Sapa, "Little Hanoi": Largest Vietnamese Market in the Prague

jomaster
Website: www.praguebuzz.com | Read post with pictures

Do you know that only few Czech know about the existence of a large Vietnamese community in the south of Prague?
This wholesale and retail market supplies products to smaller Vietnamese retailers in Prague and, perhaps, surrounding cities. Most of the items sold here are imported from China; hint hint, they are very cheap. If you are a shameless and skillful bargainer, you can snatch a good deal.

Goodies you can find there

-Clothing and Wears: jeans, shirts, t-shirts, socks, gloves, hats, accessories, etc.
-Vietnamese groceries: vegetables, rice, noodle, herbs, spices, meat, dry products, and many items you might not find at regular Czech markets.
-Handmade willow products: Some are made in Czech, some are exports from neighboring post-communist countries like Slovakia and Poland. Some of these products are sold for half the prices in regular markets.
-Household and personal items.
-Toys and typical Chinese imports.
-Vietnamese music
-Vietnamese food: Delicious noodle soups, rice plates of various kinds, snacks, and much more.

Even if you don't buy anything, do yourselves a huge favor by eating noodle soups in one of those many shops. There are many kinds of noodle soups beside the more popular Pho. I already tried three restaurants: Hai Phong, Thang Long, and Hue Xua. The first two serve Northern cuisine while the latter, Hue Xua, prepares food in Central style. A bowl of noodle costs from 70 Kc to 80 Kc.
Eat eat eat. I'm sure you won't find these deliciously yummy noodles else where in Prague.

How to get there: Sapa Market Center - Sidliste Pisnice, Prague 4; Hours: daily
There are three ways to get to Sapa: from Kacerov (metro C, red line) and Smichovske nádrazí (metro B, yellow line)
From Kacerov (bus goes even on the weekend)
-Hop on bus no. 113, 333 and more buses during the week days.

From Smíchovské nádrazí
-Walk about 5 minutes to the bus station, from point 1 to point 4 on the map. [Map]
-Hop on bus no. 198 or any bus going to Sidlisce Pisnice.

Get out at Sidlisce Pisnice. Sapa will be on the left. You won't miss the big sign. Cross the street and enter the market.. Use this [link] to work out your own schedule and route.

If you are still not sure, grab any Asian you met at the station or on the bus and ask for direction. He or she is likely to be a Vietnamese going to the market.

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  • pieter post2/16/2011

    do they sell knifes and typical "yellow market" things there?

  • m.nguyen8/8/2010

    Continued from prior comment:

    Finally you will come to a section made of sheet metal on the right hand side. Here there are a bunch of restaurants hair salons and tailors. The restaurant my wife and I liked the most was Ẩm thực Huế Hùng Dạt. It was located towards the back of the other restaurants and had the building number QA19 on it. Their menu was bún bò huế, bún thit nướng, bún bò nam bộ, and they had an excellent Chè thập cẩm where you can choose your own mix. The phone number was 774 545 167.

    The restaurants do have a limited menu, but with the combination of all the restaurants you get a large menu of authentic vietnamese foods.

  • m.nguyen8/8/2010

    SAPA Market is the place to go if you want a real taste of vietnamese food.

    Our best experience with vietnamese food in Prague came at SAPA village. A restaurant Ẩm thực Huế Hùng Dạt had the best bún bò giò huế I have tasted in a long time. The taste was like eating at home and they had all the fresh leaves and herbs which you usually associate with such a dish, such as thai basil. The portion cost about 4 to 5 US dollars and it was well worth the trip out of the city.

    To get there we took Metro A to the Kačerov station where we caught Bus No. 113. Take Bus No. 113 about 7 or 8 stops to U Libusske Sokolovny stop. After you get off the bus, walk in the direction of the bus. On the left side of the street, follow the signs for SAPA. After you enter SAPA (it seems like an industrial park but it is like a whole Vietnamese village). You will pass through a series of stores selling different goods, such as pillows, pots & pans, etc. Finally you will come t

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