Hue beef noodle shop sells 500 bowls a day, Michelin chooses, is the owner 'wrong'?

Bun Bo Hue 14B is the only Bun Bo Hue restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City in the Bib Gourmand category - Photo: CN

Along with Bun Bo 14B, 18 establishments in Hanoi and 23 others in Ho Chi Minh City were honored in the Bib Gourmand category (delicious food, affordable prices).

Michelin Guide will hold an official announcement ceremony of the categories in Ho Chi Minh City on June 27.

"It's okay, nothing special."

Sharing with Tuoi Tre Online , Mr. Nguyen Thai Chau (born in 1989) - one of the two owners of the 14B beef noodle shop - said that the shop also did not know when the anonymous Michelin Guide reviewers ordered food or arrived at the restaurant.

A few days ago, the restaurant found out that its name was on the Bib Gourmand list thanks to someone reading the newspaper and "telling".

"Surprised, surprised because the restaurant is normal, tiny, in an alley, who would notice", Chau said. He and his friend were even confused, wondering "is there a mistake?".

Regarding the quality of his restaurant's food, he admits that "it's okay but not too special. Many restaurants present it more beautifully. But for that price, the noodle bowl at his restaurant is quite a bit more filling than other restaurants."

Nguyen Thai Chau said Bun Bo 14B had just received an invitation from Michelin Guide to attend the announcement ceremony. "That's when I knew it was true, not a lie," Chau said happily.

The shop accepts customers on-site in the morning, and stops accepting customers at 11am to focus on online sales - Photo: CN

Remember the bowl of beef noodle soup in difficult times

Nguyen Thai Chau studied accounting, then his father passed away so he returned to Vung Tau to help his mother sell goods. After a while, Chau went to the city to study intermediate pharmacy.

Thinking that with their degrees after graduation, their monthly income would only be from 5 to 6 million VND, Chau and her friend - Nguyen Hoang Vu (born in 1992, a student at Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology) decided to sell beef noodles. Both of their families were poor, so they had to work to help out.

Vu is originally from Hue so he is no stranger to Hue beef noodle soup.

Meanwhile, when he was in school, Chau only dreamed of eating a bowl of beef noodle soup. It was delicious but too expensive! He only dared to eat a bowl occasionally.

Chau and Vu pooled money to open a small, affordable Hue beef noodle shop in an alley in District 4.

Hue beef noodle soup here costs between 30,000 - 65,000 VND - Photo: CN

At first, one person stood selling, the other still went to work as usual. The shop mainly sold on the spot. The main customers were the workers around there.

During COVID-19, the restaurant switched to selling through a food delivery app. Unexpectedly, it became very popular. Every day, the restaurant sells a total of 400-500 bowls of Hue beef noodle soup.

There were times when there were up to 600 bowls. Customers were mainly office workers.

The restaurant is open from 6:20 to 19:15. In the morning, they accept dine-in customers, but by 11:00, they are afraid that customers will come and they won't be able to make it in time, so they only sell online.

Selling like that must be profitable? After deducting the app commission, the profit is not much. So-so! Mainly profit from labor.

Chau said that anyone who does business wants to expand and develop. They also want to have a beautiful facade. But he and Vu do not want to raise the price of each bowl of beef noodle soup because of that.

I always remember the bowl of beef noodle soup I ate when I was in trouble. I want to sell a bowl of beef noodle soup that anyone who wants to eat can eat.

Owner of Hue beef noodle shop 14B

After being named in Bib Gourmand, Bun Bo 14B will certainly be sought out by more people. Chau said this is an honor and a joy but also "very worried" because "the restaurant is so small, suddenly it's so famous".

Regarding the online debate about the unknown 14B restaurant chosen by Michelin Guide, Nguyen Thai Chau "respects everyone's opinion".

In business, everyone has their pros and cons. Moreover, nine out of ten people have different opinions. The shop will accept all suggestions to improve the quality day by day.

He also said that this award surprised him and Vu, they couldn't believe it. Until now, they still don't understand why Michelin chose him.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/quan-bun-bo-hue-ban-500-to-moi-ngay-michelin-chon-chu-quan-co-nham-khong-20240624141941758.htm