The family's bread and butter
The story of the whole family from generation to generation or many family members working together to sell food - the initial source of income - is no longer strange in Ho Chi Minh City. Each generation, each class, with different levels of education, still joins hands to continue the legacy of their grandparents and parents to live a healthy life, making many diners wonder.
Back to Mr. Vu's noodle shop, what is it about the bowl of noodle soup that makes customers say it's like the owner "cast a spell" on it, that after eating it once, they'll be hooked for decades?
At 2pm on a weekday, I stopped by Mr. Vu’s noodle shop at the foot of Calmette Bridge (District 1, Ho Chi Minh City). It was no surprise because for decades, no matter what time it was, the shop had always had regular customers. The owner and his family were busy, working tirelessly to avoid making customers wait too long.
Mr. Vu's whole family sells banh canh.
The boss inherited his mother's recipe for making banh canh.
While sweating while making noodles for customers, Mr. Vu confided that this restaurant has no employees because they are all his blood relatives. Each person has a task, and they have been doing it very "skilledly" for many years.
Pointing to the elderly man who was in charge of parking and occasionally adding coal to the pot of noodles in front of the shop to keep the broth hot, Mr. Vu said that was his brother-in-law. The young man who was in charge of the cash register and sometimes delivered the noodles to customers was his eldest son, who had just returned from military service and had been helping his family run the shop for just over a year.
The shop is open from 10:30 am to 5:00 pm.
The pot of banh canh has eye-catching colors.
“This girl is my niece, she calls me aunt, and she is in charge of serving customers. I am in charge of the kitchen area inside, cooking and preparing ingredients. The whole family, relatives, and loved ones have gathered together to sell at the shop for so many years, we are used to it, and it is also fun. Each person's task is like that, but whoever has free time will help the other person," Ms. Ngoc Thao (47 years old, Mr. Vu's wife) continued from inside.
It seems that everyone living around this area knows about Mr. Vu's family's noodle shop, which was opened by his mother 40 years ago. At first, it was just a small stall at a nearby intersection. The owner recalls that at that time, the shop was as crowded as it is now, his mother was the main business, and his sisters helped her.
Each bowl of cake costs from 65,000 - 75,000 VND.
Later, his mother passed away. He inherited her restaurant, then rented a space here to open a more spacious restaurant, which has been open for nearly 6 or 7 years. Partly because he loved the business, the banh canh brand that his mother spent her whole life building, and partly because he also loved the job, he decided to inherit and promote it until the following days.
“This is the main source of income for my family for the past few decades, so how can I give it up? Honestly, thanks to this restaurant, I grew up, and I have the conditions to raise my children who are not as old as they are now. The children help me, like the oldest one helps all day, and the youngest one is only in 10th grade, every day he has free time he comes to help his parents, but I don’t think that my children will follow the family business. If they can follow the business, that’s great, if they can’t, that’s okay too, just let them experience it. I don’t put too much emphasis on inheritance or anything,” Mrs. Thao said affectionately, looking at her son.
40-year-old traditional stir-fried crab noodle soup attracts customers in District 3
"Eating here for decades, can't quit"
Mr. Tran Quang Minh (22 years old, son of Mr. Vu and Mrs. Thao) confided that although he has studied and has a truck driving license, for the past year he has still helped his parents sell because he finds joy in running this restaurant with his whole family.
Because he is a family member, Minh is "paid" by his parents with several daily meals.
The restaurant has no concept of staff because everyone is family.
Mr. Minh is a shipper.
“But I also have my own income. For example, when customers need delivery to their home, even across districts, I also get a shipping fee. I keep this money and have it for daily expenses,” the young man said with a smile.
As for the other members, because they are relatives, Mr. Vu revealed that "paying salaries" is more open and better than hiring employees. He is happy to have the companionship of all his loved ones to bring every day the most dedicated family-style meals to diners in Ho Chi Minh City.
Every afternoon, Ms. Thu Van (57 years old, living in District 1) stops by the restaurant and orders a bowl of her favorite noodle soup. While waiting for the dish to be served, the customer confided that she has been a regular here for over 20 years, since the time when Mr. Vu's mother was still selling on the street.
Mrs. Van has been eating here for over 20 years.
“The noodle soup here is delicious, the flavor suits me very well, I eat it once and then can't stop, whenever I crave it I come back. I've been eating it since my grandchild was a little baby, now he's grown up. I often bring my children here to eat, but today I craved it so much I couldn't stand it so I came here this afternoon," she confided.
Ms. Van also commented that although the price of each bowl here ranges from 65,000 - 75,000 VND, she does not find it too expensive because it is located in District 1. In addition, you get what you pay for, the flavor of the noodles here is rich, the ingredients are fresh, so the dish is worth the price.
Meanwhile, this was the first time Mr. Vu Kha (27 years old, living in District 3) and his friends came here to eat. Knowing about the restaurant through social networks, he stopped by to try it and liked the rich flavor of the broth as well as the cheerfulness and hospitality of the owner. He said he would come back to support the restaurant if he had the chance.
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