Buzz
Simple in her traditional attire, skillfully maneuvering bananas over the charcoal stove, it's challenging to believe this is Ms. Ngô Thị Bích Thủy. She sold her renowned sticky rice bananas to nearly 100,000 customers at the World Street Food Congress (WSFC) held in Singapore.
The story unfolds when Ms. Thủy was fortuitously invited to participate in the WSFC event for 15 days. This marked her first international journey, bringing along her cherished sticky rice bananas, a culinary legacy of over 20 years.
The results were truly surprising, as Vietnam's sticky rice bananas consistently drew the largest crowds at the event throughout the two weeks.
Selling 700 portions daily (compared to her regular 300 portions/day back home), Asian tourists flocked in, with some indulging in 2-3 servings at a time, enthusiastically raising their hands and exclaiming: “Very good, very good!”
Even in Vietnam, this sticky rice banana cart has become a familiar spot, especially in the Phú Nhuận and Bình Thạnh districts of Ho Chi Minh City.
At 4 PM, as the sun dipped, Ms. Thủy rolled out her cart. Before the coal even warmed, two or three motorcycles hurriedly approached, craving either grilled sticky rice bananas or finely shredded sweet potatoes. The bustling scene continued with over 300 lively customers coming and going until 9 PM. The influx has been so immense that for the past 2 years, Ms. Thủy had to hire two additional assistants, despite operating just a roadside sticky rice banana cart.
“Many of my familiar customers have been buying bananas from me since primary school, and now they're married with children!” shared Ms. Thủy. Every day is the same – at 5 AM, she wakes up to boil bananas, cook sticky rice, fan the charcoal, and prepare coconut water. Thủy personally handles every step meticulously and attentively, a tradition she's upheld for the past 20 years.
An unusual thing about this sticky rice banana cart is that from Ms. Thủy to all her staff (both male and female), they all don traditional attire, adorned with scarves and conical leaf hats, regardless of the weather, be it rain or shine.
“Sticky rice bananas are sold by many, so I added a touch of creativity to make people remember. Many overseas Vietnamese and foreigners passing by find it intriguing and stop by to enjoy the bananas and take pictures!” revealed Ms. Thủy, her hands continuously and gracefully moving with over a hundred delicious, fragrant grilled sticky rice bananas.
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Source: Travel guide from Mytour – Courtesy of: Youth.
MytourJuly 5, 2013
