Hoàng Lan

Hạ Long City has become well known worldwide for the natural beauty of the surrounding area, but its unique mantis shrimp dishes have also impressed foodies with the amazing richness of their flavour, said local resident Nguyễn Thị Tuyết Vân.

Several traditional meals are made from the unique and nutritious seafood ingredient: mantis shrimp noodle soup, breaded and fried mantis shrimp with tamarind, deep fried mantis shrimp, steamed mantis shrimp with lemongrass and chilli, fried salted mantis shrimp and many others, said Vân.

Most prominent of the dishes is mantis shrimp noodle soup, a famous delicacy from Hạ Long City in Quảng Ninh Province that most visitors want to try, Vân noted.

Mantis shrimp noodle soup has helped make Hạ Long City in Quảng Ninh Province famous nationwide. Photo vinpearl.com

Hạ Long's maritime area is said to be the birth place of the mantis shrimp (locally known as bề bề), where many of these types of shrimp are found instead of more common varieties.

Vân said Hạ Long’s mantis shrimp is rich and fragrant, with a more buttery, sweet flavour compared with shrimp from other areas. It has helped put the location on the national culinary map for popular specialty seafood dishes.

When asked how to cook mantis shrimp noodle soup, Vân told Việt Nam News that first, cooks must choose the white shrimp because of its sweet, firm and delicious meat compared with other local shrimp varieties.

Mantis shrimp are usually found in the sea near Hạ Long. Photo vinpearl.com

“We often stew pork bones, crab and used boiled mantis shrimp gravy to create a broth with a special sweetness and savoury taste, which plays an important role in making the dish more amazing,” said Vân, adding that it is even more enjoyable when eaten with fresh herbs and a piece of fresh lemon.

Apart from mantis shrimp noodle soup, visitors and residents also adore fried salted mantis shrimp.

“It is also a beloved dish for not only locals, but also travellers, including foreign tourists,” said Vân, adding that the cooking process is rather fussy, with ingredients like lemongrass, cooking oil, salt, pepper, chilli and others.

“The most important step to creating the best flavour is the art of managing the fire like an experienced and skilled chef, who knows when to use a strong or medium flame to ensure a perfectly cooked dish," Vân said.

Along with mantis shrimp noodle soup, fried salted mantis shrimp is another popular dish among foodies and guests in the city. Photo mia.vn

A young tourist couple named Hồng Duy and Thúy Lan said they were enjoying a plate of salted fried mantis shrimp, which had eggs in its belly for even more flavour, dipped in a sauce of lemon juice, chilli and pepper.

“We were excited to watch a waiter helping us get the meat out from its shell, exposing the tasty white shrimp meat. We fully enjoyed the taste and the aromatic flavour of the dish, and we also felt a natural fragrance of the sea from it,” said the couple.

Fried mantis shrimp mixed with tamarind sauce is among beloved dishes by foodies. Photo mia.vn

The top six most unforgettable mantis shrimp noodle shops in Hạ Long City, as rated by mia.vn, are: Huy Chiên Shop on Thục Thoại Street in Hồng Hải Ward; Làng Chài culinary restaurant at Lot 20, Hoàng Quốc Việt Road, Bãi Cháy Ward; Shop 745 on Vũ Văn Hiếu in Hà Tu Ward; Đông Bắc mantis shrimp shop at 6 Hải Phượng Road, Hồng Hải Ward; Chăm Hương tasty mantis shrimp shop on Tuyển Than Road, Cột 8 Ward; and Quang Dung seafood noodle soup at 103 Huỳnh Thúc Kháng Road, Hồng Hải Ward. VNS