VietNamNet Bridge - It is said that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. However, many Hanoi chefs break a customer’s heart before they gratify his palate.

One afternoon people fill up a food stall at 57 Ngo Sy Lien alley where a bowl of vermicelli soup with a lot of meat and a big trotter costs only VND30,000 (US$1.5). However, there is a price they have to pay: they have to put up with a grumpy owner and cook who flies off the handle at the slightest provocation.

“I told you I do not need that fatty stock,” one woman customer tells her.

“We only serve one kind of stock here; if you do not want to eat, go away to make space,” Thao snaps at her with a fierce look.

The customer does not dare talk back. She mumbles: “I paid for the food. Why do you treat me as if I am begging?”

It was not Thao’s first fracas with a guest. A few months ago a father and son came to eat at her place but wanted to sit by the street to keep an eye on their bike. Irritated, Thao shouted at them: “If you don’t want to come inside, just go away.”

A day earlier she had scolded two girls who asked for some iced tea. “It is crowded. You haven’t ordered anything but ask for water. Ok, no more food or drink … Just get out of my place.”

Thao has been running the place in Ngo Sy Liem market for 30 years, opening from 11.30 am to 7.30 pm every day. Her place is labeled “screaming place” by customers.

Thao admits to it but claims not to like doing it. “Shouting just makes me older. I’m doing business, working hard to earn money. I’m not begging from anyone. Everyone says customers are like gods and they spend money to be served well. I think differently. It’s okay to lose customers since I can’t satisfy all their silly demands. I’ll just ask arrogant customers to leave.”

At a pho (noodle soup) place in Bat Dan Street, the owner and cook asks customers to queue up, pick up their food, and find a seat by themselves.

A new customer came to the place one morning and said: “One bowl of pho, please!” He then waited for half an hour but nothing was served.

When he tried to order again, he was scolded by the owner: “If you want to eat, go line up and carry your own bowl. Who is there to serve you?”

The man was shocked but quietly got in line. After eating, he admitted the soup was good but vowed he would never return.

However, N., a regular at the place, had a different take on it: “What’s wrong with lining up for half an hour and carrying the food yourself? The point is whether the food is delicious. I’m afraid of places that pretend to act friendly and then serve bad food and rip me off.”

Vietnamese do not mind lining up for delicious meal

Near Saint Joseph’s Cathedral, a chicken porridge place run by M. is known as a “scolding place” since she is invariably rude to guests and staff.

There is a story that there was a guest from Ho Chi Minh City who came to eat at her place. He complained that the porridge was tasteless and asked for salt. M. got furious and yelled at the man: “Tasteless? Hundreds of people have eaten here and no one has ever complained. If you don’t want to eat, go away!”

Shocked to see her rudeness, the man threw her porridge down the drain and threw a VND50,000 note at her, leaving her speechless.

Another time, a group of young Vietnamese backpackers visited her place and asked for some Welsh onions but were rebuked by M. The young men got angry and began to break bowls and throw chairs around.

A chastened M. has since behaved with customers, reserving her ire for her staff.

For an obvious reason, Vietnamese usually prefer to go to crowded places to eat. Thus, to get cheap but good food, they occasionally have to put up with obnoxious owners.

Nguyen Vinh Phuc, a researcher on Hanoian culture, says: “Even if owners can’t express their gratitude to guests, why should they scold them?

“It is so uncultured. We should boycott these owners by not going to their places and spread the bad news to everyone.

“If we do just that, their service will improve.”

Source: Tien Phong/Tuoi Tre