A dish is sometimes not only attractive thanks to its flavour but also being associated with beautiful memories. In the memory, for many people who have been attached to the capital city of Ha Noi, a symbol of the nation’s thousand years of civilization, that flavour becomes even more familiar and intimate. What could be more interesting than enjoying your favourite dish right in the heart of the coastal city?

A scene is taken at the Lan Beo ‘Pho’ in Da Nang. Photo: DOAN HAO LUONG

1. Da Nang people are probably familiar with the name Lan Beo ‘Pho’, a national dish of Viet Nam. When transportation is convenient and the economy develops, finding a Ha Noi ‘pho’ restaurant is not difficult in other localities. However, to enjoy the true taste of Ha Noi ‘pho’, it must be cooked by Ha Noi people. That is also the reason why Mr. Nguyen Ba Lan from Hoa Hai Ward, Ngu Hanh Son District always preserves the unique flavor of Lan Beo ‘Pho’ over the years.

According to Mr. Lan, Ha Noi ‘pho’ has many types such as chicken and beef ‘pho’. Among the broths, chicken broth is the best and most neutral because the cook can also use beef. However, Mr. Lan does not do that but usually keeps beef and chicken separate so that the flavours do not mix together. Many people advise him to “when in Rome, do as the Romans do”, that is, prepare the dish to suit the taste of Da Nang people, but he is determined to keep the typical flavour of Ha Noi ‘pho’. Thanks to that, many diners do not need to go all the way to Ha Noi to enjoy the flavour of Ha Noi ‘pho’ when coming to his restaurant.

Pursuing his goal, Lan Beo ‘Pho’ gradually conquered local diners. After 5 years of opening the restaurant, Mr. Lan sells more than 1,000 bowls every day. People also say that when eating this dish, you must eat it on time in order to enjoy the typical flavour of the dish. Since then, customers have flocked to it from 8:00 to 9:00 am.

The secret to creating the brand of Lan Beo ‘Pho’ is always focusing on the ingredients and processing methods. For example, the beef must be fresh and clean. Before processing, the beef is put in cold water for 2 hours, then taken out and absolutely do not add salt to wash it because it will be absorbed back.

Lan Beo ‘Pho’ has two typical dishes that cannot be found anywhere else, which are ribs and rare beef. Ribs are pieces of meat with bones, so they are very fragrant. When processing rare beef, you must use an iron pan, cast iron pan, or stone pan to preserve the delicious flavour of the meat. After marinating, rare beef is rolled in a pan with lard or canola oil and Ha Noi or Ly Son garlic.

It is a need to tilt the pan so that the fire burns on the surface of the meat creates a characteristic flavour. To have fresh and quality beef, Mr. Lan is currently participating in the Phu Yen grass-fed beef project. The cows here are only fed grass and corn, so the meat is very delicious.

Mr. Lan believes that Hanoians pay more attention to the way of enjoying food than to quantity and quality. Perhaps that is why most ‘pho’ restaurants in the North rarely have ceiling fans; instead, the ‘pho’ stove is often placed right at the entrance so that the aroma spreads throughout the restaurant. Before entering, diners will enjoy the dish with their sense of smell and sight, then their sense of taste.

2. Having operated for two years, the brand ‘Bun Cha Ha Noi Holic’ owned by Mr. Pham Tuan Vinh in the Huynh Thuc Khang culinary area, Nam Duong Ward, Hai Chau District is already familiar to many domestic and foreign diners. Mr. Vinh came to Da Nang during a trip in 2022. Just with his love for the beautiful scenery and people here so much, his family decided to settle down in Da Nang to start business just two months later.

Sharing about this bold decision, Mr. Vinh said that Ha Noi-style ‘bun cha’ (rice vermicelli with, grilled pork patties and fresh herbs) is considered a refreshing dish suitable for the summer. Meanwhile, Da Nang has a warm climate all year round, making it very convenient for diners to enjoy this dish.

Although Da Nang people have a habit of eating strong flavours, Vinh still maintains the light taste typical of ‘bun cha’. “Unlike the cuisine of Viet Nam’s central region, northern dishes use less spices and mainly rely on the natural sweetness of the food.

Therefore, when marinating the patties, Vinh does not marinate them too elaborately so that the patties still retain their natural sweetness. Instead, he focuses on mixing the dipping sauce so that when eating the patties, the patties and the patties blend together harmoniously. There are also two types of patties: patties (whole pieces of meat) and minced patties (meatballs).

To make the meat inside soft and moist, not too dry, the griller must know how to adjust the temperature appropriately. Therefore, when preparing this dish, I have to do it myself to feel secure. As for rice vermicelli, I chose the thin ones so that when dipped in the broth, it will be easy to absorb without being soggy," Vinh shared.

With his meticulousness and meticulousness in processing, after only two years, the Holic shop  is not only sought out by many people from Da Nang but also by tourists from many foreign countries. Even many people from Ha Noi come to this venue during their stay in Da Nang as a way enjoy their homeland’s flavour after working days away from home.

In addition to the above-mentioned specialities, currently in Da Nang, there are many dishes with the flavour of Ha Noi such as ‘bun dau mam tom’, ‘bun oc’, ‘pho cuon’, ‘bun thang’, ‘bun moc doc mung’, ‘banh gio’ and ‘xoi khuc’. Not only are they attractive thanks to the wonderful combination of ingredients and processing, but the chefs from Ha Noi have also brought diners more love and affection for Ha Noi every time they enjoy  these dishes in Da Nang.

Reporting by DOAN HAO LUONG - Translating by A.THU