What happened to the famous dog meat 'streets' in Ho Chi Minh City?

"I'm sick of this job!"

These days, walking along Pham Van Hai Street (Ong Ta intersection, Tan Binh District), there are only a few dog meat stalls still operating. If you don't know in advance, few people would suspect that this was one of the famous "dog meat streets" in Ho Chi Minh City decades ago.

At 9am, a woman’s dog meat stall in front of alley 256 Pham Van Hai Street (Ward 5, Tan Binh District) was empty of customers. On the stall, two cleaned dogs were still waiting for customers to buy. In her spare time, the owner picked out a large bag of perilla leaves, discarding the bruised and wilted ones.

Pham Van Hai Street (Tan Binh District) used to have many dog ​​meat stalls, but now they are gone.

The woman said she had been selling dog meat for decades in Ong Ta area, since before the liberation. Recalling that time, she said there were many people selling this dish, the meat stalls were close together.

"Gradually, people seem to stop eating dog meat, so they can't sell it. Some stalls have left the business, some have moved away, now there's only me and another stall in this area," she said, pointing to a dog meat stall on the side of the road not far away.

Talking about the current business situation, the owner sighed and said that business was extremely slow. If before she could sell 5-6 dogs/day, now she sells at most 1-2. She also reduced her selling hours, mainly selling from 9am to 12pm then closing the shop.

A rare dog meat stall still selling on Pham Van Hai street

Although her children and grandchildren have advised her to quit the job many times, she still hesitates because she has fallen into this "karma" and has been attached to this profession for decades. The current customers of this dog meat stall are also regular customers for decades, rarely new customers.

"I'm so sick of this job! Everyone who passes by looks down on me, some even curse me harshly. Now people love and cherish dogs, so my job is also criticized badly. I'm planning to quit but I don't know when," she said.

Meanwhile, the dog meat stall across the street had more dogs, also stacked up waiting for customers. This stall was doing better, with customers coming in to buy. People around said that this meat stall was open all day, and was a place where many people who love this delicacy buy dog ​​meat.

Where there is supply, there is demand.

Dog meat restaurants near Tan Son Nhat Airport (Tan Binh District) were once famous, especially along Pham Van Bach, Bach Dang, Tan Son streets... However, at present, the number of restaurants can be counted on the fingers.

Mr. Hai's dog meat restaurant on Pham Van Bach street has been around for more than 20 years.

Mr. Hai (55 years old), the owner of a dog meat restaurant with more than 20 years of experience on Pham Van Bach Street, said that when he first started selling, there were dozens of restaurants along this street, very bustling. Gradually, people's demand for dog meat decreased, and the restaurants gradually disappeared.

Mr. Hai said that there are currently two dog meat shops on Pham Van Bach Street, one of which is his. There is only one shop left on Tan Son Street. Coming from the North to Ho Chi Minh City to make a living in 1995, this profession has supported his whole family, so he cannot give it up even though the dog meat trade has declined.

The shop sells nearly ten dishes at affordable prices.

"Because there are few shops left, my business is more favorable, there is not much competition. The shop sells at affordable prices, 100,000 VND is enough to fill you up, so many people come to my shop. My shop has moved 7 times, it is also around here but regular customers still come," he said.

In the morning, Mr. Hai will take the dog from the oven, and together with his son, daughter-in-law and wife, prepare it, so that it can open for sale at 3 pm. The restaurant mainly sells steamed, grilled, stir-fried, hot pot dishes, etc. The owner also said that the customers here are mainly drinkers and people who like to eat dog meat.

"The time of slaughtering dogs yourself is over. Now people import dogs from certified slaughterhouses. I think there is no right or wrong in eating dog meat. It depends on each person's preferences and point of view. Where there is supply, there is demand," he said.

At 5 p.m., the dog meat restaurant on Cong Quynh Street (District 1) was quite empty. The owner stood in front of the door, seeing regular customers passing by without forgetting to say hello to them. He said that the restaurant was crowded at noon and in the evening. Customers usually came in groups, rarely alone. He had opened this dog meat restaurant for about 20 years.

Previously, alley 2A Nguyen Thi Minh Khai (District 1) near Thi Nghe bridge had many dog ​​meat restaurants, but now there are none left.

"The years 2000-2005 were considered the golden age of dog meat traders, but gradually business became more difficult. This year, my sales were worse than previous years. After the Covid-19 pandemic, many products were unsold, not just dog meat. Now that social media has exploded, many people keep pets, so the number of people eating dog meat has decreased, and the younger generation hardly eats it," he said.

This man has considered changing his business direction. However, because this is a job he has been doing for many years, he is still trying to stick with it and has not completely changed.

"Nowadays, there are traditional people who still eat dog meat as a delicacy, especially those of Northern origin. In recent years, fewer people eat dog meat, making business difficult and income gradually decreasing," he added.

In the past, the Thi Nghe Bridge area (Binh Thanh District) was also a destination for people who loved to eat dog meat because there were many famous restaurants. However, currently, there are no more dog meat restaurants in this area, instead there are coffee shops, spas, etc.

Mr. Khiem (57 years old, living in Thi Nghe bridge area) said that there used to be about 7-8 dog meat shops selling since the 1980s. However, for nearly ten years now, these shops have closed permanently.

"In the past, there were a lot of customers, it was famous for its dog meat, but gradually people stopped eating it, but now there is no restaurant left. Until 2010, there were still restaurants, but from 2012, the number started to decrease, and in 2014, the restaurant owners stopped selling," he said.

Source link: https://thanhnien.vn/an-thit-cho-co-con-hay-ho-nhung-pho-thit-cho-noi-tieng-o-tphcm-gio-ra-sao-185230708184333225.htm