Quán Hải Sản Hương Lan / Huong Lan Seafood Shop 2015

Quán Hải Sản Hương Lan / Huong Lan Seafood Shop 2015
42/12 Nghĩa Dũng
Phúc Xá Ward
Ba Đình District
Hanoi
Vietnam

https://www.facebook.com/Hải-Sản-Hương-Lan-484764664917964/

Excellent Local Seafood In This Casual Eatery

(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 7
Ambience & Setting: 6
Food & Beverage: 9
Service: 3
Value for Money: 10
Spent about VND ₫220,000 / SGD $14 per person.

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Quán Hải Sản Hương Lan, known in English as Huong Lan Seafood Shop, is a casual dining eatery that specialises in seafood, and only seafood. They offer in done in 3 ways; boiled, grilled / barbecue, or stir fried. Quán Hải Sản Hương Lan / Huong Lan Seafood Shop is very local, everything here is in Vietnamese, and the locals like to dine here because the seafood is fresh, and the prices are very cheap even for Hanoi / Vietnam locals.

Ambience at Quán Hải Sản Hương Lan / Huong Lan Seafood Shop is a little run down. The outlet is housed in a narrow shophouse, just off a busy main road. It's easily visible from the main road, thanks to its large, yellow signboard on the 3-story facade. Furniture is functional at best, though the place is brightly lit and clean, and hygiene is of a decent standard.

Service at Quán Hải Sản Hương Lan / Huong Lan Seafood Shop is passable. This is a local casual eatery after all, so staff are brusque, and speak only Vietnamese. There is a large, clearly labelled menu, with prices, though it's also in Vietnamese. There aren't any pictures, so knowing what to order is important. Pointing at the menu items, or showing them pictures of the food, helps as well. Orders are fulfilled quickly, usually within 10 minutes, and I note that staff are also quick at clearing empty / dirty tables.

Food is the highlight at Quán Hải Sản Hương Lan / Huong Lan Seafood Shop, and as its name suggests, the seafood here is fresh, sourced daily, and incredibly tasty. They offer crabs, snails, clams, squid, prawns, scallops, oysters, fish, and cockles, in any of the 3 cooking styles. Besides seafood, they only have noodles and rice. Portions are designed for communal dining, at least 2 - 4 people is recommended, though they can take larger groups as well. Prices are incredibly affordable. Overall, highly recommended to dine here if you're in Hanoi, Vietnam!

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The large, bright yellow signboard is easily visible from the main road nearby, and since this is a busy area, it's nearly unmissable. Choose to dine on either the 1st or 2nd floor. The hygiene here is decent for a casual eatery.

Quán Hải Sản Hương Lan / Huong Lan Seafood Shop Side Signage

Quán Hải Sản Hương Lan / Huong Lan Seafood Shop Main Signage

Quán Hải Sản Hương Lan / Huong Lan Seafood Shop Exterior

Quán Hải Sản Hương Lan / Huong Lan Seafood Shop Interior

Quán Hải Sản Hương Lan / Huong Lan Seafood Shop Address & Contact

Quán Hải Sản Hương Lan / Huong Lan Seafood Shop Facade

This is a very local Vietnamese place, so the Quán Hải Sản Hương Lan / Huong Lan Seafood Shop menu is also in Vietnamese, without any English translations. It's best to have a translator / guidebook / local people with you when ordering. Prices here are incredibly cheap, and the seafood is fresh. They tend to stack plates on top of each other if you order more than the table can fit.

Quán Hải Sản Hương Lan / Huong Lan Seafood Shop Menu 2015

You only get simple utensils here, as most of the food is supposed to be eaten with your hands, or with chopsticks. The sharp metal pick is for spearing food, and prying open shellfish, so be careful when eating with it. You get a default of 2 dipping sauces per diner.

Metal Pick & Bowl, Spicy Chili Dipping Sauce, Salt And Lime Juice Dipping Sauce

The Nướng Hành method of grilling / barbecue with fish sauce, ginger, and scallions lends a fragrance to the seafood, yet still allows the natural taste to come through. This is especially evident in the Sò Diệp Nướng Hành Củ Lạc / Grilled Scallops With Scallions And Peanuts (1 Scallop - VND ₫15,000 / SGD $1), where the chef has ensured that the scallops still remain moist, not dry. The Con Hàu Nướng Hành / Grilled Oyster With Scallions (1 Oyster - VND ₫30,000 / SGD $2) also allows the taste of the oysters to shine, though this large, plump oysters naturally carry more flavour on their own.

Sò Diệp Nướng Hành Củ Lạc / Grilled Scallops With Scallions And Peanuts

Con Hàu Nướng Hành / Grilled Oyster With Scallions

Love the eggy roe within the Mực Trứng Chiên / Fried Squid With Roe (1 Squid - VND ₫25,000 / SGD $1.60)! The squid itself has a nice tender chew without being tough or rubbery, still retaining a slightly bouncy texture. Clean, fresh flavour, great when dipped into the sauce!

Mực Trứng Chiên / Fried Squid With Roe

The large, meaty Tôm Nướng / Grilled Prawns (1 Prawn - VND ₫30,000 / SGD $2) means that the prawn / shrimp meat still retains some moisture even after being barbecued / grilled. The shells come clean off rather easily, and the meat is great with the dipping sauce!

Tôm Nướng / Grilled Prawns

The fresh, crunchy Nộm Sứa / Jellyfish Salad (1 Plate - VND ₫50,000 / SGD $3.20) is a delight on the palate. This mixture of vegetables topped with jellyfish is sweet, salty, sour, zesty, fruity, all at once, when varying textures of crunchy, chewy, and soft. Delightful, also helps cleanse the palate somewhat after the heavy tastes of grilled seafood!

Nộm Sứa / Jellyfish Salad

The Miến Cua Ngao / Stir Fried Vermicelli (1 Plate - VND ₫50,000 / SGD $3.20) I thought was rather underwhelming, and ultimately, rather forgettable. Taste is decent at best, though the texture is somewhat clumpy, with the noodles sticking together. Possibly the weakest dish I had here, with good reason because it's not seafood. Skip this.

Miến Cua Ngao / Stir Fried Vermicelli

There is a satisfiying appeal in digging out the snails from their shells with the metal pick, in this Ốc Mít Luộc / Boiled Snails (1 Bowl - VND ₫60,000 / SGD $3.90). The gravy is savoury and sour, with a hint of lime juice and chili spice. The snails are meaty and chewy in texture, rather clean without any muddy taste. Good, and somewhat addictive!