For 30 years, this stall has been serving delectable glutinous rice balls filled with savory meat alongside the Đê Tô Hoàng alley. Selling out dozens of crates within about 2 hours is a regular feat here.

This eatery is always bustling with customers, so remember to bring small bills. Attempting to pay with a large bill for a few piping hot glutinous rice balls priced at only 12,000 VND per bowl might leave the proprietor too occupied to bother with your change!

For 30 years, this stall has been serving delectable glutinous rice balls filled with savory meat alongside the Đê Tô Hoàng alley. Selling out dozens of crates within about 2 hours is a regular feat here.

'The rice balls today are unusually salty!'

'Oh dear, please forgive us. My daughter-in-law accidentally soaked them in saltwater twice today.'

'This tastes unfamiliar! They're usually delicious.'

'Forget about her, Ms. Vân, please give me another bowl of assorted rice balls to take away!'

At 3:30 in the afternoon on the last day of the year, under the eaves of a nondescript house, a profusion of paper flowers adorns the scene. Over a dozen people gather around the steaming glutinous rice ball cart, with just a couple of small crates and a few tiny stools. The residents of Đê Tô Hoàng alley (Hai Bà Trưng District, Hanoi) are accustomed to this unnamed dessert stall, accustomed to the lively chatter overlapping, accustomed to the sight of customers waiting, sometimes even losing feeling in their legs, only to find that... not a single rice ball remains, even though the proprietress had been selling for just 2 hours. On unexpectedly cold days, perhaps only an hour passes before the large pots are emptied, leaving them bottomless.

In the late afternoon haze emerges a woman, her skin weathered, bustling with her cart of various goods from Đỗ Thận alley onto the familiar sidewalk. Stacks of stools, customers naturally help themselves and choose their spots according to their preferred 'view', as long as no one sits in the middle of the alley.

Knowing that the famous rice ball stand is crowded, I intentionally arrived early. At 3 o'clock, it was still deserted. Thinking they might open late, I wandered off to Bạch Mai street. Half an hour later, upon my return, I was shocked to find... even finding a place to park my bike was difficult. The glutinous rice ball cart had long since disappeared, customers excitedly carried bowls, blowing and relishing their treats. Indeed, in bustling Hanoi, nothing beats enjoying dishes that suit both the palate and the weather, simple yet tastier than the most exquisite delicacies.

The busy owner of the stall is none other than Ms. Vân (52 years old). A curious customer asked her how many years she had been selling rice balls, and the weathered woman's hand momentarily paused. It turns out, the story behind the duo of the cart and Ms. Vân's life is as winding as the path from her house to the corner of Tô Hoàng alley over the past few decades.

'I got married before starting to sell rice balls to make a living. The craft of making rice balls is an ancient tradition in my family, learned through meticulous study rather than innate talent. Countless generations of Hanoians have eaten rice balls made by my family, but I can't remember when we started selling anymore, it's been so long.'

Juggling a few words of hospitality while wiping sweat under the 16-degree sky as customers flock in for rice balls, it's an unforgettable sight. Ms. Vân's household has 5 sisters, each taking turns to assist the owner in selling rice balls, yet the workload never seems to diminish.

Scooping rice balls, calculating bills, and packing cups for takeout, many first-time visitors mistake Ms. Vân for being slow and fussy. The truth is, trading banter with customers is tricky, reminiscing about old times, suddenly 4-5 people sit down at once. Without focusing, mistakes are bound to happen, and dealing with difficult customers leads to complaints, like today.

With a wry smile, she says: 'Goodness, every day selling rice balls feels like facing endless challenges. Despite having siblings and extra hands to help, there's never enough time. Sometimes, you have to speak loudly to be heard. Occasionally, arguments erupt between us sisters, and customers leaving often spread rumors, as if I'm scolding them, which is far from the truth. If anything, I might get a bit heated due to busyness, but I'd never scold a customer back.'

Listening to Ms. Vân's stories, the children sitting nearby also laugh heartily. It seems like everyone who comes here to eat feels like family, as they all either walk or arrive with bags of all sizes, anticipating the crowds. Some order 30 cups, others carry whole crates. Therefore, Ms. Vân scratches her head, wondering how many kilograms of rice dough she squeezes out every day, with coconut and sesame.

Ms. Vân's rice ball stand opens around 3 to 3:30, but if you're not quick, there won't be a drop of syrup left to enjoy in just over 2 hours. The most impressive difference of the rice balls on Tô Hoàng alley lies in their filling. Everyone knows traditional fillings like mung bean or sesame, but Ms. Vân 'innovated' with savory meat filling, incredibly delicious and rich, satisfying even the pickiest of eaters.

She said, the meat-filled rice ball came about more than 10 years ago, thanks to a customer's suggestion. She tried mixing minced pork with shiitake mushrooms, black pepper, and unexpectedly... it was so fragrant that just smelling it became addictive! It's no exaggeration to say that a simple hot rice ball here is delicious in an indescribable way, just sweet enough without being overpowering, the small, cute molded balls with a hint of coconut and fresh coconut shavings mixed with black sesame seeds, enough to dispel the cold of the winter afternoon, warming the stomach as you head home for dinner.

'Back when I sold them for 2,000 dong for 3 balls, I carried my cart all around Mạn Phố Huế street, and people started bringing out chairs to wait for me to pass by. Whenever I showed up late, past 3 o'clock, customers would playfully blame me for making them wait so long for Ms. Vân's evening treat. Everyone around Mạn Phố Huế market knows me, ask the elders, they remember.'

'After selling for a few years, I decided to settle here and customers just started coming naturally. Over time, it became familiar, I didn't even advertise. I cook a few pots at home every day as backup but it's never enough to serve everyone. It's enjoyable, but now that I'm older, it's exhausting.'

Aside from the three-flavored rice balls, Ms. Vân also sells sago pudding, black sesame sweet soup, or sticky rice, satisfying all customer requests. The sago pudding with coconut pearls, Ms. Vân's secret to the smooth, translucent pearls is unknown, but they're delicious. The special thing about the sago is that it's not boiled, but meticulously steamed until tender, then carefully removed and cut into small pieces. The amber-colored starchy layer, mouthwatering, the distinctive ginger flavor, 12,000 dong for a full bowl, swirling it in your hand, inhaling the fragrant sago, it feels like a sweet winter sunshine.

Oh, there's also an unwritten rule here that regulars often pass on, which is if you want to be served quickly, you have to remember to have exact change ready, to avoid having to receive too much change back. Because if you pay with a big 500,000 dong bill for a couple of 12,000 dong bowls, standing there tired, the owner might even forget how to give change back!

After lingering for about an hour, I handed the money to ask for permission to leave. The stall owner, her hair in disarray, bustling with customers, her husband serving up more trays of rice balls, and yet the line of eaters never seems to diminish. As I got into the car, I could still hear her muttering: 'Today's a bit salty, soaked the sago in saltwater twice, and yet many customers still praised it. Maybe tomorrow I'll sell some sweet and salty sago again...'

According to Afamily

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Reference: Travel guide from Mytour