A Hanoi restaurant is offering 40 diners the chance to eat food from 1,000 years of Hanoi and pay only 1,000 Dong (5 cents US) in return.

Old Hanoi manager Pham Thuy Hoa

Old Hanoi restaurant will host 10 tables of four people on the eve of Hanoi’s glittering 1,000 year-old birthday weekend. They will each receive a three-course meal at a price comparable to what people might have paid 1,000 years ago.

“There is no catch,” said restaurant owner Nguyen Thuong Quan. “We are all proud Hanoians and we are especially proud of Hanoi’s food.

“All we are asking you to do is join our Facebook group and we will pick ten winners and they can each bring three friends.“

The competition is not open to anyone under 18 and only includes food, not drinks. The special celebration meal will be on Friday October 8th.

Old Hanoi, on Ton That Thiep Street, hit the headlines recently when world famous chef Gordon Ramsay filmed part of his latest series there during a flying visit to Hanoi. He also officially opened the restaurant, which has since been receiving rave on-line reviews from diners.

Now, Quan hopes that his millennium’s eve party will help kick start massive celebrations in the city.

“By October 8th the whole city is going to look fantastic and everyone is going to be so excited. We want to play our part in the celebrations and show our support,” said Quan. “For us, Hanoi is the home of food.”

*To join the Facebook page you must have a Facebook account. Use the search facility to find the Old Hanoi page and press the “like” button. To boost the chances of you and your friends winning a table, they can all individually sign up. However, Facebook rules state that each individual person may have only one account.