The nearly 50-year-old shaved ice shop of an 80-year-old man in the West

The "legendary" planer

The shaved ice shop of Mr. Thi Dong (commonly known as Mr. Tam, 77 years old, residing in Cai Rang District, Can Tho City) is located on Ngo Quyen Street, at the end of Cai Rang Market. Different from the surrounding walls, the shop still retains many rustic features, the structure of the wooden stilt house has been stained with old color.

Mr. Tam has been in the business of selling iced beans and shaved ice with syrup for nearly 50 years.

Despite its inconvenient location, many people still regularly visit the market to support the nearly 50-year-old drink shop in the West. The drinks he sells are not unique, but the shaved ice easily brings back memories, especially for those of the 8X and 9X generations.

Currently, the shop sells pennywort, mung bean sweet soup, shaved ice with syrup, fresh coconut and many other bottled drinks. Of which, mung bean sweet soup and shaved ice with syrup are considered the shop's traditional "brand", priced at 12,000 - 15,000 VND/cup. For mung bean sweet soup, Mr. Tam has been awake since 5am to select beans, soak them until soft and then steam them. He scrapes the coconut and squeezes the coconut milk himself. A cup of sweet soup includes mung beans, red beans, kidney beans, tapioca flour, and crispy roasted peanuts.

For decades, Mr. Tam has been shaving ice by hand.

Mr. Tam said that the shop was handed down to him by his parents before 1975. Over the past few decades, it has changed locations many times, sometimes moving to the market house, sometimes moving to the pier, and now moored at the edge of a branch of the Can Tho River. Despite going through many stages, he still uses the "legendary" wooden planer. This planer is worn out, so he rents another one and refuses to use crushed ice. Therefore, every time there are customers, the shop echoes with the familiar sound of crushed ice.

"No matter how rustic people say I'm, I still keep the wooden planer. Hand-shaving ice for people to drink makes me happy, because it contains my effort and love. In particular, shaving ice makes me feel like I'm stretching my muscles and bones, without having to exercise. In the past, my parents also shaved ice by hand, so I want to continue the family tradition," Mr. Tam happily said.

Mr. Tam's memorable shaved ice

Sometimes, Mr. Tam sadly remembers the time when bean ice and shaved ice with syrup were the "trendy" drinks of students in the past. That was around the 1980s, customers came to the shop in droves in the morning and afternoon. There were days when he prepared up to 5 kg of beans but still could not sell enough. Thanks to that, his family had enough to eat and make a living, not too hard. But now, he sells less than 1 kg of beans a day, and shaved ice with syrup is also not worth mentioning.

Knowing enough will make you happy

Mr. Tam is quite quiet and reserved, so it is not easy for others to understand his feelings. But the way he takes care of each glass, the position of the water counter, and the clean shave table can tell how much he loves his job. Perhaps that is why, even though he is getting older and his customers are decreasing, whenever someone suggests moving the shop to retire, he immediately waves his hand. "Nowadays, there are many shops and drinks of all kinds, so shaved ice syrup and bean ice are no longer expensive, but the income is enough to cover my life. For me, that is enough. There are ups and downs, but knowing enough will make me happy," Mr. Tam confided.

Many elderly customers still often visit Mr. Tam's shaved ice shop.

Mr. Tam has a daughter who is currently working as a factory worker. According to him, the more attached to the job, the harder it is to let go. The older you get, the more you want to support yourself and not be a burden to your children. "The job is not that hard, if you try hard, you will be able to do it. Moreover, I have the joy of often meeting regular customers who have been drinking here for many years. When we meet, we often talk about old stories and happy times, so I can't bear to retire," Mr. Tam shared.

Compared to many popular drinks today, Mr. Tam's shaved ice syrup or bean sweet soup is somewhat simple, without added toppings or eye-catching colors. It seems outdated and inferior, but it is the rustic, simple originality that makes many people feel love and nostalgia for the culinary characteristics of their childhood.

Mr. Tam's shaved ice makes people remember the past, especially those of the 8X and 9X generations.

In front of the house, although the trucks come and go regularly, when going to Cai Rang market, Mrs. Chin (59 years old, living in Phu Thu Ward, Cai Rang District) definitely has to stop by Mr. Tam's shaved ice shop. Mrs. Chin confided: "More than 30 years ago, I sold farm produce here so I know this shop. I don't know why, but seeing Mr. Tam working hard at the hand-grating table, memories of my youth suddenly come flooding back. Nowadays, how many people are still interested in selling shaved ice? Surely everyone will forget this job forever."

The shop is open from morning to afternoon.

Mr. Tam's shaved ice shop is quite small, with only one table in front and a few small tables inside. Many times, there are not enough seats for customers, but they still patiently wait to support the old owner. "Every time I see an old and unpopular profession on TV, I feel regretful and nostalgic. For me, Mr. Tam's popular shaved ice shop is also an interesting highlight for this bustling market. I hope he will have a lot of health to maintain the shop for a long time," said Ms. Nguyen Thi Bich Phuong (31 years old, living in An Khanh Ward, Ninh Kieu District).

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