Streching the legs from the sidewalk to the road, holding chopsticks to mix a bowl of noodles with the fragant aroma of herbs, having a gulp of fresh and cool lemon tea, and listening to the owner telling the story of “stewed sweet herbal chicken noodles” are enough for a work-free weekend in the heart of a busy Hanoi.
Although passing through the crossroad of Hang Bo – Hang Can – Luong Van Can everyday, most of us do not notice that there is some thing special here, right? However, for many Hanoians, at the corner with a big ancient ficus tree, opposite to a stationary store, there is a familiar place to eat – Hang Bo stewed sweet herbal chicken noodles.
The shop prepares for opening from 5pm with some small chairs for sitting, bigger chairs for placing noodle bowls, glass cabinets full of ingredients, and a pot of aromatic broth. Over the past 25 years of operation, the stewed sweet herbal chicken noodle shop has been attracting uncountable number of customers and leaving an unforgettable impression on them for its taste and location. Not to discuss about the aspect of eating, only the stories about this old noodle shop are enough to make you love it. Stretching legs from the sidewalk to the road, mixing the aromatic noodles with chopsticks, having a gulp of fresh and cool lemon tea, eating and chatting with friends are enough for a peaceful weekend in the heart of a busy Hanoi.
The owner Pham Thi Lien (50 years old) is an original Hanoian whose house is at No.24 Hang Bo Street. She is quickly making noodles for the customers while happily telling about the story of the shop that supprise everyone This is not a family traditional food like many people said. Twenty five years ago when she was young, she ate stewed sweet herbal chicken noodles in a restaurant and felt that the taste of this restaurant was not attractive. Therefore, she learned to cook this dish herself. Trang An women are like this, efficacious, skillful, and perfectionist. The family members complimented her dish, she also found it delicious, so she started her business with this dish. After her shop gain reputation, some shops also copy this “dish” but the different taste.
At the beginning, the shop did not have a name plate, no steady address, and only sold rice noodles, porridge, and stewed sweet herbal chicken noodles. Ms. Lien recalls her memories “There were very few customers because we did not have any advertisement as well as did not make any impression to attract customers like today. At that time, a bowl of porridge was only little thousand dongs. Sone “luxury” customers ordered additional wing or drumstick, the price was 12 thousand dongs/bowl. Currently, I do not sell porridge and only focus on noodles.”
The price of a bowl of stewed sweet herbal chicken noodles has been kept unchanged at 40,000 VND for recent years. However, the price is said to be different on social networks that suprised Ms. Lien. It does not matter though, because she does not like advertisement. She has been selling noodles for years and people have introduced each other to come with comfort and happiness. Her stewed sweet herbal chicken noodles were introduced on newspapers several times and she is not difficult when someone curious to ask about the famous noodles that she invented.
In Hanoi, there are thousands of noodle restaurants and shops, but when it comes to stewed sweet herbal chicken noodles, there is only the street shop of Ms. Lien that can make people remember immediately. Why it is instant noodles, not other type of noodles? Ms. Lien smiles and says that she also does not know why she chosed it. Many may think that how did you get instant noodles 25 years ago, but actually there were. Probably many of you will agree with me because you are familiar with the paper bag of Miliket printed with shrimp images in your childhoods.
The secret to make the “addictive” tasty broth of this dish is a long story including the creativity and ingenuity of this Hanoian woman.
People are familiar with eating stewed sweet herbal chicken separately, or with boiled pork brain or glass noodle, etc. It is strange to have this dish with instant noodle. The combination of the two ingredients make a special dish and with the hands of aunt Lien, it is unique because she has her own secret. “A lot of people can make delicious stewed sweet herbal chicken soup and I do not assume that I make the best one. However, what she is most proud of is the broth. Her secret is in the selection of each herb such as ashweed, Rehmannia glutinosa, and mugwort, etc. Especially, it is necessary to select goji berries with small size because the big ones will make the soup sour. Chickens must be the young and small ones which have good taste, not the hens which lay eggs”, the kind owner enthusiastically shared.
With the talented cooking skill and acumen, over the past 25 years, Ms. Lien regularly changes the side dish to eat with noodles to fit the needs of the customers. Currently, in addition to stewed sweet herbal chicken noodles, customers can order century eggs, boiled pork brain and heart, etc. with only a little more money. The sweetness of chicken blended with the deep taste of pork heart, the bitterness of mugwort, and excellent quality broth will make you eat to the last bit of broth from the bottom of the bowl.
A bowl of stewed sweet herbal chicken noodles contains a half of chicken, some bean sprout, mugwort….
… and some additional ingredients such as century eggs, boiled pork brain and heart makes this dish the elite cusine of the old quarter.
Nearly three decades have passed, this corner of the old quarter is still peaceful as it used to be, but the shop of Ms. Lien has changed with both happy and bad memories for the kind woman. “In the past, there were not any electric station like these two big ones, so the shop was spacious enough to serve some tens of customers. However, the customers now have to sit between the two big steel boxes and even do not have space to sit in busy hours. On rainy days, my whole family have to stand and keep the canvas roof for the customers who are eating. There are so many inconveniences, but customers still come. This makes me very happy.
Around more than ten years ago, the shop was chased by the policemen on three-wheel driven cars and the assets of the shop was confiscated, so I had to go to the police office of the ward to get them back. It was hard, but I got used to it, so daily life goes on with so many memories. It is already 25 years, and I want to sell as long as I cannot hold the spoon to make noodles for the customers. I also do not intend to move to other place. In the future, if my children want to use my name to open their restaurant, I will let them use it. (Laughing).”
More than 20 years ago, the corner where Ms. Lien sold noodles did not have the big electric boxes like it is today and the customers filled the sidewalk.
Not only Hanoians, foreign visistors are also addictive to the taste of Ms. Lien’s stewed sweet herbal chicken noodles once they try it.
The young couple Linh and Tung (18 years old) live in Tay Ho district, but for recent 3 years, they have visited the shop at least once a week because they fell in love with the unique noodles.
The shop only opens from the late afternoon until midnight, but more than a hundred bowls of noodles are sold every night. Sometimes the shop only opens for 4 hours but there is nothing left, even a little piece of chicken. There are so many stories behind the glass cabinet of Ms. Lien that everyone wants to come back to the shop again after eating here.
She humorously reveals that foreign visitors are also addictive to her stewed sweet herbal chicken noodles, especially Korean and Chinese visitors. Some visitors confine to her that they return to Hanoi just because they miss the black bowl of noodles of Ms. Lien. Then, they sit down and talk with Ms. Lien in all forms of languages. This is the little joy that encourages her to open the shop everyday. Perhaps this stewed sweet herbal chicken noodles shop is not less famous than “Bun Cha Obama” and the seniority is not less, too.
There are so many specialities in Hanoi, but when it comes to street food, stewed sweet herbal chicken noodles on Hang Bo Street cannot be omitted. It is the breath, the pace of life, the familiar taste, the simple feeling that many Hanoians remember. The story I want to tell you is just this short. If you want to know more about the shop, go to the crossroad, to the corner with two big electric boxes.
According to Lynk/Tri Thuc Tre (source: Afamily)
