The owner of a vegetarian restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City constantly changes her menu, making customers want to "tear open their pockets" to find what they're looking for.

This vegetarian restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City is making a strong impression with its menu of over 30 dishes. Every day, diners flock there to buy as many as they can find.

Video : A vegetarian restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City serves the same dish all week. Clip: Ha Nguyen

From maid to boss

Located on Nhat Tao Street (Dien Hong Ward, Ho Chi Minh City), Co Muoi vegetarian restaurant starts getting crowded from early morning. This is a familiar dining spot for those who enjoy vegetarian dishes in the old District 10 of Ho Chi Minh City and surrounding areas.

Co Muoi's vegetarian restaurant starts getting crowded from early morning. Photo: Ha Nguyen

The restaurant has a modest floor space, only enough to accommodate about 5-6 tables, serving 20-25 customers. Behind the dining area is the restaurant's small, clean, and tidy kitchen. Here, diners can directly observe the chefs preparing the dishes.

The chef and owner of the restaurant is Ms. Diep Thi Cuc (58 years old, Dien Hong ward). Ms. Cuc opened this vegetarian restaurant in 2012.

When she first got married, Mrs. Cúc applied for a job as an assistant at a vegetarian restaurant owned by an elderly couple. She worked very diligently and was well-liked by the owners.

The shop was opened by Ms. Cúc in 2012. Photo: Hà Nguyễn

Later, she became a kitchen assistant, having the opportunity to learn how to prepare vegetarian dishes and the secrets to creating the unique flavor of each dish from the owner. Seeing her diligence and love for cooking, the owner treated her like a daughter, diligently teaching her and not keeping any secrets from her.

When they grew old and frail, the owners had no one to inherit the business, so they closed the shop. On the day they left, Mrs. Cúc was so regretful that she shed tears.

From then on, she nurtured the idea of ​​opening a vegetarian restaurant like the one her former owners had run. When she didn't have enough capital, she made a living doing various jobs.

In 2012, after a period of hard work, she decided to open a small vegetarian restaurant. Initially, she opened a restaurant in the Ấn Quang apartment building (Vườn Lài ward) and later moved to a location on Nhật Tảo street.

The cafe is small, but neat and clean. Photo: Ha Nguyen

When she opened the restaurant, she applied the vegetarian cooking secrets she had learned from her previous owners, while also combining them with the experience she had accumulated through volunteer cooking at temples.

Ms. Cúc shared: “Initially, I faced many difficulties, but over time, the restaurant stabilized. At that time, vegetarian restaurants were few, and those with diverse menus were even rarer. I just kept developing and attracting many customers.”

Since opening the restaurant, I no longer cook savory dishes, not even rice for my husband and children. Anyone who wants to eat meat can eat out or cook it themselves. My family mainly eats vegetarian noodles and rice that I cook and sell, because I believe in the principle of 'eating what I sell'."

No two dishes are the same all week.

Mrs. Cúc's vegetarian restaurant has a menu of over 30 vegetarian dishes. The dishes are prepared using fresh, clean vegetables. The flavors and side dishes of each dish are also distinctive and easily recognizable.

For the noodle dishes, each has its own pot of broth, which is continuously heated. Currently, the restaurant is open during two time slots: 6 AM - 2 PM and 4 PM - 8 PM. Dishes here are priced from 35,000 to 40,000 VND per serving.

The food at the restaurant is considered delicious and reasonably priced. Photo: Ha Nguyen

What's special is that the menu changes every day of the week. For example, on Monday they sell vegetarian Hue- style beef noodle soup, on Tuesday they switch to vegetarian crab noodle soup, and on Wednesday they have vegetarian beef stew...

Even the dishes served in the morning and afternoon of the same day are not repeated. If the restaurant sells vermicelli with spring rolls or vegetarian broken rice in the morning, these dishes will no longer be on the menu in the afternoon.

Because the menu changes constantly and is not fixed, customers often don't know in advance what the restaurant will be serving that day or week.

Many customers sometimes can't find their favorite dish at the restaurant because it's not being served that day. Therefore, they jokingly say that going to a restaurant is like "tearing open a blind bag."

Ms. Cúc said that the diverse menu, which changes constantly, helps the restaurant cater to the needs of many customers. Photo: Hà Nguyễn

"The menu will be displayed at the restaurant on Monday mornings. This way, customers will know what dishes are available on the menu each day of the week. A diverse and changing menu helps the restaurant meet the needs of a wider range of customers," Ms. Cúc explained.

Ms. Duong Thi Bich Hang (53 years old, Vuon Lai Ward) has been eating vegetarian food at Co Muoi's restaurant since it moved to its new location. According to her, the dishes have rich flavors, and the side dishes are delicious.

This customer was also delighted with the restaurant's diverse and constantly changing menu. She even wished the restaurant would increase the number of dishes offered each day so that customers would have more choices.

Ms. Hang appreciates the restaurant's diverse menu and the fact that the dishes change regularly throughout the week. Photo: Ha Nguyen

Like Mrs. Hang, Mrs. Nguyet (70 years old, Xuan Hoa Ward, Ho Chi Minh City) has known about Co Muoi vegetarian restaurant for more than 10 years. Although her house is more than 5km away from the restaurant, Mrs. Nguyet and her husband still often come here to enjoy their favorite vegetarian dishes.

She shared: "I've been eating here for 10 years now, but I've never found the dishes boring or bland. This shows that the chefs' skills have improved over time."

In addition, I also love this restaurant because of its affordable prices, suitable for most diners' budgets. The food here is delicious and high-quality."

Mrs. Nguyet and her husband frequently visit the vegetarian restaurant to enjoy their favorite dishes. Photo: Ha Nguyen

The restaurant where the owner 'raps while calculating bills' is about to close, leaving customers disappointed. The famous restaurant, known for its owner who "raps" while calculating bills, has announced its upcoming closure, surprising many diners who are now going to eat there with regret.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/ba-chu-quan-chay-o-tphcm-bien-hoa-thuc-don-khien-khach-den-an-nhu-xe-tui-mu-2471611.html