Hot Pot: Recipe, Ingredients, Places to Try Vietnamese Lẩu

Hot Pot (Vietnamese Name: Lẩu) has its origin in Mongolia but it is a popular and beloved kind of food in Southeast Asian countries, especially in Vietnam. Depending on each region, food culture in Vietnam is very diversified and brings its own unique flavor for each region. Hotpot is not a traditional dish but it is very popular in Vietnam from the North to the South.

Hot Pot Ingredients consists of a consommé pot, a stove or a mini gas cooker, vegetables and some kinds of raw meat (Chiken, Duck, Pork, Beef, Goat,…) and seafood (Fish, Shrimp, Crab, Squid, Octopus,..). When the consommé boils, vegetables and raw foods will be put into the pot to cook. Hot pot is often served with vermicelli or rice noodles.

vietnamese-Dragon-Hotpot

In Vietnamese Recipe of Lẩu, hot pot comes in many forms of cooking. Every region of the country has its own specific kinds of hot pot, for example: the north’s field crab/chicken hot pot, the south’s red tilapia fish hot pot and central Vietnam’s sour and spicy seafood hot pot.

1. Crab and Goat Hotpot in Northen Vietnam:

Field crab hot pot is an appetizing dish in northern Vietnam. This dish has many different flavors to enjoy: the sweet taste of crab meat, the buttery taste of crab-roe, the sour taste of tomatoes and tamarind. It also has the savory flavor of dill, water spinach and crab cake. You can also add some other ingredients into the hot pot to feed your appetite. Some examples: flower crab, squid, shrimp, clam or other kinds of fresh vegetables such as buffalo spinach, water mimosa.

/vietnamese-Lau-Mumu-Hotpot

Field crab and goat hot pot is not only popular in northern Vietnam but also beloved in the central and south of Vietnam. This delicious hot pot appears the meals of common people, street food stalls, and even in the menu of luxurious restaurants.

2. Central Vietnam’s sour and spicy seafood hotpot:

Sour and spicy seafood hot pot of Hue province has a very specific taste. The process of making this kind of hot pot is a little similar to Thai hotpot with the same raw ingredients such as clam, shrimp, squid, beef and fish. However, the consommé of Hue’s hot pot is made in a special way with dried shrimp, dried squid and broth from a giant perch’s spine. Those ingredients are mixed with salt, sugar, tamarind sauce and fish sauce. The combination of sour, spicy, salty and sweet this creates is a unique sensation. When the consommé boils, the raw ingredients are put into the pot along with mushrooms, water spinach, shallot, water dropwort and culantro. Just after a simple process of cooking, you can enjoy a special dish from central Vietnam.

3. The South’s Tilapia and Red Snapper Hotpot:

Red Snapper and Tilapia Fishes are commonly raised in the Mekong river delta. Red tilapia meat is white, firm, fatty and delicious. Red tilapia is used as an ingredient for many tasty dishes including the famous red tilapia hot pot in southern Vietnam.

vietnamese-hot-pot

In the consommé of this hot pot, there are small spring onions, tomatoes, water dropwort and ginger. When the consommé boils and is seasoned, the fish can be put into the pot. Red tilapia is quickly ready to be served. This kind of hot pot is served with vermicelli. Usually, every eater has a small bowl of fish sauce on the table to dip red tilapia meat in. Red tilapia hot pot smells delicious and tastes awesome.

Best Local Places/Restaurants to Try Hot Pots in Hanoi:

1. Hot Pot Sauna: Address - 108 Hang Bong, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi Old French Quarter

If you do not like to eat with grease and whirling smoke, you can try this restaurant. Sauna hot pot is not a spacious area, flashy on the street but many people know and tell each other when they want to choose a good Lau also with good price.

The menu varies from bird, chicken, beef to fish, shrimp, clam with the price range from 200,000VND to 350,000 VND (8.65$ - 15.13$) per person.

2. Lu Quan Restaurant: Address - 6A Hang Luoc, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi Old French Quarter

The restaurant is located on Hang Luoc Street, near the Hong Kong bakery, which is spacious and airy. The first impression when coming to the shop is the luxurious and eye-catching design of the restaurant. In their varied menu, there are not only different kinds of lau but also light snacks.

