Shrimp cakes, one of top 7 specialties of Hanoi, were sold only on Co Ngu street (the old name of Thanh Nien street) in the past time but now this type of cake are also sold in the luxury restaurants. However, most of visitors who used to go to Hanoi will eagerly seek a chance to enjoy the specialty West Lake shrimp fried cake in Banh Tom Ho Tay restaurant, not only because of shrimp cake itself, but also for the beautiful scene view at West Lake. It is so great to enjoy delicious shrimp cake here at sunset in summer.
The Westlake shrimp cakes are delicious not because they were made from the precious ingredients but it was made with the chef’s love. The cake crust is made from the scrumptious flour. The shrimps are the one grown in Westlake because only this shrimps can bring customers the very unique taste. Besides, the frying oil is the scrumptious oil also. It was boiled to the suitable degree in order for the cakes do not soak too much oil and has nice look and good taste. The sweetness, aroma of shrimp, the delicious taste of crackers and sour, spicy sauce will remind of the bland flavor at the tip of the tongue. It’s very great if you enjoy shrimp cakes when it is hot because at that time, the cake is very brittle and shrimp is not fishy. The sauce to eat with this cake is the combination of sweet and sour tastes and cucumber, green papaya, and carrot. The eater could take a bite of the cake together with cold beer, and enjoy the nice smell coming from the stove and the breeze blowing from the lake. Then people may seek somewhere in their memory the fairy tale about the Golden Buffalo on the way looking for his lost mother, which created the West Lake.
Life has changed. The ways of selling and enjoying shrimp fried cakes are also different from the previous ones. However, the shrimp fried pancake of West Lake still keeps its traditional flavor and taste so that whoever wanting to enjoy it will be surprised at the hot, cracker cake dipped in salty, sweet, sour and spicy sauce.
Where to taste: Thanh nien Street, Tay Ho district, (about 4km away from Hoan Kiem lake)
Price: US$ 3 ~ 6/pax
Join our street food Hanoi tour to taste this special shrimp cake
