The De Tham backpacker quarter shop: what foreign customers ask most

148B De Tham sits in the middle of the backpacker quarter, so most of its customers are foreign visitors. Their questions fall into a few clear groups — and several of them are things Vietnamese customers almost never ask.

Group 1: about what "vegetarian" means here

"Is this vegan, or vegetarian with egg and dairy?"

The most common question, and the most important one. In many countries "vegetarian" still includes eggs and dairy by default, while "vegan" means nothing animal-derived — so visitors ask to separate the two.

A proper answer names specific components rather than saying "it's all vegetarian". Three in particular: the sauce, the pickles, and the frying oil.

"Do the pickles have fish sauce?"

Visitors used to eating in Southeast Asia know fish sauce turns up everywhere, including in things that look like plain vegetables. A well-aimed question, and precisely where other places slip.

"Does it contain honey?"

Western plant-based eaters ask this often, while Vietnamese customers almost never do — in Vietnam honey generally isn't counted among things to avoid when eating vegetarian. A clear cultural difference, and worth answering seriously.

Group 2: allergies and dietary restrictions

"Is it gluten-free?"

The hardest question, and the honest answer is: the bread is wheat, so it contains gluten, and wheat gluten is itself an ingredient in some fillings. There's no gluten-free version.

This is a place to say so plainly rather than trying to make a sale. Someone with coeliac disease eating it by mistake is a genuine health matter.

"Does it contain peanuts?"

Peanut allergy is a common severe allergy in the West. The answer has to be item-specific, and has to account for shared utensils.

"Does it contain soy?"

Almost every Vietnamese vegan dish does — tofu, tofu skin, soy sauce, vegan cold cuts. Someone with a soy allergy genuinely struggles with Vietnamese vegan food, and deserves to be told plainly rather than reassured.

Group 3: opening hours

"What time do you close?"

Asked so often it becomes routine. Answering "we don't" usually prompts the question again for confirmation — a food shop open around the clock isn't ordinary in many countries.

It's also what visitors remember longest: somewhere still open at three in the morning after a long-distance bus or a late arrival from the airport.

"Open at weekends? On public holidays?"

A reasonable question, since in many countries places close on holidays. A clear answer lets people plan.

Group 4: how to eat and how to order

"How do I eat this?"

Simple with banh mi — by hand. But people ask, because in many places a filled roll is eaten with a knife and fork.

"How spicy is it?"

Heat thresholds vary enormously between cuisines. "Medium" means nothing to someone who hasn't tried it — it's far more useful to say how far it can be adjusted: no fresh chilli, light sauce, or sauce on the side.

"Do you deliver to hotels?"

Asked often, since visitors stay in hotels nearby. The things to make clear are the hotel address, the recipient's name, and that collection is usually at the lobby rather than the room.

What locals ask that visitors never do

The reverse is just as striking:

• "Are you open on the first and fifteenth?" — visitors don't know about that rhythm.
• "Does it contain the five pungent roots?" — the onion-and-garlic question is tied to religious practice and is asked almost exclusively by Vietnamese customers.
• "Can I order for an offering?" — also culturally specific.

Two groups of customers ask two almost non-overlapping sets of questions — which is why the information on the board has to serve both, rather than being translated from one to the other.

Five shops, all open 24 hours: 38 Le Thi Rieng, 15B Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, 2B Tran Hung Dao, 148B De Tham (District 1) and 210 Bui Van Ba (District 7). Call 0923.183.183.

Quick answers

What do foreign customers ask most?

Whether it's vegan or vegetarian including eggs and dairy. In many countries "vegetarian" includes them by default, so visitors ask to separate the two.

Why do they ask about honey?

Because Western plant-based eaters count honey among things to avoid, while in Vietnam it generally isn't. A clear cultural difference.

Is the bread gluten-free?

No — it's made from wheat flour, and wheat gluten appears in some fillings too. There's no gluten-free version, and that has to be said plainly because coeliac disease is a genuine health matter.

Can someone with a soy allergy eat here?

It's very difficult, since almost every Vietnamese vegan dish contains soy — tofu, tofu skin, soy sauce, vegan cold cuts. Better said plainly than smoothed over.

Why do visitors double-check the 24-hour hours?

Because a food shop open around the clock isn't ordinary in many countries. It's also what they remember longest about the shop.

How should "how spicy is it" be answered?

By saying how far it can be adjusted — no fresh chilli, light sauce, sauce on the side — rather than "medium", since heat thresholds vary enormously between cuisines.