Restaurant… memories! - Quang Binh Electronic Newspaper

(QBĐT) - In the 90s of the last decade, "going to Ba Don" was the excitement of many residents of the old Quang Trach district, including me. Ba Don at that time was a colorful world, bustling with buying and selling, especially the cuisine here with countless delicious dishes was an irresistible attraction. After many ups and downs, Ba Don is now a modern urban area, but the appeal of the cuisine here remains the same, especially the simple dishes, reminiscent of old memories that its owners have quietly accompanied with time from then until now.

Located modestly on Le Loi Street, a busy street in Ba Don Town, “Ms. Thi’s restaurant”, as many people affectionately call it, is over 40 years old. The small, simple restaurant seems lost in the modern space, but that does not mean it is empty of customers. On the contrary, after 9am, all the dishes are sold out, so if you go late, it will be difficult for diners to enjoy it.

The owner of the restaurant is Mrs. Nguyen Thi Thi, (born in 1954), a “true” citizen of Ba Don. In 1982, she started her “career” with simple tools and self-taught knowledge from the women around her and the rich culinary world of Ba Don. In addition to ingredients such as pork, beef, vermicelli… purchased from trusted establishments, for the rice rolls, she always makes the rolls herself.

Mrs. Nguyen Thi Thi and her rice rolls have become a "brand".

“For decades, except for special days, rain or shine, I wake up at 2am to prepare, and I spend most of my time making rice paper. When my husband was in the army, I did it alone, but after he retired, my husband and I worked together. Hand-made rice paper is very elaborate, so I can only make about 10kg of rice paper a day, and at the latest it will be gone by mid-morning. Because many customers like rice paper rolls, some people advised me to buy more rice paper from outside to sell, but I only sell the rice paper I make myself, people are used to it!”, Ms. Thi shared.

“Me Thi rice rolls” are special in both appearance and taste. The soft, smooth and not too thin rice rolls are spread evenly on the plate and sprinkled with shrimp, meat and wood ear mushrooms on the surface. In particular, in addition to the shrimp, meat, wood ear mushrooms and the faint scent of green onions, there is also Ba Don fried spring rolls, cut into short pieces. So the rice roll plate seems to have all the flavors and feelings, which is the softness of the handmade rice combined with the fatty, rich, very sweet and “permeable” taste of the rice roll filling, plus the hot, crispy Ba Don spring rolls. To eat with rice rolls, diners can order a delicious and rich beef soup. Many culinary “fans” confirm that nowhere else has rice rolls as delicious and unique as this place.

Also from hand-made rice paper, Me Thi's restaurant has an additional dish called "Thai Pho". Thai Pho, in addition to traditional ingredients, especially the famous Don Market beef (another name for Ba Don Market), is made from hand-made wet rice paper. Not as thin and even as machine-made rice paper, Thai Pho always attracts diners with its simple flavor and the genuine, familiar image of this dish. So in all four seasons, spring, summer, autumn and winter, her humble little restaurant always attracts customers, is the address for visitors from far away who want to enjoy the rich, flavorful cuisine of the land by the Gianh River, is a place for acquaintances to find memories and unforgettable flavors of the past years.

"Me Thi's rice rolls" have a special flavor.

“When you come to Ba Don, ask for Me Thi’s rice rolls and everyone will know and show you enthusiastically, even when the house didn’t have a number, the street didn’t have a name, or now the restaurant is right on the new street. This is a dish that is associated with my childhood and many others because rice rolls can be a snack or a full meal, and is suitable for both adults and children. In Dong Hoi City, there are also Ba Don rice rolls, but it is very difficult to find the typical flavors like when eating in Ba Don. Me Thi’s rice rolls are one of those dishes, so I often proudly introduce them to my friends every time they come here!”, Ms. Duong Dieu Hoan, from Ba Don Town, confided.

Among the many dishes that have contributed to Ba Don becoming a famous land for its simple yet quintessential and unique cuisine, “Me Thi rice rolls” has affirmed its brand through more than four decades with many changes and fluctuations of the old village, now a city along the Gianh River.

If one day you have the opportunity to return to Ba Don and wish to explore this land, take the time to visit a small restaurant with the lingering smell of smoke like your grandmother's or mother's kitchen in the past to enjoy Me Thi's rice rolls. Surely your journey will have an unforgettable taste!

Diep Dong

Source: https://www.baoquangbinh.vn/van-hoa/202503/quan-an-ky-uc-2225015/