(VOVworld) - Lying in a small quiet street near Truc Bach lake in Hanoi is a small restaurant providing dishes from the 1980s. It does not attract diners due to its eye-catching signb or beautifully decorated room, but for its special recipes that takes people back to Vietnam’s period of subsidy 30 to 40 years ago.

A waitress is serving meal (source: hanoimoi.com.vn)

The restaurant revives an old custom from Hanoi’s period of subsidy from 1975 to 1986. Food is given in exchange for stamps and placed in enameled iron bowls and plates. The waitresses also wear outdated clothes, usually white batiste shirts and black silk trousers.

The owner, Pham Quang Minh, says that he nurtured the idea to open a  restaurant for many years. It took him 3 years to collect the nostalgic post-war artifacts including old radios, electric fans from the Soviet Union, sewing machines, a vintage bicycle, and the stamps to buy rice, meat, and fish. Mai Xuan Hai, a Chinese - transcribed Vietnamese researcher, gave Minh a brick with his name written on it, which he used when queuing to buy food in the 1970s. Painter Le Thiet Cuong gave him a collection of photos by Danish photographer Eva Lindskog. Minh was also lucky to purchase sets of enameled iron bowls, plates and cups which had been lying in a factory in Hai Phong for years. Pham Quang Minh says: “It took me long time to collect the items from this period. The vintage items here belong to my friends and other collectors, who either sold or gave me them when they heard about my restaurant. The biggest difficulty was how to create the proper atmosphere of the time from such small items.”

Many diners are interested in the foods associated with the post – war period and unreformed economy including rice with sweet potato, rice cakes, noodles without meat, and salted vegetables fried with scrap ends. People queue for their food then pay with stamps to get their food and drinks served in old enameled cast iron bowls, plates and cups. Those with veteran’s certificates will be given priority. “When the restaurant is up and running, I realize its significance and many people come here and give me positive feedback. Once an 80-year-old man and his 60-year-old son had a meal here and they were fascinated when talking about the past in these surroundings”, Minh says.

Since it opened a month ago, the restaurant has been extremely popular. The customers are varied including young and old people and even some from overseas. Some customers are from the south and central highlands visiting Hanoi on business and booked a table at the restaurant. Le Tan, from Ban Me Thuot Central Highlands city, shares his view: “My parents told me about period of subsidy when people had to queue to buy meat, rice, salt or even a bowl of noodles. I listened but I could not imagine how it must have been. Visiting this restaurant has helped me to understand my parents’ stories and about how difficult life was then. I was very moved while eating at this restaurant. The food was good despite lacking of spices, and meat and served in not very nice bowls, as in a modern restaurant. I really like this place and will come back again.

Minh says he doesn’t intend to expand his restaurant yet though it gets very crowded. He will continue to collect more items from the subsidy period to make his restaurant more interesting. Minh says the restaurant brings back his childhood memories and he hopes that young people can learn more about the past. “By setting up this restaurant, I want to show others that when our country was in difficulties, we managed to overcome them and develop it into the strong country it is today. Now that we live in a better society, we should do better things.”

Minh’s restaurant might not be as luxurious as others and the food not so sophisticated, but for many people, it reminds them of stories and memories of a time when life in the country was hard. However they were united and helped one another to overcome their problems. Since those days, the country has developed dramatically and people’s living conditions have vastly improved, however story from the past still live today. Minh’s restaurant is well worth a visit if you are keen to learn about and experience a crucial period in the country’s development.

Vinh Phong