The coffee shop is like the canteen of the 8x, 9x childhood

Sitting in an old apartment building, sipping a pack of instant noodles for children and reading Dragon Ball, you feel like you've just stepped onto a magical machine to return to your childhood days.

In the heart of the bustling capital, in contrast to the bustling spaces that attract young people, the cafe with the funny name "Canteen 109" leaves an impression with its old, rustic appearance. Nestled in the Ministry of Public Security's housing complex opposite Trung Tu communal house, lane 198 Xa Dan, the cafe is where 8x, 9x customers can find their beautiful childhood with snacks for a few hundred dong that were easily bought from the school canteen.

The shop has familiar snacks from many years ago and books that are no longer available in new bookstores. Photo: Phieu Linh

Candied apricots, instant noodles for children, heart-shaped C tablets in tiny boxes are not only on the menu but also sold at very cheap prices if bought to take away: 30,000 VND/pack of 50 instant noodles, 90,000 VND/box of 100 candied apricots... Hang, one of the two shop owners, shared: "At first, it was just because I wanted to eat them, then I found out if they were still producing them. Later, these snacks became popular with customers, and the shop started serving them from then on."

Just like a school canteen in childhood, customers coming to the shop never have to worry about being hungry because at any time they can enjoy a hot box of instant noodles with lemon and sausage, a loaf of bread with spring rolls and potatoes filled with fillings. The drink menu does not have many new dishes like modern shops, but mainly pineapple ginseng, tapioca flour, kumquat tea, silver tea... with prices of 15,000 - 25,000 VND. However, drinks are not the strong point of the shop, instead people come here to find peace in a narrow space filled with old things.

The quietest time to visit the shop is in the morning or at noon. Photo:Instagram

In one corner of the shop is a small, pretty bookshelf. If you glance over, you will see a few comic books that will make you exclaim with delight because you haven't read them for a long time: Seven Dragon Balls, Sacred Dragon Mark, Uncle Thoong, and even literary books like Old Hanoi Stories, foreign books. The interesting thing is that this bookshelf is mainly collected and contributed by customers. There are also days when you come and don't see a half-read book, most likely a customer borrowed it and took it home.

The bar is open from 8am to 10pm. If you want to catch the lively atmosphere of impromptu performances, it is best to come in the evening. However, the bar also has rules to maintain general order according to the culture of the apartment complex.

Although the shop is very small, it has many doors so it doesn't feel cramped. Photo:Instagram

The space is small, the decoration is simple, but the shop is the inspiration for many amateur photographers. Moreover, there are few coffee shops that are so popular with customers that they ask to work as waiters because they love the pleasant atmosphere that this place brings.

“Selling a few packs of noodles and a cup of cheap coffee will never make you rich. The important thing is that we are all from the 8x and 9x generation, and we want to keep a place for young people to have the opportunity to remember the old days. When many customers come, we feel happy, it's that simple.” Perhaps that is also the reason why the shop overcame the difficult period when it was not famous, and did not use tricks to attract customers, becoming a familiar stop for young people in less than two years.

Some middle-aged customers also come to the shop every early morning as a habit, sit on the neatly arranged plastic chairs in the alley next door, drink a cup of coffee and then leave to start a new day.

According to Vnexpress.net