Specialized in 3 types of Lau is Hong Kong hot pot, Thai hot pot and kimchi hot pot. Depending on the type of Lau, there will be different ingredients. A small note which is the hotpot here is very plentiful so you may want to double check on the numbers of portion you want to order.

3. Minh Anh hotpot: Address 43 Hang Cot, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi Old French Quarter

Crab Lau is most likely the most suitable Lau in the cold rainy days in Hanoi. The biggest plus of Minh Anh Hot pot is not in the space, design or price but in quality of food.

The ingredients are freshly prepared and right before being served to the dinners. Hot and tasty broth comes with a plate of diced meat to dip in. Apart from crab lau, the restaurant also has other options which is chicken Lau and dried goat Lau.

4. Steam House Restaurant: Address - 15 & 17 Hang Cot Street, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi Old Quarter

Steam House is the second base of Steam Box on Giang Vo street. Spacious space, airy and without feeling of being stuffy or cramped, reasonable table setting, very convenient for receipting guests and family reunions.

The food is completely cooked by steaming, so it can keep the fresh color of the vegetables. All the food will take 6-8 minutes to cook. Because it is steaming Lau so the food will be fresh, you won’t feel fed up of eating it.

Best Local Places/Restaurants to Try Hot Pots in Saigon

1. Ba Du Mam Hot Pot: Address - 4th Floor, Ba Du Mam Hot Pot Vincom Mega Mall Thao Dien, 159 Hanoi Highway, Thao Dien, District 2, Ho Chi Minh City

Opening hours: 10:30 - 22:30
Reference price: 170,000 - 350,000 VND

If you miss the Ba Du fish sauce hotpot restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City, it is really a big omission. Ba Du fish sauce hotpot encapsulates the quintessence of Western cuisine with a very delicious, sweet and aromatic hot pot sauce mixed with a rich dipping sauce. All ingredients for cooking hot pot are carefully selected by Ba Du, vegetables, seafood, meat are guaranteed to be fresh. In particular, the hot pot at the restaurant does not use an electric pot, but prefers a charcoal pot, so it retains heat for a long time and is less likely to run out of water.

2. Chicken Hot Pot: Address - 59 Tu Xuong, Ward 7, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City

Opening hours: 10:00 - 21:00
Reference price: 250,000 - 300,000 VND

Coming to Ga Up hot pot restaurant on Tu Xuong street, surely the first impression of diners is the spacious space of the restaurant, which is designed in a classic, warm and close vintage style. Besides, the chicken hot pot dish is the restaurant's own dish, prepared according to the unique recipe of the Chinese chef. The fragrant hot pot, hot pot broth, and juicy chicken mixed together are enough to cause nostalgia for those who "trot" once to eat.

3. Chili chicken hot pot 136 - Delicious and cheap hotpot restaurant in HCMC

Address: 136 Le Duc Tho, Go Vap District
Opening hours: 10:00 - 22:00
Reference price: 200,000 - 330,000 VND

For a long time, the dangerous chili chicken hot pot 136 has become the destination of "gourmets" in Saigon. The hot pot dish here is very elaborately prepared with the hot pot sauce bringing up the natural sweet aroma, the mildly spicy chili flavor, and the chewy, delicious chicken. A whole chicken hot pot with accompanying vegetables, ensuring 3-4 people are full. With a cool, clean space, delicious hot pot and affordable prices, this hot pot restaurant is always crowded, especially on weekends.

