Coming to the small noodle shop nestled in alley 76A Tran Huu Trang street, Phu Nhuan district, Ho Chi Minh City, diners will be overwhelmed by the "small but mighty" space, both crowded and bustling with laughter and bustling orders. The tables are placed close to the wall, making room for the alley of people walking, creating a picture of Saigon's typical activities.
The "rope dropping" noodle shop has been prominent on social networking sites in recent days.
The shop does not have a fancy sign, just a simple sign "Hu tieu 30K" enough for customers to know that this place sells hu tieu. The shop space is simple with a few tables and chairs, enough space for about a dozen people. The first impression when coming here is probably the absence of the seller.
It turns out that Aunt Ba - the "soul" of the restaurant is upstairs. When a customer orders, she will prepare the food and "drop" it down to the customer with a rope. This is the unique feature that makes the restaurant's famous "hu tieu tha day" brand.
Aunt Ba - the "soul" of this special noodle shop.
The way to order food here is also interesting. Customers have to call out loud so that Aunt Ba can hear clearly. After ordering, Aunt Ba will skillfully drop the food down to the customers on plastic trays lined with towels, each tray can hold up to two bowls of noodles. Aunt Ba drops the food very skillfully, ensuring that the broth does not spill out.
The restaurant has waiters to help bring food to customers and collect money. However, during peak hours, customers can take their own food from the tray and bring it to the table. However, this is also an interesting experience that attracts many diners to the restaurant.
The bowls of noodles are dropped down, and someone below will take the noodles out and bring them to the customers.
With her experience, the bowls of noodles that Aunt Ba put down did not spill any water.
Sharing with Travellive reporter, Ms. Nguyen Thanh Hong (often affectionately called Aunt Ba) said: "During the Covid-19 epidemic, I stopped selling but many regular customers still asked to buy, so I came up with a way to sell downstairs like this, selling about 10 bowls a day. Since the epidemic, I find selling like this is also convenient because I am old and cannot go up and down the stairs. This way of selling also receives support from many customers because of its uniqueness and closeness."
The famous noodle shop has a unique way of serving:
With only 30,000 VND, diners can enjoy a "worth the money" bowl of noodles at Aunt Ba's restaurant. The affordable price and quality of the food make this place a favorite destination for many people in Saigon, especially students.
Aunt Ba's noodle soup is simple but full of flavor. The broth is made from pork bones, sweet and rich. The chewy noodles, combined with soft pork and fragrant homemade fried onions, create an irresistible appeal. Customers can choose noodle soup or dry noodles depending on their preference.
A simple bowl of noodles but full of flavor.
The 70-year-old owner confided: "This noodle dish was also passed down from my family, it has its own unique flavor."
What is special is that Aunt Ba's noodles do not have heart, liver or beef balls like other shops. However, this absence does not affect the delicious taste of the dish. Instead, Aunt Ba focuses on the quality of the main ingredients such as pork, pork bones and noodles.
Coming to the restaurant for the first time after watching a video on social media, Minh Chinh (22 years old, Ho Chi Minh City) said: "The noodles are surprisingly chewy and delicious, with rich broth and tender meat that melts in your mouth. It's the simple, Saigon-like things about the restaurant that leave a lasting impression on me."
Aunt Ba dropped noodles down to the customers from the first floor.
And don't forget to ask and chat with your diners.
Amidst the modernity and sophistication, there is still simplicity and openness like the way this unique "thả dây" noodle shop still operates every day: bustling with customers ordering food, the owner's hearty voice echoes every time he lets down the rope to bring down a hot bowl of noodles. That beauty is close, connecting the community in a warm space, full of "Saigon alley" style.
