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RoamingDuoz is the YouTube channel of a Korean couple who have an immense passion for travel and food. Earlier this year, they had a long trip to Vietnam. The couple spoke highly of the capital city in their video entitled "We Have To Go Back To Hanoi For This."

Xoi May - the sticky rice street vendor that has become viral on Korean social media. Photo: RoamingDuoz Youtube

Wanting to experience everyday Hanoi, the Korean couple worked hard to find the best local eateries, instead of eating in luxury restaurants. They went from the street vendors to the hidden restaurants in Hanoi’s Old Quarter. One of the most interesting places is the Xoi May (May Sticky Rice) street vendor on the sidewalk of Ly Thuong Kiet Street, at the intersection with Hang Bai.

Previously, this sidewalk sticky rice street vendor had become viral on Korean television. At the end of 2019, Xoi May was introduced on the Korean channel tvN, in the show Street Food Fighter. Food expert Baek Jong Won, who owns many large restaurants in Korea, complimented the delicious Xoi dish of Vietnam.

Xoi is prepared in bowls for guests to eat or take away in less than a minute. Photo: RoamingDuoz Youtube

The RoamingDuoz couple had just ordered two servings of 30,000 VND (US$1.17), and the owner of Xoi May immediately laid out the ingredients to make the food for the customers. Sticky rice, green beans, fried onions, pork floss, spring rolls, and other ingredients are cut into pieces and put in a plastic bowl for customers to eat on the spot. The most impressive serving step is cutting green beans at a fast speed.

The two bloggers were happy to come here early and enjoy a delicious bowl of Xoi. An hour later, they saw people waiting in line for the servings.

“The fried onions on top make the food even better. It feels like an explosion of the most delicious tastes inside your mouth. This is probably one of the most memorable breakfasts with sticky rice that we had in Vietnam,” the bloggers said.

The two Korean travel bloggers were happy to come here early and enjoy a delicious bowl of Xoi. Photo: RoamingDuoz Youtube

The couple was also amazed at the Xoi wrapping skills of the street vendor owner. “We could not see her hands clearly since they moved so fast,” they said.

Xoi May will open from 6 a.m. to 12 p.m. The street vendor has four types of Xoi: corn, skewers, peanuts, and gac with side dishes, from eggs, fat rolls, and braised meat to shrimp.

This has been a favorite address of diners in Hanoi for more than 20 years. Recently, Xoi May has attracted many foreign vloggers to experience this unique Vietnamese traditional dish.

Vietnamese sticky rice (Xoi) is a popular breakfast food, which both street vendors and high-end restaurants sell. As the name suggests, the dish is made of steamed glutinous rice (or sticky rice), together with other ingredients such as cereals (peanuts, mung beans, black beans, sesames), fruits (mango, sweet gourd), or meat (pork, bird, chicken). Vietnamese sticky rice is tasty, healthy, and especially affordable.

The Korean bloggers enjoy their breakfast with Xoi. Photo: RoamingDuoz Youtube

This traditional dish has many variations, all of which are soft and tasty. Their flavors depend on each variation. Xoi is the most affordable dish that can fill an empty stomach, so locals usually choose it for breakfast. Still, it can also be enjoyed for other meals during the day.

Xoi with mung beans is popular in the Northern and Central regions. Steamed sticky rice is covered with steamed minced mung beans and then topped with chicken fat, salted shredded pork, and fried shallots. This dish is most suitable for the cold weather. Eating it hot, tourists will feel the softness of sticky rice, the smoothness of minced mung beans, and the crispiness of fried shallots.

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