Chinese customers were surprised to see water spinach stems used instead of straws at a restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City.

(Dan Tri) - A Chinese female tourist said that this was the first time she used a straw made from a water spinach stem while dining at a restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City.

During a recent trip to Vietnam, a female Chinese tourist had the opportunity to visit a restaurant located on Dang Tat Street (Tan Dinh Ward, Ho Chi Minh City).

When ordering a drink, the girl was surprised to see the waiter bring out a glass of water with a water spinach stem stuck on top, used instead of a regular straw. This made her stunned.

Chinese girl was stunned when she used a water spinach stem instead of a straw for the first time (Photo: Xiaohongshu).

Sharing her experience on her personal page on the Xiaohongshu platform (a Chinese social network), the female tourist wrote: "Vietnam has "cured" my straw-biting habit. The restaurant uses water spinach stems as straws, which is very environmentally friendly."

Below the article is an accompanying photo, which immediately received special attention from the online community of this country. Many people were surprised by the restaurant's creative and unique way of doing things.

"When I traveled to Thailand, I saw restaurants using bamboo straws or paper straws instead of plastic straws to protect the environment. But this is the first time I've heard of water spinach straws. Restaurants in Vietnam are so creative," said an account on Xiaohongshu.

However, some people are concerned because water spinach can be grown underwater and become a habitat for parasites. If restaurants do not have safety measures, diners may have digestive problems.

Home-cooked meals (Photo: Character provided).

In response to these questions, the female tourist affirmed that up to now, she still feels completely comfortable.

According to investigation, the restaurant where the female tourist dined was Cuc Gach Quan, a famous home-cooked meal restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City.

Sharing with Dan Tri reporter, the restaurant representative said that the idea of ​​using water spinach stems instead of straws has been applied by this business since 2009. This comes from the restaurant owner's desire to contribute to protecting the environment, limiting single-use plastic products.

"Not only with straws, the restaurant says no to plastic products, using banana leaves to create lids for glass bottles, which is well received by diners," said the representative.

The restaurant has a simple decor (Photo: Character provided).

To have a stable source of "straws", the restaurant uses homegrown old water spinach. Every day, the straws used in the restaurant are completely renewed. The old stems are disposed of and not used for the next business day.

In response to questions about food safety, the restaurant representative said that after getting the old water spinach stems with the right hardness and size, the staff will wash them and soak them in salt water to remove dirt and the smell of the vegetable.

It is known that about 70% of the customers coming to the restaurant are foreigners from many nationalities. Many tourists expressed their interest and support for the unique idea of ​​the restaurant.

The restaurant's dishes are served home-cooked style with typical regional cuisine . Most of the dishes are rustic, such as stir-fried water spinach with garlic, sour eggplant soup, braised meat, braised fish in clay pot...

The restaurant space is quiet and simple. Food prices range from 150,000 VND/dish, drinks such as juice from 80,000 VND to 115,000 VND/dish.

Former US President Obama and his wife once dined at the restaurant (Photo: Provided by the character).

To date, the restaurant has welcomed world- famous guests such as the American actor couple Brad Pitt - Angelina Jolie in 2011. Then in December 2019, the restaurant was also honored to welcome former US President Barack Obama and his wife to enjoy home-cooked meals.

"We always treat all customers equally, with enthusiastic and polite service, no matter who they are," the restaurant representative affirmed.

Brick Box Restaurant

Address: No. 10 Dang Tat, Tan Dinh Ward, HCMC

Opening hours: 9am-11:30pm

Reference price: from 150,000 VND/dish

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/du-lich/khach-trung-quoc-sung-sot-dung-cong-rau-muong-thay-ong-hut-o-nha-hang-tphcm-20251008230705850.htm