At 11:30, the sun was shining brightly, I took the opportunity to be here. I have heard rumors about Uncle Hai's shop for a long time, but only now have I had the chance to experience the unique and strange things I see and hear.
Open at exactly 12 noon, customers waiting
Ho Chi Minh City is not short of delicious noodle shops, but the restaurant of Mr. Hai (55 years old) located in an alley on Bui Minh Truc Street (District 8), to me, is not only delicious but also strange.
The shop just opened at 12 o'clock.
[CLIP]: Unique and strange "Waiting noodle soup" in Ho Chi Minh City, customers have to wait 30 minutes - 1 hour to eat.
Uncle Hai's giant pot of noodle soup.
I was surprised that the restaurant opened at 12 o’clock, but at this time dozens of customers were already sitting at several tables in the restaurant, small tables but with 4-5 people. Not to mention many people surrounded the restaurant, ready to wait in the hot sun to buy a portion of his noodle soup.
At this point, I wondered what was in this bowl of noodle soup that made customers come 30 minutes early to "reserve" a seat?
Uncle Hai is busy preparing dishes for waiting customers as well as take-out.
Talking to Mr. Tung (37 years old, living in District 8), the customer said that in the past ten years of eating at this restaurant, this was a normal thing. He said that if he did not come early to eat, there would be no place to sit, and there would not even be enough ingredients for the bowl of noodle soup that he liked.
Mr. Tung, a regular customer of Uncle Hai's restaurant“It is normal for many people to wait 30 minutes to an hour to eat here. First, the noodles here are delicious, second, they are cheap, and third, they are close to home. Out of 30 days a month, I have eaten here for 25 days,” he said with a laugh.
Next door, Ms. Thuy (60 years old, living in District 8) who has also been eating here for several years now chimed in. She said that no one would be foolish enough to torture themselves by having to wait 30 minutes - 1 hour to eat something, but this restaurant is an exception for her.
Uncle Hai has been proficient in this job for the past 39 years.
“The broth here is sweet in the way that bones are sweet, not sugary. I like this broth the most and it can’t be found anywhere else. Everything in the bowl of noodle soup, from pig’s feet, sausage, meat, blood… everything is delicious and clean. Honestly, because I fell in love with the noodle soup here, no matter how long I have to wait, it’s worth it. Once I like it, I’m happy to wait. Also, I sympathize with the restaurant, because there are many customers, and there are mainly 2 couples selling, so it’s okay for it to be slow,” Ms. Thuy said about her reason for being willing to wait.
While waiting, customers pour and make their own glass of iced tea placed in a corner of the shop. The tea is strong and fragrant, sipping while waiting and chatting together under the shady wormwood tree also makes time pass quickly and the harsh sunlight of Ho Chi Minh City is less harsh.
The cake looks simple but customers love it.
The broth is rich and the ingredients are harmoniously combined.
After 12 o’clock, Mr. Hai and his wife also finished preparing and “three heads and six arms” to make food for dozens of guests but the guests had been waiting for a long time. Mr. Tung was also satisfied and felt that his time coming early was worth it, because he ordered a portion of his favorite pig tail noodle soup. As for me, I ordered a normal portion of pig trotters.
Taking a sip of the broth, I immediately fell in love with this bowl of noodle soup. It was rich, sweet, and had the traditional flavor of the bowls of noodle soup my mother used to cook for me. The noodles were white and soft, and although nothing special compared to other restaurants, they went well with the sausage, pork leg, meat, etc. The broth was the selling point of this bowl of noodle soup.
Ms. Thuy is used to waiting to enjoy her favorite bowl of cake.
Personally, I give the taste of the noodle soup a 9/10. I also understand why many people are willing to wait to eat the noodle soup of Mr. Hai and his wife. However, I also note that this restaurant is not for those who are too hungry or impatient, because the waiting is not pleasant. Some people, out of impatience, rush the restaurant owner, and immediately receive the answer: "The restaurant is out of dishes!". Many customers said that was what they heard every time they rushed the restaurant owner, and knowing what he meant, they did not rush.
10,000 VND can also buy
When asked this question, the owner quickly explained: "That's what customers say, my dear! Only on busy Saturdays and Sundays do we sell out so early, but on normal days it takes longer. There are some days when it rains and we don't sell out until 5pm."
Mr. Tung likes the noodle soup with pig's tail.
Talking about making customers wait for a long time, Mr. Hai said he also felt "guilty" and sorry for the customers. But because there were only the two of them selling, and many customers came early to eat their favorite dishes, the couple tried to prepare as soon as possible and bring the dishes out to customers as soon as possible.
Ms. Thuy, a regular customer of Mr. Hai's shopHaving such support from customers over the past decades is the joy and happiness of food vendors like him. 39 years ago, he and his sister opened this restaurant. He stood selling, his sister cooked. After selling for more than a year, his sister stopped selling, he decided to continue maintaining this restaurant to make a living.
Delicious sausage.
Gradually, with the special recipe, customers from near and far increasingly supported the restaurant and it has a stable number of "regular" customers like today. "I cook with my heart, with meticulousness and hygiene, when customers eat they will feel that. Every day preparing dishes for customers is a joy for my wife and I," said the owner.
Here, each bowl of noodle soup costs 35,000 - 50,000 VND, quite reasonable. Mr. Hai's wife also said that if customers want to buy a bowl for 10,000 VND, the owner has it for sale.
Every day, Mr. Hai tries to bring the most dedicated cakes to customers.
This restaurant is the heart and soul of Mr. Hai, who has built it for decades, so he said he will try his best every day to repay the love his customers have for him. Many customers also said they will support the restaurant as they have for decades, because they have fallen in love with this strange noodle shop...
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