It's past 10pm on the first day of the Lunar New Year 2025, but Ha Ton Quyen dumpling street in District 11 (HCMC) still shows no signs of stopping.
Ha Ton Quyen Street is bustling at 10pm on the first day of the Lunar New Year 2025 - Photo: NHA XUAN
On the first day of the year, some shops are closed for Tet but there are still about ten shops with lights on to serve spring visitors.
Every shop was bustling with people coming and going, the tables and chairs on both sides of the street were almost full.
Food lovers are probably familiar with Ha Ton Quyen - the most famous street in Saigon for dumplings.
A long stretch of road is lined with shops selling dumplings - a famous Chinese dish. If you don't have a "favorite" shop, first-time visitors will be overwhelmed and won't know where to start.
All the dumpling shops were full of people eating even though it was 10pm on the first day of Tet - Photo: NHA XUAN
Eat dumplings for a prosperous new year
Dumplings are a popular dish in Chinese cuisine, with the filling usually being meat, shrimp, etc. wrapped in a thin dough skin.
Dumplings can be boiled, steamed or fried, served with sweet and sour sauce or vinegar soy sauce, and a little spicy chili sauce. This dish can be eaten alone or with noodles.
Mixed dumplings with fish balls, squid soaked in lye water... served with shrimp and meat dumplings - Photo: NHA XUAN
Many people believe that eating dumplings at the beginning of the year will bring luck because dumplings are shaped like gold bars.
Perhaps that's why many people stop by Ha Ton Quyen to eat. In addition, many shops are closed on Tet holiday, so the whole street is lit up and open until late at night, which is really attractive.
Many people believe that eating dumplings at the beginning of the year will bring good luck - Photo: NHA XUAN
Since the usual restaurant was closed for Tet, we stopped at a wonton and pulled noodle shop at the beginning of the street and ordered two portions: one with dry mixed wonton, one with noodles mixed with oyster sauce and served with a bowl of wonton soup. The mixed noodles portion, in addition to wontons, also had fish balls, shrimp, pork skin, and squid soaked in Chinese-style lye water.
The restaurant was quite crowded so customers had to wait a long time for their food to be prepared, but luckily there was a "noodle dance" right in front of the door to entertain them. The waiter stood in front of the table kneading the dough, diligently pulling the noodles by hand.
At 10pm, the noodle maker is still working quickly rolling, stuffing, and pulling dough - Photo: NHA XUAN
Each block of dough is kneaded, then pulled, folded in half, then pulled again by the nimble hands of the worker, and in no time at all becomes fresh, long, chewy noodles, ready to be served to diners.
The sound of flour hitting the table is pleasant to the ears, adding to the bustling atmosphere of the food street on the first day of the year.
The restaurant also serves a variety of Hong Kong-style dim sum, including fried radish cakes – a popular dish during the Lunar New Year. It was getting late, but the street was still brightly lit and bustling with people.
When we left, the line of motorbikes on the side of the road was still long, and diners were still coming in and out to find themselves a bowl of the best dumplings in Saigon, to end a day of spring travel with a full stomach.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/pho-sui-cao-ha-ton-quyen-sang-den-nhon-nhip-ngay-dau-nam-20250130111028225.htm
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