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| Mr. Nguyen Van Cat Tuong and Meo Tree shop |
• MEO TREE SHOP - MI TREO
“Mì treo, cốm treo are the names of the meals given by others. Like my noodle shop, customers pay in advance, give some to those who need it, and those who come later receive the meals given by others. This is not charity food but the heart of the community,” said Mr. Nguyen Van Cat Tuong, the young owner of the “Mèo Tree” brand.
A very small fried rice - chicken noodle shop, at 400 Xo Viet Nghe Tinh Street, opposite Dong Da Secondary School - High School, is doing business every day with fried rice - chicken noodle at the same price. The owner of the shop is very young, at the age of 27 - Mr. Nguyen Van Cat Tuong shared: "In a tourist land like Da Lat, street food is not cheap. After the COVID-19 epidemic, completing my military service, coming to Da Lat to find a job, I had a very difficult time finding a cheap meal. I really had to eat vegetarian bread for many days, the time to start a business was very difficult. Luckily, I received help and generosity from many people in Da Lat". Mr. Tuong recalled that the pho shop owners often saved him bags of egg whites, gardeners often gave him cabbage, cabbage, the first customers bought goods, helping him to be steadfast every day.
“I started my business by supplying fresh chicken, so I am also called Tuong “chicken”. Chicken is taken from farms in Lam Ha, Di Linh, supplying many restaurants as well as housewives in Da Lat. Luckily, the chicken sells well, gradually I stabilized my life, opened a restaurant, got married, had children. When I stabilized, I had the intention of repaying Da Lat. Therefore, the chicken noodle shop was born with a fixed price of 20,000 VND/bowl. As long as I can, I will not increase the price. This is my way of repaying the land that raised me, giving me a good life like today”, Mr. Nguyen Van Cat Tuong confided. He also said that the chicken is imported from farms, the vegetables are homegrown so the price is cheap, he has enough capacity to provide customers with meals without fear of loss.
• MOUNTAIN TOWN LOVE
Starting from the young owner's feelings, unexpectedly, the noodle and rice hanging restaurant of Mr. Nguyen Van Cat Tuong was enthusiastically supported by the Da Lat community. "Initially, I only sold noodles for 20 thousand VND. Many people came to eat, saw the cheap price and asked me if I would "hang" the noodles, they sent money to donate meals to people in need. I agreed and the people "hang" many portions of noodles". Since then, the signboard of the noodle restaurant clearly states how many portions are "hanging" in the restaurant. Students, lottery ticket sellers, and passersby can all come to the restaurant, receive the "hanging" rice and noodles, without having to pay and having been donated by previous customers. "The restaurant does not distribute charity rice, we are a bridge for kind-hearted people to reach people in need. Therefore, you can freely receive rice and noodles hanging because someone has paid for it", Mr. Cat Tuong shared.
“Da Lat people are really good, full of affection, full of sharing. Many brothers and sisters come to buy goods and “hang” 20-30 portions of rice and noodles. Many rice shops and vegetable farms come to donate rice and vegetables for the noodle shop to cook every day,” said Mr. Tran Quang Tho, a waiter at Meo Tree restaurant. Tho himself came from far away to Da Lat to find work. Working in a friendly environment, with people sharing, Tho feels like he has found a family and is very enthusiastic about his work.
Not only Mr. Nguyen Van Cat Tuong and Mr. Tho, many people in Da Lat have joined hands to help Meo Tree restaurant operate. Every day, the restaurant can hang up to 100 - 150 portions of rice and noodles, which are the hearts of kind people to give to those around them. Ms. Nguyen Hien, the owner of a rice shop on Hai Ba Trung Street, who often "hangs" and gives away shared meals, is also a person who came from far away to Da Lat to make a living. Being sheltered by the new land, she is willing to join hands with Meo Tree, sending back meals and giving bags of rice so that the restaurant has enough funds to maintain.
“Someone asked me what the name of the restaurant Meo Tree means. Meo Tree, in reverse, means hanging noodles. This is also the name a customer gave the restaurant, I found it so meaningful that I kept it as the official name,” Mr. Cat Tuong shared. He said that the mountain town is full of humanity, the land that gives him and many others a warm home. And, Meo Tree is a thank you to Da Lat, thank you to the kind hearts in this misty land.
Source: https://baolamdong.vn/kinh-te/202506/tiem-meo-tree-va-tinh-nguoi-da-lat-1c21171/
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