Cha Ca La Vong (Hanoi Turmeric Fish with Dill on Tabletop Grill)
Cha ca La Vong is so iconic that an entire street in Hanoi's Old Quarter - Cha Ca Street - is named after the single dish served at the restaurant that popularized it over a century ago. Firm white fish fillets, typically snakehead or catfish, are marinated in turmeric, galangal, shrimp paste, and rice flour, then pan-seared in oil until the turmeric stains the surface a vivid yellow and a light crust forms. The fish arrives at the table in a sizzling pan set over a tabletop burner, where diners add enormous handfuls of fresh dill and scallion that wilt on contact. The combination of turmeric-stained fish and bright green dill is visually striking and aromatically intense - dill's anise-like fragrance is amplified by the heat. The fish is eaten over rice vermicelli with roasted peanuts, fresh herbs, and a dip of mam tom - fermented shrimp paste thinned with lime juice - whose pungent funk transforms every bite. The dish is uniquely Hanoian, almost never found in southern Vietnam, and the original La Vong restaurant on Cha Ca Street has been serving it since the late 19th century.
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Instructions
- 1
Cut fish into large chunks and marinate with turmeric, fish sauce, and garlic for 15 minutes.
- 2
Cut dill into long pieces and scallions into 4 cm lengths.
- 3
Heat oil and sear fish over medium-high heat until golden.
- 4
When fish is nearly done, add dill and scallions, then toss for 1 minute.
- 5
Finish with roasted peanuts for extra aroma and texture.
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