For more than two months now, Pho Tron Ga Quay Lu has been the best-selling dish at Nguyen Xuan Kien’s (50-year-old) shop in Kim Lien, Dong Da District, Hanoi. When customers order, the pho noodles are blanched in broth, put into a bowl, and the rich, shimmering sauce is added, mixed with crispy, shiny roasted chicken, blanched bean sprouts, herbs, and roasted peanuts. The Pho Tron dish is served with a dipping sauce made from a mixture of coriander roots, pho basil, garlic, chili, sugar, fish sauce, lemon, and kumquat.
"Since the addition of roasted chicken pho, the number of customers coming to the restaurant has increased significantly. Every day, my restaurant sells from 800 to 900 bowls of pho of all kinds, mainly roasted chicken pho (in noodle soup or mixed pho). The restaurant consumes from 150 to 230 chickens and more than 100 kg of pho noodles," said the restaurant owner.
Mr. Kien has been in the traditional chicken pho business for 15 years, however, he has only created and opened the roast chicken pho dish for sale in recent years. Originally a chef at the old Kim Lien Hotel, Mr. Kien loves to explore and learn new recipes. After a while of opening the traditional chicken pho restaurant, he also learned how to make roast chicken in a roast chicken dish to increase the diversity of the restaurant's menu.
"Even though I sought out a teacher to learn the trade, it still took me 3 years to find the perfect recipe for roasted chicken, overcoming the limitations of flavor, crispy skin... When I successfully made this dish, I thought of combining pho and roasted chicken to bring a new flavor to diners," said Mr. Kien.
According to the restaurant owner, the roast chicken is made with many different steps, the most important of which is choosing quality chicken. Mr. Kien uses Yen The hill chicken (Bac Giang), a type of chicken that is netted and raised on the hill, weighing 1.7kg-1.8kg. "I don't use industrial chicken or caged chicken because the meat is loose and not delicious. Free-range chicken is expensive but the meat is firm and sweet, and when processed, it has an attractive flavor," said Mr. Kien.
Every day, at around 3am, chickens are transported from Bac Giang to Hanoi to ensure freshness. The chickens are pre-processed and thoroughly washed before going through various stages of "bathing" and marinating.
"For the first "bath", I use boiling water with ginger and vinegar to remove impurities and help the chicken skin stretch evenly. After blanching, the chicken is placed in a basket to drain, before being "bathed" with spices and medicinal herbs," said the restaurant owner.
The whole chicken is marinated with 17 spice mixtures such as pepper, Korean chili powder, honey, Thai salt... for 2 hours, then it must be dried thoroughly before being put into the roasting oven. "If it's a sunny day, I dry it in the sun, but if it's not sunny, I have to use a fan to dry the chicken. These steps are quite similar to the way to make Lang Son roasted duck," said Mr. Kien.
Once the chicken is dry, it will be put into the oven to roast. Depending on the weight and size of the chicken, the chef will roast it for 12 to 13 minutes per batch, adjusting the temperature from 200-250 degrees Celsius. The time and temperature are carefully adjusted so that the chicken is cooked but not dry or burnt.
After the chicken is roasted, Mr. Kien continues to "bathe" the chicken in a pan of boiling oil to make the skin golden and crispy, and to give off a fragrant aroma. "After going through many steps, my roasted chicken can stay crispy for a longer time, with a richer flavor," said the restaurant owner.
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Each roasted chicken at the restaurant costs 160,000 VND. The roasted chicken pho dishes cost from 30,000 VND/bowl, of which the special mixed pho bowl costs 50,000 VND, mixed pho with thighs or wings costs 35,000 VND. With the pho dish combined with roasted chicken, the broth is also carefully prepared by Mr. Kien. Accordingly, the restaurant owner simmers the broth from pork bones combined with 250-300 chicken feet for 18 hours, adding grilled shallots, pepper, ginger, fish sauce, and MSG. The broth has a moderately rich flavor to harmonize the pho noodles and roasted chicken.
The restaurant also sells some side dishes such as green mango chicken feet salad and cabbage chicken salad for 60,000 VND/plate.
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The restaurant can accommodate about 30 guests at a time, has air conditioning, and is airy. Peak hours are usually at noon (11am-1pm) and in the evening (7pm-8pm). During this time, the restaurant is often full, with a large number of take-out customers, so you have to wait quite a while.
"The roasted chicken pho dish reminds me of sour pho in Cao Bang and Lang Son. The chicken at the restaurant has crispy, attractive skin, and the pho sauce is fragrant and rich. I'm not too impressed with the chicken pho, it's just right. A plus point is the affordable price," said Ms. Thuy Ha (Dong Da).
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