Eel dishes are popular across Vietnam's three regions, each with its own preparation style. In Hanoi, one of the oldest and most popular eel noodle soup shops, beloved by locals and tourists alike, is Dung's located at 87 Hang Dieu Street in Hoan Kiem District.
The shop has been operating for over 40 years and was first introduced in the Michelin Guide this year under the Bib Gourmand category. The Bib Gourmand list of Michelin Guide honors dining establishments for serving great food with affordable prices.
Quach Kim Dung, the 66-year-old owner, shares: “I used to work at a restaurant on Hang Buom Street, so I have a lot of cooking experience. After retiring, I helped my family sell rice meals and steamed rice rolls before transitioning to eel noodle soup. Passionate about cooking and fond of eel noodle soup, I experimented to create the current recipe.”
The two-story shop is clean and airy, capable of accommodating up to 50 guests at a time. It is often bustling at lunchtime, with not enough seats to go round.
Eels are sourced from the provinces of Nghe An and Bac Ninh, medium-sized with smooth skin and round bodies. After being cleaned with salt to remove any fishy odor, the eels are cut into sections, seasoned, and fried. The frying is done at a moderate temperature to ensure the eel becomes firm and crispy.
The broth is simmered from pork and eel bones for 10 hours, first cleaned and blanched to ensure clarity.
There are two main types: eel noodle soup and mixed eel noodles, with customers able to choose between soft or crispy eel.
When a customer orders, the noodles and bean sprouts are blanched in the broth. The noodles are briefly blanched to retain their chewy texture, remaining soft without sticking.
The noodles are served with soy sauce, cucumber, perilla leaves, basil, mint, roasted peanuts, and fried shallots.
In the summer, the mixed eel noodles are more popular due to their sweet and sour flavor, which is refreshing and cool.
In addition to the soup and noodles, the shop offers a variety of other eel dishes, such as stir-fried noodles, eel porridge, and eel patties, all favored by many.
“I usually visit the shop 2-3 times a week. I prefer the mixed eel noodles because the eel here is crispy and suits my taste,” said Thanh Loan from Ba Dinh District.
The noodles have a chewy texture, while the eel is crispy with a brown-orange color and is well-seasoned. To enhance the flavor, customers can add chili oil according to their personal taste.
A bowl of eel noodle soup and eel porridge costs VND45,000 ($1.70), mixed eel noodles are VND55,000, eel soup is VND35,000, and stir-fried eel noodles are VND65,000. The shop also offers vacuum-sealed crispy eel for VND1.5 million ($59) per kilogram, suitable as gifts for distant friends.
The shop operates daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., making it a popular spot for Old Quarter visitors looking for a late-night meal after exploring Hanoi.
