Recently, Lau tom bau by Chang - a restaurant of Hanoi delicacies - went viral on social networks when US politician William Bill Hockstedler visited it during his business trip to Vietnam's capital city.

Lau tom bau by Chang offers various dishes from Hanoi and other regions, highlighted by lau tom bau (a shrimp and pumpkin hot pot).

US politician William Bill Hockstedler enjoys shrimp hotpot in Hanoi. Photo: Nguyen Trang/The Hanoi Times

The case seems like Bun cha Huong Lien - a delicacy of Hanoi, which has been widely known as Bun cha Obama since then-President Barack Obama enjoyed it during his official visit to Vietnam in 2016.

Bill Hockstedler is a candidate for US Senate in Nevada. He learned about Lau tom bau by Chang through recommendations from his friends in Vietnam.

“I felt the warmth and kindness of Vietnamese people during my visits to a few places in Vietnam. It is your friendliness, your closeness, your sincerity. I really love Vietnamese cuisine, in which I am especially impressed with the hot pot at Lau tom bau by Chang, a very unique dish that I have never seen anywhere in the world. All the ingredients and seasonings are great," he remarked.

Colorful ingredients of shrimp hotpot. Photo: Nguyen Trang/The Hanoi Times

Nguyen Thi Thu Trang, owner of the restaurant said ingredients are the key to the success of a dish. She said probably the sweet-tasting gourd shrimp hot pot combined with seasonal vegetables and an exceptional sauce made the US politician leave such wonderful notes.

Shrimp spring rolls are crispy and tasty. Photo: Nguyen Trang/The Hanoi Times