Buzz
Fish cakes wrapped in salted egg and fish cakes wrapped in northern herbs. Image: vovdulich
Fish cakes wrapped in salted egg. Image: vovdulich
Fish cakes wrapped in northern herbs. Image: vovdulich
Just a small food cart, not a fancy restaurant, but always bustling with customers from opening until late at night. The two signature dishes here are fish cakes wrapped in northern herbs and salted egg. Each cake is huge, with a thick layer of fish, fried to perfection, not too much batter. These fish cakes are wrapped around a whole salted egg or northern herb egg, depending on your preference. The salted egg has a rich flavor, while the northern herb egg is savory and equally enticing.
Lei Thao's fish ball street food stall, located in Binh Thanh district. Image: vovdulich
What makes this dish stand out is the exclusive tamarind sauce of the stall, with a tangy taste like tamarind water, mixed with spicy satay, creating an exquisite flavor. Another interesting point is the accompanying white cabbage, which complements the fish balls extraordinarily.
Exclusive sauce and white cabbage accompaniment. Image: vovdulich
The fish balls at Lei Thao's stall are made from fresh tuna, giving them a different taste compared to other places' fish balls. The price is quite reasonable, ranging from 20,000 to 25,000 VND per serving.
Address: 4 Nguyen Gia Tri, Ward 25, Binh Thanh District
2. Cambodian Stir-fried Lotus Cake
We used to know lotus cakes as a refreshing dessert with its youthful green color, eaten with creamy coconut milk. But now, this dish has a savory version that is very rich in flavor, known as Cambodian stir-fried lotus cake (originating from the neighboring country Cambodia).
Cambodian Stir-fried Lotus Cake. Image: Grab
Cambodian stir-fried lotus cake with chicken eggs, duck eggs, spring rolls, and bean sprouts. Image: Grab
Cambodian stir-fried lotus cake features chicken eggs, duck eggs, spring rolls, and bean sprouts, suitable for both vegetarians and non-vegetarians. It's affordable, easy to eat, but also addictive. The lotus cake is stir-fried with a little oil, mixed with a sauce made from soybean, creating a stimulating yellow color. After the cake absorbs the sauce and spices, shrimp and beef are added to enhance the freshness and flavor. To increase richness, you can add a fried egg on top. Sprinkle roasted peanuts, pepper... on the surface of the dish to complete a highly appealing dish. Not only does it create a rich flavor, but the dish also captivates with vibrant colors.
Mrs. Cuc's lotus cake stall, District 10. Image: Grab
A famous spot for this dish is Mrs. Cuc's stall in District 10, known for its unique dipping sauce made by Mrs. Cuc herself. She selects spicy and fragrant Ba Tri chili peppers, grinds them with garlic and vinegar to create a tangy, spicy sauce that is indescribably delicious.
Stir-fried lotus cake strands. Image: Grab
You should enjoy stir-fried lotus cake while it's still hot, that's when you can truly appreciate its chewy texture and rich flavor. Scoop up a spoonful of cake, add a shrimp or a piece of beef, put it in your mouth to feel the softness of the cake gradually melting.
Address: 438/39 Le Hong Phong, Ward 1, District 10
3. Snail, Beef, and Duck Egg Noodle Soup
A bowl of snail vermicelli soup, already rich in toppings, becomes even more delightful with the addition of balut eggs. Just one bowl is enough to satisfy both your taste buds and your hunger.
Snail, Beef, and Balut Egg Noodle Soup. Image: Grab
The perfect combination of balut eggs and vermicelli soup. Image: Grab
One might think this combination is unconventional, but it turns out to be a match made in heaven. Boiled balut eggs, when added to the bowl, not only add sweetness to the snail vermicelli soup but also enhance its creamy richness. Moreover, the eggs do not overpower the other toppings; instead, they harmonize with them to create a symphony of flavors. Crispy snails, sticky crab meat, tender beef, fragrant sausage, and creamy eggs blend in the tangy broth, elevating the taste of the toppings without overwhelming the eater.
All blend harmoniously like a flavor symphony. Image: Grab
A recommended spot for you is Ada Quan, District 3, offering a complete bowl of crab noodle soup for 50,000 VND. The broth is clear and refreshing, reminiscent of the northern style rather than the heavily seasoned southern style, but very aromatic (if you're used to the southern style, you might find the broth slightly tangy). If you prefer a richer taste, you can add some shrimp paste and pickled chili. Also, don't forget to enjoy it with fresh vegetables and order some fried dough sticks for the authentic Hanoi experience.
