Chickened out

Hang Ga in Hanoi’s Old Quarter is a low key street famous for wedding cards and the best banh cuon restaurant in town, writes Hop Trang.
Hang Ga street was originally established as part of Tan Lap- Tan Khai hamlet in Tho Xuong district. Initially the road was dubbed Tan Khai. In French colonial times the road was known as Thien Tan or Rue Tien Tsin. The name was in tribute to the Thien Tan agreement which brought an end to the conflict between France and China’s Thanh dynasty in 1885.
However, the street was always a famous spot for trading chickens and other poultry, so in 1945 the street was renamed yet again as Hang Ga, which more or less means ‘chicken trading street’. The poultry market operated outside Thai Cam temple. There were no shops – just massive cages on the roadside.
The big day
As a result the chicken traders are no longer a fixture. If you asked a Hanoian, what Hang Ga is famous for today, they might say wedding cards. The street is awash with shops making all kinds of wedding cards.
Locals argue over how the trade began. Some people reckon one family set up a wedding card printing house and as business grew, neighbours simply followed suit. Now there are close to 30 wedding card printing shops. The most reputable ones –should you be planning a wedding of your own! – are Hong Kong shop at 52 Hang Ga, Lan Tan at 73 Hang Ga and Nhung Truong at 46 Hang Ga.
Food
Banh Cuon Thanh Van
14 Hang Ga
Other Hanoians might argue that a small restaurant serving up the local delicacy banh cuon is the best reason to drive down Hang Ga. For the unacquainted banh cuon is a rice-flour crepe, which is rolled around woodear mushrooms, pork and onions and served with a bowl of nuoc cham (fish sauce with lime and chili) and fresh herbs.
Banh cuon is often served with gio or cha lua – two kinds of processed pork. The dish is a perfect snack – you can enjoy banh cuon at anytime of day. First opened back in 1944-1945 by Lam Thi Man and his family, Banh Cuon Thanh Van is one of the most reliable and famous addresses for banh cuon. It’s so popular that the restaurant will be closed by midday, if they run out of ingredients! The restaurant is also open in the evenings from 5pm.
Chuoi Xanh restaurant
46 Hang Ga
Chuoi Xanh restaurant serves chicken rice in a variety of ways – most appropriate considering this is Hang Ga. The restaurant is well designed and has an artsy vibe. The food is very reasonable at VND25,000 to VND30,000 a plate.
Thuy Binh Restaurant
22 Hang Ga
This popular restaurant offers authentic Vietnamese cuisine in an elegant, oriental setting. The speciality is Ba Ba (Tryonychid Turtle), which is a delicious dish much-loved by Vietnamese, though some westerners may baulk at the thought of eating turtle.
Thai Cam Temple
16D Hang Ga
Thai Cam Temple (or Tan Khai Temple) was built by Tan Khai-Tan Lap villagers in 1822. The name of Thai Cam Temple means “very sweet” as there was once a well here with famously sweet water. Like many other temples in Hanoi, Thai Cam Temple worships the To Lich, Bach Ma and Thiet Lam, the tutelary gods of Thang Long capital, who according to myth helped Ly Cong Uan (Ly Thai To) to build the capital.
Accommodation
Rising Dragon II Hotel
29 Hang Ga
The second Rising Dragon hotel offers tourists comfortable and elegant accommodation in the heart of the Old Quarter. All rooms are wonderfully decorated and feature fantastic facilities. The hotel serves buffet breakfast from 5.30am to 10am for $3 per person. Rooms start at $25 per night and you can expect clean and comfortable accommodation.
Little Hanoi Hotel
48 Hang Ga
This hotel offers cosy, clean and spacious rooms. The staff is genuinely friendly and willing to help first time visitors to Hanoi. It’s really like a family-run hotel. Guests can expect the usual services and amenities –cable TV, air conditioner, modern bathrooms with bathtubs, free breakfast, free internet.
Other recommended hotels on the street are Thanh An Hotel at 46 Hang Ga, Sunflower Hotel at 34 Hang Ga and Blue Sky Hotel at 2B Hang Ga.