4. Hang Lau Street - Saigon's signature hot pot

Address: 16 Dong Nai, Ward 15, District 10
Opening hours: 16:00 - 22:00
Reference price: 150,000 - 200,000 VND

In Ho Chi Minh City, if you want to enjoy the taste of the North, you should go to Hang Lau Street. The hot pot restaurant has an extremely rustic, peaceful, cozy space design, reminiscent of an old Vietnam. In particular, coming to the restaurant, you will experience a memorable culinary journey with a diverse menu, from Northern hot pot buffet, braised duck hot pot with crocodile, crab hot pot,... to other dishes such as duck in the old town. , eel shoveling rice paper,

5. Dat Mui Crab Hot Pot Restaurant - Nearby seafood hotpot restaurant

Address:
- 769 Quang Trung, Ward 12, Go Vap District
- 661 Tran Hung Dao, Ward 1, District 5
Opening hours: 10:00 - 22:00
Reference price: 100,000 - 200,000 VND

Dat Mui Crab Hot Pot Restaurant is probably one of the delicious hot pot restaurants in Ho Chi Minh City that everyone knows. The menu of the restaurant is mainly dishes made from crabs, especially the crabs selected are Western crabs, many bricks, firm meat. In particular, crab hotpot is a dish that can satisfy anyone when tasting. The hot pot is cooked according to the Western taste, so it has a sour and spicy taste, but the crab meat still retains its natural sweetness.

6. An Nhien Vegetarian Mushroom Hot Pot - Cheap and delicious hot pot restaurant in HCMC

Address:
- 81 - 83 Pham Ngu Lao, Go Vap District, Ho Chi Minh City
- 203 Dinh Tien Hoang, Tan Dinh Ward, District 1, HCM City
- 94 Nguyen Van Thu, Da Kao Ward, District 1, HCM City
Opening hours: 9:00 - 21:00
Reference price: 80,000 - 120,000 VND

If you want to change your taste with a frugal vegetarian hot pot meal, then go to An Nhien vegetarian restaurant in District 1 to enjoy vegetarian mushroom hot pot. This is one of the dishes that make the restaurant's name in Saigon. The restaurant's vegetarian mushroom hotpot has a distinctive aroma, rich and sweet hotpot made entirely from healthy, vegan ingredients.

7. Ba Huyen Thanh Quan goby hotpot

Address: 18 Ba Huyen Thanh Quan, Ward 7, District 3
Opening hours: 10:00 - 22:00
Reference price: 100,000 - 220,000 VND

If you come to Ho Chi Minh City, if you want to eat goby hotpot, don't forget to come to Ba Huyen goby hotpot restaurant. Diners come to the restaurant every day not only because of the airy and spacious space, but also because of the "delicious" goby hotpot specialty. The secret to a delicious hot pot is the delicious, fragrant broth cooked according to the restaurant's own recipe, goby fish and vegetables are always fresh every day. In addition to goby fish hotpot, the restaurant also has many other fish hotpot dishes for diners to choose from.

Best Places to Try Hot Pot in Da Nang City

1. Food Center:

Address: 1A Tran Quoc Toan, Phuoc Ninh Ward, Hai Chau District, Da Nang
Opening hours: 11:00 - 22:00
Reference price: 50,000 - 299,000 VND

Food Center is also a delicious hot pot restaurant in Da Nang that you must try at least once. The restaurant has a young, warm space with a very enthusiastic and agile staff. Besides many delicious dishes of various countries, the restaurant stands out for Thai cuisine, typically Thai hot pot. The rich broth with the scent of lemongrass, lemon leaves and a variety of dips will make you fall in love with the way back there.

2. Le Gia Restaurant:

Address: 94 Vo Nguyen Giap, Man Thai, Son Tra, Da Nang
Opening hours: 08:30 - 23:00
Reference price: 100,000 - 550,000 VND

A delicious hot pot restaurant in Da Nang with a luxurious space that is very suitable for dating or inviting guests is Le Gia restaurant. Although the price is a bit high, the quality of the food as well as the service style at Le Gia is guaranteed to satisfy even the most demanding diners. Because the restaurant specializes in fresh seafood, when you come here, don't forget to try the super quality seafood hot pot with a light, sweet, and rich juice.

3. Huong Cang Hot Pot:

Address: 5 Le Loi, Thach Thang, Hai Chau, Da Nang
Opening hours: 11:00 - 22:00
Reference price: 229,000 - 269,000 VND

Huong Cang hot pot is also a delicious hot pot restaurant in Da Nang that is highly appreciated by many diners for its quality and price. The restaurant serves in the form of a buffet with 4 types of hotpot including: mushroom, tomyum, sichuan, milk mushroom and many toppings for you to eat freely.

