Chả Cá Lã Vọng: Recipe of Hanoi Style Grilled Fish

Chả Cá Lã Vọng or Hanoi Grilled Fish (known as Chả Cá Lã Vọng or La Vong Fish Cake) is one of the most famous specialties of Hanoi people for hundreds of years, but few people know when this dish has an exact history, who is its ancestor and the esoteric recipe has What's so special that La Vong grilled fish is so delicious.

The origin of La Vong fish cake in Hanoi:

During the French colonial period, at house number 14, Hang Son Street (now Cha Ca Street), there was a patriotic family, surnamed Doan, who had the talent to make delicious fish cakes. Especially in this house, De Tham insurgent army was taken care of and helped a lot by the owner to escape from the French invaders.

They have the secret of making traditional fish cakes and are very hospitable, so the De Tham insurgent army has the opportunity to enjoy the dish many times. To show their gratitude, these guests opened a shop specializing in selling fish cakes for the Doan family. The fish cake shop was opened to both help their families support themselves and as a place where the insurgents could meet.

In the fish cake shop, there is a statue of Mr. La Vong - Khuong Tu Nha sitting with his knees bent and fishing. Khuong Tu Nha is a talented person but is waiting for the right time to do great work. That is why the name La Vong grilled fish was born and the name of the restaurant also became the name of the dish that will be remembered forever.

• The uniqueness of La Vong Fish Cake:

The type of fish chosen for this dish must be fresh lentils because it has less bones, sweet and fragrant flesh than other fish. Previously, the Doan family used Anh Vu fish at the confluence of the Bach Hac rivers of Viet Tri and Phu Tho cities to process but this fish is seasonal and extremely expensive and rare. Instead, easier-to-find fish such as trout, fish, etc. will be used to make fish cakes.

The way to marinate La Vong fish cake is also quite simple. After washing the fish, the chef will use a knife to slice both sides of the fish, slice each fish thin enough and then marinate with a variety of spices such as galangal, sesame, fish sauce, turmeric, pepper, ...

After the fish is marinated for at least 2 hours, it will be clamped on a bamboo stick and then grilled on a burning charcoal stove. The fish must be grilled to golden brown on both sides, not too scorched or too burnt.

Recipe of How to Make and Eat La Vong Fish Cake:

When preparing to enjoy La Vong fish cake, the grilled fish clips will be poured into the boiling fat pan. The accompanying vegetables include dill and scallions cut into long pieces. Many diners may not know, but the Doan family uses dog fat to make La Vong fish cake.

Eating this dish must be eaten while it is still hot and served with crispy sesame rice cakes, vermicelli, roasted peanuts, coriander, basil, dill, chopped fresh onions. Gather all these things in chopsticks and dip them into a bowl of shrimp paste that has been mixed with lemon until frothy. In a bowl of shrimp paste with a little bit of Ca cuong oil and a few drops of white wine, it's even better.

The sweet and aromatic taste of fish, vegetables and spices combined with the characteristic aroma of shrimp paste makes diners eat forever without stopping. The sound of grease in the pan is very funny, when adding fish and vegetables, you should only stir it a little bit but not for too long, the fish will be crushed, or the onion and leaves will be too cooked. again.

To this day, because of the irresistible deliciousness of this fish cake dish, because of the favorite needs of gourmets, more and more La Vong grilled fish restaurants are opening in Hanoi. There are also high-end luxury Cha Ca restaurants, popular Cha Ca restaurants, and sidewalks, but not many of them retain the old traditional flavor of the famous La Vong Cha Ca.

Please refer to the best places to eat La Vong fish cake in Hanoi, constantly updated with addresses, information and offers.

Good places to eat often run out of seats early, especially on weekends, holidays, and Tet. So, don't forget to book a table in advance through PasGo to keep your beautiful seats, receive discounts and not have to wait long! Wish you always be wise to find delicious and economical places to eat and drink near you.

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See Also:

• Best Authentic Street Food Not To Be Missed in Ha Noi
• Hanoi Vietnam Travel Guide: Things You Need to Know
• Best Things to Do, and Places to Visit in Hanoi Vietnam