 This is an extremely busy place to dine if you go in the evening so to avoid crowds go in the afternoon, after the lunch hour rush. Though it is reputed to be 200 years old and is visited by many tourists, there is a decided local flair to it and indeed many Hanoians dine here. It is a narrow and simple place, with too many wooden tables squeezed into its area space. When the tables are full and the waiters are scurrying about with hot sizzling pans of cha ca, you know you are in the right place.
Not sure if they even have anything aside from cha ca but this is THE thing to get if you are here anyway. It is a white fish, served in boneless chunks, smothered in greens and saffron-infused oil. It comes out right in the frying pan it is cooked in too. It seems a bit expensive by local standards (142, 000d or $9 for two) but you get an unlimited amount of rice noodles on the side and with all the oil and greens, it makes a tasty accompaniment. Wash it all down with one of Vietnam's best bottled beers, Ha Noi. This brew is not as watery as most of the country's concoctions and actually has some hop bitterness that goes well with the spicy fish. |