As one of the first hotpot buffet restaurants in Da Nang, Huong Cang is still a familiar destination for many people, perhaps because of its beautiful space.

4. Be Man Restaurant:

Address: Lot 8 Vo Nguyen Giap, Man Thai, Son Tra, Da Nang
Opening hours: 08:30 - 22:30
Reference price: 50,000 - 250,000 VND

Be Man Restaurant with a wide and airy facade, located right on Vo Nguyen Giap street, close to Da Nang beach, so this place attracts a lot of tourists and locals. The restaurant has a fresh seafood area with a variety of different types, so you can freely choose. Although it is a bit crowded, don't worry because the speed of the restaurant is very fast. If you have the opportunity to come to Da Nang, try to visit Be Man restaurant to enjoy many fresh dishes and breathe in the fresh air of the sea.

5. Nhóp Nhép Grilled Hot Pot:

Address: 45 Hai Phong, Thach Thang, Hai Chau, Da Nang
Opening hours: 16:00 - 23:00
Reference price: 30,000 - 250,000 VND

The last address in the list of delicious hot pot dishes in Da Nang that Vincom would like to introduce to you is the grilled hot pot Nhop Nep. The shop has a very spacious 2-storey space and although the shop is a bit crowded, you can rest assured that the staff will be super fast.

Besides, the restaurant has designed many menus for everyone to choose from, so whether you go alone or in a large group, you can still choose the right hot pot.

6. Mushroom Hot Pot Restaurant:

Address: 413 Nguyen Tat Thanh, Thanh Binh, Hai Chau, Da Nang
Opening hours: 08:30 - 22:30
Reference price: 50,000 - 300,000 VND

If you are a fan of seafood, you must definitely visit the Mushroom Hot Pot Restaurant. Here, the restaurant will bring you a completely new experience when combining seafood and mushrooms. The natural sweetness of mushrooms mixed with the typical sweetness of seafood makes the taste more unique than ever. The shop has a spacious space, reasonable prices, so it is very suitable for dating.

7. Seafood Hotpot in Nam Rinh Quan:

Address: 71 Chuong Duong, Bac My Phu, Ngu Hanh Son, Da Nang
Opening hours: 10:00 - 23:00
Reference price: 60,000 - 120,000 VND

Another delicious hot pot restaurant in Da Nang specializing in seafood is known to many people as Nam Ranh Quan. In addition to hot pot dishes, the restaurant also serves an extremely rich menu such as crabs, snails, clams, octopus…. and every dish is very fresh. Customers coming to the shop will be hand-selected from the fresh area and processed by the restaurant on demand, so you can be completely assured of the quality.

Another outstanding advantage of the Year Rhen Quan is its prime location. The shop is located right next to the Han River with a cool space, so it is chosen by many people here as a place to celebrate birthdays and parties.

8. De Nghia Restaurant:

Address: 145 Do Ba, Bac My Phu, Ngu Hanh Son, Da Nang
Opening hours: 09:00 - 22:00
Reference price: 50,000 - 450,000 VND

With a system of 3 stores in Da Nang city, De Nghia is a prestigious and quality address for guests who want to enjoy dishes made from goats with delicious, guaranteed flavors. The restaurant has an extensive menu with delicious dishes prepared according to its own recipe with delicate spices. In addition, the restaurant constantly updates new dishes every month with a system of many private rooms, so it can be said that every time you come to De Nghia, you will have completely new experiences.

9. Be Hai Goat Restaurant:

Address: April 30, Hoa Cuong Bac, Hai Chau, Da Nang
Opening hours: 09:00 - 11:30
Reference price: 40,000 - 250,000 VND

Referring to the delicious hot pot restaurant in Da Nang without mentioning Be Hai goat restaurant is a big omission. The first impression of the restaurant is probably the diverse space, you can choose to sit in a private, luxurious room; You can choose to sit in a simple and airy common space.

In terms of food quality, the goat dishes are meticulously handled to bring a delicious taste while still retaining the characteristics of goat dishes. The tender and fragrant goat meat dipped in the spicy hot pot is truly amazing.

Adventure Journey

See Also: