VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnam’s most dynamic city, HCM City, is nearly sleepless with streets of overnight restaurants.

Two streets, two different coffee styles
Coffee tasting in HCM City
Youth with strange coffee shops
At mid-night, restaurants on Nguyen Tri Phuong, Tran Hung Dao, Pham Hung, Thanh Thai, Nguyen Thuong Hien, Nguyen Trai roads… become more crowded. Night carousals have become the hobby of Saigonese despite the change of weather or high inflation.

People drink when they are sad and when they are happy. They see business partners and friends at parties. Everything is shared at parties, held on the pavement or luxurious restaurants.

“I was very tired but I could not refuse my business partner’s invitation. Our party had only several participants at the beginning but it quickly increased to more than ten. Finally, I did not remember what time I came home,” said Nhat, from a telecom company.

The party held at a restaurant on Ly Thuong Kiet road finished at mid-night, with a bill of nearly $300 and a contract signed. “I could not do differently. This party is for business. If I do not go to restaurants, they are still crowded!” Nhat explained while he keeps going to restaurants at the time of high inflation.

For Mr. Tai from District 1, drinking parties at night are the chance for seeing his friends. “My shop closes at 9pm while my friends have to work all day. We can see and drink together at night,” he said.

Mr. Ngoc, who works at a trading center, all of his friends come to HCM City from southern provinces. They have to work late so they often group up at night at restaurants to share about their work and lives far from home. This has become their hobby.

However, in the time of price escalation, many people have to “cut cost” for drinking parties by ordering cheaper beer or less food. Nguyen, a staff of a media company in District 2, said that he earns VND5-7 million ($250-350) a month. He has to save spending in other items, not in parties with his friends.

PV