Hanh and Ken’s is a laid-back eatery serving up traditional Vietnamese fare with an occasional twist. The restaurant is named for the couple that founded the establishment. And in a romantic twist, I did so on Valentine’s day of this year. The pair met in Singapore in 2012. Ken, originally from upstate New York, was working for a German telecom company. Hanh, originally from Saigon, was a promoter for the Tiger Beer company. Ken eventually retired, and he and Hanh decided to settle in Da Nang and try their good fortunes with a Vietnamese Restaurant. Thus Hanh and Ken’s Authentic Vietnamese Cuisine was born.
The restaurant is located at 36 An Thượng 5, In the heart of the An Thượng tourist district. They are tucked away on one of the most intimate streets in all of Da Nang. Hanh and Ken’s offers a beautiful and relaxed environment to enjoy some of the great dishes Vietnam has to offer. We headed over to Hanh and Ken’s on a warm fall night to check it out for ourselves. Diem and I had a few friends in town, and Hanh and Ken’s seemed a perfect place to enjoy some delicious food and a few drinks.
The Menu
Hanh and Ken’s menu touches most notes without being watered down, as can sometimes happen with Vietnamese menus. Everything is prepared daily from scratch. Hanh goes to the market every morning and cruises the stalls for the freshest meat and produce the market offers. In the evenings, you can smell her delicious phở broth as you turn onto the street. That wonderful unique smell that phở only seems to have in the streets of Vietnam.
In addition to the traditional phở, you can also enjoy many other Vietnamese classics like fried and fresh spring rolls, chicken fried noodles and sauteed morning glory with garlic. The chicken fried noodles or mỳ xào gà is the most popular dish on the menu. Though with so many popular dishes, it was difficult to get a definitive answer. You can view the menu in pdf format or see the sample page below.
The Staff
Amazingly enough, the restaurant is run by the duo of Hanh and her sous chef Huong. From start to finish. Ken, with his name on the menu, serves as the unofficial mascot of the restaurant. He can often be found hanging out with customers and entertaining the children of parents enjoying a night out. Hanh is quite the social butterfly, seemingly spending as much time entertaining guests as whipping up delicious dishes.
The result is a very intimate and friendly experience. I was feeling as much like dining at a friend’s dinner party as at a restaurant. The restaurant, too, has some beautiful components. Lanterns commissioned from the ancient trading town of Hoi An and a war-era desk marked U.S. property. A great space to explore and enjoy a delicious dinner on a warm Da Nang night.
Our experience
On our first visit, we enjoyed nem lụi, bò lá lốt, and tôm rang me. Nem lụi is a dish I’ve discussed before. A Da Nang classic, minced pork, pepper, shallots, and garlic are formed around a lemongrass stalk and grilled, served with rice paper and the ubiquitous Vietnamese table garden. The pork is pulled off the lemongrass with the rice paper, topped with vegetables, rolled, and dipped in Nuoc Cham. Bò lá lốt, hand minced beef wrapped in lolot leaves and grilled and served with lettuce for wrapping. Finally, the tôm rang me, roasted shrimp in tamarind sauce.
Nem lụi was delicious. I particularly liked this rendition as the pork wasn’t ground to a paste as you often see in mass-produced versions. Instead, a wonderful texture brightened by the lemongrass and rounded with an intense freshness from the herbs and greens. The bò lá lốt was also very good and something I could have eaten all night with the delicious glasses of draft San Miguel that kept coming to the table. The tôm rang me was also excellent but a sneaky addition to the menu. It reminded me very much of a Singaporean chili crab dish, and given the duo’s time in Singapore, it wasn’t too surprising.
The Details
Hanh and Ken’s is officially open every day from 11 am – 9 pm. However, they are known to stay open into the wee hours if business permits. They are offering a well-rounded Vietnamese menu, beer, bar service, and takeaway. So call ahead for takeaway or visit them for a relaxed dinner on one of the best streets in Da Nang.
Located at 36 An Thượng 5, Quận Ngũ Hành Sơn, TP. Đà Nẵng
Phone: 0342308554
For directions, click more options on the map above or click here.
Click here for more Dining Out Da Nang.
I can’t await to visit Da Nang and to explore all these great restaurants 🙂