By Lê Hương *

Phở is a quintessential Vietnamese dish and so it is easy to find a phở shop in any corner of Hà Nội.

But even for that simple dish, not anyone can afford to eat every day.

A small phở shop in the capital’s downtown has recently offered free bowls of phở to needy people, whose income cannot pay for such a delicate dish.

Every day, the shop owner invites people in need to enjoy 30 free bowls, paid for by customers who can order and pay more for them.

Customers can pre-order and pay for a bowl of phở for someone in need.

The number of bowls left from the previous day can be added to the next day’s number.

'Suspended Beef Noodle' is the name the owner chose for her project, inspired by the Italian suspended coffee model.

“The idea is simple I want to support needy people,” Nguyễn Thị Cát Lệ, owner of the shop told Việt Nam News. “Not only me but also my whole family and my charity group are very happy to share the burden of needy people. We do what we can. It’s not much.”

Any street vendors or disadvantaged people are invited to sit down and take a bowl, with warm smiles.

Phan Thị Liên and her little son enjoy a free breakfast. VNS Photos Lê Hương

Street vendor Phan Thị Liên could not have dreamed of such a tasty breakfast before.

Born in the northern province of Hưng Yên, she travels around Hà Nội streets with her little son to sell children’s toys.

Liên said she rarely made ends meet, let alone being able to afford such a special treat like phở.

But she was invited to a free bowl of phở here today.

“I’m very happy,” she said while slurping the hot broth. “I have never eaten such a tasty charity beef noodle like this before.”

Liên said when she was invited for a bowl of phở, she was both thrilled with happiness and shy at the same time because it was free.

“I highly appreciate the idea so that such a poor person like me can have a chance to eat phở,” she said.

Rubbish collector Nguyễn Thị Hoạt has enjoyed her breakfast here every day over the past week.

Nguyễn Thị Hoạt can save some money while taking free bowl of phở everyday.

“Phở here is so delicious and of high quality,” she said. “Eating this bowl of phở free of charge will save me some money. I highly appreciate the kind-hearted people paying for such bowls of phở for needy people like me.”

Being rather bashful, scrap dealer Nguyễn Thị Nga parked her bike on the opposite pavement and asked for a bowl of phở to take home.

“With my income, I can just afford rice for three meals per day,” she said. “I don’t have enough money for pho. I hope to receive more meals like rice, and noodles. I want to say thanks to the kind-hearted people offering us delicious meals.”

Bùi Vinh Bình, who works as a motorbike washer near Long Biên market, returned to the shop for the second time. He still looked shy with his plastic bag.

Before that, he came to receive a free meal. His wife works at a textile company, but is currently sick. He alone has to work and take care of her.

"Can I have a portion of phở for my wife, she's been sick these past few days," he said to the seller softly.

When Lệ, the seller, asked him to take another bowl for himself at the restaurant, Bình insisted on refusing because he was shy.

Then, with the enthusiastic persuasion of the owner, he sat down to eat.

Bình is also one of nearly 30 disadvantaged people who benefited from a rice charity programme initiated by Lệ and her group. He receives a 10kg bag of rice on the first day of every month.

Nguyễn Thị Cát Lệ serves the poor by herself.

Lệ revealed that the bowls for the needy are bigger and contain more noodles and beef.

She has run the charity group for many years.

Her family also gives out free meals to patients at hospitals a few times every week.

Lệ was born into a poor family and understands and sympathises with the plight of workers, disabled people, street vendors and homeless children.

Her initiatives have been supported by many generous customers.

Trương Hữu Thao, an office worker, was impressed by the sign with the word 'suspended phở' outside the door.

Having a bowl of phở here as breakfast almost everyday, he has participated in a number of charity donation programmes, but this was the first time he knew about this pay it forward idea.

Thao then decided to pay for two bowls of phở for the needy.

Many foreigners have made contributions, too.

Johanne Sorrels from the Netherlands made his contribution during his first time trying a bowl of phở here.

"I know that Vietnamese people have a tradition of helping one another, I can do something as well. Though I cannot help all, I can invite some poor people here for some bowls of phở," he said as he enthusiastically changed the number of free bowls on the wooden board. VNS

(with an additional interview by Quỳnh Anh)

The wooden board with an updated number of free bowls of phở for needy people.