Hanoi's sidewalk food is many times more expensive but still crowded during Tet

Tet is a time to eat a lot of fatty foods, so almost everyone likes to enjoy a bowl of vermicelli with snails or vermicelli with crab soup to relieve the feeling of fullness. However, restaurants are usually closed during this time, only a few are open during Tet and prices will increase depending on the place.

Nguyen Thu Huong (Dong Da, Hanoi) said that because she craved snail noodle soup, on the second day of Tet she went to the old quarter to find a familiar restaurant but it was not open yet. She stopped by a sidewalk restaurant on Hang Buom, a bowl cost 50,000 VND, while on normal days it was 30,000 VND. "A slightly higher price is fine, but looking at a bowl of noodles with only a few tiny snails, I was a bit disappointed, feeling like I had wasted my time going all the way to eat it," she said.

Sharing with Huong on a food forum, Nguyen Phuong Chi also said that she encountered a restaurant "only open a few days a year during Tet" in Bach Mai. As a result, she also had to pay 50,000 VND for a bowl of vermicelli with snails, all tomatoes, beans, and little but chewy beef.

Ms. Dao Hanh (Ba Dinh, Hanoi) also had an unpleasant memory when she went to eat vermicelli with snails on Tet holiday at Cau Go."The bowl of snail noodle soup I ordered included 3 snails, 3 pieces of beef, 2 pieces of tofu, half a piece of pig's ear, and it cost 90,000 VND. I wondered and the owner said,He said that his family's snail noodle soup is a delicious family recipe, unlike other restaurants. Hanh also said that when Korean customers came to eat, the owner "ripped off" them with 150,000 VND/bowl and "didn't even pick up a single snail".

3rd day of Tet,Hoang Trang (Cau Giay, Hanoi)She went to a chicken noodle shop on Hang Bo. She said that although the sign said 30,000 VND/bowl, when paying, the owner charged 70,000 VND/bowl. "I don't want to argue during Tet, but after paying, I felt like I was cheated," Trang said.

Stopping by a sidewalk barbecue restaurant in Cat Linh to eat on the second day of Tet, Nguyen Thu Huong and her boyfriend also got upset when paying. She said the restaurant was very crowded so she trusted the discount."A plate of meat with a few pieces of shredded pork belly, a few pieces of beef and tripe, costs 400,000 VND per plate. Kimchi mushrooms are 30,000 VND/plate. Butter is normally free, but the restaurant charges 10,000 VND/box. I ordered 3 plates of meat, 2 plates of mushrooms, 2 boxes of butter, water and 5 loaves of bread, the total bill was 1.3 million VND," Huong said, adding that "the restaurant owner reduced the price" to 300,000 VND/plate of meat.After researching, Huong learned that this was a new restaurant that opened on Tet holiday, taking over the premises of another famous restaurant, so many people got confused.

Many people accept the price increase during Tet because they think that the cost of raw materials and staff is also higher during Tet, but the quality of the food must still be put first. "It is important that the price is clearly listed, or that customers must ask the price in advance to avoid being ripped off and cheated," Thuy Minh (Cau Giay, Hanoi) shared.

At some restaurants, prices on Tet holiday increase by 10-30% compared to normal days. At street food stalls, the price of a bowl of food is 10,000 - 20,000 VND higher than normal days, which is accepted by most diners. However, not all places increase prices. Many restaurants still keep the price and quality of food the same, even offering iced tea to customers at the beginning of the year for good luck.