In December 2023, Taiwanese-American billionaire Jensen Huang made a business trip to cooperate to promote the semiconductor industry in Vietnam.
He is the 11th richest billionaire in the world and the CEO of Nvidia (a chip company valued at up to 1,000 billion USD). Therefore, this famous billionaire's trip received special attention from domestic and international media.
During this business trip, in addition to negotiating work, Mr. Jensen Huang also wanted to explore and experience Vietnamese cuisine . Therefore, before the billionaire arrived in Hanoi, Nvidia sent a specialized advance team to survey restaurants that suited the CEO's preferences.
One evening on the last day of the year, as usual, Mr. Nguyen Ly and Mrs. Nguyen Thi Thu (owners of the famous pho tray restaurant on the Hang Non sidewalk) were busy preparing food and serving pho to customers. Tonight the restaurant was almost full.
While Mrs. Thu was busy blanching the noodles, a young man who was a regular customer of the restaurant walked in. He whispered to the owner that there was going to be a special group of about 15 people. Among them was a Taiwanese President who wanted to eat pho and asked the restaurant to arrange a seat for him.
Seeing this, Mr. Nguyen Ly quickly ran out and told the customers present at the restaurant to move to one side. Even though everyone was still eating, they unanimously agreed upon this news and ran to their seats at the coffee shop next door.
Mrs. Thu had just arranged the dishes when the group of guests arrived. The Chairman's table was in the first position. At first, the owner did not recognize the VIP guest he was welcoming.
“As far as I remember, the President was dressed very simply, in black khaki pants and a black T-shirt. The group was large but in reality there were only 8 guests divided into 4 tables sitting in 2 rows. In addition to 4 tall foreign bodyguards standing with their arms crossed to protect the outside, there were also a few Vietnamese bodyguards standing with them. They did not eat, just stood and observed the situation,” Ms. Thu said.
When asked what the group wanted to eat, the interpreter said the restaurant would serve the best dish, so Mrs. Thu chose beef pho with red wine sauce.
This is a dish that many diners consider the “star” of the restaurant because of its special flavor. The beef is carefully processed to remove the odor, marinated with 7 spices and then stewed for many hours.
In a flash, 8 bowls of hot pho were served. Each portion cost the same 50,000 VND, the same price as the other customers.
As observed by the restaurant owner, the Chairman finished the bowl of pho and left only a little broth at the bottom of the bowl. The other guests in the group also happily enjoyed their meal.
When paying, the interpreter thanked Mr. Ly and Ms. Thu and said that the Chairman praised the food as delicious and promised to come back next time he has the opportunity to come to Vietnam.
The total cost of 8 bowls of pho was 400,000 VND. The customer gave 600,000 VND, and wanted to leave the change for the restaurant staff as a thank you. The group stayed at the restaurant for about 20 minutes, chatting with the owner for a while before leaving.
“The restaurant was very crowded at that time and I saw that the Chairman seemed busy with his schedule so I only had time to shake hands and say hello. Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to take any photos with the group of guests,” Ms. Ly regretted.
After the group of guests left, the original regular guest lingered for a while to chat privately with Mr. and Mrs. Ly. At this time, both were surprised to learn that the identity of the Chairman was Taiwanese-American billionaire Jensen Huang when he had the opportunity to visit Vietnam this time.
After cleaning up after a more crowded evening than usual, Mr. and Mrs. Ly went home to rest. The next day, when they had some free time, the couple quickly took out their phones to look up more information about the American billionaire who came to the restaurant yesterday.
“My husband and I were both surprised to learn that this is one of the richest billionaires in the world. We asked the interpreter why he chose to eat at a street stall instead of some fancy restaurant.
And the interpreter said that when this billionaire came to Vietnam, he wanted to choose a typical delicious pho restaurant in Hanoi . He believes that when tasting the cuisine at sidewalk restaurants, he can clearly feel the local flavor," Ms. Thu confided.
In the restaurant owner's memory, billionaire Jensen Huang exuded a rustic yet approachable demeanor. His biggest difference was that he had a team of tall bodyguards standing around him to protect him, and his friendly demeanor made Mrs. Thu feel close and warm.
“What made me happiest was seeing the whole group clean up the bowl of pho. He seemed very satisfied too,” Mr. Ly recalled.
Sharing with Dan Tri reporter about the first days of starting a business, Mrs. Thu said that at the end of 1993, the couple bought a house in an alley on Hang Non street and moved here to live.
Mr. Ly used to work in the arts and culture industry and then went to Germany to work as an export laborer for a year, while Mrs. Thu worked in the textile industry. When he returned, the couple did not know what to do, but his sister-in-law, who lived in Nga Tu So and had been selling beef and chicken pho for decades, expressed her desire to pass on her skills.
Following the recipe passed down by her sister, Mrs. Thu went to the place to learn the trade for about half a month. In early 1994, the pho restaurant officially opened.
Called a restaurant, at first there were only a few simple tables and chairs arranged in a small alley. Later, the restaurant opened to allow people to sit outside on the sidewalk. At first, the restaurant only specialized in traditional pho dishes such as rare and well-done, rare flank, brisket, but did not have beef pho with wine sauce like today.
