Strange story in Hanoi: Amidst the price storm, a bowl of noodles is still only 25,000 VND

The price of pork and many other essential foods is constantly increasing, making people's daily meals more stressful. However, in the capital with the most expensive living standards in the country, it is not difficult to find restaurants that still keep the price of noodles, pho, and vermicelli from only 25,000 VND/bowl.

Meat prices are rising, making meals increasingly "difficult"

According to a report from the General Statistics Office - Ministry of Finance , in March 2025, the food group increased by 0.08%. The main reason is that pork prices continued to increase because the supply was severely affected by the epidemic and the consequences of storm No. 3 in 2024. Many farms have not had time to restock, while consumer demand increased sharply during the early-year holidays.

In Hanoi, it is easy to find vermicelli and pho for only 25,000 VND/bowl. Photo: Hoang Quyen

Pork, which is the main ingredient in family meals, is considered the main reason for the high cost of food. Ms. Thanh Ha, a resident in Hai Ba Trung district, Hanoi, shared: “I don’t know the exact price of each type of food because I usually buy it at familiar stores. But with the same amount of meat as before, I now have to spend more money. Every day my family spends about 40,000 - 50,000 VND more.”

In fact, if at the end of 2024, pork prices fluctuated from 63,000 - 69,000 VND/kg, by mid-April 2025, this figure had reached 75,000 VND/kg in some southern provinces such as Ben Tre . Other localities such as Tra Vinh, Dong Nai, Tay Ninh, and Tien Giang also recorded prices at 74,000 VND/kg.

Not only pork, some other foods also recorded a slight increase. Beef increased by about 10%, to 230,000 - 300,000 VND/kg. The price of tiger shrimp increased by 20,000 VND/kg, ranging from 250,000 - 600,000 VND/kg depending on the type. Although not a "shocking" increase, with the frequency of repetition, these changes are creating significant pressure on the daily meal budget.

25,000 VND noodle shop still stands firm

In the context of food prices "escalating" every day, many people are surprised to find cheap bowls of noodles in Hanoi. At the popular eateries on Ly Thuong Kiet Street - considered the center of the capital, office worker Le Cong said that his lunch is still stable at 35,000 - 45,000 VND/bowl.

“Duck vermicelli, duck vermicelli, and beef pho are still around the same price. The quality remains the same. I don’t see the restaurant owners cutting down on the amount of meat to keep the price down,” said Mr. Cong.

In particular, with the dish bun cha, whose main ingredient is pork, the food that has increased in price the most recently, Mr. Cong affirmed that he has not seen any price increase or portion reduction.

This “consistency” in pricing was also recorded by reporters of the Industry and Trade Newspaper in many other areas such as Ta Quang Buu Street, near Hanoi University of Science and Technology. Here, fish noodle and beef noodle shops selling at only 25,000 - 30,000 VND/bowl still attract a large number of students and office workers.

Ms. Thanh Binh, a resident living near this area, said she is a regular customer of a fish noodle shop on the street. “I asked the owner why the price has not increased, they said beef has not increased too much, so the input has not changed much. More importantly, they accept to reduce the profit to keep customers,” she said.

Notably, these restaurants not only did not increase prices but also maintained the same quality and portion sizes. They did not reduce the amount of meat or change the recipe. This is what makes many diners feel “comforted” in the context of increasing prices for all items.

Hanoi is one of the most expensive places to live, but it's still easy to find "delicious, nutritious, and cheap" restaurants.

Not only Ta Quang Buu Street, a reporter's survey in districts such as Hoang Mai, Duong Noi, Minh Khai... also showed that many restaurants still keep the price below 30,000 VND/bowl. These places are becoming familiar destinations for workers and students - groups vulnerable to price fluctuations.

Data from the General Statistics Office shows that the CPI in March 2025 decreased slightly by 0.03% compared to the previous month, mainly due to the cooling of world gasoline and rice prices. However, compared to the same period last year, the CPI still increased by 3.13%, core inflation increased by 3.01%.

That shows that keeping prices at affordable eateries, though small, is very practical, acting as a “pressure relief valve” for households that have to tighten their spending. While macro policies have not yet had time to take direct effect, bowls of noodles for 25,000 VND are perhaps a reminder that Hanoi - despite its high price - still has many bright spots of humanity and kindness.

GSO information shows that the decrease in gasoline and rice prices following world prices are the main reasons for the consumer price index (CPI) in March 2025 to decrease by 0.03% compared to the previous month. Compared to December 2024, the CPI in March increased by 1.3%; increased by 3.13% compared to the same period last year. In the first quarter of 2025, the CPI increased by 3.22% compared to the same period last year; core inflation increased by 3.01%.

Hoang Quyen

Source: https://congthuong.vn/chuyen-la-ha-noi-giua-bao-gia-bat-bun-van-chi-25000-dong-384462.html