Vietnamese worker brings Taiwanese-style steakhouse back home

Bắc Ninh, March 20 (CNA) Steaks and chicken cutlets sizzle on a hot iron plate, filling the air in Vietnam's Bắc Ninh with the aroma of Taiwanese-style cuisine.

Behind the kitchen is Nguyễn Văn Tâm, who spent 12 years working in Taiwan and now runs a steakhouse that brings a taste of Taiwan to northern Vietnam.

Bắc Ninh, about an hour's drive northeast of Hanoi, is lined with businesses displaying signs in Chinese and Korean to cater to the many East Asian expatriates who work and live there.

Among those businesses is Want Go Steak House, a teppanyaki chain that originated in Kaohsiung and opened its first Vietnam location in 2023 through Nguyễn's persistence.

Inside, his wife, also Vietnamese, greets customers in Mandarin and offers cold-brew tea.

Like many steakhouses in Taiwan, it also has a self-serve station offering corn soup, black tea, and a variety of drinks from dispensers.

How it began

In 2008, Nguyễn went to Taiwan to work in a factory in Kaohsiung, hoping his wages would help support his family. But reality proved harsher than expected.

He told CNA earlier this week that he had to repay a US$6,000 fee to a manpower broker for arranging the job, leaving him with just over NT$10,000 (US$312.14) a month after fee payments were deducted.

Needing more income, he decided to take a side job on weekends washing dishes at Want Go.

When the factory where he was working later went out of business, washing dishes became his full-time job.

Recalling his first encounter with Taiwanese teppanyaki, Nguyễn said he never understood the Taiwanese preference for medium-rare steaks and fried eggs, but soon grew fond of them.

He also praised Taiwanese-style steak and corn soup as making a great combination.

Returning home

After spending 12 years in Taiwan, Nguyễn returned to Vietnam in 2020, only to be hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. With the small savings he had, he considered working abroad again.

Want Go's owner, who had become a close friend, called and asked Nguyễn if he was interested in opening the steakhouse's first overseas branch in rapidly developing Vietnam, even offering to provide the startup capital.

Nguyễn said he was, and the Want Go franchise in Vietnam was on its way.

He said he chose to settle in Bắc Ninh because "relations between Vietnam and Taiwan are getting stronger...and many Taiwanese have invested in Bắc Ninh and opened factories."

Throughout the interview, Nguyễn repeatedly expressed his gratitude toward his former Taiwanese employers, including the owner of Want Go.

"Without Taiwan, I wouldn't be who I am today. I learned a lot and grew a lot while I was there. I think Taiwanese people are very kind; they treated us well and helped me so much," he said.

Bringing Taiwanese flavors to all

Jason, a Taiwanese working at a major Japanese company in Vietnam, has been living in the country for eight years and visits the steakhouse two to three times a month.

"The taste is very close to Taiwan, and the texture is just as good," he said.

"I'm sure many Taiwanese would choose to eat here. It brings back memories of Taiwan, and having this kind of steakhouse in Bắc Ninh is great...it helps introduce Taiwanese flavors to more Vietnamese."

A Vietnamese woman and several of her family members also praised the food.

"After coming here, I found the food really suited my taste, and it makes me want to visit Taiwan to try more delicious dishes," Thư said.

"I've heard Taiwan has a lot of great foods, and these flavors seem perfect for Vietnamese people."

According to Nguyễn, Want Go's owner in Taiwan didn't charge any franchise fees, and apart from the main ingredients being imported from Taiwan, there was only one requirement: cleanliness and hygiene.

Phạm Văn Dương, who operates Want Go's second steakhouse branch south of Hanoi, said such restaurants are still rare in Vietnam.

"I think we will work even harder to do better and introduce Taiwanese food to more Vietnamese people, because Taiwanese cuisine is really delicious," Phạm said.