Chả Cá Thăng Long

Chả Cá Thăng Long is a chả cá house at 21-31 Đường Thành in Hanoi's Old Quarter, in northern Vietnam. It is a rival to the original Chả Cá Lã Vọng and is often quieter than that better-known restaurant, which makes it attractive for diners who want to try Hanoi's signature fish dish without the crowds. Chả cá is a dish of catfish marinated with turmeric and cooked at the table in a shallow pan with generous amounts of dill and spring onion. Diners pick the fish and herbs from the pan and eat them with rice noodles, roasted peanuts, prawn paste and chilli, seasoning the mixture to taste. Signature dishes at the restaurant are the chả cá Thăng Long itself, chả cá lăn and nem hải sản, seafood spring rolls. The dining room is traditional and family-run in character. There is no formal dress code, and the atmosphere is relaxed and orderly rather than upscale. Because the fish is cooked at the table, the room carries the smell of dill and frying turmeric, and noise levels stay moderate outside busy mealtimes. Prices are moderate, with a typical meal costing about 200,000 to 300,000 VND per person, comparable to the more famous chả cá restaurants nearby. Beverages include beer, soft drinks and tea, and there is no distinctive wine programme. Hours are daily 11AM to 9:30PM, so the restaurant is open through the afternoon, which is convenient for visitors who arrive outside the traditional lunch and dinner peaks. Reservations are recommended for groups, and smaller parties can usually be seated without one. Visitors often use the location on Đường Thành, close to the Old Quarter's main streets and to Hoàn Kiếm Lake, as a base for a walking food tour, comparing the flavour and service with those of other chả cá restaurants in the area.