Tan Tan Eel Restaurant

My idea of a nice eel dish is probably how it is served in Japanese restaurants: stewed till it is just right and drizzled with a thin layer of sweet sauce. In Hanoi, eel dishes are quite famous too. The eel meat is often deep fried before being placed in soup dishes or porridge.

M and I went to one of the eel restaurants today called "Tan Tan Eel". "Tan Tan" was the name of the owner's grandmother who used to sell eel dishes. Through diversification into the eatery business (the owner currently runs a travel agency), the owner hopes to make eel dishes more popular in Hanoi.

Quite a snazzy decor for a two storeyed restaurant...

The juice bar on the first floor

We both ordered the eel porridge as it was nice to have something warm during winter, and a pomelo salad to share. We also had a side order of "quay" or souffle batter, which is known as "you tiao" or fried dough fritters in Singapore. I liked the pomelo salad (the salads in Hanoi are really quite nice) for its crunchy texture and unique blend of sweet and sour sauce. The porridge was filled with herbs but the fried eel meat tasted only average. I guess my dislike for fried food affected my liking for the dish.

My eel porridge, looking pale in the dim lights

The pomelo salad and "you tiao"

The total meal (inclusive of 2 bowls of porridge, a salad, a side dish and 2 drinks) came up to VND 110,000 (we had a 20% discount) which is around SGD 10. Quite a good value meal but nothing spectacular in my opinion. But I admit I am a rather picky porridge eater and still very much miss the fish slice porridge in Singapore.

Tan Tan Eel
63A Hai Ba Trung
Hoan Kiem District
Open from 6am to 2pm; 5pm to 11pm
Tel: 04-242 3847