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According to Ben Groundwater, a writer with more than 20 years of experience in the field of culinary tourism in Australia, visitors can’t leave northern Vietnam without having tried this absolute treat.

The author described Cha Ca La Vong as the classic Hanoi dish. Chunks of freshwater fish, usually catfish, are typically marinated in a range of ingredients such as turmeric before then being fried in oil until golden brown and served with a tonne of fresh dill, spring onions, peanuts, and often rice noodles.

Turmeric fish with dill and scallions is a famous dish in Vietnam. Photo: Vinpearl

In 2019, the US-based multinational news channel CNN also praised Cha Ca La Vong as one of the must-try delicacies for tourists when visiting Hanoi.

About the history of the dish, the author revealed that more than a century ago when Vietnam was part of French Indochina, the Doan family had begun a business of selling grilled fish, ostensibly to make money. As well as serving great food and providing a secret meeting place in central Hanoi for resistance fighters battling colonial powers.

At present, the Doans’ restaurant still exists at 14 Cha Ca Street in Hanoi’s Old Quarter. He advised tourists to be wary as it is surrounded by many similarly named establishments acting as imitations.

Cha Ca La Vong is a Vietnamese grilled fish dish, originally from Hanoi. The dish is traditionally made with hemibagrus (or ca lang in Vietnamese), a catfish genus. The fish is cut into pieces and marinated in a turmeric-based sauce, which often includes shrimp paste or fish sauce, ginger, and chili peppers. Sometimes, saffron is used instead of turmeric. It is then lightly grilled over charcoal.

The dish is served in a hot pan coated with marinade sauce and herbs, particularly dill. Other herbs, such as scallions or basil, may be included. It is eaten with vermicelli rice noodles (Bun in Vietnamese) and peanuts. Cha Ca La Vong is considered a delicacy in Vietnam, as it is nearly exclusively served in restaurants and is not found in street food.

Enjoying turmeric fish with rice noodles and herbs in a traditional restaurant will be a unique experience. Photo: Vinpearl

In the 19th century, the Doan family was known to prepare grilled fish for their neighbors. The dish became so popular that their local community helped the family open a restaurant, named Cha Ca La Vong, in 1871. The words "Cha ca" translate to "fish sausage" in Vietnamese. Meanwhile, "La Vong" was inspired by a local statue of Jiang Ziya, also known as Lu Wang (pronounced as La Vong in Vietnamese), the fisherman-turned-politician who symbolized the potential for patient, talented people.

The restaurant opened at 17 Hang Son Street, between Hang Ma and Lan Ong Streets, in Hanoi's Old Quarter. This was reportedly the same street where the Doan family had lived before opening the restaurant. It was managed by Doan Phuc and his wife Bi Van. In its early days, the restaurant was a meeting place and hideout for anti-colonial rebels. However, the restaurant later became popular with aristocrats and colonial troops of French Indochina. For this reason, Hang Son was officially renamed Cha Ca.

A dish of turmeric fish with rice noodles and herbs served at Cha Ca Vong Ngu. Photo: Vinpearl

The original Cha Ca La Vong restaurant is still open in Hanoi, where it only serves its signature dish, and guests eat from charcoal burners at communal tables. The restaurant was listed as a destination in the book 1000 Places to Visit Before You Die.

The dish has left a strong impression on food critics and bloggers. As explained by Florence Fabricant, "The combination of ingredients — turmeric, dill, shrimp paste, and fish sauce — delivers an intriguing muskiness bolstered with chiles, silky noodles, and a thicket of other fresh herbs to season the chunks of moist fish. My memories are still vivid after 10 years."

Some chefs have developed their interpretation of the dish, particularly in places where hemibragus may be less common. In the United States, some restaurants serve the dish with a variety of fish types and cooking styles, including grilled catfish satay, grilled basa, grilled tilapia, whole broiled flounder, and halibut salad.

Vietnamese turmeric fish with dill at Cha Ca Duong Thanh is yummy. Photo: Vinpearl

You can serve turmeric fish with vermicelli and dipping sauce. Loads of fresh dill and other Vietnamese vegetables are also used with turmeric fish. Fried fish and dill are placed on a bed of vermicelli and then topped with spring onions and crunchy peanuts. Enjoy this combination with dipping sauce and some more fresh herbs.

In a traditional Cha Ca restaurant, a hot pan of marinated fish will arrive on the table alongside baskets of vermicelli, fresh herbs, chopped peanuts, chili, and shrimp paste. As the fish and herbs are fried in front of diners, the fish filets turn golden while the aroma of the dill wafts through the air. You can then enjoy the whole dish right away after the fried fish are taken from the boiling oil.

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