Introducing you to a unique 100-year-old Hanoi dish that is often referred to in guide books as a must-not-miss experience, Cha Ca La Vonh. The combination of ingredients are: turmeric, dill, shrimp paste and fish sauce, delivers an intriguing muskiness bolstered with chillies, silky noodles and a thicket of other fresh herbs to season the chunks of moist fish.

Cha Ca has been considered not only a delicious dish but also a trade mark of Vietnamese cuisine. The restaurant that transformed the dish into a national phenomenon began its operations in the 19th century. Let me tell you the interesting story about the history of this dish. Cha Ca La Vong has the origin of Doan family. In years of French domination period, in No.14 Hang Son there was Doan family who usually made delicious grilled fish to invite their guests. After a long time, this dish had become famous and it was made to mainly serve for De Tham insurgent army, these guests then helped Doan family open a restaurant where they could gather and helped Doan family to earn money to bring up insurgent army as well as their family’s members. The appearance and fame of this dish was the reason Hang Son Street changed into Cha Ca Street (one of the 36 streets in the Old Quarter of Hanoi). Especially, in the restaurant at that time, there was a statue named La Vong – Khuong Tu Nha, the God of fisherman, from that time, the name Cha Ca La Vong was born.

The taste of Cha Ca La Long will make you go into ecstasy!