Grace Lewis - AsiaLIFE Magazine

Vy (centre) with her family.
After my wedding in 1990, I
continued to work at the tailors
who had given me an apprenticeship
the previous year. This
was a decent way for me to
earn money and contribute to
my new family. The workshop
was also in close proximity to
my parents’ restaurant, which
meant I could continue to help
them out during lunchtime
hours.
At this time doi moi had been
in effect for four years. While
my parents’ restaurant had been
busy at first, their business was
suffering by 1990. While the
government encouraged private
enterprise, times were hard and
most people didn’t have the
capital to start new businesses.
Also, small towns like Hoi
An couldn’t compete with the
larger cities when it came to
production and distribution.
As a result, many young people
moved to Saigon in search of
work. Hoi An became quieter
Renowned Hoi An restaurateur and cooking school owner
Trinh Diem Vy risked everything to pursue her dream of
owning a restaurant. In this excerpt from her new memoir and
cookbook Taste Vietnam she reminisces about the early days.
and trade in the market was
slower so people had to watch
their spending.
My parents’ restaurant was
the only one in town but people
could no longer afford to buy
daily lunches. My parents had
grown weary with work and no
longer had the energy or saw a
future in the business, so they
made the decision to close the
restaurant. This affected me
profoundly.
I asked Father if he thought I
should stay in Hoi An. He was
wise in giving his advice and
reflected on all the times we
considered leaving Hoi An or
had even attempted to escape
and yet remained here. He
believed there was a reason for
this and that I should wait to see
what direction the town would
take under doi moi. Father told
me I should follow my heart,
that there was potential in the
town and if I decided to start
my own restaurant business, I
would have his and Mother’s
support.
After my talk with Father,
I started looking for a venue
that would be suitable for my
own restaurant. I didn’t want
to take over my parents' space
as the location wasn’t so easy
for people to find. I saw the
old police station garage on the
main street of Tran Phu was being
renovated and would soon
be made available for rent. This
was perfect! Its central position
would guarantee passing trade
as well as regular business from
the market. I knew that if I
acquired the building, my business
would be a success.
When the building went to
auction, there were numerous
bidders and the price rose
quickly. I had taken part in the
first round but eased off for a
few rounds, thinking if there
were fewer bids the price might
stabilise. Then it dawned on me
that I may never find a location
like this again. I felt in my heart
that it was the right place. I also
knew that if I couldn’t get a
location near to the market then
I would lose all my old, loyal
customers and if I wasn’t on the
main street, I would not be visible
to new clients. I had to have
this building! Suddenly, to my
surprise—and everyone else’s—
I put in a bid that would close
the deal. As soon as the words
exited my mouth, I panicked,
thinking, “Oh my goodness,
how am I going to pay the deposit?
I have no money!” On the
outside, however, I remained
calm and told the auctioneer
that I would return soon with
the money.
Straight after the auction, I
went to see my parents. They
asked if I had succeeded in
getting the site. I replied quietly
that I had. They knew something
was wrong but I told them
everything was fine, that I was
sorting it out. At that time I was
literally wringing my hands
with worry—it was then that
I also noticed the shiny new
wedding ring on my finger. Its
worth in gold would be enough
for the deposit. I made the decision
to pawn my wedding ring
so I could open the restaurant.
My instincts told me this was
the right choice to support my
family. After paying the initial
rent, I had 5,000 VND (back
I was literally wringing my hands with
worry—it was then that I also noticed the
shiny new wedding ring on my finger.
then this was US $0.50) leftover,
which wasn’t enough to buy a
day’s worth of food for a family,
let alone an entire restaurant
of people. But I wasn’t worried
about getting supplies, I knew
that I would be able to get food
from the market vendors as
they all knew and respected my
parents. I focused on getting the
restaurant ready for launch.
I went to the fortune-teller
who told me that the next
auspicious day for opening was
in three days. While renovations
were almost complete,
the workers said it would be
another week before everything
was finished. I pleaded
with them to finish it on time.
Fortunately, in the Vietnamese
culture, we place great value on
the astrological charts and so the
workers promised to get it done.
Meanwhile, my brother and
my parents helped to paint
the interior and we placed
bamboo mats up against the
walls. All the equipment from
my parents' restaurant was also
brought over to the new space.
On the opening day, I went to
the market early and placed a
food order with all the vendors,
requesting that they allow me to
pay them at the end of the day.
Since I had worked in the marketplace
all my life and they had
supplied my parents for years,
they accepted the arrangement
in good faith. At 10 am, Mother
placed an offering in front of
the restaurant doors and we lit
firecrackers for good luck. It
was April of 1992 and I had a
restaurant. This was my dream:
the one I believed would help
resolve my family’s struggles.
The day before opening I
had also cycled around town,
visiting factories and businesses
and letting old customers know
about the new restaurant. This
proved to be a very good move
as on my launch day there were
many familiar faces inside. Even
though it was the first day of
business, the restaurant was
nearly as busy as my parents'
restaurant had been during its
peak period. I still feel so much
gratitude for the people who
turned up that day and showed
me their support.
After the launch, business
seemed to improve each day
with a mixture of old and new
customers. Suddenly it was the
winter of 1992—six months had
gone by in a flash! I remember
this time vividly because I went
to check my money belt to see
what the situation was with
the accounts. I was astonished
to see I had made the equivalent
of $100 profit. This was a
lot of money back then! I was
sure I had made a mistake and
counted again. It was correct.
My first instinct was to walk
to my parents' house. On the
way I kept thinking about how
Father had agonised about
asking for a loan from a relative
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