Hue beef noodle shop sells 500 bowls a day, Michelin chooses, is the owner 'wrong'?

Bun Bo Hue 14B is the only Bun Bo Hue restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City included in the Bib Gourmand category - Photo: CN

Along with Bun Bo 14B, 18 other establishments in Hanoi and 23 others in Ho Chi Minh City were honored in the Bib Gourmand category (delicious food at affordable prices).

The Michelin Guide will hold the official announcement ceremony for the categories in Ho Chi Minh City on June 27th.

"The food is okay, nothing special."

Speaking to Tuoi Tre Online , Nguyen Thai Chau (born in 1989) - one of the two owners of Bun Bo 14B - said that the restaurant also did not know when the anonymous Michelin Guide reviewers ordered food or visited the restaurant.

A few days ago, the restaurant learned that it was on the Bib Gourmand list thanks to someone who read the newspaper and "told us about it".

"We were surprised, really surprised because it's just an ordinary, tiny shop in an alley, who would even notice it?" Chau said. He and his friend were even confused, wondering, "Is there some kind of mistake?"

Regarding the quality of the food at his restaurant, he admitted, "It's okay, but not particularly special. Many other restaurants present their food more attractively. However, for that price, the bowl of vermicelli here is quite a generous portion compared to other places."

Nguyen Thai Chau recounted that his restaurant, Bun Bo 14B, had just received an invitation from Michelin Guide to attend the announcement ceremony. "That's when I realized it was true, not a lie," Chau said happily.

The shop accepts dine-in customers in the morning, but stops at 11 am to focus on online sales - Photo: CN

I'll always remember that bowl of beef noodle soup from those difficult times.

Nguyen Thai Chau studied accounting, but after his father passed away, he returned to Vung Tau to help his mother sell goods. After some time, Chau went to the city to study pharmacy at a vocational college.

Thinking that with their qualifications after graduation, their monthly income would only be between 5 and 6 million VND, Chau and her friend Nguyen Hoang Vu (born in 1992, a student at Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology) decided to sell beef noodle soup. Both of their families are poor, and they have to work to help support them.

Vũ is originally from Hue, so he's no stranger to Hue-style beef noodle soup.

Meanwhile, during his school days, Chau only dreamed of eating a bowl of beef noodle soup. It was delicious, but too expensive! He only dared to eat a bowl occasionally.

Chau and Vu pooled their money to open a small, unpretentious Hue-style beef noodle soup shop in an alley in District 4.

Bun bo Hue (Hue-style beef noodle soup) here costs between 30,000 and 65,000 VND - Photo: CN

Initially, one person ran the stall while the other continued working their regular job. The stall primarily sold food on-site. The main customers were working-class people from the surrounding area.

During the COVID-19 period, the restaurant switched to selling through food delivery apps. Unexpectedly, it became incredibly popular. Each day, the restaurant sells a total of 400-500 bowls of Hue-style beef noodle soup.

At one point, the number of bowls served reached 600. The customers were mostly office workers.

The restaurant is open from 6:20 AM to 7:15 PM. In the mornings, they accept dine-in customers, but after 11 AM, fearing they won't have enough time to prepare the food, they only offer online orders.

Selling like that must be very profitable, right? After deducting the app's commission, the profit isn't much. Just so-so! Mostly, it's just the labor cost.

Chau said that anyone in business wants to expand and grow. They also want to find a nice storefront, of course. But he and Vu don't want to raise the price of each bowl of beef noodle soup because of those things.

I'll never forget the bowl of beef noodle soup I ate when I was struggling. I want to sell a bowl of beef noodle soup that anyone can afford.

Owner of Bun Bo Hue 14B

After being listed in the Bib Gourmand, Bun Bo 14B will surely attract more customers. Chau said this is an honor and a joy, but also "extremely worried" because "the shop is tiny, and suddenly it's become so famous."

Regarding the online debates about the unknown restaurant 14B being selected by the Michelin Guide, Nguyen Thai Chau "respects everyone's opinion".

In business, everyone has their successes and their shortcomings. Moreover, opinions vary greatly. The restaurant will take all feedback into account to continuously improve its quality.

He also said that this award surprised him and Vu, and they couldn't believe it. To this day, they still don't understand why Michelin chose them.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/quan-bun-bo-hue-ban-500-to-moi-ngay-michelin-chon-chu-quan-co-nham-khong-20240624141941758.htm