The sidewalk noodle shop in the heart of the old town suddenly appeared on international television, making many diners curious, but is it still as popular as before?
Coming to Hanoi, in addition to eating special dishes such as vermicelli, bun cha, beef noodle soup, etc., vermicelli is one of the indispensable dishes in the journey to discover Hanoi cuisine. Referring to snail vermicelli, many people probably still remember Luong Ngoc Quyen snail vermicelli, even though it is just a burden of sidewalk snails, this snail noodle shop has been introduced to the public by the famous American television channel (CNN) to the public all over world. world in 2016.
The story of the sidewalk noodle shop in the heart of the old town, where many people in the capital still do not know the name, was praised by the world television channel CNN, making so many people come to enjoy it that the restaurant had to move inside the alley. . So now, is this snail noodle shop still as crowded as before?
Having appeared on a famous American TV channel, what is it like to carry vermicelli noodles on Hanoi’s Old Quarter now?
Noodles in the old town were once “promoted” on international television
Luong Ngoc Quyen snail vermicelli, also known as Co Giang snail vermicelli, is located in the heart of the old town. The shop is impressive because it’s not a spacious shop, only a large load of snails and a few chairs to sit and work as a table, bringing a traditional rustic space to Vietnam. After the first episode of the series “Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown” aired on American television, the snail noodle shop on Luong Ngoc Quyen street attracted many more customers, becoming one of the famous snail noodle shops in Thua Hanoi capital.
Photo: CNTraveller
The snail noodle dish at Ms. Giang’s restaurant, which is constantly praised by the famous chef in the program on CNN, is not the famous snail noodle dish but the hot snail noodle with a very Hanoi sidewalk scene. To briefly introduce Hanoi snail noodle soup, Anthony Bourdain was delighted to describe: “Spicy taste, excellent broth with tomatoes, spices, fresh vermicelli, snails, really delicious. Let’s take a look at this delicious snail.”
Chef Anthony Bourdain “nods” while enjoying a Hanoi snail noodle dish. (Photo: CNTraveller)
At that time, Ms. Giang’s snail vermicelli was just a small burden sitting on the sidewalk. After appearing on a famous food show on CNN, the restaurant is always crowded, making it difficult for the owner to arrange cars and seats at times. There are times when customers come to gather in front of the goods, so Ms. Giang has to arrange tables and chairs for diners to enter the alley right behind to sit, not sit on the sidewalk as before, many people think that is lost. the poetic taste when enjoying Hanoi snail noodle soup.
Is the snail noodle soup still as “hot” as before?
Find the old vermicelli burden, now no longer located at that familiar Luong Ngoc Quyen location. Currently, Ms. Giang’s snail vermicelli has been moved back to 29 Ta Hien. Still a burden of vermicelli, but now it is more spacious with plastic tables and chairs with both indoor and outdoor seating. The shop is no longer as crowded as it was when it emerged, it is easy to see that the customers are often crowded during peak hours and mornings, sometimes less crowded.
Having existed for more than 18 years, the small vermicelli burden nestled on the sidewalk causes nostalgia for those who love this dish. In addition to the first-time guests, there were many patrons and guests nearby who came to support. Every day, Ms. Giang cooks a large pot of broth and sells it from 7:30 a.m. until the stock runs out between 14 and 15 p.m. Everything is still quite simple, with a hot pot of broth, a crock pot, a small bamboo shell to scoop up snail juice or vinegar, Ms. Giang is busy taking vermicelli and then eating snails.
The taste of snail vermicelli here is in the form of Hanoi’s traditional snail vermicelli, the bowls of vermicelli noodles simply have tangled vermicelli, snails, tomatoes, scallions, and a pot of broth with all the flavors of sour, spicy, and sweet. . Sip a bowl of hot snail vermicelli in the cold weather every morning, feel the rustic flavor in the heart of the old town.
In addition to the hot snail noodle dish that was praised all the time, the cold snail noodle dish at Ms. Giang’s restaurant received many controversies. Still the image of snails, crockery jars, bamboo shells in the traditional style of Hanoi. Porcelain bowls contain a few large snails, mixed with amber broth to eat with vermicelli, but Ms. Giang’s cold snail vermicelli also includes snail rolls and pork loin.
Many people believe that this destroys the exclusive flavor of vermicelli noodles, making the bowl of vermicelli become fishy and quite messy, losing the unique quality of Hanoi cold snail vermicelli. Many diners feel that this is the unique point of the restaurant, snail vermicelli with pork loin has a bit of crunchy texture, strange but very reasonable.
Each person has a unique feeling, people who can eat it love it, and if they can’t eat it, they criticize it and have to eat it to feel its simple deliciousness. Bun snail is still a familiar and rustic dish of Ha Thanh people, bringing an unmistakable taste.