Tu Huong grilled beef: Over two decades of flavor and points to reconsider
D
diemtrang
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Located in the Thot Not area (Can Tho), Tu Huong Grilled Beef is not merely a dining spot but also a place that preserves the memories of many generations of local diners.
From the early 2000s, when it was just a tiny eatery, this place has gradually grown into a familiar name, a go-to destination that locals proudly bring their friends and relatives from afar to enjoy.
Currently, the restaurant is situated on National Route 91, Thot Not Ward, Can Tho City; diners can contact to book a table or ask about food availability via the phone number 02923852305.
The restaurant is open to welcome guests from 8:00 to 21:00; however, practical experience shows that to fully enjoy the specialties here, arranging to arrive early is extremely necessary.
The first plus point when stepping into Tu Huong Grilled Beef is the incredibly airy and spacious space.
Spacious restaurant space, suitable for groups of family and friends - Photo: FB: Thu Trang
The restaurant's space is designed in an open, rustic style with high corrugated iron roofs, neat stainless steel tables, and the signature green plastic chairs of casual eateries in the Mekong Delta. The yard here has a large area, featuring a comfortable car parking section, which is very convenient for families traveling by private car or visiting tour groups.
The reasonable spacing of tables and chairs along with green plants and ornamental flowers placed around also partly bring a pleasant, unpretentious feeling to diners when having their meals.
Speaking of Tu Huong, the "best seller" dish that creates the soul of the restaurant is definitely the grilled beef.
The renowned grilled beef dish generously topped with roasted peanuts and scallion oil, served with herbs and sweet and sour dipping sauce - Photo: FB: Thu Trang
The beef skewers are richly marinated, grilled with slightly charred edges radiating an alluring aroma, and generously topped with crispy roasted peanuts and rich scallion oil. This dish is served with fresh rice vermicelli, raw vegetables such as fish mint, basil, thinly sliced cucumber, and dipped in a bowl of extremely appealing sweet and sour fish sauce.
However, this iconic dish is frequently sold out. If diners visit the restaurant around 8 PM, the chance of enjoying the grilled beef is almost zero, and they have to regretfully switch to other options.
And when the grilled beef skewers are gone, beef hotpot will be a perfect alternative, filling the stomachs of latecomers.
A hearty pot of mixed beef hotpot with sweet clear broth, large beef meatballs, and fresh vegetables - Photo: FB: Thu Trang
A portion of mixed beef and meatball hotpot here is rated as having quite a large quantity, packed with food. The interesting thing that makes the difference is that Tu Huong's hotpot broth has a light, sweet flavor very similar to the traditional "cu lao hotpot" style of the Mekong Delta, completely unlike the robust flavor, strong smell of fermented tofu or traditional Chinese medicine often found in Saigon beef hotpot. The boiling hotpot is brimming with large, round, chewy and crunchy beef meatballs, combined with beef, dotted with beautifully carved carrots, white radish, and celery, creating an overall composition that is strange yet familiar, very delicious and suits the taste of the vast majority of people. However, despite possessing food quality that has been affirmed for nearly twenty years, Tu Huong grilled beef has a huge minus point in terms of service and customer experience. The service style here seems to have never brought a joyful or welcoming feeling to diners. The female owner is somewhat quiet, neither cheerful nor friendly to customers, and more notably, the serving staff also frequently maintain a rather unenthusiastic attitude, causing many people to feel baffled and hesitant. For a long time, many regular diners were willing to turn a blind eye to the service attitude just because they fell in love with the flavor of the food. However, alarmingly, recently, the overall quality seems to be showing signs of decline, most typically in food hygiene when the accompanying vegetables were complained to be dirty and not washed thoroughly. This is a fatal minus point directly affecting customer health that the restaurant needs to rectify immediately.
Tu Huong grilled beef remains a dining spot carrying much nostalgic value in Thot Not, with a spacious atmosphere and an undeniable signature flavor of its dishes. However, in the context of an increasingly developing culinary service industry, relying solely on a long-standing reputation is not enough.
To continue retaining loyal diners and maintain the position of a two-decade-old eatery, the restaurant arguably needs to pay special attention to improving the service attitude of the staff and be stricter and more meticulous in food hygiene and safety.
