Fried catfish with dill, onion, turmeric and galangal have been serve as one of special dish for dinner in Hanoi for nearly 15o years.
“Cha Ca La Vong“, a famous catfish restaurant in Hanoi just into list of 12 restaurants “worth traveling across the world to experience” by US news website Bloomberg.
Scorched squares of sizzling catfish, vibrant with dill, onion, turmeric and galangal flavors await customers from near and far.
The restaurant was named Jiang Ziya (La Vong in Vietnamese), a Chinese noble who helped kings Wen and Wu of Zhou overthrow the Shang in ancient China , in 1871 during French colonial times.
Located in 14 Cha Ca Street Hoan Kiem District, many people believe that the street ứa named after famous dish serve at this restaurant.
Bloomberg said notable chefs such as James Beard Award winner Chris Shepherd from Houston have traveled to sample the fish there.
Diners sit at a common table with a stove installed in a burner. The fish marinated with turmeric is added to the sizzling garlic oil, then dill the dill and shrimp paste.
The client’s job is to add herbs, pickled peppers, peanuts and noodles, all of which are on the table.
There are now around 15 restaurants specializing in the dish in Hanoi. The original Cha Ca La Vong has also opened a bigger outlet at 107 Nguyen Truong To in Ba Dinh District, where diners should expect to pay around $8 per head.
If you’re already in Hanoi, don’t bother globetrotting and indulge in a steaming skillet now.