In Can Tho in the Mekong Delta, a 60-year-old couple keeps running a free eatery for poor workers. On Le Loi Street in the Cai Khe district, Huynh Hong Tuyet and Nguyen Minh Trung, both 60, have provided free meals every day since May 20, 2025. At first it was about 50 bowls a day, but now it has grown to nearly 200 on average.
On full-moon days, they serve nearly 400 vegetarian meals and sometimes hand out 100 vouchers exchangeable for 5 kilograms of rice. They use income from the family-run hotel business as the funds to operate it.
The free eatery that started in May 2025
The eatery is on Le Loi Street in the Cai Khe district of Can Tho. It operates every day from 11 a.m. to midnight. It opened on May 20, 2025. It rotates through seven kinds of dishes on a weekly schedule. At first it was simple—instant noodles with quail eggs or sausage—but they later enriched the flavor by adding bone broth and minced meat.
About 200 bowls a day, 400 meals on the full moon
The number served has grown from about 50 bowls a day at opening to nearly 200 on average now. On full-moon days, they further serve nearly 400 vegetarian meals. They also provide support beyond meals, handing out 100 rice vouchers exchangeable for a 5-kilogram bag of rice. The scale of service is summarized as follows.
| Item | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Daily servings at opening | About 50 bowls |
| Current average daily servings | About 200 bowls |
| Free vegetarian meals on full-moon days | About 400 meals |
| Rice vouchers handed out (exchangeable for a 5 kg bag) | 100 |
| Weekly rotating menu | 7 kinds |
The system that supports the operation
運営資金は、夫妻の家族が営むホテル業の収入でまかなっている。厨房設備だけでも電気代やガス代を除いて5,000万VND（約28万5,000円・1万VND≒約57円で換算）近くを投じた。現金の寄付は受け取らず、麺・米・野菜・調味料といった食材の寄付のみを受け入れる方針だ。手が空いているときは息子も手伝う。
The couple’s feelings
Tuyet says, “If everyone goes home full, that alone makes me happy.” The journey from the simple bowl at the start to improving the flavor with bone broth and minced meat reflects the stance of wanting to serve a proper meal to those who visit. The operating policy of limiting donations to ingredients rather than cash is also ingenuity for keeping the support going.
Spreading to the community
That the number served grew from about 50 bowls a day to nearly 200 shows just how many workers in the community rely on the eatery. A circle of support beyond meals—vegetarian dishes on full-moon days and the distribution of rice vouchers—underpins life in the Cai Khe district.
Summary
The free eatery in Can Tho that started in May 2025 is an effort the couple has kept up daily, using income from their hotel business as funds. Under the wish for people to “go home full,” they serve about 200 bowls a day and 400 meals on the full moon. The way of limiting donations to ingredients rather than cash makes long-lasting operation possible.
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Source:DTiNews / Dan Tri / DTiNews (lifestyle)
