From sidewalk vendors to social network phenomenon
Recently, a short video recording the scene of a foreign female tourist chatting in fluent English with the owner of a banh beo vendor has quickly spread on social networks.
Lucija, a tourist from Slovenia, shared on her personal page about the interesting experience of hearing Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong Thao (45 years old) - owner of Mrs. Bay's banh beo shop - introduce the Association's rustic specialties. An. With the ability to speak English fluently, Ms. Thao easily communicates with foreign tourists.
The video quickly attracted more than 1 million views and received thousands of positive comments. Many people expressed both surprise and admiration at Ms. Thao's ability to speak English "smooth as the wind".
"I have to send my child to this banh beo seller to learn English communication," a humorous netizen commented.
There is even an opinion that many people who spend a lot of money to learn English cannot communicate fluently.
In the comments section, many foreign tourists also gave many compliments to Vietnamese banh beo.
In the video, Lucija shared: "Banh beo here is very delicious, rich in flavor. When eaten with shrimp and combined with the spicy taste of chili, the dish becomes truly special."
Mrs. Bay's Banh Beo - Special flavor of Hoi An
In addition to the owner's impressive communication skills, the unique flavor of banh beo is what has attracted diners for more than 40 years. Ms. Thanh Huong (Hoi An) shared: "Ba Bay's banh beo shop is very famous, I have been eating it since I was a child."
According to Ms. Thao, this sidewalk banh beo vendor has passed through 2 generations. The current owner has inherited this bakery from his mother (Mrs. Bay) for 12 years. When coming to the old town, everyone knows about Mrs. Bay's banh beo. The shop sells Hoi An's specialty cakes including banh beo, banh loc la, and banh nam, all made according to traditional flavors.
Returning to Vietnam after studying abroad in Korea, Phuong Trang shared: "Hoi An banh beo is different from other places because it is filled with wet shrimp, eaten with crispy fried Cao Lau fibers, so it tastes very delicious. I have it alone. I can eat about 10 cups. No matter where I go, I love and miss Vietnamese cuisine."
Meanwhile, Ms. Thao Anh, a diner from Saigon said: "Banh beo is opaque white, stands out with a thick crust but the inside is very soft, fragrant with rice flour. The sauce is rich and bold. Central region. I had to come here early because it only ran out of stock around 4pm."
The shop is open from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily. But according to many diners, in reality the owner only moved out around 4:00 p.m. because the restaurant was so famous that it was often out of stock. Therefore, visitors should come early if they want to fully enjoy the flavor of banh beo, which is known as "the best in Hoi An ancient town".
