Hubby and I were searching for a specific food stall, but somehow ended up lost because the place no longer existed even though Google Maps still pointed us to the location.
While wandering around the market area, we stumbled upon a small roadside stall in 3 P. Gia Ngư, Phố cổ Hà Nội, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội. It’s packed with tourists enjoying bowls of hot soup. The seating area was very limited, so we had to wait for two groups to finish before we could sit down. It was already past lunch time, and with the hot, humid weather plus our long walk, we were sweating throughout the meal.
The stall specializes in Bánh đa cua, a famous Hai Phong noodle soup made with a crab-based broth and distinctive red rice noodles. They also serve Có Trà Đá (iced tea) and Sữa Đậu Nành (soy milk), with noodle dishes priced from VND 20,000 to VND 40,000.
We ordered the classic Bánh đa cua and a bowl of Miến Trộn, a dry noodle dish made with stir-fried glass noodles topped with beef, fried tofu, chả cá (fish cake), and giò tai (pig’s ear pork sausage). The dish was garnished with peanuts, fried shallots, and fresh herbs, making it both flavorful and aromatic.
According to hubby, the crab broth was rich and satisfying, with the different toppings adding more depth to the soup and texture. Personally, though, I could not fully taste the crab flavor. I ended up enjoying the Miến Trộn more, probably because I prefer thinner noodles. The glass noodles absorbed the sauce really well, giving every bite a flavorful coating.
Both dishes were enjoyable, although the stall seems to be especially popular among tourists for its crab noodle soup. The toppings for both dishes were almost identical, with the main differences being the type of noodles, the broth or sauce, and the addition of peanuts in the dry version.
Overall, this stall turned out to be a great accidental discovery and one of those unexpected food stops that make traveling even more memorable.
My eatsperience 
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