From the original recipe, Mrs. Thu herself researched and seasoned to suit the taste of customers. On the first day, the restaurant only sold in the morning and within 3 hours it was sold out. What is special is that the restaurant does not use tables like other pho restaurants but uses aluminum trays.
Explaining this, Mr. Ly said that this is a unique feature for guests to remember.
“In the beginning, the pho restaurant only had plastic tables and chairs. But I wanted to bring something unique that is typical of Vietnamese meals. Customers who eat out still have the feeling of sitting at a table, enjoying a family meal,” the restaurant owner shared.
The area of the old town is narrow. If there are many tables and chairs, it will take up space, so placing pho trays to serve customers is convenient in many ways. From then on, customers only need to go to Hang Non Street and see the aluminum trays placed on the sidewalk, and immediately think of Ly Beo beef pho.
To maintain 31 years of selling and keeping customers, Ms. Thu said this is not simple. In addition to the heart of the profession, the restaurant owner has very strict requirements for input food in order to have a delicious bowl of pho.
“I have a 31-year relationship and deliver goods to your doorstep early in the morning. We accept the highest prices but the goods must be selected, we cannot buy in bulk and say no to frozen foods,” Ms. Thu shared.
According to research, the restaurant uses about 20kg of various types of meat every day to serve rare dishes, flank, red wine sauce and 20-30kg of pho noodles. During holidays, the amount of food will be more.
To have a sweet and clear broth, Mrs. Thu must remove the odor from the bones and meat by soaking them in salt water for a long time before processing. The broth is simmered from 8:30 am until it boils enough to ensure it is clear and not cloudy.
All dishes at the restaurant are priced at 50,000 VND. If you order the special portion with more beef, it will cost 70,000 VND. The restaurant is open from 6pm to midnight every day.
“We have welcomed many important groups of guests to enjoy our food. Most of them have the common characteristic of being quite discreet, like this group of American billionaires. Whether they are famous or ordinary people, we serve them with the same dedication. Running a restaurant is hard work, but passion and enthusiasm have kept us going until now,” Mr. Ly shared.
In a conversation with Dan Tri reporter, Mr. Hoang Anh Tuan, Consul General of Vietnam in San Francisco (USA) and a diplomatic officer in the delegation accompanying billionaire Jensen Huang, recounted many memories on the sidelines as well as the work of welcoming the delegation.
Mr. Tuan said that the Consulate General was honored to support Mr. Jensen Huang's visit to Vietnam in December 2023. During the preparation process, the diplomatic delegation closely coordinated with the security agency, reception and the host unit to ensure the American billionaire had the highest security during the visit but still felt relaxed and comfortable.
“Regarding Mr. Jensen Huang's culinary choices, we know that this billionaire is a big fan of Vietnamese cuisine and often enjoys Vietnamese food in San Francisco and Silicon Valley.
I think his decision to eat at street restaurants in Hanoi’s Old Quarter reflects his personal preference for street food because of its special appeal. Many people know that, despite his career success, Mr. Huang still values simplicity and connection.
It seems that his time in Hanoi has given him a great opportunity to connect his difficult childhood memories, familiar culinary flavors and vibrant cultural experiences in Hanoi's Old Quarter," Consul General Hoang Anh Tuan shared.
Before his visit to Vietnam, Nvidia, where billionaire Jensen Huang is CEO, sent a dedicated advance team to survey locations not only in Hanoi but also all the places expected on his journey.
The advance team is highly knowledgeable about the CEO's culinary preferences. They are careful to identify restaurants that offer high-quality food as well as local specialties. The team provides him with a list of restaurant and food recommendations to choose from.
The Pho Tram restaurant on Hang Non Street was one of the places suggested by the advance team and the billionaire finally chose to visit.
According to Consul General Hoang Anh Tuan, this approach helps ensure a balance between careful planning and personal preferences. To do thorough research, the advance team uses local staff and their knowledge of the billionaire's food preferences, thereby making appropriate recommendations.
But in the end, it's up to billionaire Jensen Huang to decide which dish he finds appealing.
Billionaire Huang's Hanoi Food Tour that evening included many famous restaurants in the old quarter such as Pho tray Hang Non, duck hotpot Hang Thiec, and Giang cafe on Nguyen Huu Huan street.
“Although I cannot remember all of Mr. Huang’s comments about the beef noodle soup at the restaurant on Hang Non Street or other dishes, his overall satisfaction with Hanoi cuisine is very clear. He enjoyed the food like a true foodie. It can be said that Hanoi cuisine has left a very good impression on this billionaire.
“The fact that a global figure like Mr. Huang has experienced and enjoyed Hanoi street food is very valuable. This helps Vietnam promote local cuisine to domestic and international tourists much better than traditional advertising. This is also an authentic experience and has a very powerful influence, surpassing a thousand words,” Mr. Hoang Anh Tuan emphasized.
Source: https://dantri.com.vn/du-lich/ty-phu-my-giau-thu-11-the-gioi-chon-quan-pho-bo-via-he-khi-toi-ha-noi-20241006221952576.htm
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