Vietnamese Roasted Sparrow
by Chim Quay Nguyễn Công Trứ, Hanoi, Vietnam
In the 2009 Top Gear Vietnam Special, one of the most memorable meals (save for the snake feast that even I couldn't bring myself to try) was when Jeremy Clarkson tried to force his co-hosts to join him in eating a platter of "wafer-thin sparrow."
On a recent trip to Hanoi, I was able to find a restaurant serving this northern Vietnamese specialty, and as a fan of Top Gear and eating delicious food, I decided to give it a try.
It might sound a little odd, but when you think about it, sparrow can't be all that much different from other game bird like chicken, quail, or even pigeon, all of which are commonly eaten around the world.
 |
| Vietnamese roasted sparrow in Hanoi |
In late afternoon, my taxi pulled up in front of Chim Quay Van Quan, a very small local shophouse restaurant that didn't even have an English menu. Nevertheless, with the help of Google Translate, I was able to order without any trouble.
Shortly, the food arrived, and I found myself sitting in front of a mountain of crispy whole sparrows.
 |
| lunch in Hanoi, Vietnam with roasted sparrow and fried dumplings |
Sparrow was, as you can imagine, like extremely lean chicken, with hardly any meat on the bone, though what little there was was surprisingly tasty. The bird was deliciously marinaded and barbecued to a crisp and served with pickled plums and a spicy and sour dipping sauce.
I was really hesitant at first, but I even surprise myself to admit how much I liked it.
 |
| crispy roasted sparrow at Chim Quay Nguyễn Công Trứ |
A real highlight, though, were the fried dumplings, which were very soft and fluffy. They were served piping hot along with a small cup of sweetened condensed milk to dip them in. It paired so well with the savory sparrow and spicy dipping sauce.
The meal ended up being a real highlight of my recent trip to Hanoi, and sparrow will definitely be back on the menu next time I visit Vietnam.
 |
| fried dumplings served with sweetened condensed milk |
Menu
The restaurant's menu is in Vietnamese, but it's easy enough to use a translation app to order in English. We ordered a number of small and big sparrows as well as a serving of fried dumplings.
 |
| Chim Quay Nguyễn Công Trứ menu and prices translated into English |
Location
Chim Quay Nguyễn Công Trứ is located at 7C Nguyễn Công Trứ, Hai Bà Trưng, Hà Nội, Vietnam. The restaurant is open daily from 10:00 am until 11:00 pm.
 |
| Chim Quay Nguyễn Công Trứ roast sparrow restaurant in Hanoi, Vietnam |
Comments
Post a Comment