Address: Ada Quan - 491/12 Nguyen Dinh Chieu, District 3
4. Four-Flavor Grilled Steamed Rice Cake
If you're a fan of grilled steamed rice cake, then you definitely shouldn't miss this one. This layer of rice cake still retains its traditional aroma, soft and fragrant. However, what makes the four-flavor grilled steamed rice cake delicious lies in its various toppings, offering countless flavors for you to choose from according to your taste preferences, including coconut, custard apple, chocolate, cheese, pineapple, all mixed together in one cake with four flavors. Especially, the super delicious durian flavor. Overall, it's not overly sweet, preventing quick satiation.
Four-Flavor Grilled Steamed Rice Cake. Image: @ruahaman
You can choose to mix four flavors according to your taste preferences. Image: @canquetsaigon
New version of Four-Flavor Grilled Steamed Rice Cake. Image: meriviu
A small note is to pre-order before you go to avoid waiting, as sometimes you may have to wait up to 30 minutes for the cakes.
Furthermore, you can also choose the salted egg grilled steamed rice cake. Image: Bao Bao
Address: 342/8A Duong Ba Trac, Ward 1, District 8
5. Eight Salted Egg Steamed Buns
Gone are the days of buying steamed buns and wondering how many eggs are inside, 1 or 2? Now, they make a steamed bun that's the same size, slightly larger, but with up to 8 salted eggs, fully loaded.
Eight Salted Egg Steamed Bun. Image: Bao Bao
Overflowing with salted eggs. Image: Bao Bao
A quick overview of this steamed bun reveals its appearance isn't much different from a regular one. The thinner, shinier crust and slightly larger size accommodate a dozen eggs inside. When you finally cut open this bun, aside from the eggs, you'll find a filling of pork, shiitake mushrooms, retaining the basic flavors. Especially, the 8 salted eggs have a rich, unctuous taste, the meat is tender with moisture inside, not dry at all, making it incredibly delicious.
A bun like that would probably feed 2 to 3 people. Image: Bao Bao
The process of making salted egg steamed buns. Image: Collected
Address: C31 Street 9C, Phu Lam B Residential Area, Ward 13, District 6
6. Grilled Milk Tea
Despite being introduced to Vietnam for quite some time, bubble tea remains a beloved beverage among young people. Now, netizens are buzzing about a new trend called: Grilled Milk Tea.
Grilled Milk Tea. Image: vnexpress
When it comes to Grilled Milk Tea, one might think it's brewed using a grill, but it's not. The name actually comes from the use of caramel instead of sugar in the preparation. When heated, the caramel slowly melts and emits a light crackling sound, releasing the aroma of caramel, hence the name Grilled Milk Tea.
When heated, the caramel slowly melts and emits a light crackling sound. Image: vnexpress
Thanks to this, the flavor of milk tea becomes even more special. Slowly sipping each mouthful of milk tea, you'll easily notice the characteristic creamy richness, with the sweet caramel layer coating the rim of the cup. Despite the higher sweetness level of the ingredients, the tea flavor still shines through.
Grilled Milk Tea from Lac Tra. Image: Collected
Address: Lac Tra - 3 Nguyen Hue, District 1
7. Dragon Fruit Bread
Due to the impact of the Corona pandemic, fruit exports have been halted, including red-fleshed dragon fruit. Instead of being sold on the roadside like other 'rescue watermelon' campaigns, these dragon fruits are transformed into a dish considered 'unique': Dragon Fruit Bread, pioneered by Mr. Kao Sieu Luc - known as the 'bread king' who founded the ABC Bakery chain.
Dragon Fruit Bread. Image: tuoitre
Currently, the ABC Bakery chain offers the market 4 types of bread made from red-fleshed dragon fruit, including baguette bread, taro bread, cheese bread, and cake. All made from fresh, delicious red-fleshed dragon fruit purchased directly from farmers in the Western region, with quantities reaching tons per day.
Dragon Fruit Cheese Bread. Image: Kenh14
You can dip it in condensed milk. Image: Kenh14
The freshly baked loaves have a crispy pinkish crust, topped with a few dragon fruit seeds that look like sesame seeds. If you're wondering how different this dragon fruit bread is from regular bread, well... it's not much different at all! The only difference is that the sugar from the dragon fruit replaces white sugar, so the bread is darker in color, especially sweet and fragrant. You can dip it in condensed milk or pair it with dishes like pate, sausages,... just like regular bread.
Dragon fruit bread in ABC Bakery chain. Image: Kenh14
Address: ABC Bakery chain
Feeling a rumble in your stomach? If so, what are you waiting for? Start exploring right away! Vntrip guarantees you'll be 'blown away' by the uniqueness and distinct flavors of these 'newcomers'!
