The owner of a ‘bun rieu’ (Vietnamese crab noodle soup) shop in Hanoi has issued an apology after being accused of charging customers VND1.2 million (US$48) for three bowls of the dish on January 29, the first day of the Lunar New Year (Tet), local authorities reported.

Speaking to Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Monday, Hoang Thi Tuyet Lan, chairwoman of Hanoi’s Bach Khoa Ward, confirmed that authorities had mostly resolved the incident.

The eatery, located at 54 Bach Mai Street, allegedly charged three customers VND400,000 ($16) per bowl, ten times the normal price.

Lan added that local authorities contacted the customers' representative and invited them to the ward committee to settle the matter.

The owner of the shop issued a written apology, which was delivered by the ward authority to the representative.

The affected customer accepted the apology and the refunded amount but chose to donate the money to the ward’s fund for the poor.

The customer also requested permission for the shop to reopen following its temporary suspension by local authorities due to the incident.

Earlier, a social media user, Thu Nguyet, shared that she visited the eatery on the evening of January 29 with her father and brother, without asking about the price beforehand.

When it was time to pay, they were told the cost for three bowls of bun rieu was VND1.2 million, which shocked all of them.

After making payment by bank transfer, Nguyet wrote on her page: “Here's a tip for those going out to celebrate Tet: Always ask for the price first. Personally, I’ll never return to this shop.”

In an online response, Nguyen Oanh, who identified herself as the owner’s sister, claimed the price increase during Tet was minimal, VND5,000-10,000 ($0.2-0.4) per bowl, with the highest rate for a special bowl being VND60,000 ($2.4).

However, after Thu Nguyet provided proof of the VND1.2 million transfer, the shop owner publicly apologized and offered to return the excess amount.

At a meeting with local police, Le Hai Ninh, the shop owner, explained that the normal price for a bowl of bun rieu was only VND40,000 ($1.6), but he “jokingly said it was VND400,000 and quoted VND1.2 million for three bowls.”

“The customers thought the joking price was real and made a VND1.2 million bank transfer to the restaurant,” Ninh claimed.

In a talk with Tuoi Tre, Ninh expressed his desire to apologize in person but respected the customer’s wish for a written apology. He sent the apology letter and refund through the ward staff.

Ninh explained that the overcharge was due to a joke that was not clarified and was worsened by a misunderstanding from his sister, who lives in Ho Chi Minh City.

The incident was eventually resolved through the intervention of local authorities.

On February 3, the customer posted a photo of the apology letter on social media, confirming acceptance of the apology and refund. The customer donated the refund to the ward's fund for the poor and requested the shop be allowed to reopen.

Ninh expressed relief that the matter was settled and reflected on the valuable lesson learned, emphasizing the importance of clear business practices to protect both the reputation of the shop and the local community.

Lan confirmed that the decision to reopen the restaurant was pending the customer's response to the apology, but also stated the ward would perform an inspection to ensure the shop complies with regulations before resuming operations.

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