Hidden away in a back alley off Ngoc Ha Street, innovative Vietnamese chefs prepare Japanese style banh xeo (pancakes) with a refreshing and delightful twist. Kaitlin Rees reports.
While navigating the narrow alleyways that wrap around the small ponds off Ngoc Ha Street, the wooden restaurant finally comes into view. The large open air space and Banh Xeo Nhat Ban sign are an inviting place to stop for lunch. Because of its unlikely location, hidden away in the winding streets that connect Doi Can with Hoang Hoa Tham, most of the people passing by are local. However, the menu at Aozora distinguishes it from the typical Vietnamese food of the area and could easily attract people from all over. It feels like a well-kept secret as soon as I enter.
While navigating the narrow alleyways that wrap around the small ponds off Ngoc Ha Street, the wooden restaurant finally comes into view. The large open air space and Banh Xeo Nhat Ban sign are an inviting place to stop for lunch. Because of its unlikely location, hidden away in the winding streets that connect Doi Can with Hoang Hoa Tham, most of the people passing by are local. However, the menu at Aozora distinguishes it from the typical Vietnamese food of the area and could easily attract people from all over. It feels like a well-kept secret as soon as I enter.
Nothing to hide: Aozora, which is open to the street, is like a typical Japanese bar. The restaurant's wooden exterior is in perfect harmony with the nearby trees and ponds, giving it a Zen-like feel. — VNS Photos Truong Vi
Upon entering, I have the choice of upstairs or downstairs seating. The downstairs option would keep me close to the bustle of Ha Noi noise and the happenings in the kitchen. With a large stovetop where food is being expertly flipped just a few steps away, the chef is focused on his work. With such proximity to noodles, vegetables and meat, and the tempting smells that accompany their preparation, I know I'll risk a spiking appetite and growing impatience to eat if I sit downstairs.
Though going upstairs puts some distance in between me and the action, there is a wonderful view. I relax into a seat next to the wide open windows that offer a paranoma of the street's corner, a still pond across the street and the green low-hanging trees outside. The high ceilings, humming fans, and soft-yellow painted walls with black and white minimal photos create a peaceful place to wait for a meal.
After ordering the restaurant's signature dish called Aozora, I half expect the traditional rice flour pancake, banh xeo. But Aozora's Japanese touch on this traditional southern Vietnamese dish is quite different. Instead of the thin crisp cake filled with shrimp, pork, and veggies, the waitress sets down a sizzling hot skillet of the Japanese version: the okonomiyaki.
This golden brown cake is made of flour, grated yam, egg and shredded cabbage. It is prepared similar to that of a pancake, with both sides getting their time on the fryer. Topped with red pickled ginger, diced green onions, and delicate intersecting lines of mayonnaise, the inside is stuffed with tender pork and spicy kim chi. With a sweet tasting secret sauce, the combination of flavours excites all parts of my palette. For 35,000VND ($1.5), this dish is a great value.
The other specialty dish of Aozora is a delicious egg and noodle combo called mi soba xao cuon trung. Though it at first appears to me to be quite similar to the aozora because of the combination of toppings and sauce, the eggs, soba noodles and beef set this dish apart from the okonomiyaki. It also arrives sizzling and is reasonably priced at 45,000VND ($2.25).
The thick soba noodles of the previous dish can also be enjoyed as mi lanh Nhat Ban, in a cold and more refreshing style. As a new addition to the menu, the waitress comments that this is her favourite. Her recommendation does not let me down; the cold noodles are served with a thick and sweet tasting sauce to be poured on top and mixed in with the egg, cucumber and kim chi combination.
The dish is flavoured with green onion, chillies and seaweed, which provides a spicy yet refreshing result. Sesame seeds adding a crunchy texture and my ensuing slurping noises are both parts of this dish's pleasure at 50,000VND ($2.5).
The kim chi comes sour and spicy, be warned. This traditional Korean dish is served in a healthy coating of chillies and heavily fermented to make for a memorable bite. The sesame seeds sprinkled on the outside do enhance the texture of the slippery cabbage. To my disappointment, this was the only vegetable offered on the menu at the time; hopefully more options will be available in the future. Because the first batch of kim chi I had tried on a previous visit was more tasty than this, I decide it is still worthy of a try next time for 15,000VND.
To finish off the meal I ask for a coconut. The juice offers a refreshing end to my lunch, which felt necessary after all the oil rich foods. For 30,000VND the coconut juice quenches my thirst and gives me a burst of sweetness.
The cool atmosphere of Aozora is complimented by a warm staff. The people who work at Aozora seem to be always smiling and happy to engage in conversation about the food, the restaurant, or any topic you'd like. It is hard to leave Aozora without feeling satisfied and content. As this Banh Xeo Nhat Ban restaurant has only been open for two months, I expect that it will flourish in coming months as more people start hearing about this tucked away haven of great flavour.
Aozora is located in building number 23A, alleyway 158 off of Ngoc Ha Street, in the Ba Dinh district. They are open from 10 am to 10pm everyday. — VNS
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