Friday, August 21, 2026, 09:50 GMT+7

What food safety officials found in viral $1.3 meal in central Vietnam

Chung Thuy eatery in Quang Ngai Province, central Vietnam has gone viral for serving a full meal for just VND35,000 (US$1.3) per person, prompting local food safety officials to inspect the eatery and provide guidance on food preparation and hygiene.

On August 20, Nguyen Van Thinh, head of the Food Safety and Hygiene Sub-Department in Quang Ngai Province, said the agency had conducted an inspection of Chung Thuy eatery in Binh Son Commune, which has gone viral on social media for serving meals at VND35,000 per person.

Thinh said the inspection was carried out after the eatery's meals drew widespread attention online.

Officials found that the eatery was generally complying with food safety and hygiene requirements.

The owner also provided documents related to the eatery's business operations.

During the inspection, officials also provided the owner with guidance on additional requirements for the food preparation area, as well as procedures for receiving ingredients and preparing food, to ensure compliance with food safety regulations and provide safe meals for customers.

Thinh said the inspection was not limited to Chung Thuy eatery.

Officials also conducted inspections of other eateries in the area selling VND35,000 meal trays and provided general guidance on food preparation and storage.

Nguyen Thi Chung, owner of Chung Thuy eatery, said she explained to the inspection team how she purchases, stores, and prepares food.

She said she would follow the officials' guidance and improve the eatery's compliance with food safety regulations.

"Normally, I sell out by around 1:00 pm. Now that more customers are coming, I have to cook more. Some days, I sell until 2:00 or 3:00 pm," Chung said.

As for the ingredients, Chung said she buys them from local markets.

All ingredients are fresh and are prepared and served on the same day, with no leftovers kept overnight or stored in a freezer.

What is in the VND35,000 dish?

Previously, Tuoi Tre (Youth) online newspaper reported that Chung Thuy eatery along National Route 1 in Binh Son Commune had unexpectedly drawn crowds after images of its VND35,000 per-person meal trays spread on social media.

The price is real, but Chung Thuy is not the only eatery offering meals at that rate.

Along National Route 1 through Binh Son, around five to seven casual eateries offer similar VND35,000 meal trays, mainly serving workers and long-haul drivers.

A two-person meal costing VND70,000 ($2.7) typically includes a whole fish cooked in a sweet broth, braised chicken, fried eggs, boiled pork, fresh vegetables, stir-fried vegetables, and soup.

The portions are modest and not as generous as those shown in some images circulating online.

Some customers said the food had a home-cooked taste and that the price was reasonable.

Others said the quality and price were not significantly different from those at other casual eateries in the area.

Chung Thuy has been operating for around seven years.

Chung said that before the eatery attracted attention online, it cooked around 25-40 cans of rice a day. As the number of customers increased, the eatery began cooking around 45 cans a day, and on some days it still ran out of rice early while customers continued to arrive.

According to Chung, her family grows their own rice and the eatery does not have to pay rent or hire servers, allowing it to maintain affordable prices.

The eatery previously charged VND30,000 per meal before raising the price to VND35,000 as costs increased.

"We've always operated as usual. Recently, we've just had more customers coming in," Chung said.

Following the inspection by food safety officials, Chung said the eatery would continue to pay close attention to food selection and preparation and fully follow food safety guidance to better serve customers.