In-depth
Customers shocked by overcharging restaurants during Tet Holiday
  • | dtinews.vn | February 20, 2018 06:00 AM
Many customers were shocked by skyrocketing prices at restaurants in Hanoi during the Lunar New Year or Tet holiday.


Customers at a noddle restaurant in Hanoi

Being fed up with the traditional Tet meals at family parties, Nguyen Van Trung in Thanh Xuan District went to a crab noodle restaurant for breakfast on the second day of the Lunar New Year but did not really enjoy the meal due to the unusually high price.

"When I ordered the dish, I was informed that the price was VND100,000 (USD4.41) a bowl, nearly three times the normal price," Trung said. "But as I missed the dish so much that I had to just agree to the extra cost."

Trung said that despite the high prices, the restaurant was still very crowded and he had to queue to be served.

Another customer, Truong Thi May, said that she had to pay VND150,000 (USD6.61) for a bowl of noodle with seafood on the third day of Tet on Khuong Trung Street, which is more than doubling the normal prices.

"Although I know that restaurants prices are always high every year around Tet, I was still shocked," May said. 


Pham Thi Nga, owner of a street-side foodstall serving beef and chicken noodle soups on Nguyen Trai Street said that she opened the shop beginning on the second day of Tet and attracted alot of customers.

"Only a few restaurants open during Tet so the demand usually exceeds the supply," Nga said, adding that they have to raise the prices due to the rise in food and labour costs.

Vietnamese people still have two more days for Tet holiday until February 21 so not many restaurants are open except some at bus stations or in small alleys. Most of these restaurant only serve breakfast between 10-11am.

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