Hanoi snail noodle soup has kept its traditional flavor for 70 years, the 15m2 restaurant is crowded with customers waiting to eat.

Dong Xuan Market Alley (Hoan Kiem, Hanoi) is a familiar lunch spot for many residents, traders and office workers in the area. Many restaurants here are often "overloaded" at lunchtime.

Bun Oc Thuy is one of the busiest restaurants in the market alley. Even in the hot summer, this 15m2 restaurant is still packed with customers, one person stands up, another immediately takes their place. Customers crowd outside the door, squeezing through rows of tables to get a seat. The owner serves quickly while constantly asking customers to calmly line up.

The small restaurant only has enough space for 8 tables. At lunchtime, the restaurant is always full.

Ms. Thanh Huyen, the owner of the restaurant, said that the restaurant has existed for more than 70 years. She is the third generation in her family to keep the profession. At first, this was a small stall, Ms. Huyen's husband's grandmother sold to people in the area. Later, when Dong Xuan market developed trade, the family opened a restaurant in the house, serving small traders, people and tourists.

Hanoi now has many snail noodle shops, springing up on different streets. Many shops are spacious, well-equipped, cool, and conveniently located. However, diners still accept to park their vehicles, walk, and squeeze through crowded alleys to queue up to enjoy snail noodle at Ms. Huyen's shop, because this place preserves the traditional flavor of the noodle. They are passionate about the shop's rustic, simple bowl of snail noodle, instead of the "full topping" bowls of snail noodle with beef, meatballs, fertilized eggs, ham...

Throughout its 7 decades of existence, the restaurant has maintained its traditional flavor, unchanged and unmodified. The restaurant serves two dishes: traditional snail noodle soup and banana and bean noodle soup. The bowl of noodles does not have ham, beef, or sausage added like many other places.

The stainless steel table right at the entrance of the restaurant is where Ms. Huyen places the ingredients for the snail noodle soup. On the table are only snails, beans, bananas, noodles, vinegar, green onions, raw vegetables, and shrimp paste. Next to it is a pot of fragrant broth.

Clear, rich broth is simmered from marrow bones. The slight sourness comes from tomatoes and a hint of sticky rice used to make vinegar.

According to Ms. Huyen, choosing snails is very important. Whether the snails are big or small, they must be at the age of "a girl in her 18s or 20s", meaning not too old, not too young. If the snails are old, they will be tough, but if they are young, they will have a fishy smell and the meat will not be sweet.

The restaurant also does not serve lemon or kumquat, but uses tamarind or pickled star fruit depending on the season. The owner said that the sour taste of lemon and kumquat can overpower the characteristic smell of fermented rice in the bowl of noodles.

When eating snail noodle soup at the restaurant, diners will feel the rich, crunchy taste of snail meat mixed with the sweetness of the broth.

Each bowl of noodles costs from 40,000 - 50,000 VND/bowl depending on the type of snail, with added banana or beans.

The restaurant opens from 7:30 to 17:30, with 11:00 to 13:00 being the busiest time. At this time, the restaurant's 6 employees work tirelessly to receive orders, serve food, and clean up.

Ms. Tran Thi Thao, a vendor at Dong Xuan market, has been a regular customer of the restaurant for 30 years. Ms. Thao said that in the past, when things were difficult, she only dared to "treat" herself to a bowl of snail noodle soup when business was very good. The bowl of noodles had many snails, the broth was fragrant, light and slightly sour, which made her fascinated. Later, when conditions were better, she went to many places to enjoy it, but Ms. Thao had not found a restaurant as delicious as Thuy's snail noodle soup. "I come here to eat 1 or 2 times a week. Snail noodle soup must be like that, with many snails, delicious broth, harmoniously combined with beans, raw vegetables, bananas, and cannot be replaced with ham, sausage, or beef," Ms. Thao said.

The restaurant is located in the alley of Dong Xuan market, so customers have to park their vehicles at the beginning or end of the alley, then walk about 100m. During peak noon hours, customers often have to wait in line for their turn, the space is quite cramped and stuffy.

However, if diners want to enjoy the traditional taste of Hanoi's vermicelli with snails, this is a highly rated address.