What is so special about the noodle shop that Mr. Martin Yan - famous chef with the cooking show " Yan Can Cook " chose to visit when coming to Vietnam?
Special Guest
I happened to know about this restaurant through the introduction of a colleague, with endless compliments about the quality of the food and the special story behind it from the owner: "I came to this restaurant of the "snakehead fish queen" to try it. The snakehead fish noodle soup here is delicious, rich in flavor, the fish is not fishy and the king of the kitchen "Yan Can Cook" came to eat it."
The noodle shop of Mrs. Thuy and her husband was once visited by Mr. Martin Yan - a famous chef from the cooking show "Yan Can Cook".
PHOTO: NVCC
Curious, one chilly afternoon in Ho Chi Minh City, I stopped by the small alley 62/1 Ngo Tat To (Binh Thanh District) to meet Ms. Hong Thuy and her husband, wondering why the owner is called by many people with the special name "queen of snakehead fish".
After work, customers regularly come to eat. The restaurant has no staff, only the owner and his wife busy preparing dishes so that no one has to wait long. In front of the restaurant, there is a photo of the owner and the chef "Yan Can Cook" many years ago with an attractive invitation: "Yan Can Cook has been used and praised as delicious. So don't hesitate...".
Seeing me, Mrs. Thuy and her husband smiled brightly and warmly greeted me. "Is it true that Mr. Martin Yan once ate at the restaurant?". Hearing my question, the owner rummaged through and showed me photos that she and her husband took with the famous chef many years ago.
"It happened a long time ago, when the restaurant was still at 720 Truong Sa Street (District 3). One fine day, a person claiming to be Mr. "Yan Can Cook's" assistant stopped by the restaurant, saying that he would come to eat tomorrow and film it. At first, I was surprised and didn't believe it, but I still prepared as instructed," the owner recalled.
After many "failed" businesses, she finally succeeded with snakehead fish noodle soup.
PHOTO: NVCC
The next day, Mr. Martin Yan and his team arrived earlier than the appointment time. The couple welcomed the special guest enthusiastically and prepared the restaurant's signature dish, snakehead fish noodle soup, for the famous chef to enjoy. That time, Chef Martin Yan gave compliments to the snakehead fish noodle soup at this restaurant, making the owner both happy and proud.
"Before that, the restaurant was crowded. After he arrived, the restaurant's business was more favorable and there were more customers than before. He also promised me to come back when I had the chance," Ms. Thuy said with a smile.
During his return to Vietnam in early 2024 at the age of 76, Mr. Martin Yan expressed: "Vietnamese cuisine is not only loved by Vietnamese people but also in many places around the world. Wherever you go, there will be Vietnamese restaurants, such as Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore, Taiwan, America... And I know many Vietnamese restaurant owners, we always go there to eat."
The celebrity chef shared that he loves Vietnamese food because it is rich in flavor, delicious and good for your health. "That's why when you look around, you will see that Vietnamese people are very healthy and rarely obese. This is also the reason why I love Vietnamese food, from high-class dishes to street food and quintessential traditional dishes like pho. Because I see Vietnamese food everywhere I go, I think Vietnamese cuisine is not only famous among Vietnamese people but also famous all over the world," star Yan Can Cook shared.
Mr. Martin Yan said that because of his love for Vietnamese cuisine, he has come here many times over the past 20 years, sometimes 2-3 times a year. He has set foot in many lands such as Lao Cai, Ha Long along the S-shaped land, to the Mekong Delta to introduce the people, cuisine, culture and tourism of Vietnam. Because he is so familiar with this country, every time he returns, he always feels happy, close and full of excitement.
Why is it the "queen of snakehead fish"?
Answering this question, Mr. Luan Kien Hau (55 years old), Ms. Thuy's husband, said that the restaurant's name from the beginning was "Dong Quan". However, later, another special guest came to eat and gave the owner the nickname "queen of snakehead fish". The shared clip of the guest was also known by many people, and customers coming to the restaurant also called Ms. Thuy with this special name, so the couple decided to use it as the name of the restaurant.
Many customers call her "queen of snakehead fish" in Ho Chi Minh City
PHOTO: NVCC
With 13 years of experience in selling snakehead fish noodle soup, the owner has a lot of experience in preparing and processing this type of fish. "When I catch a snakehead fish, I can tell which one is good and which one is not, which one is healthy and which one is suffocated or sick...", the owner confided.
It all started in 2008, when Mr. Hau's business was not going well. Before that, Mrs. Thuy was just a housewife, but in order to revive the family's economic situation, she decided to do business with her husband, opening many restaurants and supermarkets in Ho Chi Minh City.
"After years of struggling, my husband and I still couldn't win. We started a restaurant on Truong Sa Street to try our luck. However, the restaurant didn't sell well, but I was persistent and kept selling, as long as there's life, there's hope," the owner said.
Then, following her mother's suggestion, she tried selling snakehead fish noodle soup in the afternoon, next to the rice shop in the morning. At first, the couple only tried selling for 12,000 VND/portion, but suddenly customers supported her in large numbers. From there, Ms. Thuy began to survey customers' opinions on the taste of the dish, making changes to gradually perfect the recipe.
The restaurant moved location 2 years ago.
PHOTO: CAO AN BIEN
Starting from zero with no recipe or proper cooking method in hand, less than a month later, the owner had her own secrets, creating a unique flavor of banh canh and officially closed the restaurant, selling snakehead fish banh canh "full time". With this dish, the restaurant is increasingly crowded with customers.
Happy with current life
After more than ten years of doing business, the owner moved the shop to this location two years ago because the old location was taken back by the owner. However, many regular customers still come to support the shop, making Ms. Thuy and her husband feel happy.
Each meal at the restaurant costs from 35,000 VND to 80,000 VND, depending on the dish and the customer's needs. The restaurant specializes in snakehead fish noodle soup, snakehead fish stewed with Chinese herbs, and "night noodle soup" - consisting of noodles served with fish meat and broth made from Chinese herbs.
Meal costs 80,000 VND at the restaurant
PHOTO: CAO AN BIEN
The fish meat is fresh, not fishy, and firm.
PHOTO: CAO AN BIEN
As recommended by my colleague and the owner, the noodle soup here has a rich and delicious flavor. The fresh, firm, non-fishy fish meat and the restaurant's own dipping sauce create an overall bowl of noodle soup of "excellent" quality.
Agreeing with us, Mr. Arvin, a Canadian of Filipino origin currently living and working in Ho Chi Minh City, and his friend, Ms. Lua, a Vietnamese American, said that the noodle soup at this restaurant is very delicious and flavorful.
"I live nearby. One time while walking, I accidentally saw this restaurant. I was curious so I stopped by to try it and the taste was really great, the fish meat was delicious, the broth was rich. That's why I introduced my friend to eat here," he shared while looking at Ms. Lua.
Arvin and Lua visit the restaurant.
PHOTO: CAO AN BIEN
The owner said that not only Vietnamese customers, the restaurant also welcomes many foreign customers such as Koreans, Japanese and even overseas Vietnamese who come to support. The couple feels happy with their current life, when every day they can bring hearty meals to the customers who come to support them.
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