SAPA Prague: Where to eat in Vietnam’s largest market
Trung Tam Thuong Mai Sapa in translation SAPA shopping center, often also nicknamed Malá Hanoi, is located on the outskirts of Prague in the area of the former meat processing plant of the Písnice district. Today, in addition to the purchase of exotic food and wholesale goods, you can also experience authentic culinary art in the market.
So we set out to soak up the atmosphere of faraway Asia and bring you tips on where to go for the best of Vietnamese cuisine: the most fragrant soups, meat prepared in one of the streets directly on the grill, a popular baguette and dessert that you will not taste anywhere else in Prague. So if you ask where to go to the honest Phở or Bún bò Nam Bô, 30 minutes from the center of Prague, you will find the answer.
But SAPA is not just about food and shopping, it is also an important cultural and educational center for the local community. In the huge area of 250,000 m2 you will find a kindergarten, doctors, travel agencies, a hairdresser, playgrounds, a language center and a Buddhist pagoda.
Dong Do, the largest restaurant, hosts weddings and spectacular celebrations for up to 800 people. You could say that SAPA is an independent city within a city. If you want to experience Vietnamese culture with everything, do not hesitate to come here. Definitely worth winning all day long, as there is a lot to see and do a lot of tasting in Little Hanoi!
And to put it bluntly, don’t be afraid of sajgon (bigger clutter) on the roads and side streets. Instead of the rules of the road, there is more traffic chaos and the bistros are often not 100% clean. But all the inconveniences will certainly be compensated by a real cultural experience with the scent of coriander, because it must not be missing in any local delicacy. The market gates are open from 8 am to 10 pm.
Phở Tùng
because a well-known proverb says: the soup is grunt and the meat is punt, our first steps were directed to the Phở Tùng restaurant, which specializes in Vietnamese food, which has become very popular in the country: Phở soup. If you are just starting out with Asian flavors, this soup will definitely not disappoint.
The restaurant specializing in hearty soups is quite spacious, so you don’t have to worry about there being no room. The soup is also served with slices of chopped chili peppers and pieces of lemon to achieve the desired taste of umami. You can also buy Quay, which are fried sticks that are traditionally consumed with soup.
Basically Phở is a strong broth, flat rice noodles, sliced beef (Bo) or chicken (Ga), various spices (star anise, cloves, ginger) and herbs such as coriander and perilla. The broth is prepared from quality meat and bones and lasted for at least 13 hours. This fragrant dish warms the body and soul. It is very healthy and its beneficial effects will pull you out of every disease or hangover.
Bún Cá Hải Phòng
Another soup we must mention here is carp broth Good morning. Bún Cá Hải Phòng specializes in a small bistro. We dare to say that the Czechs do not know it at all, but since the taste of carp is not foreign to us, I believe that Good morning you will fall in love too. This slightly spicy broth is served with pieces of fried carp in batter, round noodles, onions and lots of herbs dominated by fresh dill.
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What will you learn after the departure?
- What they are preparing in other restaurants in the SAPA market
- Where you will find the best Bún Cha in Prague
- What does the traditional Vietnamese dessert Ché consist of and where to go
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