Delicious food at affordable prices

At 5:00 PM, Nguyen (34, Binh Thoi Ward, HCMC) and her friend stopped by a small eatery on Minh Phung Street, Binh Thoi Ward. By the time she arrived, the modest spot was already packed, with no remaining seats.

Meanwhile, numerous other customers stood in line surrounding a small food cart. Due to the heavy crowd, despite having three servers, the shop still struggled to keep up with demand.

Many patrons had to self-serve by ordering and standing by to carry dishes to tables or search for a place to eat. Those lacking patience or unable to secure a table opted for takeout instead.

The eatery has no signboard, consisting simply of a small display cart positioned at an alley entrance, run by Ty Minh (69, commonly called Uncle Ty) and his wife Suong (66) for nearly 40 years. On the cart, three pots of food sit constantly heated over charcoal stoves: a two-compartment pot holding che thung (sweet grain and coconut soup) and banana sweet soup, a pot of beef ball stuffed tofu, and a pot of fragrant crab soup.

Diners share that although the shop serves four items, the beef ball stuffed tofu is the "flagship" of the establishment. The dish features golden fried tofu stuffed with minced meat, served alongside beef balls, napa cabbage, and pork skin. The broth is fragrant with a signature gentle sweetness. The beef balls are chewy, flavorful, and clearly showcase meat quality. The golden-fried tofu carries an appealing aroma, with a pliable exterior and a rich, fragrant meat filling inside.

Meanwhile, the crab soup is cooked smoothly with pork skin, Vietnamese pork sausage (cha lua), thin-sliced tofu skin, crab claw meat, and pork meatballs. Unlike many other shops, their crab soup contains no eggs, yet delivers a delicious, well-balanced taste that never feels heavy.

"I learned about this spot through social media. After trying the food, I was no longer surprised to see such a small place packed with customers.

The dishes here are delicious. The beef ball stuffed tofu is tasty and perfectly seasoned. The crab soup is also well-balanced, giving the impression of being cooked from clean, fresh ingredients.

The two sweet soups are not overly sweet, carrying the authentic taste of Western region che with the scent of pandan leaves, alongside the rich, creamy flavor of various beans and coconut milk.

The surprising thing is that while the food is delicious, prices are extremely affordable. A portion of beef ball stuffed tofu or crab soup costs 18,000 VND, while hot sweet soup costs just 10,000 VND per bowl," Nguyen shared.

Joy in old age

The small eatery was established by Suong roughly 40 years ago. At the time, her neighborhood housed several kindergartens, drawing large numbers of parents dropping off and picking up children daily.

Hailing from the Mekong Delta and skilled at preparing sweet soups, she decided to cook che ba ba (Vietnamese sweet soup with cassava, taro, and sweet potato), che dau (bean sweet soup), and che chuoi (banana sweet soup) to serve this crowd. Her sweet soups were skillfully seasoned, well-balanced, and authentically captured Mekong Delta’s regional flavors, earning strong customer support.

Later, fearing that selling only sweet soup might bore customers, she looked for ways to add variety to the menu.

She shared: "My husband is of Chinese descent, so our family frequently eats traditional beef ball stuffed tofu. Finding it delicious and unique, I started cooking it for customers. Later, I added crab soup to diversify our offerings.

When cooking, I do not have any special secret recipe. How my family eats is how I cook to sell. I do not use flavorings, chemicals, food dyes, or artificial sweeteners.

I use only familiar seasonings that our ancestors used long ago, such as lard, salt, fish sauce, and sugar. For nearly 40 years, my husband and I have prepared food together and served customers to this day."

Thanks to this modest eatery, Minh and Suong raised two children through school into adulthood with their own careers. In recent years, after being featured by many people on social media, their shop has drawn even larger crowds.

Ha Nguyen