A generous family halts business to cook hundreds of meals for spectators at parade rehearsals.
A family on Nguyen Thai Hoc Street in Hanoi has generously offered more than 600 bowls of seafood noodles to locals and visitors over the past three days during rehearsals for the upcoming National Day parade. Their charitable act will continue on August 30.
Doan Van Son and his mother preparing ingredients for the seafood noodle soup.
On the morning of August 29, Doan Van Son, 32, was busy receiving nearly 100 kilograms of ingredients: 50 kg of rice noodles, 10 kg of octopus, 6 kg of shrimp, beef, mustard greens, and pork bones. He, his wife, his parents, and three staff members all worked together to prepare and preserve the ingredients.
By noon, the family had tidied up tables, chairs, the sidewalk, and their restaurant space, setting out seats for passersby to rest.
“Today, we closed the restaurant to focus on preparing ingredients. Tonight, we’ll cook 150-200 liters of broth. At 5 a.m. tomorrow, we’ll serve 200 bowls of seafood noodles for free to those waiting for the final parade rehearsal,” Son shared.
The family prepared nearly 100 kilograms of ingredients, including noodles, shrimp, octopus, and beef.
Earlier, during three consecutive days of parade rehearsals, Son’s family served over 600 complimentary bowls of noodles.
“Our restaurant is right on Nguyen Thai Hoc Street, where crowds of locals and tourists gather. During the first three days of rehearsals, we opened at 5 p.m. to serve the public. In just over an hour, we handed out 200 to 225 bowls daily,” Son recounted.
“For the final rehearsal on August 30, we’ll start serving noodles earlier. Normally, we start prepping at 7 or 8 a.m. and open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and again from 5 p.m. to midnight. This time, the whole family will stay up all night to prepare. We’re tired but excited.”
Seafood noodle bowls served at Son’s restaurant. Photo: Provided by the family
In addition to food, the family is also offering free drinks, access to two restrooms, and more than 100 plastic chairs for guests to use.
Son has rented his restaurant space for six years, specializing in hotpot and seafood noodles. On August 21, seeing many visitors waiting for hours without food or restroom access, he came up with the idea to suspend business temporarily and cook for the community.
“Our restaurant fits 50 people at a time, with air conditioning, fans, and full seating. Each bowl includes noodles, shrimp, octopus, beef, cheese-stuffed tofu, and mustard greens. We serve it exactly as we would if we were charging,” Son said.
Locals and tourists gather outside Son’s restaurant. Photo: Provided by the family
He was moved by the way some guests jumped in to help. “Some even rolled up their sleeves to help us wash dishes and clean up. Neighbors came to lend a hand until midnight.”
“Today, some customers stopped by or called to place orders, but I apologized and let them know we’re not open. Of course, closing the restaurant affects our revenue, but we see this as a way to give back. It feels like welcoming friends and family into our home. I hope everyone leaves with special memories of Hanoi,” Son shared.
He added that if he can still source ingredients on September 1, the family will continue cooking and offering noodles to the public.
Vietnamnet.vn
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