The Spot: Almost directly backing onto another pre-Hanoi pho swoop soup fave, this market street (25 Hoe Nhai) crack in the wall is opposite a large eastern medicine clinic, next to another noodle vendor selling hu tieu on one side and a sleazy looking karaoke bar on t'other. Veg, pork and tofu stalls abound all around.
Space and Atmosphere: Not much space to speak of here. The harsh-faced noodle ma is jammed into a nook with a doorway leading through to the adjacent dining area, a space no bigger than a prison cell, lit similarly with bright fluorescent light. The family altar is wedged into the corner, in front of which is a gold-plated plastic electric frog with flashing green eyes. This is a lucky charm for good fortune in business. The joint is empty.
Shopfront Style: It's all pots on pavement and bare light bulbs swinging in the cold wind.
Sticks, Condiments and Crockery: A 'knock your socks off' garlic vinegar, glossy blood-red chilli sauce and lime segments cut three hours ago constitute the trio of condiments. The chopsticks are finished timber rather than the standard bamboo...vail the forests of South-East Asia!
Serving Station: Noodle ma swivels on her plastic stool, between a little glass cabinet loaded up with all parts chicken and a blue plastic table atop of which are the prepared herbs, chopping block and cleaver and the essential noodles.
Meat Generosity: Generous shreds of white chicken flesh are sat on my mound of noodles. I'm now used to this 'special treatment' where I'm spared the skin and chewy bits simply because I'm a foreigner.
Order to Delivery Gap: As it's well past rush hour, the wait is only momentary.
Stock Factor: This woman is keeping Ajinomoto in business so the flavour of her stock is hard to judge. Note the big square tub of it in the above photograph.
Cost: 12,000VND (USD75c, AUD95c)
Rank: Seven of twelve
Thats often what puts me off new pho places - the msg random factor. How does it get you? I get this weird sensation all over my scalp and right down my spine... isn't banned in most countries??
Posted by: Matt | 21 January 2007 at 06:46 PM
no, it's a great product, infact like america's corn syrup it is one of the world power that is dominating food tasting worldwide.
Posted by: eastingfeasting | 22 January 2007 at 08:32 AM
Hi, this blog make me hungry.
:-)
greetings from Sweden.
FT
Posted by: Fjäderlös Tvåfoting | 23 January 2007 at 05:56 AM
This post made me go read up on MSG; turns out it's been deemed "harmless" by most American food monitoring agencies (whatever that's worth), but there's a lot of controversy over its effects. It makes you feel fuller and raises insulin levels. And, no Matt, it's not banned; in fact most processed foods, in the states at least, use MSG to provide a "meatier" taste. Still scares me for some reason.
Posted by: Preya | 23 January 2007 at 11:34 AM
I'm not sure I want to weigh in to any debate over MSG. It's a controversial one. It's much maligned and gets the blame for lots of the physiological reactions that people have. I'm told that MSG is often not to blame, that it's a combination of what was eaten, if alcohol was consumed and so on. I never hear of Hanoians complaining about it. Jury is still out for me!
Posted by: Sticky | 23 January 2007 at 08:16 PM
Hey Sticky, just wanted to say thanks for the fantastic blog. Found it about 6 mths ago and the food! oh man the food in it was a major deciding factor in getting me to Hanoi for a week's holiday/continuous meal. Leaving on Sunday but nearly everyday has gone: wake up. Rummage through blog till hungry. Pick food/place that appeals and hightail it there. Course that hasn't stopped me from getting diverted into second breakfasts/third lunches from food I've found mid-wander but that's Hanoi. Mate....GREAT blog.
Posted by: rarerollingobject | 25 January 2007 at 11:02 AM
RRO - Glad you found the blog useful. Hope I didn't give you any bumsteers!
Posted by: Sticky | 04 February 2007 at 03:19 PM