Chinese stone-grilled sausages have become the latest craze among Hanoi's youth, following the popularity of cheese coin cakes and clay-pot milk tea. Hang Chieu Street is leading the trend by being the first to offer this dish.
Do Viet Thang, aged 49, is one of the first to start selling this food on Hang Chieu Street. He tried it for the first time during a trip to Cao Bang Province in late 2023 and loved its simple cooking method and taste, different from the usual Chinese sausages. So, he decided to open his own shop in Hanoi just two months ago. His shop is open every day from 10 a.m. to midnight.
Stone-grilled sausage has its origins in Hekou Town, nestled near the border of Lao Cai and China. Thang explained that the sausages sold in his shop are fresh and directly imported from Hekou. These sausages boast a larger size compared to the standard ones found in stores. They're made by blending lean meat and fat, resulting in a tender texture.
After introducing the delicacy to Hanoi, Thang continued to cook the sausages in the same method. He uses a stone grill, which evenly cooks the meat without direct contact with flames, thus avoiding the smoky smell of grilled charcoal.
Before grilling, he set up a circular electric stove and put a 40-centimeter diameter aluminum tray on top of it. Additionally, he covered the tray with a layer of foil to maintain cleanliness and ensure that heat is retained and evenly distributed, which assists in heating the layer of stone placed on top of the foil.
The stones are washed with boiling water before being placed on the stove to heat up. Depending on how many sausages are being grilled, the stones are swapped out multiple times a day.
"If you keep grilling without swapping out the stones, the grease from the sausages will cling to them. This can make new batches taste burnt and bitter," Thang said.
Before, he used to sell 1,500 to 2,000 sausages a day, changing the stones every 4 to 5 hours on average. Now, with sales around 400 to 500 sausages, he changes the stones twice a day.
When grilling the sausages, Thang constantly flips and turns them to prevent burning. While you may not hear the sizzling of fat like in frying, diners can smell the aroma of the cooked sausages. As the fat in the filling melts, it gives the sausages a shiny and golden skin.
After cooking evenly on the stone, Thang covers the sausage with a blend of chili powder and spices like hat doi (magnolia seed), mac khen (a type of spice similar to Sichuan pepper), MSG, pepper, and salt to add spiciness and flavor. Diners can also enjoy it with chili sauce. Each sausage costs VND15,000 (60 cents).
From just a handful of shops, there are now numerous vendors selling stone-grilled sausages in Hanoi.
Nguyen Phuc Nhat Anh, a 20-year-old living in Hanoi, has tried this snack at various locations such as Hang Chieu, Bach Mai, and Luong Dinh Cua streets.
“When you take a bite, the juicy fat comes out, and the meat stays firm and crispy, unlike regular Chinese sausages,” she said.
The shop is busiest around 5:30 p.m. and after 9 p.m. In the evening, there are more seats for customers as the shop operates on the bustling sidewalks of the Old Quarter, as noted by Thang.
However, each time the stones are changed, it takes about 30 minutes to both heat the stones and wait for the sausages to cook, resulting in many diners having to wait in line. While it's preferable to eat grilled sausages when they're hot, reheating them at home may not maintain their original flavor.
