Cha ca La Vong – the best halal food in Hanoi

People often say that you have to taste a culture to understand it. However, when it comes to halal food, your travel as a Muslim starts to be challenging, especially in countries where Muslim is not a big religion like Vietnam. So, to help you save a little time looking for halal restaurants and halal food, I will right now present to you the best halal food in Hanoi ever, it is Cha ca La Vong.

Cha Ca La Vong - The specialty of Hanoi

No one knows when this famous dish dates back from and when it became so popular. However, there is a legend that in the time when French colonists invaded Vietnam, there lived a couple at 14 Hang Son Street. They were both devoted to the country liberty and they host Vietnam troops at their house. To welcome guests, this family had a tradition to make the best dish out of fresh fish. Gradually, the flavor of this dish became familiar to the guests and they even helped the couple to open their own restaurant serving this kind of fish dish.

Then, the restaurant also became another source of income for them to live on. Besides, there was always a statue of Mr. La Vong (Khuong Tu Nha) fishing by the pond inside their restaurant. This man used to be an excellent scholar and a wise man but he had to wait for the right time to come for men like him. So, he fishes everyday. The statue of La Vong is reason for the name of this Vietnamese halal food in Hanoi..

In Sapa - a poetic city in the northern part of Vietnam, there are plenty of delicious Sapa food, you don't wanna miss out.

What ingredients are there in one dish?

This dish can be made from many kinds of fish. However, only “cá lăng” (a kind of catfish) can bring about the best flavor. This fish has little bones, a fascinating smell and most importantly, it is less dry than others.

The main ingredients of Cha Ca La Vong

Besides fish, fennel and onion leaves are also essential ingredients to create the unique taste. Fennel must be average, not too young, not too old.
In addition to these, this halal food is served with vermicelli and shrimp sauce which is terrible in smell to some people but its taste is perfect for a halal dish like this. If you cannot eat shrimp sauce, fish sauce is always available. The fish can be eaten with some herb and peanuts if you like.

Where to find this halal food in Hanoi?

Delicious cha ca la vong at 14 Cha Ca Street

1. Cha Ca La Vong Restaurant at 14 Cha Ca Street and 107 Nguyen Truong To
2. Cha ca Thang Long at 19,21,31 Duong Thanh
3. Cha ca Anh Vu at 120 Giang Vo Street

These three restaurants are among the ones that serve that best fish plate for the best halal food in Hanoi. Don’t forget to come to one of these and don’t miss any chances to try out traditional food of Vietnam. For more halal food and more things to do in Hanoi, please take a look at my food stories on the Blog of GoAsiaDayTrip.

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