While walking into Ly Van Phuc street of Hanoi during peak summer, I was flooded with the smell of hot charcoal, soaring flames on all sides of me and the light residue of ash touching my skin. My nose was filled with the mouth-watering smell of barbecued meats, my eyes wide opened looking at vendors intently grilling meat skewered in sticks; the fire was shining hot and you could hear the blistering of the chicken skin. The meat looked incredibly tempting
Hardly able to process my surroundings, my head immediately turned to the sound of glasses clinking on sidewalks: “một, hai, ba, dô! ( “one, two, three cheers!”) successively finishing off their cold beers. Here came the chatter from another table, their voices filling the air, laughing with their entire bodies. The sizzles of grilled meat found its ways to shine among the rumble of motorbikes passing by, followed by some quarrel between staff. This is a normal scene of Ly Van Phuc street, known as “Chicken Feet Street“, a renowned culinary destination in Hanoi, famous for their grilled chicken dishes. This vibrant street comes alive in the evenings, drawing both locals and tourists eager to indulge in its smoky, flavorful offerings.
My stomach was calling for dinner and it became more aggressive as the smell of meat passed by. From the entrance of the street, you will see multiple shops with the same name as Thinh Vuong. I took a seat at one shop on the left side. They led me to the sitting area inside equipped with an air conditioner to help me cool down. The room was about 20 x 2 meters packed with 10 small plastic tables which are only 20 inches high and the signature plastic chairs synonymous with Vietnam. I came to learn that all three shops named Thinh Vuong here belong to one owner. Been opened since 1996, they soon became one of the most popular places for chicken feet in the city.
This street is approximately 200 meters long and 6 meters wide, located about 1 kilometer from Hoàn Kiếm Lake and 1.2 kilometers from Train Street. It operates daily from around 4:30 PM until midnight, with peak hours typically between 8 PM and 11 PM. During these times, the street is bustling with patrons enjoying the lively atmosphere and delicious food1.
If you are from a Western country, it would be hard to understand why Vietnamese people not only eat chicken feet, but are enamored by it: the key lies in the prized texture. Steamed or boiled chicken feet are the most popular in Vietnam, highlighting the natural texture of meat with the skin not crispy at all, but rather soft, plump, and with a slight gelatinous bounce. There’s a subtle chewiness from the cartilage and tendons that connect the bones providing a gentle resistance, similar to a firm gummy candy. Grilling elevates the texture to a new level, creating a more complex and savory experience. The skin is caramelized and slightly crispy on the outside, a direct result of being cooked over an open flame. This creates a satisfying, slightly smoky char that provides a textural crunch contrasting the soft and gelatinous center. Though the beauty of this experience lies at the end: straggles of tendon hanging on to the countless, tiny bones that you meticulously clean off with your teeth.
I saw the sauce bottle on the corner of the table and the staff gave me two small cups to pour them into. I ordered grilled chicken feet, wings, honey butter bread and two cups of cold beer. The chicken feet arrived on plastic plates shimmering with a dark brown, smoky skin, nails pointing out sharp enough to poke your eye out. There is no more animalistic act than gnawing away at forgotten parts of the animal crouched over a plastic stool surrounded by strangers doing the same, not a piece of cutlery in sight. My mouth watering as I put on the plastic gloves and dig in.
I dipped it generously in the spicy sauce and took a bite. My teeth cracked through the paper thin skin sinking into the juicy tendon. The sweet and savory flavor of the meat marinated in honey and spices, a bit of heat kicked off my appetite. I balanced everything with a slice of pickled cucumber and morning glory, complimenting the chicken so well. It is crunchy, tangy and helps you balance the greasiness of the meat. This combination makes them a popular choice for snacking, especially when paired with beer easily a huge part of Hanoi nightlife eating.
I took a long sip of Hanoi cold beer, a feeling of freshness running down my spine for a moment forgetting the 95°F degree temperature outside.
Some weeks later, I came back to the street. It welcomed me with a heavy summer rain, the type that people crave after a week of burning heat. I was soaked when I arrived;this time riding my bike to the end of the road and landing at Viet Ha restaurant. My order this time included sweet potato and pork skewers and to my surprise, forks! But no gloves? I spotted a hand washing station in the corner of my eye. The chicken here was more golden than brown, the feet fatter and more fragrant. The chili sauce is bolder in taste, immediately kicking you with an acidic garlic spice.While eating, I enjoyed looking at the staff busying moving back and forth under the rain from the kitchen to the shops. Mr. Hung helped us to cut the meat and I could see how fast he handled everything. He shared with me that he has been working here for more than 20 years, he is in his 80s already but still working to earn a living. He talked passionately about how he started his work at 4pm and up until 2am in the morning, how he had a personal scissor to cut the meat and sometimes he trained other young staff to do things more carefully. He talked with a smile on his face and his hand kept cleaning things around. I admired his hard work but at the same time my heart felt heavy and I, for a second, saw the burden of life on his tiny shoulders.
As the rain slowed down, I had a chance to sit and talk to Ms. Ha- the owner of Viet Ha. She was born and raised in Ly Van Phuc street and has run this business since 1993. “My husband came back from China back then and we learned the recipe from them to open a small vendor in Trinh Hoai Duc. But we rented there and it was not so stable so we moved back here in the 2000s. We introduced the dish and adjusted the flavor according to Vietnamese preference and our customer feedback. You can say that Viet Ha is one of the first places selling chicken feet on streets in Hanoi”.
She was sharing her stories but preoccupied by overseeing the operations of her staff. “I need to be here everyday from 4:00 pm till midnight to make sure things go smoothly, the restaurant is not crowded today due to the rain so I can relax a little bit”. Viet Ha has the atmosphere of any typical Vietnamese local vendors, but there was something in this place that made me feel so relaxed and emotional. Maybe because that day, the rain slowed down their speed, two young staff were able to sit and play games together, maybe because when I saw the meat-grilling man standing alone under the rain handling all orders with a smile but his eyes looked so tired. Or maybe when I saw Mr Hung carefully checking each table for cleaning and helping other staff with their work.
“Since Covid 19, we’ve struggled a lot as everything was shut down. But since then, it is so hard to come back to where we were before. Some years ago, my tables were always full and staff had no time to relax but now as you can see, only on the weekend do people visit here more”. Took a deep breath, she continued: “You can see that staff here some are super young, some are too old, they all have difficult background and do not have much educational privilege to find a stable job, so we offering them to work here with us, they are all hard working and my business is the only source of income for them”
How contradictory it was for me to look at the shop at that moment, customers were enjoying delicious meat watching the cooling rain while on the corner, somebody’s eyes were filled with many worries for her future business and the people that work hard for themselves and their family.
The journey through Ly Van Phuc Street is a rich tapestry of flavors, textures, and human connection. What begins as a bold culinary adventure into the “grilled chicken feet phenomenon” quickly evolves into something far more profound. It’s a place where the simple act of eating becomes a multi-sensory immersion, challenging preconceived notions and inviting you to embrace the local way of life. But Ly Van Phuc isn’t just about the delicious, smoky fare; it’s about the people behind the grills and tables – the tireless owners like Ms. Ha, striving to keep a family legacy alive, and the dedicated staff like Mr. Hung, finding purpose and income in their demanding work. While the street adapts to changing times and visitor numbers, its essence remains: a resilient hub of culinary tradition and a poignant reminder of the hard work and hope that underscore Hanoi’s bustling street food scene.
This piece was written by Ovia. Born and raised in Quang Binh, Vietnam, having lived in Hanoi, Da Nang and now Moscow, Russia, Ovia writes both in her native language, Vietnamese, and English.
