Xoi Yen is renowned for its diverse sticky rice dishes combined with various toppings, pioneering the mixed-style dining, and remains a favorite choice for many visitors to Hanoi. Let’s explore this famous culinary brand with BDATrip!
Xoi Yen is renowned for its diverse sticky rice dishes combined with various toppings, pioneering the mixed-style dining, and remains a favorite choice for many visitors to Hanoi. Let’s explore this famous culinary brand with BDATrip!
Branches in Hanoi:
When talking about the famous sticky rice places in Hanoi, Xoi Yen on Nguyen Huu Huan Street cannot be overlooked. Founded in 1997 by Ms. Luong Thi Hong Yen, this sticky rice shop has long been a well-known brand, famous for its sticky rice dishes topped with a variety of items such as chicken, eggs, pork rolls, pâté, and more.
At the time, mixed sticky rice was not yet popular in Hanoi’s cuisine, which helped Xoi Yen quickly become a popular destination. The shop became even more renowned with rumors of earning up to 2 billion VND per month. Xoi Yen closed in 2017 but reopened in 2018 and has continued to operate since.
The menu remains rich, offering sticky corn rice, yellow mung bean rice, and plain sticky rice with delicious toppings. The sticky rice here is always soft and fragrant, combined with the accompanying dishes to create a unique and delicious taste. Therefore, even today, the shop is always crowded, with long lines of people waiting to buy.
The menu at Xoi Yen Hanoi is a vibrant culinary world, offering diners a wide variety of diverse and rich choices. Currently, the shop offers about 18 different sticky rice dishes, each served with an assortment of appealing toppings. The best-selling dishes include the rich, fatty sticky rice with pork rolls, boiled chicken sticky rice with tender, golden chicken skin, flavorful Chinese sausage sticky rice, crispy shredded pork sticky rice, savory braised pork sticky rice, fresh pork rolls sticky rice, and the delicious sticky mung bean rice with fried green rice sausage. With a diverse combination of side dishes, Xoi Yen always offers a unique culinary experience for its diners.
In addition to sticky rice, the shop also pays great attention to serving drinks that complement the meal. When enjoying sticky rice here, you can pair it with familiar drinks such as refreshing soy milk, cool lemon tea, sweet bottled corn milk, or other common soft drinks to enhance your dining experience.
Xoi Yen’s fame didn’t come by chance. From the days when people were used to eating sticky rice with sesame salt and shredded pork, Xoi Yen broke new ground by combining sticky rice with various side dishes, creating new flavors that diners couldn’t find elsewhere. This innovation has turned Xoi Yen into a special brand and an unmissable stop for anyone wanting to explore Hanoi’s cuisine.
Speaking of the quality of the sticky rice here, many people agree that Xoi Yen’s sticky rice is always perfectly cooked—soft, sticky, and fragrant without being mushy. Particularly, the sticky mung bean rice with a generous filling of green beans is praised for its rich, buttery taste, paired with aromatic fried onions for a harmonious and appealing overall experience. Additionally, the sticky rice with char siu and egg leaves a strong impression on diners with its tender char siu pork, marinated with bold flavors, blended with sweet char siu sauce, creating an irresistible taste explosion.
The original Xoi Yen branch on Nguyen Huu Huan Street is located in a two-story house with spacious and airy seating. The restaurant’s design is not too elaborate but provides a cozy and friendly atmosphere. Inside, the tables and chairs are arranged closely together to maximize the dining space, accommodating many diners at once. This ensures a steady flow of customers, especially during peak hours when the restaurant is bustling and lively. Although it can be a bit crowded during these times, the well-organized layout allows customers to enjoy the famous sticky rice without feeling too inconvenienced.
The second Xoi Yen branch is located on Tran Hung Dao Street, one of Hanoi's major and busy thoroughfares. This branch is also housed in a two-story building but with a completely different design style. The interior is elegantly and modernly decorated, offering a more luxurious and formal feel compared to the original branch. With spacious seating, this venue is ideal for family gatherings, meeting friends, or hosting large tourist groups. The open and airy atmosphere creates a comfortable dining experience even when the restaurant is busy.
Although the two branches differ in style and space, they share a crucial commonality: they always maintain cleanliness throughout. From the dining area to the sticky rice preparation counter, everything is kept meticulously clean, ensuring food safety and giving customers peace of mind. This commitment to hygiene has greatly contributed to maintaining Xoi Yen's reputation and credibility over the years, making it a favorite spot for both locals and tourists when visiting Hanoi.
From its inception, Xoi Yen has built a casual dining model accessible to a wide range of customers. The owner has always focused on welcoming diners with a gentle and polite attitude, creating a comfortable and friendly atmosphere for everyone. This not only satisfies customers but has also been a key factor in establishing the restaurant's standing in the hearts of Hanoi's residents.
Over time, alongside continuous growth, Xoi Yen's staff has also expanded. The restaurant now operates with more than 50 professional staff members, handling roles from cooking, serving, billing, to parking and customer assistance. Each employee is well-trained in their workflow, ensuring professionalism and efficiency in every service aspect. As a result, even during peak hours, the services remain attentive and effective.
Not only has Xoi Yen enhanced the quality of its workforce, but it has also preserved the friendly and warm approach in serving customers. The staff is always ready to assist, making customers feel close and comfortable when dining at Xoi Yen. This is one of the factors that help the restaurant not only attract new customers but also retain loyal diners who have frequented Xoi Yen for many years.
Despite the restaurant’s expansion and service upgrades, Xoi Yen has maintained its distinctive service culture—hospitality and enthusiasm. This is why Xoi Yen is not only a familiar destination for locals but also a favorite stop for tourists visiting Hanoi. The Xoi Yen brand has become more widely recognized and beloved thanks to its quality service and dedicated, thoughtful hospitality.
When it comes to Hanoi's specialties, Xoi Yen is undoubtedly a name that cannot be missed, especially for those who appreciate the subtle combination of soft, fragrant sticky rice and an array of delicious side dishes like pork rolls, meat, eggs, and char siu. If you are a fan of sticky rice, Xoi Yen will be an ideal stop in your culinary exploration of Hanoi that you must try.
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