Cha Ca – one of the best food in Hanoi.
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CNN staff named Cha Ca the number one dish among the best dishes in Hanoi. “Hanoians consider cha ca to be so exceptional that there is a road in the capital dedicated to these fried morsels of fish – Cha Ca Street,” CNN wrote.
Along the busy road, where spiderwebs of exposed electric wires hang overhead, dozens of specialists compete to sell the best cha ca — crispy turmeric-marinated fish that’s fried tableside in a pan with herbs.
The most famous restaurant on this strip is Ca La Vong — one of the oldest eateries in Hanoi — and the first to set up shop on Cha Ca Street, over a century ago.
Banh Tom takes the second place on the list. According to CNN, deceptively time-intensive, Hanoi-style banh tom, or shrimp cakes, have just a few main ingredients: freshwater crayfish or shrimp from West Lake, flour and sweet potato.
Instead of grinding the shrimp into a paste (like a fish ball), the fried seafood is usually left whole — sitting atop the crunchy cakes. It’s typically served with lettuce leaves for wrapping, plus chili, lime juice and fish sauce for dipping.
The third place belongs to Bun Ca. According to CNN, Fresh and light, bun ca combines fried fishcakes, dill, tomatoes, green onions, and perilla – a mint-like herb.
A lunchtime staple in Hanoi, you can find bun ca (fish noodle soup) just about anywhere. But Mark Lowerson, founder of Hanoi Street Tours, points to a vendor west of the Old Quarter called Van, who specializes in the dish.
Hanoi is the host of the second US – North Korea summit, to be held on February 27-28.
