Located in a small alley on Hang Tre Street (Hanoi), Hidden Gem Cafe is an environmentally friendly cafe. The cafe attracts visitors with its space decorated with beautiful and unique recycled materials. Regarding the name of the cafe, Mr. Nguyen Van Tho, owner of Hidden Gem Cafe, explained that it means finding gems in trash, thereby conveying the message of joining hands to raise awareness of environmental protection.
Located in a small alley on Hang Tre Street (Hanoi), Hidden Gem Cafe is an environmentally friendly cafe.
Spread the message of environmental protection
Environmental pollution is always a hot topic and receives a lot of attention. Wherever we go, we can easily see images of public garbage dumps created right on the roadside in the wrong place, the garbage smells bad and there is no solution to collect or handle it.
As a son of Bac Ninh, Tho Nguyen has witnessed many people suffering from cancer due to environmental pollution due to the many craft villages and the lack of proper waste treatment and collection processes. From then on, the idea of a mission to preserve the environment was born in him.
The items at the shop are made entirely from waste, then recycled and reused.
“In the shop, the items are completely made from waste, then recycled and reused. The source of raw materials is trash, for example, dirty bottles floating on the riverbed, wooden boards, iron bars, plastic sheets, dirty tires... It takes a lot of time and effort to clean them, then turn them into raw materials to make decorative items for the shop,” said the owner of Hidden Gem Cafe.
According to Tho Nguyen, there are three ways for him to collect raw materials at the shop. In the beginning, when he didn't have a truck, he often used a motorbike to scout ahead. When traveling along the road, he would figure out what kind of trash there was to collect and recycle. The second way is to buy at a very cheap price or ask people. Finally, the source of materials comes from the customers themselves. "At first, the shop didn't have that many items. After that, customers also brought them to the shop to recycle," Tho Nguyen said.
Recycled products are created one after another through Mr. Tho's skillful hands.
Through the skillful hands of Mr. Tho, recycled products are created one by one, from few to many, from simple to complex and increasingly rich in genre. That is a coffee table made of tires or doors, plastic bottles filled with color can also become decorative flowers or beautiful dragonflies...
“I alone cannot recycle all the trash. But if a thousand or a million people come here, I hope they will see and remember. And when everyone participates in recycling, they will understand and do it. That is what I want to create a green environment and a green lifestyle,” said Tho Nguyen.
Chandelier from bottles and old guitar
Fish tank made of tires
The tire chair
Peaceful green space
Hidden deep in an alley in Hanoi's Old Quarter, Hidden Gem Cafe is a true "small alley, small street, my house is there" type of place. When you come here, you should get off the bike, turn off the engine and walk into the shop because "quietness" is the priority. Contrary to its appearance, the space inside the shop is quite large, divided into three floors.
The common point is that the inspiration of the entire cafe still comes from using recycled materials.
The first floor is used as a parking space, the bar and ordering counter are also located here. The second floor has an indoor space, dark tones combined with yellow lights to add to the quiet, vintage look. Finally, the third floor is a terrace filled with light, trees with antique car decor and tables and chairs made from recycled materials.
Each space at Hidden Gem Cafe is decorated in a different style. However, the common point is that the inspiration of the entire cafe still comes from the use of recycled materials. Customers will be especially impressed with the colorful ceiling or the tables made from tires and on the seat of an old Japanese cub.
The interior space of the house with dark tones and yellow lights adds to the quiet, vintage look.
Not only impressing with recycled items, the third floor space of the shop also recreates murals depicting familiar street corners of Hanoi. Coming here, you can sit all day to enjoy the cool breeze of Hanoi autumn, slowly feel the time passing and your soul calm down.
With the criteria of being environmentally friendly, the restaurant minimizes the use of disposable plastic. Drinks are served in old glass wine bottles with some chips, the straws used by the restaurant are made from stainless steel and bamboo.
The shop recreates murals depicting familiar street corners of Hanoi.
