Embarking on a quest for a 100-year-old dish along the billion-dollar road.

A dish ranked 5th out of 10 by MSNBC from the things to know before dying worldwide, with 100% pure Vietnamese origin, remains a century-old pride of the capital.

A centuries-old traditional dish: From naming a street to representing the exquisite identity

A hundred years ago, the Doan family at 14 Hang Son Street introduced an incredibly fragrant fish cake. They opened a small shop specializing in fish cake, where regardless of the season, the aroma of fish marinated with spring onions filled the air, enticing countless Hanoians and passersby to stop and savor a few bites.

The famous fish cake dish of the Doan family, passed down for centuries, has become one of the most quintessential elements of Hanoi's cuisine.

Gradually, the street became known as Fish Cake Street - a place synonymous with the fragrant, rich, golden-brown fish cake, a closely guarded secret recipe passed down through generations of the Doan family. Over time, when people mention fish cake, they don't just think of one street or one shop but immediately associate it with all of Hanoi, with its refined and meticulous elegance found only in this historic city.

Hanoi Fish Cake - A dish as beautiful as a poem...

A delicacy with a hundred years of history on a street worth billions

Walking down the bustling streets of Hanoi, I stumbled upon the mesmerizing Nguyen Van Huyen Avenue, touted as the most beautiful in the city. Amidst the golden glow, there stands a charming 6-story building at number 20, exuding warmth and fragrances of fried fish, onions, and spices, enticing passersby with every glimmer through its windows.

Embarking on a culinary journey through the iconic Nguyen Van Huyen Avenue

Amidst the tempestuous weather of Hanoi, I sought refuge in Hanoi Fish Cake amidst the gusty winds and drizzling rain. Stepping through the door, the tantalizing aroma of fish cakes intertwined with fresh herbs and dipping sauce, accompanied by the rhythmic sizzling symphony from the fiery stove, plunged me into a tempest named 'Hunger'!

Pangasius - the fish renowned for its delectable meat, needing no additional seasoning

The ingredients for Hanoi's Famous Fish Cake are solely lang fish - a fish renowned for its inherent deliciousness. With its plump, glossy skin and firm, succulent flesh, the sight of the fish, still alive before being expertly filleted, evokes a twinge of guilt within me.

The four of us sat eagerly awaiting the arrival of our feast, starting with a Thai-style lang fish salad - an exquisite appetizer boasting the tangy sweetness of mango, the rich sweetness of lang fish meat, and the fiery kick of Thai spices... all melding together and gradually unfolding with each bite.

The tangy, spicy lang fish salad was a bold and flavorful start to a rainy evening...

While waiting for the star of the show, the legendary fish cake, we indulged in some crispy, savory lang fish grilled with chili salt. This dish epitomizes traditional Vietnamese cuisine, wrapped in fragrant herbs, fresh greens, mango, carrots, and a few strands of chewy rice noodles, all encased in pliable rice paper and dipped in deliciously fragrant garlic chili fish sauce.

It's been ages since I savored the authentic taste of Hanoi, so nostalgic...

Those dishes, perfect for a chilly day, sprinkled with a bit of spicy chili powder, indulging in the warmth of the fresh fish, it's truly heavenly!

The Chả Cá Hà Thành's specialty, the legendary essence of cà cuống oil, just a drop or two in the dipping sauce, adds a kick of spicy, tingling, yet intoxicating aroma, reminiscent of childhood memories long gone.

The golden Chả Cá Lăng, infused with the fragrant essence of cà cuống oil, calling back to those decades-long lost childhood memories.

In a sizzling hot pan, the green onions sway gracefully, emitting a fragrant aroma. Each piece of turmeric-dyed lang fish exudes a uniform golden hue, incredibly alluring. Alongside, there's a plate of rich, succulent fish intestines, equally delectable as the fish meat itself.

The lang fish meat is exquisite - tender yet firm, sweet yet savory, and remarkably boneless. Enjoying a bite of the fatty, golden-brown fish cake along with freshly toasted vermicelli noodles, some fragrant herbs, and a small bowl of shrimp paste infused with essence of river crab oil, it's the epitome of traditional fish cake cuisine!

The refreshing, white, and clear chè khúc bạch resembles a breeze from West Lake...

Summing up the lang fish feast on a chilly windy night, Ha Thanh Fish Cake restaurant treated our group to four bowls of refreshing, fragrant chè khúc bạch. Why was it a treat? Because the chè khúc bạch is Ha Thanh Fish Cake's complimentary dessert, served with finesse!