes.
West Lake shrimp cakes appeared around the 30s of the last century but it was not until 1954 that they began to become famous. This cake originates from street vendors around the West Lake area, its full name is “shrimp cake covered with West Lake”. Over time, shrimp cakes gradually became popular with Hanoi people and were sold in many eateries and luxury restaurants. However, the traditional flavor is still preserved intact, with crispy, delicious shrimp cakes accompanied by a bowl of sweet and sour dipping sauce and green vegetables.
West Lake shrimp cakes are made from rustic ingredients. The cake dough is mixed from wheat flour and sweet potato slices, fried over high heat so it’s crispy and fragrant. The shrimp used in the cake filling must be fresh, large and sweet shrimp caught from West Lake. Eating shrimp cakes is indispensable with a bowl of sweet and sour fish sauce, pickles and herbs and raw vegetables.
Ho Tay shrimp cake is best when it is just taken out of the pan, left for a few minutes to drain the oil and can be enjoyed immediately. When you eat, you will feel the crispy crust, the fatty shredded sweet potatoes, and the firm and naturally sweet shrimp meat. Dipping sauce and sweet and sour pickles are secondary but extremely important ingredients, both to relieve boredom and help round out the dish’s flavor.
- My ga tan.
Chicken noodle soup is a sound combination of instant noodles, mugwort, and oriental herbs. With such not only yummy but super healthy ingredients, it is a common dish for sick people, especially after they have recovered. Not long ago, when I caught the terrible flu, every day, my mother bought me a portion of this dish. Despite my having no appetite, the noodles were quite enjoyable and fragrant with the smell of chicken and mugwort mixed with different types of herbs which are particularly good for one’s recovery. Best served when hot, this would not be the top choice in boiling summers, but in bleak winters in Hanoi.
The delicacy is imbued with both bitterness, deriving from mugwort and Chinese herbs, and sweetness, coming from chicken bones and flesh. One can choose either white or black chicken, with the latter containing less fat and slightly sweeter than the former.
In Hanoi, the most famous food stall for chicken noodle soup is located at the intersection of Hang Can St., Hang Bo St. and Luong Van Can St. This tiny stall has been serving the dishes for nearly 20 years. However, its reputation sometimes makes it overcrowded and the stall has to set tables on the pavement to serve the dish. Another destination is No.12C Hang Cot St., where there are proper seats and opening hours are from 6 am until 11 pm, while their aforementioned counterpart only serves after 5 pm.
- Banh duc.
(Rice cake make of rice flour and lime water)
Hot rice cakes are available from restaurants to sidewalks or street vendors, depending on each foodie’s choice of how to enjoy them. People also do not know when this cake existed, they only know that hot rice cake is the quintessence of street cuisine.
Hot rice cake is originally known as a traditional cake made from rice flour, stirred with clear lime water. After the cake cools, the user will cut each square into pieces and dip them with sauce. At this time, the cake brings a rich, nutty peanut scent hidden in each chewy piece of cake, imbued with a rich soy sauce flavor.
However, there are many places that use bone broth seasoned with a little sweet and sour seasoning to make dipping sauce for cakes. Therefore, when eating hot rice cake, users will feel a sweet taste. This is the sweetness of bone broth, not sugar as many people think.
To help make hot rice cake more delicious, many sellers will sprinkle a little fried onion with a rich flavor and some finely chopped herbs. At this time, the user’s taste buds will be transformed into a new state, swayed by the stir-fried meat sauce and the fragrant aroma of herbs mixed with the greasy fish sauce and fried onions, creating a naturally sweet flavor. In particular, this dish does not cause loss of appetite or bloating, so everyone wants to go back and “inhale” the familiar flavors they have tasted. Hot rice cake also has a moderate price, suitable for many people’s budgets.
Don’t forget to contact Trang An Ecorest Resort & Spa – (+84 915 702 099) or visit us at www.tranganecorestresort.com if you need any support!
Trang An Ecorest Resort & Spa
Image source: Internet
