In the heart of Hanoi's Old Quarter, the house at 14 Cha Ca Street is the renowned home of cha ca La Vong. In 2004, the American media company MSNBC (now MS NOW) included the restaurant in its list of "10 places to visit before you die".

According to the owners, cha ca La Vong originated in 1871, developed by the Doan family and passed down through many generations. Ms. Le Thi Bich Loc, the current owner, stated that her husband's great-grandmother followed the De Tham insurgency, and the house served as a meeting point for those resisting French colonialism. The great-grandmother often prepared fish salad for guests, later switching to grilled fish for hygiene, before the family opened the restaurant.

The name La Vong is derived from Khuong Tu Nha, a figure associated with the legend of fishing while waiting for the opportune moment. Ms. Loc mentioned that a 30 cm tall tin statue of La Vong once stood in front of the restaurant, but it was removed due to termite damage.

Ms. Loc, 77 years old, is the fourth generation of the Doan family to manage the restaurant. She stated that her family has lived in this house and sold cha ca La Vong for 155 years. She personally marinates the fish according to the inherited recipe. Previously, the restaurant used snakehead fish combined with Hemibagrus fish and other fried fish; currently, it primarily uses snakehead fish as natural Hemibagrus fish are scarce, and other types of fish have a softer texture.

According to Ms. Loc, a standard piece of cha ca must be firm, meaty, sweet, fragrant, well-seasoned, and have few small bones, requiring experienced chefs for the deboning process.

All accompanying ingredients are carefully selected: roasted peanuts are evenly cooked, fragrant, crispy, and not burnt; fermented shrimp paste, with its plum-purple color, is finely ground, not too salty, and sourced from a craft village in Thanh Hoa through connections established by previous generations. The restaurant previously had three sources for shrimp paste, but now maintains only one as the other two could not consistently uphold quality.

After marinating for about two hours, the fish is clamped onto bamboo skewers, with 7-9 pieces per skewer, then grilled over glowing charcoal. The type of charcoal used for grilling must not easily crack at high temperatures, ensuring ash does not splatter onto the fish. Ms. Loc stated that more than 20 years ago, during its busiest period, her restaurant had 20 staff members and sold 300 kilograms of fish daily. Currently, as the dish has become more widely known and many new restaurants have opened, the number of patrons has decreased. The restaurant currently has one establishment located on Cha Ca Street.

The restaurant has two floors, each over 100 m2. The first floor serves as the family's living area and food preparation space, while the second floor features two rooms for guests. Besides Ms. Loc, the restaurant employs three staff members.

Diners ascend to the second floor via an old, narrow, and steep wooden staircase, a characteristic feature of this long-standing restaurant in the Old Quarter.

The restaurant opens daily from 11h to 14h and 16h to 20h30. Each serving of cha ca costs 180,000 VND. The fish is pre-processed; when customers order, staff bring out a pan and heat it on a portable stove. The restaurant serves only cha ca, with no other dishes. The restaurant's domestic and international customer base is relatively balanced, with international guests sometimes slightly outnumbering local ones. Ms. Loc likens running the business to "fishing". On slow days, the restaurant serves about 40-50 patrons, while on peak days, it can serve 200-300. According to Ms. Loc, the restaurant primarily serves regular customers, including some who have dined there for over 30 years, since she took over the business from her mother-in-law. In 1989, the restaurant filed for trademark protection for "Cha Ca La Vong".

On review platforms like Google and Tripadvisor, Cha Ca La Vong receives an average rating of about 3/5 stars.

Thao Huong, a tourist from TP HCM, stated that while Hanoi has many cha ca restaurants, she and her boyfriend chose this location for its flavor and long-standing reputation.

However, the steep and narrow wooden staircase is a common inconvenience mentioned by many patrons, particularly elderly people or women wearing high heels. Ms. Thu Mai, 60 years old, residing in Ha Dong, mentioned that in a few years, if her knee pain worsens, she might need to find another restaurant due to the difficulty of climbing the stairs.

Some international tourists also commented that the dish's price is quite high relative to the portion size.

Gia Huy (pictured), Ms. Loc's grandson, is the sixth generation in the family to inherit the cha ca La Vong trade. Huy is currently learning the cooking method from his grandmother, while his father, from the fifth generation, has opened a separate cha ca restaurant.

On 18/8/2025, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism recognized the Knowledge of processing and enjoying Cha Ca La Vong as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Phuong Anh

Photos: The Bang