HA ANH’S BEST CUISINE CHOICES OF AUTUMN IN HANOI
Despite living and working in Saigon, supermodel Ha Anh has her roots as a Hanoian, growing up in an artistic family. Because of that, every brief occasion back in the capital, Ha Anh feels like returning to her childhood, wandering the streets like a tourist. As the guestspeaker of this issue’s Traveltalk, Ha Anh will share with readers how to discover Hanoi’s autumn cuisine - just enough to captivate all diners’ hearts.
MAUTUMN IN A HANOIAN’S MEMORY
y autumn in Hanoi is always poetic and peaceful. The sun is mild, the wind is gentle and the scent of fruit and flowers lingers in the air. There is a scent of blackboard tree flowers on the streets. There are the color of green rice and the color of flowers blooming at the street vendors’ stalls. There are the colors of childhood.
In Hanoi, the number one experience is, of course, eating. Last time I returned to Hanoi, I made my family eat all the famous dishes: rolls, vermicelli, fish ball, boiled snail and Trang Tien ice cream. Unfortunately, I could not stay longer to enjoy all the flavors that only came in autumn.
slightly sweet aftertaste. Green rice can be eaten alone or cooked into various dishes - all of them are full of delicate tenderness.
WHAT TO EAT IN THE AUTUMN IN HANOI?
If you come to Hanoi on this occasion, do not miss the opportunity to experience 7 dishes that I believe to be perfect only if enjoyed in the autumn.
1 GREEN RICE
When you think of the autumn of Hanoi, it is necessary to mention green rice, which is sold on the streets from July to October. Green rice is neatly wrapped in two layers of leaves and tied by a straw, that’s perfect for a gift of autumn.
You should enjoy green rice slowly to feel the soft, aromatic and
2 SAND WORM OMELETTE
The last days of the 9th month and early days of the 10th month of the lunar calendar are the seasons of sand worm in Hanoi. Sand worm is not available all year round, and tastes best when still fresh.
The aroma of sand worm omelette blended with kumquat peel can spread throughout the streets. A soft piece of sand worm omelette is usually served with rice or rice vermicelli, dipped in a light sweet and sour fish sauce, added with some raw vegetables. Just take a hot bite and enjoy its great savory taste.
Sand worm can be found in every market, but Hanoians often recommend the restaurants in Lo Duc, Gia Ngu and Hang Chieu.
3 MINCED CRAB VERMICELLI
Minced crab vermicelli is a simple dish, familiar to many generations of Hanoians. In the cool autumn weather, a bowl of minced crab vermicelli with a sour taste is the most appropriate choice of cuisine. A traditional bowl of minced crab vermicelli consists of minced freshwater crab, tomato and fried onion. The broth has a mild sour flavor. Raw vegetables served with vermicelli are more sophisticated than other types of vermicelli: sliced water spinach, sliced banana flower, lettuce, perilla and Vietnamese balm.
If you want to taste a traditional bowl of minced crab vermicelli, you should go to old restaurants in Hanoi such as Thanh Hong minced crab vermicelli (Hoa Ma), Hong Phuc alley vermicelli, and Quang Trung minced crab vermicelli.
4 PORK RIB CONGEE
In the afternoon, you should eat a bowl of pork rib congee, which is also a famous dish of Hanoi autumn. The congee is sweet and
fat from pork ribs, mixed with a little bit of pepper and paprika to be extremely delicious. An indispensable ingredient of the pork rib congee is crispy quẩy (youtiao) chopped into small pieces to eat.
One of the most famous restaurants selling pork rib congee is in Ngo Huyen.
5 TANGYUAN
For me, a hot bowl of tangyuan is one of the most delicious Hanoi dish which deserves to be enjoy in the autumn, because its rich taste is probably most appreciated in the cool autumn weather. The small, white balls of glutinous rice are filled with mung bean paste or ground black sesame and served with a ginger-infused syrup and some grated coconut or roasted peanuts to make a perfect afternoon snack.
My familiar restaurants are known by almost every Hanoian: in Ngo Sy Lien market, on Quan Thanh street or at 30 Hang Giay street.
6 RIPE FRUIT
Hanoi autumn is full of ripe fruits: Indochina dragonplum, guava, gold apple and persimmon, all ripe and juicy.
Is there anyone whose mouth doesn’t water when wandering the streets and looking at the vendors selling sliced fruit? Oh, just thinking of a ripe yellow Indochina dragonplum makes me imagine its sweet flavor!
7 EGG COFFEE
Coming to Hanoi, you can not miss a cup of egg coffee, especially in the romantic autumn weather. Egg coffee is as simple as it sounds, including coffee and egg cream. The drink is made by beating egg yolks with sugar to form a creamy foam, then extracting the coffee into half of the cup. The coffee at the bottom of the cup often acquires a richer taste. The cup is sometimes served inside a bowl of hot water or set upon a small candle to retain its heat.
The oldest egg coffee shops in Hanoi include Giang Café (Nguyen Huu Huan) and Dinh Café (Dinh Tien Hoang); Or you can visit Carambola, a café of my father, the painter Vu Huy, which not only serves delicious egg coffee but also is a gathering place for those who love art and cinema.