Nguyen Trinh, Founder of Co Linh's Snakehead Fish Noodle Soup: Choose to learn, choose to work, and choose to stand up.

Working as a factory worker while learning the culinary trade.

Starting out as a delivery worker, Nguyen Trinh always dreamed of a brighter future where he would open his own restaurant and be his own boss. After much consideration, the young man born in 1994 decided to study culinary arts, believing that, under any circumstances, eating and drinking remain basic human needs.

Without family support, Trinh saved up money and enrolled in a culinary arts course at a vocational school in Ho Chi Minh City. He gradually grasped the fundamentals, not only in food preparation but also in calculating product costs, managing ingredients, and operating a kitchen.

The days of studying and working simultaneously left Trinh exhausted, but he remained confident in the path ahead. At the end of the course, he boldly quit his job at the delivery company to work for restaurants. The work experience made him realize that knowledge alone wasn't enough; he needed direct practical experience to transform his learned knowledge into his own "capital."

Today you're a worker. But who knows, in a year, you might be a small business owner like me? Don't let anything limit you.

- Nguyen Trinh

The turning point came in 2019, when the restaurant where Trinh worked closed down. Instead of continuing to work for someone else, he felt it was time to stand on his own two feet. "If not now, then when?" Trinh told himself.

With only 7 million VND, Trinh couldn't open a restaurant or eatery. He started with a pushcart selling hamburgers on the sidewalk of Ung Van Khiem Street (Binh Thanh District). Still selling hamburgers, Trinh added variations by creating many different sauces, such as BBQ, teriyaki, spicy tamarind, chiligaram... Within just two months, the locals had become familiar with the young man with the gentle smile, next to his pushcart that always emitted a delicious aroma.

But hamburgers only sell well between 6 and 10 a.m., leaving Trinh completely free for the rest of the time. He decided to turn his rented room into a kitchen to sell food online at lunchtime.

Utilizing her hamburger sauce recipe, Trinh created Malaysian-style rice and noodle dishes with various flavors. To attract customers, Trinh had to learn how to post on online food delivery apps. “In those days, it was just me and my phone, constantly busy selling hamburgers, preparing lunch, checking orders, and processing them. There were days when I was exhausted but didn’t dare take a break…,” Trinh recalled.

For a whole year, Trinh struggled like that until the landlord took back his rented room. But he didn't see it as a hardship; instead, he saw it as an opportunity to upgrade his business model. Starting with an online food service, Trinh rented a space on Nguyen Xi Street (Binh Thanh District) to open a restaurant called Com Mi Malai, specializing in rice dishes, noodles, and hamburgers. With a ready online customer base, the restaurant broke even in just 3 months. This success allowed Trinh to open a second store in Thao Dien.

But then Covid-19 hit, forcing Trinh to close his store in Thao Dien. He kept one store open, trying to make ends meet and get through the difficult period.

In 2023, Trinh reopened her second store on Dang Van Ngu Street (Phu Nhuan Ward). Besides catering to customers' "what to eat for lunch" needs or simply offering a change of pace for family meals, Malai Rice & Noodles also fulfills large orders for offices, events, and conferences.

A desire to spread national cuisine .

Claiming to be a passionate and creative food enthusiast, Trinh was surprised one day by the story of a simple Vietnamese dish – snakehead fish noodle soup. While participating in a culinary group, he learned about Ms. Hoang Thi Thuy Linh, a woman who faced many hardships in life but still raised her younger siblings and children, all from selling noodle soup on the sidewalk. For Trinh, it was more than just a story; it was a life story…

"I asked her to teach me how to make banh canh (Vietnamese rice noodle soup). I want to use my knowledge and experience to bring snakehead fish banh canh to more people. But not just the banh canh of the past, but banh canh that prioritizes quality, elevating each noodle, each scallion... Because Vietnamese cuisine deserves to be elevated," Trinh shared.

To show his gratitude to his mentor, Trinh named his restaurant "Banh Canh Ca Loc Co Linh" (Snakehead Fish Noodle Soup by Ms. Linh). Last year, he opened a branch in Binh Thanh District, and this year he is expanding with another branch in Phu Nhuan District.

He said, "We don't sell food just to fill customers' stomachs, but rather quality products accompanied by a pleasant dining experience. We don't use frozen snakehead fish, but fresh fish, meticulously deboned and steamed to preserve its natural sweetness. The broth is simmered from fish bones, without the need for thickening agents. When customers enter the restaurant, the staff greet them warmly, even remembering their names and preferences if they are regulars. 'Selling cheaply? Anyone can do that. But selling the best – that's the way to ensure the restaurant never has a shortage of customers,' Trinh concluded."

Currently, all four of Trinh's restaurants are operating smoothly. He no longer needs to personally work in the kitchen as before, but delegates the tasks to his staff, allowing him more time to focus on marketing, management, and operations.

In his free time, the founder dedicates himself to writing and sharing experiences on social media. He says he is ready to connect with and support young people who want to start a business in the restaurant industry. Regarding the Co Linh Snakehead Fish Noodle Soup brand, Trinh has finalized the business model and can transfer it free of charge to individuals both domestically and internationally who genuinely want to develop themselves and promote traditional Vietnamese cuisine.

"No one is born talented. What matters is whether you choose to learn, choose to work, and choose to stand up for yourself," the founder, born in the 1990s, advised.

Source: https://baodautu.vn/nguyen-trinh-nha-sang-lap-banh-canh-ca-loc-co-linh-chon-hoc-chon-lam-va-chon-dung-len-d278834.html