Restaurants that when to sell a different dish every day but are always crowded with customers
Even though one day they won’t be able to eat what they want, many diners still wait in long queues to dine
While most food stalls and restaurants around the world tend to keep a static menu, a number of stalls in Ho Chi Minh City choose to offer diners a different selection of meals every day of the week.
One of these stalls is Chi Muoi – a lunch cart that has been feeding foodies in Alley 233 on Tran Quy Street, District 11 for the past 20 years.
Tran Thi Trinh, the 45-year-old who runs Chi Muoi, changes her menu every day of the week, from Monday to Sunday, ensuring her regulars remain excited for tomorrow’s lunch.
The lunch rush, from 11:30 am to 12:00 pm, is typically when masses of workers and students form the neighborhood visit Chi Muoi to grab a bite to eat.
Aside from locals, write-ups on websites and social media have put Chi Muoi on the tourist map for both foreign and Vietnamese visitors to Ho Chi Minh City.
“It’s easy for customers to come every day because I always cook different food,” said Trinh. “They don’t get bored.”
“On Monday I sell hu tieu Thai (Thai noodles), banh canh cua (crab noodle soup) on Tuesday, mi vit tiem (Chinese braised duck noodle soup) on Wednesday, curry on Thursday, bun mi vang (white and golden noodles) on Friday, bun mam (fermented paste noodles) on Saturday, and banh canh cua (crab noodle soup) on Sunday.”
Most meals at Chi Muoi cost just VND30,000 ($1.26), though the crab noodle soup can cost more if customers ask for extra crab.
Additionally in the morning, Trinh’s daughter runs the stall with a different menu from what her mother sells in the afternoon.
Pham Quan Thuc, a resident of District 11, is a longtime regular at Trinh’s stall. The Chinese braised duck noodle soup and curry is what hooked him.
“I live just a few kilometers away from here and often stop by for a bowl of food because of the reasonable prices and exciting flavors,” Thuc said.
“I know the menu schedule by heart so it’s easy for me to choose which days I want to visit.”
Co Hoang, another food stall in District 11, has been operating under a similar model to Chi Muoi for the past three decades.
Hoang Thi Ngoc Huong, the owner of Co Hoang, opens the stall each day at 1:00 pm at 86/7 Ong Ich Khiem Street.
“When we first opened, we did not have many customers so we decided to offer different meals each day in order to attract more diners,” she said.
“Our best sellers are bun thit nuong (noodles topped with grilled pork) and banh canh cua (crab noodle soup). We sell twice as many of those dishes as we do any other.”
Huong and her three sisters start cooking at 7:00 am each morning. At 1:00 pm they open for afternoon and close at 7:00 pm.
A bowl of bun mam at Huong’s stall sells for VND50,000 (US$2.09) and a bowl of banh canh cua (crab noodle soup) sells for VND35,000 to 100,000 ($4.19) depending on the amount of crab a customer requests.
Everything else at the stall costs just VND35,000 ($1.47).
Also, Co Hoang switches to a completely vegan menu on the first and fifteenth days of the lunar month.
Tran Thi My Phung is a resident from Tan Phu District who visits the stall nearly every day.
“I love every dish [at Co Hoang], but the ones I like most are the bun thit nuong and banh canh cua,” Phung said.
“There are not many food stalls like this that change their menus daily.”
Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
Ngoc Phuong - Dong Nguyen / Tuoi Tre News