One to go, please!
By Pham Binh Minh
Publisher:Viet Nam News - Publication Date: 07-06-2007

You can’t walk far down the streets of Ha Noi and HCM City without encountering a teenager in a rush, drink in hand.
This sight has become familiar to urbanites, though the phenomenon of takeaway food and drinks didn’t exist in Ha Noi or HCM City until four years ago, when a series of fast food and drink services set up shop and invited customers to come in – and leave.
While the idea of eating or drinking on the run hasn’t caught on with middle-aged people in the business world, busy students in need of a pick-me-up are happy to grab a tra sua chan trau Dai Loan (bubble tea) or a nuoc mia sieu sach (super-clean sugar cane juice).
As industrialisation opens new opportunities for recent graduates, students are becoming increasingly motivated to make their CVs sparkle with language and technology training, internships and part-time work. As a result, students’ time is at a premium, and taking the time to sit and leisurely sip a coffee at a cafe often doesn’t fit into their tight schedules.
"Fifteen minutes between my two extra classes is enough for me to relax with a cup of tea on my walk to class, which gives me energy to get through the lesson," said Nguyen Duc Hoang, a 12th-grader preparing for his entrance exam this July. "Each time I try a different flavour of bubble tea."
Le Minh, a 23-year-old reporter, often stops by Feeling Tea, a popular to-go drink supplier in Ha Noi, instead of sitting alone at a cafe when he needs a drink.
"Sometimes I am thirsty and I don’t want to go to the cafe alone, which is very boring and costs me a lot of time," Minh said. "After spending just a few minutes buying a pinky tea at Feeling Tea, I can comfortably enjoy it at home or in my office while typing a new article. That way is both relaxing and time saving."
In response to the recent trend of skimping on time once devoted to eating, drinking, sleeping and general relaxation, many members of the older generation are raising a cry of protest. An older colleague of mine argues that a busy life is no excuse to opt for a to-go drink.
"Young people should work out time in their schedules to sit with a friend and enjoy a drink, however busy they are," he said. "Not to mention the fact that the streets are made dirtier by careless customers who throw their used cups in the street. That goes against Hanoians’ traditional culture."
To-go gurus, however, cite other benefits of buying fruit juice or tea from trademarked beverage chains. In addition to being convenient and cheap, patrons say these drinks are more likely to be prepared hygienically than drinks bought on the street or in small cafes. Most to-go shops prepare each drink to order instead of hours before, says Nguyen Ngoc Huong, a young accountant for a private company.
"I like this kind of drink partly because it’s well -designed. The juice is in a plastic cup, instead of the usual plastic bag. The packaging is processed by machine, making me less concerned about its hygiene standards," she said.
Appearances matter, Huong says: the staff’s professional demeanor also inspires customers’ faith in the food or drinks. For young people, however, the real perk may be enjoying treats in shiny packaging, complete with the label of a popular chain.
"After school I often ask my mother for some money to buy a cake and a drink at Aloha. She says it’s cleaner and more civilised. I think it’s tastier and swankier," said Le Thanh Duc, an 11th grader at Le Quy Don High School in HCM City.
Duc is one of many students passing by the vendors at the school gates in favour of grabbing a hamburger and some bubble tea. The same eating and drinking style has expanded from the school yard, however, and onto the city streets on weekend evenings, when young people line up to buy to-go drinks and snacks. Thirsty teens can grab a cup of sugar cane juice and hop right back on their motorbikes to cruise around the capital’s lakes.
My grandfather, a traditional Hanoian, once said that he couldn’t understand why teenagers today loiter on the street while eating, drinking and laughing loudly.
"That kind of behaviour was never seen years ago. People on the streets should be polite and civilised. The street is not a place for eating and drinking," he said, adding that eating and drinking must be in appropriate places like restaurants or cafes.
Many would agree with my grandfather that the to-go trend represents a break with the traditional Vietnamese way of life – in fact, that may be exactly what young people like about it. To-go chains fit perfectly with the lifestyles of young Vietnamese on the go, with their products’ convenience, low cost, sparkly clean appearance and, of course, taste.