Food & Receipts

The Secret to the Success of Hanoi’s Iconic Shrimp Cake Stall

The humble shrimp cake has a new, popular champion in Hanoi's culinary scene - meet 'Co Am' shrimp cakes at Dong Xuan Market. This humble snack stall has been creating a buzz among foodies, and it's time to uncover what makes this humble treat so alluring.

Administrator

9 July, 2024

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When it comes to shrimp cakes, many people will immediately think of a delicious dish that was once featured on America’s CNN channel. However, it’s not just around Ho Tay area that is famous for shrimp cakes, but Dong Xuan Market also has its own attractive shrimp cake stalls, including Co Am’s shrimp cake stall. Follow the article below to see what makes this shrimp cake stall so appealing!

1 Introduction to Co Am’s Shrimp Cake Stall

Co Am’s Shrimp Cake Stall

Restaurant quality: 4.2/5 (Rated by Google)

Address: Dong Xuan, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi

Price range: VND 10,000 – 50,000

Opening hours: 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM & 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM (Usually crowded at 4:00 PM)

Phone number: 0987918465

Facebook: None

Delivery: beFood

Menu: Shrimp Cakes

Signature dish: Shrimp Cakes

Pros: Fresh and crispy shrimp cakes, attentive and dedicated service

Cons: Sidewalk stall with limited space

Co Am’s shrimp cake stall is located at the beginning of Dong Xuan alley and on the famous Hang Chieu street. Despite the small space of the stall, which is only about 5-7 square meters and can accommodate around 10 customers, there are always many diners waiting to enjoy the freshly fried golden and crispy shrimp cakes as soon as the owner starts setting up.

The stall has been passed down to the second generation and is currently run by Ms. Am, who has been selling shrimp cakes for about 30 years. There is only one staff member, and Ms. Am’s daughter helps with the two frying pans.

2 What Makes Co Am’s Shrimp Cake Stall So Appealing?

Special Cake Recipe

Special Cake Recipe

Ms. Am still makes the cakes following the recipe passed down from her mother. The batter is made by mixing with and adding a little , then whisking it all together to form a sticky and smooth dough. Next, she adds that has been cut into thin strips and mixes it all together. The sweet potatoes are hand-cut into thin strips so that when fried with the batter, they create a crispy texture.

For the shrimp, she selects fresh and juicy shrimp with firm and bouncy meat. She scoops the batter and sweet potato mixture into a ladle, places two similarly sized shrimp on top, and then dips the ladle into hot oil for a few seconds to cook the outer layer of the batter and prevent it from sticking.

Then, Ms. Am transfers the ladle to another pan and fries the cake for about 5 minutes over medium heat.

The shrimp cakes have a golden brown color after frying

Attentive and Dedicated Service

After frying, the shrimp cakes are neatly arranged on a round aluminum tray with a diameter of about 30 cm and placed on the counter. Before serving, Ms. Am carefully cuts each shrimp cake into three smaller pieces to make it easier for customers to eat.

Attentive and Dedicated Service

Each serving of shrimp cakes is accompanied by a sweet and sour dipping sauce and a few slices of and . To balance the oily taste, customers can enjoy the shrimp cakes with fresh herbs like , , which are provided free of charge.

Delicious and Unique Flavor

Delicious and Unique Flavor

The fried shrimp cakes have a golden brown color, with a crispy shell and a distinctive sweet potato flavor. The shrimp meat is fresh, firm, and bouncy. The shrimp cakes are best enjoyed while they are still hot, as the crispy shell goes perfectly with the dipping sauce.

The stall offers two styles of fried shrimp cakes: lightly fried and well-fried. The lightly fried cakes are usually for takeaway orders, while the well-fried cakes are served to dine-in customers.

The above are the unique features of Co Am’s shrimp cake stall – a must-visit destination to enjoy the vibrant atmosphere of Dong Xuan Market. If you’re in Hanoi and looking for a unique culinary experience, don’t miss the opportunity to indulge in the crispy and delicious shrimp cakes at Co Am’s stall.

Frequently asked questions

The secret to the success of Hanoi’s iconic shrimp cake stall lies in the combination of fresh, high-quality ingredients and a unique, generations-old recipe that has been perfected over time. The stall uses fresh shrimp caught daily from the nearby West Lake, and a special blend of spices and herbs that gives the cakes their distinctive flavor.

This famous shrimp cake stall is located in the heart of Hanoi’s Old Quarter, on a small street called ‘Hang Bong’ street.

The shrimp cake stall typically operates from early morning until late at night, usually opening around 7 AM and closing after 9 PM. However, it’s always best to visit earlier in the day to ensure you get a fresh batch of shrimp cakes as they tend to sell out quickly!

While shrimp cakes are their signature dish, the stall also offers a variety of other traditional Vietnamese street food options, such as fried spring rolls (‘cha gio’), grilled pork skewers (‘nem nuong’), and various types of savory rice porridge (‘chao’).

The family that runs the stall closely guards their secret recipe, and it is not publicly available. However, you can certainly try recreating the shrimp cakes at home by experimenting with your own blend of spices and following general guidelines for making Vietnamese shrimp cakes found online.