Buzz
Strolling along Quan Thanh Street without savoring Aunt Yen's steamed buns or tasting the fish noodle soup at the two adjacent noodle shops near the end of the street would be a huge missed opportunity.
When visiting Hanoi, make sure to visit these 6 unbeatable dining establishments on Quan Thanh Street.
1. Aunt Loi's Chicken Pho
Located on Quan Thanh Street, Aunt Loi's chicken pho shop may be smaller than the traditional chicken pho shop at the beginning of the street. Regular patrons rave about the quality of the broth here, which is made from boiled chicken broth as the owner has a long history of selling boiled chicken. Consequently, the pho broth here is rich and not overpowering due to excessive bone broth.
The chicken, instead of being divided into many portions after boiling, is shredded and neatly arranged on a large tray. The pho bowl presented is visually stunning with the white color of the rice noodles, the glossy yellow of the chicken skin, the green of the onions, and notably, the addition of lime leaves that enhance the dish's flavor.
The pho noodles at this eatery are thin yet slightly thick, perfectly tender without being mushy, blending well with the broth, which is sweet and flavorful. The chicken piece is of authentic local breed, tender, not dry, with crispy skin, although the chicken slices are a bit small, so chewing may not be entirely satisfying.
The pho at this establishment comes in two price levels, 30,000 VND for regular pho and 35,000 VND for a bowl with special requests such as extra thigh meat, wings, or additional liver and heart. The shop opens from 6 a.m. until around 3 p.m. daily. Besides indoor seating, there are also a few small tables set up on the sidewalk.
2. Mrs. Thơm's Hot Sweet Soup
Among the list of renowned eateries on Quan Thanh Street, one must mention Mrs. Thơm's Hot Sweet Soup shop, which has been in business for over 40 years. The shop specializes in hot sweet soup, offering only three types: black bean sweet soup, green jelly, and floating cake.
The bowl of sweet soup here has just the right level of sweetness, with the beans simmered to perfection, smooth and creamy in texture, and visually appealing. According to the shop owner's revelation, black bean sweet soup must be cooked with raw cane sugar for a delightful aroma, while green bean sweet soup requires white granulated sugar. All bowls of sweet soup come with a hint of coconut milk made from freshly ground coconut by the shop owner.
Mrs. Thơm's Hot Sweet Soup shop is small, only open from 3 p.m., yet it's always bustling with customers as soon as it opens. Each bowl of sweet soup here costs only 15,000 VND, very reasonable for those with a sweet tooth.
3. Aunt Yen's Steamed Buns
Aunt Yen's steamed buns shop is situated right in the middle of Quan Thanh Street. The shop is small and narrow, easy to pass by if not paying attention, and only noticeable due to the crowd standing to buy buns. Compared to other steamed bun shops, the variety here is quite limited, with only two types available: meat buns and vegetarian buns. Nevertheless, around 7 a.m., when it opens, Aunt Yen's shop is already bustling with customers waiting to buy buns.
The allure of this steamed bun shop lies in its handmade buns, which are square-shaped instead of the usual round ones. The bun dough is soft and fluffy, and even though there are no quail eggs or Chinese sausages in the filling, it still earns high marks for the delicious aroma of fresh meat. Despite mainly serving takeaway due to its small size and high customer traffic, the shop is always well-staffed, with 4 or 5 employees on hand even if customers only order buns and soy milk.
The downside of the shop is its small size and high customer traffic, so it mainly caters to takeaway orders. The price of buns here is 13,000 VND for meat buns and 6,000 VND for vegetarian buns. The shop only sells buns until around 9 a.m., after which they are sold out.
4. Loving Hut on Quan Thanh
Despite lacking unique or impressive decor, Loving Hut on Quan Thanh has long been a favorite vegetarian spot in Hanoi due to its affordable dishes and clean, tidy environment. The vegetarian dishes here are known for being delicious and reasonably priced, with prices for rice dishes and various noodles ranging from 25 to 40,000 VND, suitable for anytime vegetarian dining without hesitation or calculation.
Each vegetarian rice set here is quite generous. The rice is neatly arranged in a large plate with rice, 3 to 4 main dishes, 1 vegetable dish, 2 stir-fries, a bowl of soup, and even a dessert. Although there's no choice of dishes, the daily changing menu makes it very easy to enjoy. Additionally, the shop offers a variety of vegetarian noodles such as chicken pho, snail vermicelli, crab noodle soup, and ladder noodle soup, priced from 25,000 to 35,000 VND per full bowl.
Besides rice and noodles, there are also à la carte dishes here at very affordable prices. Especially on full moon days and the first day of every month, the shop offers enticing à la carte and buffet options for 100,000 VND. Another noteworthy point is that the shop also sells some vegetarian dishes and ingredients to take home and cook.
5. Fish Noodle Soup
Towards the end of Quan Thanh Street, there are two fish noodle soup stalls side by side: Văn fish noodle soup and Huyền fish noodle soup. These two stalls even share a selling area, only differentiated by the color of the tables and chairs (green, red). Overall, the fish noodle soups at both stalls are delicious and satisfying.
The common point of these two fish noodle soup stalls is that the bowls are full of noodles, fish cake, flavorful broth, large and crispy fish pieces, with plenty of fish to satisfy your palate. Of course, the bowl of noodles is always accompanied by seasonal vegetables such as morning glory and cabbage.
In addition to fried fish, here you can also enjoy fish innards and fish eggs, which are quite enticing, but you have to order them separately, and naturally, they cost more than a regular bowl. However, even with additional toppings, the price here is only 40,000 VND per bowl, very reasonable for breakfast or lunch.
6. Untitled Duck Shop
At the end of Quan Thanh Street, near Ba Dinh District Cultural House, there's a shop specializing in duck. Despite being nameless and lacking signage, the shop is always bustling with customers every day. It operates all day, but lunchtime is the busiest, so customers often have to sit outside on the sidewalk.
The shop specializes only in boiled duck, without offering various styles like roasted, grilled, salt-roasted, or hotpot, unlike many other places. The ducks here are of medium size, with just the right amount of fat, boiled to perfection, neither too soft nor too tough. Even though the duck is freshly boiled, after chopping, it's dipped once more in the boiling broth before being served. Perhaps that's why the duck remains fragrant and stays hot longer, making it even more delicious for diners.
The bamboo shoot soup here is also superb. The bamboo shoots are thickly sliced, crunchy, and paired with slightly chewy duck gizzards that soften quickly in the mouth, perfect for chilly weather.
Duck porridge is also a staple of the shop that almost every group of customers orders. The rice grains are left whole, cooked to a thick consistency with a hint of mung beans, giving the porridge a rich aroma. The sweetness of the porridge undoubtedly comes from the pure duck broth, not from artificial flavor enhancers, which keeps customers coming back for more.
The duck here is reasonably priced, with half a duck costing around 100,000 VND. Two people can order half a duck and two bowls of porridge for only about 130,000 VND, which is quite affordable for a refreshing change. The shop is open all day.
According to Afamily
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Reference: Mytour Travel Guide
MytourJanuary 10, 2017
