A feast in Bat Trang for 2.7 million VND: The seats are expensive, double the usual price?

(Dan Tri) - The story about the tray of food from an artisan in Bat Trang that costs 2.7 million VND has attracted the attention of many people with mixed opinions.

The topic of Hanoi cuisine always attracts the attention of many people. After Dan Tri published the article “Controversy over the expensive 2.7 million VND artisanal feast for 6 people in Bat Trang”, readers and readers on various platforms commented enthusiastically.

A traditional tray of food in Bat Trang costs 2.7 million VND (Photo: Character provided).

Besides giving their opinions on the price and ingredients, many people also expressed regret when some dishes were changed from the original recipe, leading to the loss of flavor. The dishes were not presented properly, not ensuring the aesthetics of a traditional Hanoian dish.

Reader Phan Chung shared that the food tray did not look very good, if not a bit bland. Whether it was delicious or not depends on the taste, not necessarily a dish must be delicious for everyone.

Reader Nguyen Anh wondered why the bill did not list the dishes in detail but only the total price. He thought that a meal of this kind costing less than 2 million VND would be more reasonable.

Many opinions agree that, just by charging 1.2-1.5 million VND, the restaurant can make a big profit.

Squid bamboo shoot soup is an indispensable dish on the tray of food of Bat Trang people (Photo: Minhmat).

Ngoc Han account said that the food tray of the shop is artisan but the presentation is somewhat sloppy. The restaurant is in Bat Trang but the plates on the tray are not uniform, there are 3-4 different patterns.

If you charge a high price, in addition to the quality of the food, you also need to pay attention to the smallest things such as the dishes used, the way the food is presented and decorated, etc. so that diners feel that they are respected and the money spent is worth it.

After reading the article, what surprised Ms. Nguyen Thi Tuyet Mai (Hanoi) the most was that for some unknown reason, the restaurant added shredded ham and shrimp floss to the squid and bamboo shoot soup.

Ms. Mai said, according to her research, the main ingredients of the squid and bamboo shoot soup are squid and shredded dried bamboo shoots, the broth is a combination of stir-fried bamboo shoot water and water simmered from bone marrow and dried shrimp, and chicken broth is added. The soup has a sweet taste and is especially not fishy.

“I found the bowl of bamboo shoot and squid soup the customer in the article enjoyed was too messy with the addition of shredded ham and shrimp floss. Another bowl had too much broth and too much fat. When eating, you probably won’t find the sweet taste like the traditional bamboo shoot and squid soup,” said Ms. Mai.

A representative of a unit specializing in cooking and training in cooking in Hanoi said that a menu for 6 people includes 9-10 dishes with chicken, shrimp, squid, pigeon, soup... the price is usually around 1.2-1.3 million VND/tray.

“Fresh shrimp and fresh squid are more expensive than dried squid and dried shrimp,” he said.

However, this person said that in addition to the ingredients, a feast will also incur many other costs. Similar dishes but cooked and served at home will be different from those cooked and sold in restaurants. The reason for the price being up to twice as expensive as usual may be due to the seating and service costs.

Traditional feasts have long had a special appeal (Photo: Minhmat).

Meanwhile, a culinary expert, speaking with Dan Tri reporter, gave his own opinion.

According to this expert, when diners enjoy food at restaurants or reputable businesses, in addition to paying for the cost of the meal, they also pay for the level of fame and cooking talent of the chef.

The culinary expert gave an example. For example, in a meal worth 100,000 VND, 20,000 VND is the price of the food, the remaining amount will be used to pay for the reputation of the business and the chef, not to mention the rental fee, staff, tax...

“When we enjoy a meal cooked directly by an artisan, the cost will be different from the cost of a traditional meal at a cheap restaurant.

The reference systems of these two places are different, so comparing them will create a dilemma. Therefore, in this story, I think we should have an open approach, willing to buy and sell," the analyst said.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/du-lich/vu-co-o-bat-trang-27-trieu-dong-dat-o-cho-ngoi-gap-doi-gia-thuong-20251114212319328.htm