Not too unfamiliar, that is the crab soup shop of Ms. Lan (62 years old, real name Giang Thi Huong), a Chinese woman famous for her delicious cooking.
"Not expensive!"
In the late afternoons of the last days of the year, the weather in Ho Chi Minh City is a bit chilly. With this weather, there is nothing better than slurping a bowl of hot crab soup. I stopped by Ms. Lan's restaurant, located on Luong Nhu Hoc Street (District 5), a "favorite" restaurant for many years.
Ms. Lan has been selling crab soup for 30 years.
At this time, it was early afternoon so the restaurant was not too crowded yet, customers were coming in regularly, eating in and taking away. Taking advantage of the time, the owner confided about the restaurant, where she had spent 30 years of her life.
At that time, Ms. Lan was a housewife, taking her children to and from school every day. She said that her children loved crab soup, often asking her to cook it or every time they came home from school, they asked her to stop by roadside stalls to buy some.
“Once, my child asked me to sell crab soup. I saw that there were few people selling crab soup in this area in the past, and my family was not very well off. Since I also knew how to cook this dish, I decided to try selling it. So in 1993, she started selling crab soup in this Cho Lon area. Every day, her children got to eat her favorite dish,” the owner recounted.
At that time, she said each portion of crab soup cost 1,000 VND, 2,000 VND... the special portion was a little more expensive. But because of the delicious taste and good reputation, she was supported by many customers, especially students nearby. Gradually, the business became more profitable, she also started renting a larger space to sell permanently, instead of selling on the street.
Here, the special soup costs 96,000 VND.
[CLIP]: What is it about the most expensive crab soup restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City that costs nearly 100,000 VND/bowl that customers have been "addicted" to for 30 years?
Pointing to the spacious and airy premises, the owner said she has been selling here for more than 10 years, and that it is the home of an acquaintance. Currently, Ms. Lan sells the cheapest crab soup for 46,000 VND, the most expensive is the special portion at 96,000 VND. As for students, she said that whoever buys the portion for 30,000 VND or 20,000 VND, she will sell it.
The owner introduced this price, not expensive, when the special portion has a lot of crab, fish maw, quail eggs, century eggs, mushrooms... true to the saying "you get what you pay for". Ms. Lan confided that the most special thing in the crab soup bowl of the restaurant is the special fish maw that she bought "selective goods". When eating, customers will feel the difference compared to other restaurants. In addition, Ms. Lan's own seasoning secret is also what makes this restaurant attractive.
Mother to son
For me, just as Ms. Lan introduced, the crab soup here has a rich flavor. The "money-making" part is the quality ingredients in the crab soup bowl such as crab, chewy, fragrant, soft, fatty fish maw. For me, the soup here deserves a score of 8.5/10, considering the overall flavor and price.
A regular customer here for more than 10 years, Mr. Tran Hoang (45 years old, living in District 5) said that every time he craves crab soup or something that is not too filling, he comes here. The customer commented that the rich flavor as well as the freshness of the ingredients make the bowl of soup worth the price.
“I usually eat a regular bowl, or a bowl with lots of fish maw. When I just get paid, I eat the special bowl. I usually stop by 2-3 times a week, because the restaurant is open from 10am to 6pm, so it's suitable for lunch or a snack since I work nearby," the customer said with a laugh.
Many people have been regulars at the restaurant for decades.
Mr. Tri (34 years old), Ms. Lan's son, confided that since he was 4 years old, his mother has been selling crab soup. His childhood was spent coming home from school and helping his mother sell. For him, thanks to this restaurant, his parents raised him and his sister to be the adults they are today.
His sister got married and had her own life. Tri has been helping his mother sell soup for more than ten years now, determined to stick with it and inherit his mother's profession. Every day, he is happy to stand with his mother selling soup and serving familiar customers.
Ms. Lan proudly said that many customers from the past, when they were still small students, now have children, also come back with their families. Some people who have settled abroad, when they return home still remember and look for the taste of Ms. Lan's soup.
“In 2014, I got breast cancer and had to have one breast removed. At that time, I stopped selling for almost a year. Customers asked about me, I missed them so as soon as I got better I started selling again. Who would have thought that sales would be even higher. That was the motivation for me to sell until I could no longer sell…”, the owner confided.
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