One day, only selling for 1 hour was “clean”, so many Saigon people had to go to Mrs. Phi’s restaurant (62 years old, living in District 1) early to “squash” a seat. Some guests joked that this is ” the fastest-selling Banh Canh in Vietnam”.
Many people take advantage of the restaurant early because they are afraid of “running out”.PHOTO: CAO AN BIEN
At 15:00, I started to sell, but I went to Ms. Phi’s sister’s shop at 14:30 because my friends “warned” that if I do not come early, there will be no tables to sit, or even out of food. I thought I came the earliest, but when I came here, I saw someone waiting to enjoy this famous bowl of banh canh in Saigon.It’s not yet time to open the door, yet the customers have entered the restaurant and sat at the table. Talking is the table, but in fact only the plastic chairs are piled up together to be higher than the chair where the guest sits. Below is a small brass basket to store bones, neatly arranged by the shop.
“Nowhere to make delicious rolls like here”
In the meantime, customers sit and talk to each other, and talk to the shopkeeper for a long time as if they were familiar from before. The members of the shop each had a hard time preparing the final stages before starting to sell. Some cut the pork rolls into parts, some made fish sauce and brought it to customers, others prepared cold towels.The guest next to me asked me to pick up a toothpick jar, ready to ask him what he felt when he came to this restaurant.
Mr. Nguyen Van Hau (58 years old, living in Q, Phu Nhuan) told me that I have been eating here for nearly ten years now, and has become the “guts” of the restaurant.“Usually I come here to eat once or twice a week. If you eat here, you have to come early, but coming too late is going to run out of seats, dishes and dishes. The best thing in this banh canh is the pork roll.
I do not know how the restaurant processes, but it does not smell bad, on the contrary, it is very fragrant, very mouth-watering. There has been no place to cook delicious rolls like this one “, he shared and added:” Do not see the bowl of Banh Canh smaller than the other shops, but criticize, when you eat, the price deserves the quality “.
After Mr. Hau finished speaking, it was also the time when the pot of Banh Canh was pushed out by a man in Mrs. Phi’s family. The pot was caught on a stove, and she began to sell “three heads and six hands” to the customers waiting in the restaurant as well as the customers who ordered take away.
 Ms. Phi has replaced her main sales in the shop for nearly 3 years. |
 Visitors are crowded, members of the restaurant have to do their best so that no one has to wait long. |
 The special sauce for dipping pork. |
According to the owner, banh canh here is only one type, different in the hoof. When customers order food, the seller quickly says, “Eat lean, tendon, pillow or nail? Eat spicy or not spicy ”to know how to make.After choosing the dish, she took the sausage dipped in the pot to heat, then scooped into the bowl of the cake, the sausage and the broth. Her sisters will add scallions, chili, spices and then squeeze a piece of lemon and bring it to guests to eat.
Each bowl of Banh Canh comes with a cup of the restaurant’s special chili and pepper fish sauce used to dot the hoof.A while ago, I ordered a bowl of pork ribs with the price of 50,000 VND, introduced by the owner as the most popular dish here. After eating, we can see that the broth is rich, the cake soup is relatively comfortable. As introduced, the sausage “spread fire”.
Notice, seeing someone eating 2 bowls of food, but still said that he saw “already”.More than half an hour later, the cakes were sold out, leaving only the nail rolls. Those who arrive late are still happy to eat, even if they do not enjoy the kind they like.
 Soup pot looks eye-catching. |
 Pork rolls are processed by the shop, making customers eat a delicious compliment. |
Cake soup “silver hair girl”
Guest, I went to ask the owner. She said she could shoot comfortably, but was afraid to share it about the restaurant because she was afraid that she would “speak badly, and afraid to express it inappropriately and lose her heart”. After a convincing period, she also agreed to share with Thanh Nien, but also added: “In the past, I rarely responded to interviews. Let me say a little bit ”.When asked, this bakery shop is more than 20 years old.
Before that, it was a load of street vendors pushed by her sisters to sell. In the past, her sister sold the main job, while the sisters were assistants. “Later on, someone loved my sister and I should lend this house to a restaurant, so I moved here to sell.
More than 3 years ago, her health gradually weakened because she was over 70 years old, so I took the place of the main saleswoman here ”, she confided.The reason for the shop to sell only 1 hour a day is that Mrs. Phi and her sisters are old and do not have the energy to do much. The owner of the shop added: “If it sells for too long, then there is no time to prepare, because my calculation is also careful, I will be meticulous every bit.
Clean the restaurant, then cook it deliciously, it takes the whole day ”.Asked about the secret of delicious cooking, making customers “love”, Mrs. Phui smiled and said: “There is no secret, the goods I cook are fresh, freshly bought goods, I sell them every day. Because I cook as carefully as possible, meticulously at each stage, moderate seasoning is delicious. I also pay great attention to hygiene, from food to the bar space are very clean by my sisters ”.
 The rolls are pre-cut. |
 Soup bowl costs 55,000 VND at the “silver hair” shop. |
 Shop for women in Mrs. Phi’s family to maintain and develop. Most of them are older. |
Although there is no signboard, customers still call this shop a “silver haired lady” because most of the women in Mrs. Phi’s family are old, and everyone’s hair is pale. In addition, those who have white porcelain skin, open temperament are very popular with customers. Currently, 5 sisters in her family maintain and develop this restaurant.“You ladies are happy and comfortable with guests like family members. Although when selling a lot of customers, sometimes loudly with each other, but seeing that is fun “, a guest shared.
 The sisters in Mrs. Phi’s family have silver hair and white skin. |
 Mr. Nguyen Van Hau (58 years old, living in Q, Phu Nhuan) said that he has eaten here for nearly ten years now, has become the “guts” of the restaurant. |
Ms. Pham confided that the Covid-19 translation made the business of the restaurant more difficult. Usually, 1 hour before translation is done, but now there are days that last 2 hours.“However, it is already a pleasure for customers to still come to support our restaurant. My children and grandchildren are “afraid” of inheriting the restaurant because it is very difficult to do this, for my sisters’ part, I will still do it until I have no power to work, the owner of the shop smiled and continued to sell the cake bowls. The last soup for the guests. Follow Thanh Nien Online