Cha ca La Vong (Chả cá Lã Vọng in Vietnamese) is a Vietnamese grilled fish dish originally from Hanoi.^[1] The dish is traditionally made with hemibagrus (cá lăng in Vietnamese), which is a genus of catfish.^[2] The fish is cut into pieces and marinated with turmeric, galangal, fermented rice and other ingredients. It is then grilled over charcoal and served at the table in a hot pan coated with oil with scallion and dill. It is then eaten with bún noodles^[3], fresh herbs, peanuts and a pungent shrimp-based sauce called mắm tôm.^[1][4][5] Chả Cá Lá Vọng is considered a Hanoi delicacy, as it is nearly exclusively served in restaurants and is not found in street food.^[2]

In the 19th century, the Đoàn family living in the Old city of Hanoi were known to prepare grilled fish for their neighbors. The dish became so popular that the local community helped the family open an eatery at 17 Hàng Sơn Street in 1871.^[6][7][3] The restaurant was colloquially named Chả cá Lã Vọng or Lã Vọng grilled fish. The name refers to a statue (displayed inside the shop) of "Lã Vọng" or Trương Tử Nha, an 11th century BC Zhou dynasty strategist, Trương Tử Nha fishing was a legend that symbolized the patient wait for a talented people.^[3]

The small restaurant was managed by Doan Phuc and his wife Bi Van. In its early days, it was a meeting place and hideout for anti-colonial rebels.^[7] However, the restaurant soon became popular with aristocrats and colonial troops of French Indochina.^{[1] [8]} The restaurant became so popular that Hàng Sơn Street was later renamed Grilled Fish Lane or Phố Chả Cá.^[1]

The original Chả Cá Lã Vọng restaurant is still in business today, where it only serves its signature dish, and guests eat from charcoal burners at communal tables.^[4] The restaurant was listed as a destination in the book 1000 Places to Visit Before You Die.^[3]

The dish has left a strong impression on food critics and bloggers. As explained by Florence Fabricant, "The combination of ingredients — turmeric, dill, shrimp paste and fish sauce — delivers an intriguing muskiness bolstered with chiles, silky noodles and a thicket of other fresh herbs to season the chunks of moist fish. My memories are still vivid after 10 years."^[4]

Some chefs have developed their own interpretation of the dish, particularly in places where hemibragus may be less common. In the United States, some restaurants serve the dish with a variety of fish types and cooking styles, including: grilled catfish satay, grilled basa, grilled tilapia, whole broiled flounder, and halibut salad.^[4]