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Here are five popular and refreshingly delicious sweet soup (chè) spots located in central Hanoi, perfect for cooling off during sweltering summer days.
Mrs. Thin Sweet Soup (Bat Dan, Hoan Kiem)
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From a humble street vendor to a beloved snack destination for locals and tourists alike, Mrs. Thin's shop has earned its place in Hanoi's culinary heritage.
In winter, it’s famous for warm treats like sticky rice with sweet soup, glutinous rice balls in ginger syrup, mung bean cake, and stir-fried young rice. During summer, diners flock to enjoy cooling options such as lotus seed sweet soup, black bean, mung bean, mung bean and tapioca with pomelo essence, and tofu pudding.
The mung bean soup with cassava flour and fragrant pomelo oil is a popular, mildly sweet option. Other refreshing dishes like black jelly with jasmine syrup or silky tofu pudding also make excellent choices for a hot day.
Mrs. Thin also offers local snacks like green rice cake filled with mung bean, rainbow layer cake, and mung bean sweet soup with ginger. Prices start from around $0.80.
Four Seasons Sweet Soup (Hang Can, Hoan Kiem)
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Photo: Che 4 Mua Hang Can
As one of the oldest sweet soup shops in Hanoi’s Old Quarter, this place is bustling year-round, serving classic varieties such as mung bean, black bean, lotus seed with longan and coconut, jelly with tapioca pearls, glutinous rice balls in ginger syrup, and brown rice porridge with ginger.
The lotus seeds are tender but not mushy, and the mung bean soup is smooth and not overly thick.
Recently, the menu expanded with more modern offerings like khuc bach jelly, yogurt with jackfruit or purple sticky rice, and snacks such as fried spring rolls, fried sweet potatoes, and cheese sticks. Dishes start from about $1.
The shop has air-conditioned seating and is often decorated for guests to take Instagram-worthy photos.
1976 Mixed Sweet Soup (Tran Hung Dao, Hoan Kiem)
Hidden in a small alley on Tran Hung Dao Street, this sweet soup shop is packed every evening with barely an empty seat.
Its menu features up to 72 different kinds of sweet soups. Prices start at $2.40 per cup, with the signature mixed sweet soup with durian and coconut cream going for up to $3.60 - two to three times higher than average.
The priciest item, the durian-coconut mix, contains 17 ingredients including mung beans, red beans, coconut cream, fruit, green rice flakes, and tapioca pearls. The sweetness is well-balanced, making it enjoyable for many palates.
Loc Tai Sweet Soup (Hang Dieu, Hoan Kiem)
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This shop stands out with its nostalgic, old-world decor. The bowls are traditional blue-and-white ceramic or crackle glaze, the serving trays are made of brass or wood, and the faded brown wooden furniture evokes a bygone era.
The sweet soups are prepared in a simple, time-honored way. Summer favorites include lotus seed with longan, longan stuffed with lotus seeds, black bean with jasmine jelly, pomelo peel sweet soup, and green rice soup. Prices range from $1 to $1.40.
Muoi Sau Sweet Soup (Lo Duc, Hai Ba Trung)
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With a history stretching back 70 years, Muoi Sau is a cherished name among Hanoians. Its menu exudes classic Hanoi charm - lightly sweet, balanced, and made with perfectly simmered beans.
Customer favorites include mung bean, black bean, lotus seed, sticky rice with mung bean, and the vibrant rainbow layer cake. Patrons often queue up for these nostalgic flavors, with prices starting at just $0.80.
Linh Trang
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