Co Am shrimp cake in the alley of Dong Xuan market is a favorite snacking address in Hanoi, selling more than 1,000 pieces a day.
Referring to shrimp cakes, many people remember Ho Tay shrimp cakes that appeared on the American television channel CNN. In addition to addresses around West Lake, shrimp cake shops in the Dong Xuan market area also attract many diners, including Co Am restaurant at the beginning of the market alley.
The shop is only 5-7 m2 wide, with about 10 seats for guests. But right from the moment the owner was about to clear the goods, there were diners waiting to enjoy the new batches of crispy, golden-fried shrimp cakes.
Mrs. Um, 62 years old, does not remember when the shop opened because she is the second generation to take over after her mother stopped selling. She herself has been selling cakes for about 30 years. The shop opens two time frames, from 10:30 to 13:00 and from 15 to 17:30 every day. From the morning, Mrs. Am and her staff have prepared steps such as washing vegetables, mixing flour, pre-frying a number of cakes before opening for sale.
To enjoy shrimp cakes at Co Am restaurant requires luck or patience. Luckily, when we arrived, there was a seat and just in time for the batch of shrimp cakes to be fried. Otherwise, diners will have to wait patiently to be served their order. At least 10-15 minutes, longer sometimes half an hour. Many customers buy cakes to take home, order an hour in advance, but when they arrive, it is still not their turn because the restaurant only has two kitchens while the time to fry the cakes is longer than making a bowl of vermicelli or pho. Guests coming to eat often order 5-10 at a time, so a batch of cakes is finished, Ms. Am explained.
In the afternoon, around 4pm onwards, the shop starts to get crowded. “Sometimes there are many customers, standing at the end of the alley, not serving in time, so we have to make an appointment for another day,” Ms. Am said.
She still makes cakes according to the recipe left by her mother. “The flour is mixed with eggs and a little turmeric powder, beat well until it is very flexible and smooth, then add the sliced sweet potatoes and mix well. The sweet potatoes must be cut by hand, the new fibers are small, when fried with the flour, the new crispy. The shrimp choose Fresh shrimp, new meat tough and firm,” she said.
The shop has one employee, and Mrs. Am’s daughter is in charge of two fryers. In addition to the two main ingredients, shrimp and flour like other shops, Mrs. Am added sliced sweet potatoes, mixed with fried dough.
Scoop the dough into a ladle, place it on two evenly sized shrimp, and then drop the ladle in the oil pan for a few seconds so that the outer layer of dough is cooked and no longer sticky. Then lift the ladle of dough to another pan, pour the cake out and fry for about 5 minutes on medium heat to finish. Each cake is about the size of a palm, on top of the golden fried dough are shrimps with their shells on.
There are two types of fried cakes: young fried and old fried. Young fried shrimp cakes are usually for customers to buy and take home. Old donuts will be served on-site.
Each cake is about the size of a palm, filled with two shrimps. Photo: euhyesun.
Finished batches of donuts will be placed in a round aluminum tray about 30 cm in diameter placed on the counter. Before reaching customers, Mrs. Am will cut shrimp cakes into three small parts for easy enjoyment. Each cake costs 13,000 VND.
The plate of shrimp cakes is served with sweet and sour dipping sauce, adding a few slices of papaya and carrots. To reduce the taste of grease, diners can eat with raw vegetables such as lettuce, lettuce, coriander, which are served free of charge.
Shrimp cakes are fried golden, the crust is crispy, with the sweet taste of sweet potato fibers. Fresh shrimp should be firm and chewy, sweet. Shrimp cakes should be eaten hot, because then dipped in the dipping sauce, the crust still retains its crispiness.
Because the donuts are not soaked in oil, many diners may feel a bit sick after eating the second or third bite. This is the time when raw vegetables come into play. The crispiness and freshness of the vegetables will neutralize the taste, reduce the craving, and help diners enjoy the whole plate of shrimp cakes in a delicious way.
There is no waiting time to enjoy live, many people choose to buy and take away, but this is not easy. “Buy and take-out is usually pre-ordered or comes early in the afternoon. When it’s crowded, cakes to sell on the spot are not enough,” said Mrs. Am.
Ms. Am said that although she did not have the exact number, it was estimated that the shop sold more than 1,000 pieces a day, not including pre-orders. The customers of the shop are both middle-aged and young people, tourists from out of town and foreigners. “Foreign customers also stand in line to buy as usual. I don’t know how to speak English, so I asked the staff to exchange a few simple words like how many minutes to wait or the price,” she said.
Nha Vy’s family (32 years old, HCM City) came to enjoy shrimp cakes at Mrs. Am’s restaurant at noon on August 24. “Arriving at the place, I saw that the shop was quite similar to the comments read on social networks. The shrimp cake was crispy and delicious. The shop was extremely crowded, I came at peak hours so I had to wait for more than 20 minutes. The attitude of the owner. and the staff are not very welcoming, maybe because the restaurant is crowded, but I still feel okay,” she said.
Thuy Hien and Minh Quan, two university students in Hanoi, have been to the restaurant several times. They said they only occasionally come because it’s too crowded, there’s no fan, and it’s very hot in the summer. Moreover, the shop is at the beginning of the alley, right next to the parking space, people going in and out are quite messy, affecting eating and drinking. “Although shrimp cakes are delicious, we usually eat them quickly, overcome our hunger, or come and buy them to take home,” Hien said.
In addition to Co Am shrimp cakes, diners can also find restaurants selling these snacks on Thanh Nien, Thuy Khue, Tay Ho, and Hang Bo streets.
($1=24,000 VND)
Photo: Internet (Vinlove.net)