According to records, Ly Quoc Su pho restaurant at 40 Dinh Liet is always bustling with people coming in and out. The space inside is only about a few dozen square meters with about 5 tables, but it is almost never empty.
Customers sit close together, many people have to share tables, even sit overflowing into the parking area in front. Motorbikes are parked all over the walkway, customers line up in long lines waiting for tables, while taking advantage of observing and taking pictures.
Inside the restaurant, the atmosphere is always in a "full table" state. Staff continuously serve and serve non-stop.
In the area believed to be where the President used to dine, diners were seated tightly, many people were eating while using their phones to take pictures of the space, the sign "The President of Korea ate here".
The event took place on the evening of April 23, when President Lee Jae Myung and his wife suddenly visited the restaurant during a visit to Vietnam.
Previously, the advance team had thoroughly checked from security to food safety and hygiene, taking samples of broth and raw materials for testing.
Although the preparation time is only about 2 hours, the restaurant still exceeds strict standards thanks to maintaining quality raw materials and food safety procedures.
At about 7 pm on the same day, the President and his wife walked into the cafe, having dinner with a group of 17 people.
Especially, the two guests did not request a separate menu but chose a dish like other diners, including cooked pho and fried rice with beef meat.
Throughout the meal lasting about 25 minutes, they repeatedly expressed satisfaction with the taste of the dish.
Immediately after that, the information spread strongly on social networks, making the pho restaurant a "hot" destination.
Restaurant owner Thieu Van Mui hung 3 photo frames recording memorable moments, along with the words "The President of Korea ate here" in many languages, creating a highlight to attract check-in customers.
According to Mr. Mui, this effect lasts until the beginning of May and shows no signs of cooling down.
“After more than 1 week of welcoming the President, Han Quan restaurant welcomes twice the number of customers, a normal day will reach sales of more than 600 bowls. Most tourists are curious to see what the president eats, whether they eat a part different from normal people and they will order to experience it. Some customers have to wait more than 1 hour to sit at the presidential table they used to eat,” he said.
Previously, the restaurant only sold an average of about 300 bowls of pho/day, about 400 bowls on weekends, but now the output has skyrocketed, exceeding 600 bowls on some days.
Particularly, cooked pho - the dish that is said to be the President's choice - often runs out early.
Many diners accept waiting for a long time just to have a full experience. Ms. Le Thi Hoa (25 years old, Hanoi) shared: "Honestly, I came here partly because of curiosity, wanting to see what is special about the taste of the dish where a head of state once visited.
And after enjoying it, I found it completely worth the effort of waiting. The price is also reasonable at 55,000 VND for a bowl of delicious cooked pho, I think it's reasonable.
For the shop owner, this is not only a business opportunity but also a memorable milestone in the profession.
This is a very beautiful and memorable memory," Mr. Mui shared, and said that he will continue to maintain the quality of food and service to respond to the interest of diners.
