Cha Ca La Vong is a restaurant that has been around in Hanoi since 1871, it is so famous that the street is named after the restaurant.
Only one item is on the menu, Cha Ca, essentially fish cut into bite size pieces, marinated in turmeric powder and deep fried in oil.
It is served on a stainless steel saucepan over a charcoal grill together with spring onions, dill, basil and a special sauce. This dish is accompanied by Vietnamese rice noodles, roasted peanuts, and mint leaves with a vinegary sauce and cut fresh chili.
Here’s what they put in front of you when you show up:
A peep at what’s cooking:
The grease-covered walls add to the authentic, pungent experience.
Ready to eat?
Cha Ca La Vong has been opened through five consecutive generations.
This place is listed under Patricia Shultz’s 1000 Places To See Before You Die.
According to Schultz’s book, the secret ingredient is rumored to be “two drops of an essence extracted from the perfume gland of the ca cuong beetle.”