1 General introduction about Yen sticky rice
Addresses of facilities in Hanoi:
– Facility 1: 35B Nguyen Huu Huan, Ly Thai To, Hoan Kiem
– Facility 2: 29A Tran Hung Dao, Phan Chu Trinh, Hoan Kiem
Business hours: 6h00 – 23h59
Price fluctuations (updated from December 2023): 35,000 – 72,000 VND/ portion
Referring to famous sticky rice shops in Hanoi, you definitely cannot ignore Yen sticky rice located on the frontage of Nguyen Huu Huan street. This sticky rice shop is owned by Ms. Luong Thi Hong Yen, opened for sale in 1997. This place is considered the first brand in Hanoi that specializes in selling sticky rice with all kinds of toppings such as chicken, eggs, rolls, sausage, pate…
Because at that time, Hanoi cuisine was not yet popular like mixed sticky rice, so this address quickly attracted and won hearts. The hotness of Yen sticky rice even led to rumors that this place sells for a profit of 2 billion/month. According to travel guide Vietnamtravelio, this brand had a temporary break in 2017 and seemed to close completely, but in 2018 it reopened.
The menu of this famous sticky rice restaurant still has a variety of corn sticky rice, slanted sticky rice, and white sticky rice with full of attractive toppings. Xoi Yen is cooked until fragrant, combined with side dishes to create a delicious and unique flavor. Therefore, until now, this sticky rice shop is still very crowded and it is easy to see long queues to buy.
Xoi Yen Hanoi opened for sale in 1997 with the first location located on the corner of Nguyen Huu Huan street, quickly attracting a large number of diners. Photo: Masda Gak
This is considered the first brand in Hanoi to combine sticky rice with a variety of delicious toppings such as chicken, spring rolls, fried eggs, char siu… Photo: Places to eat in Hanoi
2 What’s special about Xoi Yen Hanoi?
2.1 Hanoi Yen sticky rice menu
The menu of Hanoi Yen sticky rice offers many choices for diners. Currently, the restaurant has about 18 sticky rice dishes with all kinds of different toppings. Among them, best-sellers include sticky rice with fat rolls, boiled chicken sticky rice, sticky rice with ribs, sticky rice with pork floss, sticky rice with braised meat, sticky rice with sausage, sticky rice with fried rice… When enjoying sticky rice here, Vietnamtravelio tells us You order additional drinks such as soy milk, lemon tea, bottled corn milk, lemon tea or soft drinks.
It’s no wonder Yen sticky rice is known as a culinary destination not to be missed during a trip to Hanoi. Right from the time when many people only ate sticky rice with sesame salt and shrimp paste, this brand has transformed the combination with a variety of delicious side dishes.
As for general comments about Yen sticky rice, many people think that the sticky rice here is cooked soft, flexible, very fragrant and does not fall apart. The sticky rice dish has a plump green bean filling. When you eat it, you can immediately feel the richness, combined with the aromatic flavor of fried onions. There is also a char siu egg sticky rice dish that stands out with its soft, richly marinated meat, sprinkled with char siu juice to accentuate the delicious, irresistible flavor.
The menu here has 3 main types of sticky rice: sticky rice, corn sticky rice, white sticky rice and all kinds of toppings to suit your taste, along with refreshing drinks. Photo: Cony Phan
The combination of fragrant sticky rice and attractive side dishes brings a flavor that makes everyone who has tried it excited. Photo: KULLAMEZ
Each type of side dish here, from chicken and char siu to sausage and eggs, is selected and prepared to highlight the flavor of the sticky rice. Photo: Lai Tuan Cuong (Jason Lai)
It is this style of mixed food that has helped Yen sticky rice win the hearts of diners and become a famous brand in the capital. Photo: T jenny
After enjoying Yen sticky rice, the best thing to do is to order a delicious glass of soy milk for only about 12,000 VND. Photo: Hoisoo Cho
2.2 Space of Yen sticky rice establishments
The original Yen sticky rice facility is located on Nguyen Huu Huan street and is a spacious and airy 2-story house. Inside, tables and chairs are arranged quite close together to serve more diners. During peak hours, this address is often crowded so it is quite cramped.
The second facility on Tran Hung Dao Street is also a large 2-story house but has a more beautifully designed, luxurious and polite space. The tables and chairs here are also arranged spaciously and comfortably, so it is suitable to serve families, groups of friends or tour groups in Hanoi.
The common point of both establishments is to ensure cleanliness, whether it is the customer service space or the sticky rice processing counter.
No matter which Yen sticky rice establishment is in Hanoi, the processing counters are separated from the outside by a layer of glass. Photo: @ahvi_ukiyo
Each side dish is placed in separate, clean trays, so even if it’s crowded, when making sticky rice, it won’t mix and affect the flavor. Photo: Mr. Tu Ho
2.3 Brand services
Regarding service, right from the beginning, Yen sticky rice has had a popular model and a policy of welcoming guests with a gentle and polite attitude. Currently, the restaurant’s staff has more than 50 people from cooking, waiting tables, recording bills, parking… professionally trained. However, the friendly and enthusiastic attitude towards diners is still a plus point that helps this sticky rice restaurant become even more famous.
With good service and a variety of delicious sticky rice dishes, this brand is still the top choice of local and tourist diners. Photo: Dat Nguyen Duc
How can a list of Hanoi specialties be complete without sticky rice? Yen is the leader in the style of eating, combining sticky rice cooked until golden brown, fragrant with all kinds of delicious toppings such as spring rolls, sausages, meat, eggs, char siu… If it is Big fan of sticky rice, this will be a suggestion that you should not miss on your backpacking journey to the capital, exploring cuisine with bold Vietnamese traditions. Save it now in your personal travel guide so you don’t miss it.
