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Here are five beloved sweet soup (chè) shops located in central Hanoi, ideal for those looking to enjoy a refreshing treat during the sweltering summer months.
Mrs. Thin sweet soup (Bat Dan Street)
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Once a humble street vendor, Mrs. Thin has become a renowned destination for Hanoi locals and tourists alike.
In winter, the shop is known for its warm dishes like sticky rice with sweet soup, floating rice dumplings, caramelized ginger rice, and sautéed green rice.
In summer, diners flock here for cooling delights such as lotus seed sweet soup, black bean, mung bean, mung bean custard, and tofu pudding.
Its mung bean custard is lightly sweetened, with mung beans simmered to a soft texture and combined with arrowroot starch and a hint of pomelo essence that adds fragrance without overwhelming the dish.
Other popular choices include black jelly with jasmine syrup and tofu pudding, perfect for beating the heat. The shop also serves traditional snacks like green rice cakes with mung bean filling, nine-layer cakes, sautéed green rice, and caramelized ginger rice. Prices start from USD 0.80.
Four Seasons sweet soup (Hang Can Street)
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Cool and colorful sweet soups perfect for summer. Photo: Four Seasons Sweet Soup Hang Can
This is one of the oldest sweet soup shops in Hanoi's Old Quarter. It's bustling year-round with customers enjoying classics such as mung bean, black bean, longan with lotus seeds, tapioca jelly, floating rice dumplings, and sticky rice sweet soup with ginger.
The lotus seeds are always perfectly cooked - tender but not mushy - while the mung bean paste is smooth and balanced.
Recently, the shop has added more contemporary offerings to its menu, including almond jelly with fruit, yogurt with jackfruit, black sticky rice yogurt, and snacks like fried fermented pork rolls, fries, and cheese sticks. Prices start from USD 1.
1976 Mixed sweet soup (Tran Hung Dao Street)
These elaborate mixed sweet soups are a customer favorite. Photo: Kim Ngan
Located in a small alley on Tran Hung Dao Street, this nostalgic sweet soup shop is packed every evening with no empty seats. Its menu features an astonishing 72 varieties, with the cheapest priced at USD 2.40.
The most expensive is a mixed sweet soup with durian and coconut milk, priced at USD 3.60. This puts the shop's offerings at two to three times the average market price.
The most premium offering includes 17 different ingredients like mung beans, red beans, coconut milk, fruit, sautéed green rice, tapioca pearls, and more. It's delicately sweet and well-balanced, catering to a wide range of tastes.
Loc Tai sweet soup (Hang Dieu Street)
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The shop uses vintage-style bowls to enhance its retro charm. Photo: Duong Thu Phuong
This shop stands out with its nostalgic atmosphere. The bowls are classic white porcelain with blue patterns or vintage crackle glaze. Serving trays are made of wood or bronze, and the furniture features dark wooden tones worn with time.
The sweet soups are prepared in a rustic, traditional style. In summer, favorites include lotus seed with longan, longan stuffed with lotus seeds, black bean with jasmine jelly, green rice sweet soup, and grapefruit sweet soup, priced from USD 1 to USD 1.40.
Muoi Sau sweet soup (Lo Duc Street)
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With a history of nearly 70 years, Muoi Sau has become a staple for many Hanoians. Its dishes are distinctly Hanoi in flavor - sweet yet delicate, with mung beans simmered just right: neither mushy nor undercooked.
Top picks include mung bean, black bean, lotus seed sweet soup, sticky rice with mung beans, and the nine-layer cake. Customers are often willing to queue for these favorites. Prices start from USD 0.80.
Linh Trang
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