Chicken soup

Among many delicious dishes in winter, chicken soup still holds a firm position in the hearts of young people in Hanoi. Unlike Western-style cream soups, Vietnam chicken soup has a sweet taste from corn and mushrooms, the aroma of shredded chicken and the taste of egg whites.

Chicken soup can be served with quay (bagel twists), salted shredded meat, herbs... Although it is processed from simple and easy-to-find ingredients, this nutritious dish can satisfy picky diners on cold days.

From 4pm, the famous chicken soup shops in the capital city are crowded. On cold days in Hanoi, there is nothing better than to hold a bowl of hot soup in hand, add a little pepper and chili powder to enhance the taste, and chat with friends.

Some popular addresses for the best chicken soup in Hanoi are Yen Beo Chicken Soup (19 Doc Hoe Nhai, Trung Tu), Thanh Hien chicken soup (96 Cau Go), Ba Mau Beo restaurant (O Cach, Ngo Gia Tu Street, Long Bien District).

Snails

On windy days in Hanoi, many young people gather at sidewalk snail stalls that are always crowded. Diners sit close together on plastic chairs, sipping a hot cup of tea while waiting for a hot bowl of snails. It's not a luxury dish, but boiled snails have become a "true love" that attracts many diners.

According to "foodies", if you want to enjoy the true taste of boiled snails in the right way, you must order a bowl of boiled snails with no added spices, just boiled with a little lemongrass, and a few lemon leaves. The best flavor from this dish comes from a bowl of standard dipping sauce, which is made of fish sauce, ginger, garlic, chili, lemon, lemongrass to create a sweet and sour taste.

Some boiled snail shops popular with young people in Hanoi are Oc Hanh (Ngo Sy Lien Street), Oc Bu Hai Phong (Chua Lang Street), Oc Trang (Dinh Liet Street), or Oc Chi Le (Cua Bac Street).

Hot plain rice flan

Many years have passed, and despite the appearance of many delicious dishes, banh duc nong (hot plain rice flan) is one of the dishes that gourmets think of first when winter comes.

Many people will immediately think of a 35-year-old restaurant on Trung Tu Street. Each bowl of hot plain rice flan includes a few ladles of flan, ground meat fried with wood ear and fried onion.

The special feature of this restaurant is the fish sauce that is moreish but not salty, imbued with a special flavor. Diners can sprinkle a little more pepper or chili powder to make the dish more flavorful.

Some well-known addresses selling hot plain rice flan in Hanoi are: 108 B5 Trung Tu, Banh duc nong B6, Nghia Tan Street, the shop at No. 8 Alley 88B Le Ngoc Han Street, Hai Ba Trung District.

Rib rice porridge

Hanoians are very familiar with this "delicious, nutritious and cheap" dish. The hot pot of delicious rib rice porridge has long been an afternoon snack, a light breakfast or a warm night snack for Hanoians.

It is not difficult to process this dish but it is not easy to make a delicious pot of rib rice porridge. The rice must be thick, smooth and fragrant, and sweet while the pork ribs must also be cooked well.

This dish is made of two main ingredients: white rice and spare ribs. The ribs are first stewed for one hour. The cook then takes them out, puts the rice in the broth and cooks until it turns into porridge. Next, the ribs are deboned before being put back into the porridge pot. A perfect bowl of rib rice porridge is the combination between the sweetness of the broth, thanks to ribs stewed for hours, and the tenderness of the pork and porridge.

This kind of porridge is served with crispy bagel twists, a little pepper or chili powder.

Depending on their recipe, each rib rice porridge shop in Hanoi has its own flavor that will satisfy diners.

Banh troi tau (glutinous rice dumplings)

In the early days of winter in Hanoi, sweet porridge shops in Hanoi begin to sell banh troi tau (glutinous rice dumplings).

Glutinous rice dumplings in ginger syrup is a favorite food in Hanoi on winter days. Round and oval glutinous rice dumplings which are filled with mung bean or black sesame, covered with ginger syrup, and topped with crushed peanut, shredded coconut meat, attract both locals and visitors.

A portion of Banh troi tau usually consists of two dumplings: one is spherical and filled with mung bean, the other is oblate spheroid and filled with black sesame.

The crust is tender and sticky, the filling is buttery and tender. Two dumplings are covered with smelling, sweet ginger syrup, topped with crunchy, greasy shredded coconut meat, crunchy peanuts, black sesame, and coconut milk.

Cooking glutinous rice dumplings in ginger syrup is an art. The cook must be delicate, careful and skillful in each step including making the ginger syrup, cooking the fillings, and forming the dumplings.

The most familiar addresses that sell delicious banh troi tau in Hanoi: Xoi che (Hang Dieu street), Xoi che Ba Thin (Bat Dan Street), Xoi che (Van Chuong alley)

Anh Tuyet

Young sticky rice flakes, taste of autumn in Hanoi

Hanoi’s autumn is also the season for com or young sticky rice flakes. Not only Hanoians but also travelers to the capital city always remember and love the special taste of this very good green sticky rice.