For over 40 years, the vermicelli with meatballs dish of Mrs. Vu Ngoc Mai's family (62 years old) located in An Dong market has been a familiar address for many diners.
Just opened and already full table
At around 7am we stopped by An Dong market and saw a restaurant full of tables. It was Ngoc Mai Bun Moc restaurant. The owner, her husband, 2 sons and 7 employees worked together to cook, serve, and clean continuously to serve customers who ate in, bought to go and even delivered orders.
Just opened, the shop was crowded.
It is known that the restaurant is most famous for its main dish, bun moc. Besides, there are side dishes such as bun rieu, bun bo, hu tieu Nam Vang, which are sold alternately every day so that customers do not get bored. The owner introduced that currently, her restaurant sells all dishes at the same price of 35,000 VND. If customers want to add bones or sausage, each portion costs 40,000 - 50,000 VND. We ordered 2 bowls of bun moc with full noodles, 3 types of sausage, sausage, cartilage and bones for 35,000 VND. Although it was crowded, it took less than 1 minute to get a hot meal.
The combination of sausage, meatballs, vermicelli with hot, rich broth and a little onion, pepper and fragrant shrimp paste, is a great way to start a new day.
Sharing with reporters, every day she sells out 40 kg of noodles with 4 pots of broth cooked from about 25 kg of bones. The restaurant also has other side dishes such as pig's feet and intestines to meet the needs of diners.
Mrs. Mai confided that when she was 17 years old, she followed her mother to sell vermicelli with meatballs. After her mother passed away, she took over her mother's business, and has been doing so for 40 years now. Most of the customers are regulars, people who live around this market. Mrs. Mai knows by heart the tastes and favorite dishes of each person, so when she comes to the restaurant, she just needs to look at the customer's face and make it right away.
Mrs. Huong has been selling for more than 20 years.
When asked why the restaurant is crowded, she said it is because the restaurant sells at affordable prices, suitable for the majority of customers' budgets. Along with the enthusiasm and friendliness of the owner and staff when serving, it makes customers satisfied, often coming back.
Ms. Nga (52 years old, District 5), a regular customer who has been eating here for more than 10 years, said: “The taste of the mushrooms here is very special. The owner and staff are very nice and enthusiastic. This restaurant does not need any advertising, it has been crowded for decades. The prices are affordable and reasonable.”
"While there is strength, there is sale!"
Mrs. Mai confided that thanks to the love and support of her customers, her family has had the money to raise her children and cover living expenses for the past several decades. She is grateful and cherishes her customers as if they were family members. She only sells one session because she is afraid that if she sold the food all day, it would not be delicious.
She is only confident when she prepares the ingredients herself, and cooks them immediately after processing to preserve their freshness. Perhaps because of her dedication, everything in the restaurant is meticulously prepared, and most of the customers who come to eat nod their heads in satisfaction. Because there are many customers, many diners wake up early to come to the restaurant.
“I have been selling for decades because of my love for the job. I want every bowl of noodles I serve to customers to be the best version. I do not chase after profit but sell at affordable prices so that everyone can eat their fill,” Ms. Mai confided.
Mrs. Mai is determined to sell until she no longer has the strength.
It is known that the assistants at Mrs. Mai's shop are elderly. Because she wants them to have jobs to earn some extra money to support their lives. "The elderly assistants work a little slowly, but that's okay. I always create conditions for them to have jobs," she confided.
Ms. Ngoc Huong (66 years old, Tan Binh District) is a long-time employee. She confided that even though she lives far away, she still tries to stick with the shop. "The owner is enthusiastic, loves her employees and is very caring. I have been with this shop for more than 20 years. Going to work makes me happy, not tired."
Mr. Thanh (54 years old, District 5) said he became a "regular" customer of the restaurant after one time delivering food at An Dong market and then accidentally stopping by to try it. Regarding the quality of the food, he gave it an 8, but combined with the friendliness of the owner, he generously gave it a 10.
“The ingredients are fresh and delicious, especially the rich broth, which tastes different from other places. After eating it once, I have no need to find another noodle shop because the taste here makes me very satisfied. I come back to the shop every other day, this habit has been over 10 years now,” he said with a smile.
The bowl of vermicelli with meatballs is just right for regular customers.
For Mrs. Mai, this noodle shop is her passion, her daily joy. Although it is hard work because she wakes up at 3am to prepare, she is determined to continue selling as long as she has the strength, to keep the passion for the profession.
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