The "most expensive" sweet soup shop in Hanoi: 90,000 VND/cup, only increasing price, not decreasing

(Dan Tri) - Confident in the quality of the cups of sweet soup she makes, Ms. Le Minh Dung, owner of the "most expensive mixed sweet soup shop in Hanoi ", affirmed: "I will never reduce prices, only increase them."

The old 1976 Mixed Dessert Shop is located in an alley on Tran Hung Dao Street (Hoan Kiem, Hanoi). The shop has 2 floors, with about 15 square tables and plastic chairs, each table can seat 4-5 people.

True to its name, everything in the shop from the sign, tables, chairs, cups and spoons to the wall paintings and decorations… are old and rustic.

Ms. Le Minh Dung (63 years old), the shop owner, said: "My shop is mostly middle-aged customers, regular customers who have been eating here for decades, so I think they don't come here because of the seats. What's important is that the space is neat, clean and the quality of the tea that reaches the customers must always be delicious."

Second floor space of the Mixed Dessert Shop (Photo: Thanh Thuy).

According to Ms. Dung, the mixed sweet soup shop was opened by her mother in 1976, and she took over in 1996. At first, sweet soup was sold for 7,000 VND/cup, double the price of a bowl of pho, which was about 3,000 VND/bowl at that time.

"My sweet soup has been selling well for the past 50 years, not just now," said Mrs. Dung. Because of this, the first few years the shop was very quiet, people would rather eat two bowls of pho to fill their stomachs than eat one cup of sweet soup. However, Mrs. Dung's mother still persevered.

Mrs. Dung's mother is from Phu Yen , which is also the reason why a cup of mixed sweet soup in Hanoi has a different flavor.

The shop’s menu has 72 different types of sweet soup. Each cup of sweet soup here has 15-20 ingredients such as green rice, green beans, red beans, coconut milk, various fruits… In addition, the highlight is the large tapioca pearls with flavors of chocolate, grapes, green beans, lotus, sesame, coconut.

Each cup of chè here has 15-20 ingredients such as green rice, mung beans, red beans, coconut milk, and various fruits (Photo: Thanh Thuy).

Among them, stir-fried green rice is especially loved by many diners, you can order a separate plate to eat with coconut milk (Photo: Thanh Thuy).

The chocolate was sent by Mrs. Dung's sister from Germany, each time about 10kg, equivalent to 500 bars. Mrs. Dung had tried some other types of chocolate in Vietnam but found them not suitable and not delicious.

"Each ingredient must be carefully selected for a cup of tea to be perfect. I maintain my mother's meticulousness and meticulousness," said Ms. Dung.

Seasonal fruits are also carefully selected by Mrs. Dung. Always ensuring they are fresh and delicious. In addition, the sweet soup powder, green beans, red beans, coconut milk, and green rice flakes, Mrs. Dung said, must all be of the highest quality.

The desserts are served in large cups, filled to the brim. Customers who order desserts will receive a complimentary cup of jasmine tea. Before eating, diners take a sip of tea to balance the taste.

The durian mixed sweet soup has a lot of durian meat, along with other ingredients such as tapioca pearls, fried green rice, etc. All mixed with coconut milk, thick and fatty.

The desserts here are all priced at 60,000 VND/cup, the most expensive cup is the durian mixed dessert at 90,000 VND/cup (Photo: Thanh Thuy).

"The mixed sweet soup here does not have the sweet taste of chemical sugar, but the light, pleasant taste of fresh fruit. I think people should not add too much ice when eating sweet soup," said Hoang Huyen, a young customer enjoying sweet soup at the shop for the first time.

Dubbed "the most expensive sweet soup shop in Hanoi", the shop's sweet soup is priced at 60,000 VND/cup, the most expensive cup is the durian mixed sweet soup at 90,000 VND. At this price, after 50 years, a cup of mixed sweet soup at Mrs. Dung's shop is still twice as expensive as a bowl of pho, about 45,000 VND.

However, Ms. Dung still affirmed that there will be no price reduction, only an increase. "It's expensive but worth it. Anyone who has eaten at my shop knows this, especially those who have been eating at my shop for decades and still come back. The same cups, the same space, and the taste and quality have not changed at all," Ms. Dung said.

The restaurant's menu has 72 different types of sweet soup, made according to traditional family recipes (Photo: Thanh Thuy).

Every day, Mrs. Dung's shop opens from 9:00 to 22:30. The peak hours are from 11:00 to 13:00 and after 19:00. In addition to customers eating directly, the shop also accepts orders by phone, so although the shop space is small, it has up to 15 employees, always busy preparing sweet soup for customers.

On average, Mrs. Dung's sweet soup shop sells about 700 cups of sweet soup per day, and on weekends or holidays it sells 1,000-1,200 cups per day.

Dantri.com.vn