Mo Market, boasting a rich history spanning over a century, found itself in a temporary location alongside the Kim Nguu River in 2008 while awaiting the construction of the Mo Market Trade Center.
Since 2014, this traditional market has been housed in the basement of a 15-story tower at 459 Bach Mai Street, Hai Ba Trung District.
Over the years, Mo Market's food court has evolved into a beloved destination for snack enthusiasts. It is home to numerous stalls offering a wide array of food and beverages, featuring beautifully presented and mouth watering dishes.
During the lunch hour, Mo Market comes alive with a vibrant ambiance, serving as a hub for local workers and office employees.
For instance, there's a rice stall that stands out, serving simple and traditional dishes in generous portions, all starting at just VND30,000 ($1.22) per plate.
The dining area provides tables and chairs for customers who wish to enjoy their meals on-site. However, during peak hours, finding an available seat can be a bit of a challenge, prompting guests to find their own spot to savor their meal.
Minh Hang's vermicelli shop, with 38 years of history, witnesses a bustling crowd during lunch hours.
Hang said, "My mother has been selling at Mo Market since 1987, and the shop offers vermicelli noodles with meatballs, ribs, claws, tails, tongues, and braised pork. The dish's flavor remains unchanged over the past 36 years, except for the clearer broth, as the current trend leans towards less greasiness."
To achieve this clear broth, the owner simmers tomatoes, pork bones, green papaya, fish sauce, and spices for five hours.
Guests have no trouble discovering well-loved dishes like chicken pho or banh da tron, which is mixed flat noodles, alongside an array of other delightful noodle soups.
For those seeking a hearty lunch, vermicelli with tofu and shrimp paste is an excellent choice. This dish combines vermicelli with fried tofu, thinly sliced boiled pork leg, cha com - green rice patties, fried pork sausage, and cucumbers. A full serving is priced at just VND35,000.
If you're a fan of noodle dishes, don't miss the pork intestine vermicelli, a dish featuring pork sausage and pork intestines, served with vermicelli in a savory broth.
Snack enthusiasts will be delighted by Anh Tuyet's stall, offering dried beef salad, banh bot loc (steamed tapioca cake with shrimp), shrimp cakes, pillow shaped cakes, and mussel porridge.
Tuyet said, "I used to be a stay-at-home mom, while my husband's family was in the restaurant business. Due to financial constraints from raising children, I started selling food. My journey began at Mo Market in 1993."
She discovered that the key to success lies in using fresh shrimp. The dough's fermentation duration is weather-dependent, typically taking 4-5 hours in colder conditions and approximately 3 hours in warmer weather. Over fermentation can result in a sour flavor.
Prior to adding the shrimp or flour to the pan, ensuring the use of just enough oil to prevent excessively firm shrimp cakes is crucial. The frying process occurs at a temperature of around 60 degrees Celsius.
Each shrimp cake is available for purchase at the price of VND12,000 (50 cents).
Green papaya salad with beef jerky, a favorite among young patrons, is made by the owner, who preserves the beef in large pieces, roughly the size of a little finger. To prepare, she washes papaya and dries it to remove excess water. Green papaya is chosen for this dish, avoiding those that are either under-ripe or overly yellow.
Every serving of shrimp cake or tapioca cake is accompanied by a sweet and sour dipping sauce. This tangy sauce is a blend of vinegar, fish sauce, sugar, chili. The cost for each portion of green papaya salad with beef jerky is VND35,000, while banh bot loc is available at VND40,000 for a set of 10.
For those with a sweet tooth, Nhim Hai sweet soup shop offers more than 15 types of sweet soup, such as mixed, grapefruit sweet soup, black bean sweet soup, and corn sweet soup, with prices starting at just VND15,000 per cup.
If you're fond of soy milk and banh duc nong - savory rice flour pudding, a cherished afternoon dish in the capital when the weather turns cold, don't miss Nguyen Thi Nga's eatery. She has been serving at Mo Market since 2013, and the savory rice flour pudding recipe has been passed down from her mother. Making this dish requires dedication, as Nga wakes up at 5 a.m. to prepare the ingredients. Each bowl of savory flour pudding is priced at VND20,000.
Tofu pudding is another crowd-pleaser at this century-old market, with a full bowl of black jelly, tapioca pearls, tofu pudding, and sweet sugar water available for just VND10,000.
