Cà Mèn Kitchen in Ho Chi Minh City Joins the Fight Against the Pandemic, Giving Back to the City That Sustains It
When Covid-19 surged in Ho Chi Minh City, Cà Mèn Kitchen cooked 700 “meals of love” every day to support doctors, nurses, and struggling families in locked-down neighborhoods.
From as early as 4 a.m., six members of the Cà Mèn team began preparing ingredients for the day’s meals. By 8 a.m., fragrant Quảng Trị rice and fresh meat, fish, and stir-fried vegetables were carefully packed into trays, ready to be delivered to hospitals and quarantine zones.
For nearly two months straight, the kitchen’s fire burned nonstop, producing 700 hot, nutritious meals daily. Each meal was prepared with care, using clean and high-quality ingredients contributed not only from suppliers across Ho Chi Minh City but also from many regions of Vietnam.
“When we cook these meals of love, we pay attention to every single portion. Staying at home is already safe, but the doctors and nurses working so hard need to eat well to keep up their strength,” said Nhật Thuận (born 1990), owner of Cà Mèn, in an interview with Zing News.
Bringing Quảng Trị to the City
A sign posted at the restaurant read: “Notice: The restaurant will temporarily close from July 9, 2021. We are only cooking meals for charity.”
Before suspending business completely under Directive 16, Cà Mèn had already started sending meals to hospitals and struggling families.
Founded by Nguyễn Đức Nhật Thuận, a native of Quảng Trị who has lived in Ho Chi Minh City for over a decade, Cà Mèn carried with it a piece of home.
“When I was little, I used to carry a cà mèn (metal lunchbox) of rice out to the fields for my parents. Later, when I opened my restaurant, I named it Cà Mèn—as a way to ‘bring Quảng Trị into the city.’ That also became the restaurant’s motto,” Thuận explained.
For the past two months, with the city under strain, Cà Mèn has shifted from business to cooking meals of love for those in need. Without calling for donations, the team cooked with whatever they had, determined to lend a hand in the fight against Covid-19.
At first, meals were given mainly to residents in locked-down areas. Later, after learning that medical staff in field hospitals lacked food, Thuận and his team focused on preparing meals for hospitals—while still sending extra support to disadvantaged families.
“Seeing the hardships of both the people and the doctors, I just wanted to help. It’s nothing grand. Compared to their struggles, our contribution is very small,” Thuận said modestly.
The Struggles Behind the Kitchen
Cà Mèn used its regular supply of fresh meat and fish, with vegetables often sent from Đà Lạt and the Mekong Delta. Still, due to restrictions, the team faced many difficulties in sourcing ingredients. With business suspended for over a month and no fundraising campaigns, at times the kitchen lacked cash to keep going.
Over time, however, word spread. Charitable groups reached out, offering rice, vegetables, or money to buy meat and fish. Thanks to that support, the kitchen gained the motivation and resources to sustain its daily operation.
More Than Charity
On their journey, the Cà Mèn team encountered heartbreaking stories that strengthened their resolve.
Thuận recalled one delivery before Directive 16 in a remote area of Hóc Môn District:
“There was an elderly woman, nearly 70, who received one of our meals. Suddenly, she burst into tears, saying she hadn’t had a proper meal in a week. Our whole team cried with her.”
Equally moving was the sacrifice of the doctors.
“Once, we sent meals to a hospital and added some cakes, telling the doctors to eat them if they got hungry later. They thanked us but refused, saying they had no time to eat. That moment made me admire and appreciate them even more. To fight the pandemic, they sacrificed not just their comfort, but even time to eat or sleep,” Thuận said.
Every day, 700 boxed meals left Cà Mèn’s kitchen for hospitals, vaccination sites, and quarantine centers.
After two months, Thuận and his team still felt their contribution was small compared to the immense challenges around them. But together, they chose to keep spreading kindness through warm meals filled with the flavors of Quảng Trị.
“I’ve never considered what we do as ‘charity.’ A meal or a gift alone cannot change someone’s circumstances. But I believe that when doctors or families receive a meal filled with love, they also receive energy and hope—to keep going and overcome this hard time,” Thuận said sincerely.
