With the main dish is herring salad, Ngoc Hoa restaurant, located at 415 Lam Quang Ky Street, Vinh Lac Ward, City. Rach Gia (Kien Giang) has long become a familiar destination for many diners.
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Ngoc Hoa restaurant is always busy with customers. Visitors to the restaurant are crowded, many people are still used to ordering herring salad to enjoy. Dip a piece of fresh herring in lemon juice, wrap a rice paper with herring covered with some desiccated coconut rice, white onion, finely chopped purple onion, add a little coriander, peanuts, raw vegetables and dipping with With fish sauce mixed according to Ngoc Hoa's own secret, almost no diners do not admire the deliciousness.
The sweetness of fish, the fatty taste of coconut, the fleshy taste of peanuts, the rich taste of Phu Quoc fish sauce captivates many gourmets. And herring salad is one of the dishes that make a name for Ngoc Hoa restaurant.
Almost every day, at 10 a.m., the owner of Ngoc Hoa restaurant, Ms. Ho Mong Ngoc, went to pick up fresh herring sent from Ba Hon, Kien Luong district (Kien Giang), then stopped by a truck carrying a box of seafood. Her husband sent it from the city. Ha Tien (Kien Giang) down.
After that, she and the staff made fish, washed snails, and prepared until 15:80, then opened the shop to welcome customers. “The restaurant has 40 tables and XNUMX employees, but every dish has to go through the hands of the owner to satisfy the customers. Satisfied customers, one to ten, ten to one hundred, so the shop is always popular," said Ngoc with a smile.
Herring salad of Ngoc Hoa restaurant.
9 years ago, Ms. Ngoc brought herring salad to participate in the Golden Spoon contest organized by Minh Long I Limited Liability Company and the Center for Business Research and Support (BSA) in Kien Giang. And surprisingly, the dish won the third prize in the contest, and also won the "Favorite dish" award.
Ngoc said: “Thanks to this contest, Kien Giang's herring salad is known to many people. Later contests also had many invitations to bring herring salad to the contest, but the shop was crowded every day, so I couldn't go."
In addition to herring salad, Ngoc Hoa restaurant has many other dishes that many diners often mention such as banh xeo, banh chung, spring rolls filled with taro, green beans, steamed shrimp... Steamed mixed snails at Ngoc Hoa restaurant are also delicious. The dish is quite "unique", because with just one dish, they can enjoy many different types of seafood in Kien Giang waters.
The special thing at Ngoc Hoa restaurant is that customers who come here rarely need a menu, just go to the fresh seafood counter to choose, then ask the shop to make the dish without fear of being "chopped" because of the price of each dish in the restaurant. This is pretty common. Explaining this, Ms. Ngoc said: "Nine people and ten ideas, anyone who wants to eat something, just come to the restaurant to order, the ingredients are available, the customer orders the restaurant to be freshly prepared, not ready-made".
DISTINGUISHED
After doing well, Ho Mong Ngoc's family life is now better, but for her, the difficult start-up days in Ho Chi Minh City. Rach Gia is like it was just yesterday.
Ngoc was born in Ho Chi Minh City. Ha Tien, married, opened a small shop selling herring salad and other dishes to help her husband raise children to go to school. The shop was popular for a few years thanks to the happy owner, the food was delicious, but then had to stop because the premises had to be returned due to the planning.
Unable to sit still, she discussed with her husband to find another place to trade. Going through Cambodia, not feeling well, returned to Ho Chi Minh City. In Ho Chi Minh City, staying for a while at Vuon Chuoi market but still could not find a favorable place to trade, the rental price was too high, she decided to return to Kien Giang and start over.
Ms. Ho Mong Ngoc advises customers to choose dishes at the fresh seafood counter.
Renting a large road is not enough money, Ngoc has to rent a space on Lam Quang Ky street from an acquaintance, then wake up late at night with a seafood restaurant. Twice a day, at 2 am, she goes to Rach Gia Trade Center to buy vegetables and spices, then find the freshest seafood to buy and sell, from herring, snails, oysters, sea fish...
At first, every day, Ngoc slept about two or three hours. She lost 9kg when the shop sold for nearly 2 years, the profit per night was more than 1 million dong. Gradually, many famous people came to Ngoc Hoa's shop and since then, her family's income has also been more stable.
The food is fresh and delicious, the owner is enthusiastic, soon Ngoc Hoa restaurant has many customers. Seeing that Ms. Ngoc "can do business", many people also opened shops nearby to compete. Seeing people selling cheaper, she thought hard, but then decided not to reduce the price but increase the amount of food for customers.
The good news is far away, diners from the city. Ho Chi Minh, Hanoi also have food, guests from An Giang, Ca Mau also. From a toad shop with only a few tables under a shack, after nearly 7 years of operation, Ngoc Hoa now has a stable number of customers.
"My grandparents said "eat less and eat less", the shop sells delicious and cheap food to create a beautiful impression in the hearts of tourists near and far every time they come to Kien Giang. And this is also the way Ngoc Hoa shop is grateful to customers for nearly 13 years who have always supported us, "said Ngoc.
Articles and photos: AN LAM MY
