Many restaurants and eateries in Ho Chi Minh City are packed with customers after Tet.

On the evening of February 2nd (the 5th day of the Lunar New Year), the last day of the Tet holiday, the streets of Ho Chi Minh City were bustling again. Traffic was heavy, and restaurants and eateries were packed with customers.

Nhà hàng, quán ăn TP.HCM chộn rộn trở lại sau Tết - Ảnh 1. — Customers flock to a pub on Le Van Sy Street (District 3) - Photo: NHAT XUAN

According to Tuoi Tre Online , central streets such as Vo Thi Sau, Cach Mang Thang Tam (District 3), 3 Thang 2 (District 10), Dien Bien Phu (District 1)... were crowded, a stark contrast to the quiet atmosphere of the previous days.

"Going out to eat feels like going on a hunt."

At popular spots like Nguyen Hue Flower Street (District 1), Turtle Lake (District 3), and Le Thi Rieng Park (District 10), many locals and tourists took advantage of the last day of Tet holiday this year to stroll around and take souvenir photos.

Nhiều nhà hàng, quán ăn TP.HCM kín khách sau Tết - Ảnh 2. — Le Thi Rieng Park (District 10) was bustling with tourists enjoying themselves on the last day of the Tet holiday - Photo: NHAT XUAN

Nhà hàng, quán ăn TP.HCM chộn rộn trở lại sau Tết - Ảnh 3. — Many tourists are taking advantage of the last day of the Lunar New Year holiday to enjoy themselves - Photo: NHAT XUAN

Speaking to Tuoi Tre Online , Ms. Thuy Tien (residing in District 10) said that tonight she and her group of friends had planned to meet at their favorite snail restaurant on Truong Son Street (District 10) for a New Year's gathering, but when they arrived, all the tables were taken.

"I thought the restaurant wouldn't be too crowded right after Tet, but when we arrived, there were no seats left. We had to reluctantly turn around and look for another place. We searched for a long time but couldn't find a snail restaurant we liked nearby, so the whole group decided to switch to hot pot," Ms. Tien said with a laugh.

Nhiều nhà hàng, quán ăn TP.HCM kín khách sau Tết - Ảnh 4. — A pub on Truong Son Street (District 10) is packed with customers during the evening rush hour - Photo: NHAT XUAN

Similarly, Pham Tin (22 years old, residing in Thu Duc City) also found himself in a situation where "going out to eat felt like going hunting" when he arranged to have a New Year's dinner with friends on the 5th day of Tet.

Tín recounted that the group had planned a New Year's dinner outing, coffee dates, and board games, but unexpectedly, every place was packed.

"We drove around several central areas, but every restaurant was packed. The staff said we'd have to wait a long time, so we had to keep going. We went to two or three restaurants before we found one with an empty table," Tín said.

Mr. Tin further shared, "While driving, I saw a lot of traffic, and many ride-hailing drivers and delivery drivers have resumed operations. I guess many people are taking advantage of the last of their holiday before returning to work."

Many shops have not yet reopened.

Although the streets are more bustling now, observations show that quite a few restaurants, cafes, clothing stores, and beauty salons have yet to reopen.

Many shops and restaurants are expected to reopen from February 3rd (the 6th day of the Lunar New Year) when civil servants and workers return to work after the holiday.