City at Night: Awakening Cuisine

Nearly 1 o'clock, the A Chay vermicelli and meatball restaurant of Mrs. Pham Thi Chau (70 years old) on Pham The Hien Street, District 8, Ho Chi Minh City - near Ba Tang Bridge - is still lit up and bustling with customers. For the past 40 years, this vermicelli and meatball restaurant - started by Mrs. Chau's mother, then passed on to her sister and now to her - has been a familiar destination for many diners.

Preserving the traditional flavor

Ms. Pham Thi Chau said that since she was young, she has helped her mother sell traditional dishes from the North to Ho Chi Minh City and has been well received by customers. According to her, the secret to "keeping customers" is meticulousness and standard flavors. "I prepare the same way I eat" - she revealed.

The special feature of A Chay restaurant that attracts customers' attention is the big round meatballs, which were initially pounded by hand, but later switched to using machines as Mrs. Chau got older. "The big round meatballs have been a specialty of the restaurant for decades. If you want the meatballs to be delicious, they have to be pounded by hand," said Mrs. Chau.

The reason A Chay is open from late at night to early in the morning is because there were few late-night shops in the past, while people in the area often woke up early to go to work or go to the market. Each bowl of noodles costs about 40,000 VND, and customers can add toppings as they like.

A Chay vermicelli with meatballs restaurant attracts not only locals but also tourists . Mr. An (Vietnamese American) said: "The first time I tried A Chay vermicelli with meatballs was through an online recommendation. The taste is very delicious and unique." Diners love the rich flavor, fresh ingredients, sweet broth and chewy meatballs. According to the restaurant owner, 1 kg of meatballs can only make about 25 meatballs.

For more than 25 years working at the restaurant, Mrs. Chau has been working every day beside a pot of steaming noodles, regardless of the rain or wind. She said that despite the hardship, she still loves her job, considering it not only a way to make a living but also a way to preserve the family's traditional flavor. She does not force her children to follow the profession, because she understands the hardship of this job.

"When it rains and winds, business is very hard, worrying about both the goods and the customers. It's okay if my children don't follow this profession, as long as they find a suitable job," Ms. Chau said. She affirmed that she will continue to stick with the restaurant, with the bowl of bun moc, as long as her health allows, to preserve a part of the culinary memories of Ho Chi Minh City.

Mrs. Pham Thi Chau's vermicelli with meatballs restaurant has been a familiar destination for many diners for the past 40 years. Photo: KHAC HIEU

Warm workers

Open for only 150 minutes a day from 3am, the pork rib porridge shop of Mrs. Nguyen Thi Phuong (61 years old) on Hoang Dieu Street, District 4, Ho Chi Minh City is always bustling with laughter. For the past 38 years, Mrs. Phuong's shop has been famous for its delicious pork rib porridge at affordable prices, becoming a familiar destination for workers working early and late.

"I sell at odd hours, from 3am to 5:30am. Luckily, the landlord is kind and doesn't take the money for the premises, so I can sell at a cheap price for people," Ms. Phuong confided. Porridge without meat and fried dough sticks is only 15,000 VND/bowl, rib porridge is 30,000 - 40,000 VND, no matter how much customers buy, I sell.

Despite the rising prices of goods and pork, Ms. Phuong still decided to keep the selling price the same. "Every time the price of raw materials increases, I wonder how to feed people without spending more money. I'll just make up for it, because if the price increases further, it would be a sin for the workers," she confided.

At this night porridge shop, customers serve themselves, from getting chairs, chopsticks and spoons to giving themselves change. Ms. Cam Dao, a regular customer of the shop, admitted: "Every day Ms. Phuong doesn't sell, I feel like something is missing. Every morning I stop by here to have a snack before going to the market. All the customers here are happy to serve themselves, they know the shop owner keeps the prices from increasing so they really like her"...

When the city starts a new day, it is also the time for Mrs. Phuong to clean up her stall. For nearly four decades, she has quietly attached herself to the nightlife, warming the poor workers with bowls of porridge of love. (To be continued)

A part of the soul of Ho Chi Minh City

Ho Chi Minh City at night is not only about bright lights, high-rise buildings or bustling people. Behind that hustle and bustle is another "specialty": restaurants that work tirelessly all night to serve locals and tourists, creating a unique and unforgettable nighttime culinary culture.

Unlike many cities, Ho Chi Minh City never seems to "sleep". The city's nightlife is still vibrant and colorful, with cuisine playing a major role.

From alleys to boulevards, everywhere we can see brightly lit shops, with all kinds of food exuding attractive flavors. It could be a noodle cart clattering on the street, a bustling snail "cha" restaurant, or a cozy and simple noodle, pho, or broken rice restaurant.

Nightlife in Ho Chi Minh City is not just a place to fill your stomach when you are hungry. They are also a meeting place, a place where people can share stories after a long day, a place where poor workers can find a warm late-night meal and a place where tourists can discover a part of the soul of Ho Chi Minh City.

What makes Ho Chi Minh City's night cuisine so appealing? First of all, it's the diversity. You can find every dish, from traditional to modern, from full meals to "light" meals, from familiar flavors to new variations.

It is also popular and close. No need to go to a fancy restaurant, you can still enjoy delicious, quality dishes at affordable prices. Moreover, the cool, airy atmosphere at night makes the meal more poetic.

Behind the lights and bustle of those shops are stories of life, lives of quiet livelihoods. They are the diligent shop owners, staying up late and waking up early to prepare ingredients, the street vendors wandering the streets, the workers stopping by to have a bite to eat before their shift. They are an indispensable part of the night picture.

Ho Chi Minh City, contributing to the liveliness and warmth of the city.

Just like that, when the city lights up, the night shops wake up, giving Ho Chi Minh City a different look, a different flavor. Night cuisine is not only a cultural feature but also a part of the soul of the city.

Ho Chi Minh City is something that anyone who has experienced it will never forget. And then, when leaving, we not only remember the delicious food but also the atmosphere, the people and a very impressive city when the night falls. It is a city of sharing, connection and humanity.

Bao Ngoc

Source: https://nld.com.vn/thanh-pho-ve-dem-am-thuc-thuc-giac-196250323204322991.htm