Ms. Nguyen Thi Chung's 5,000 VND pho restaurant is a small restaurant with a space of less than 20 square meters in Te Xuong Ward (Nam Dinh City). For nearly 20 years, the pho restaurant has become a familiar address for locals and diners in neighboring areas such as Thai Binh.
Entering the restaurant, customers are surprised by a few simple tables and chairs but always crowded with customers. Most of the customers are regulars, having been eating there for many years.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Chung, the owner of the restaurant, shared: "I started selling pho in 2005. My target customers are students and workers, so I chose the time when people get off work and have dinner, from 5:30 p.m. to 1:00 or 2:00 a.m. to open the restaurant."
At this time, although prices are increasing, Ms. Chung's pho restaurant still maintains the price of 5,000 VND/bowl of pho. Thanks to the low price compared to the market, until now "Pho 5,000" has become a brand known to many people when exploring Nam Dinh cuisine. Also because of that price, many people come to enjoy it, then become "regular" customers of the restaurant.
"My friends told me about a pho restaurant in the city that costs 5,000 VND per bowl, so I was curious and went to try it. The first time I ordered pho, I carefully asked the owner what a 5,000 VND bowl of pho would have.
After that, I found the pho very tasty so I came back to eat it many times, if I don't eat it for a long time I will miss it. This price is cheap for workers like us, I usually order 2 bowls to be full," a customer shared.
Bui Thu Ha, a student from Ninh Binh studying in Nam Dinh City, was surprised to eat pho for 5,000 VND.
Thu Ha said: "The quality of a bowl of pho compared to this price is really a "bargain" for students living far from home and needing to save on living expenses like us."
A bowl of pho at Ms. Chung’s restaurant costs VND5,000 and includes rice noodles, a meatball or grilled pork roll with lolot leaves, some shredded chicken, herbs sprinkled on top, then a sweet broth is poured over. The broth is simmered from chicken bones, with chicken stock added, seasoned to create a broth with a distinctive rich flavor.
In addition to the 5,000 VND pho, the restaurant still serves bowls of pho with higher prices, from 10,000 - 30,000 VND/bowl, depending on the amount of fillings, the price will be different. Every day, the restaurant sells more than 500 bowls, of which half are 5,000 VND bowls, consuming about 80kg of pho noodles and 40kg of vermicelli.
Ms. Chung calculated that with this price, the restaurant must sell in large quantities to make a profit. Normally, customers who eat a 5,000 VND bowl will order a few other side dishes, so the loss they have to bear will offset each other.
