Chả cá is the Vietnamese fish dish made by grilling or frying turmeric-marinated fish with dill and scallions.
The best-known version is chả cá Lã Vọng, a Hanoi specialty traditionally prepared with firm fish marinated in turmeric and other seasonings. The fish is cooked and then often finished at the table in a hot pan with fresh dill and scallions. Diners may combine it with rice noodles, peanuts and a fermented shrimp-based sauce.
The dish’s name is often used broadly for Vietnamese fish cakes or fish preparations, so the Hanoi version is more specifically called chả cá Lã Vọng. Its distinctive combination of turmeric, dill and sizzling fish makes it unlike ordinary fried fish dishes.
The preparation is associated with the Lã Vọng restaurant in Hanoi, which helped give the dish its famous name. It is not the same as chả lụa, a steamed pork sausage, despite the shared word chả.