Every summer, at the corner of Avenue d'Ivry in Paris’s bustling 13th arrondissement - a vibrant district known for its large Asian community, especially Vietnamese and Chinese - a peculiar restaurant appears.

It draws attention not just for its food, but for its vibrant, noisy atmosphere. Colorful red and blue plastic tables and chairs are scattered along the sidewalk, evoking memories of the bustling street food scenes found back in Vietnam.

“I’ve been to Paris many times and love wandering the city,” shared a Vietnamese resident from Strasbourg in northeastern France. “But this is the first time I’ve seen such a unique, authentic Vietnamese-style street eatery. The setup immediately reminded me of home.”

In District 13, Vietnamese cuisine is easy to find. Still, Viet1331 stands out with its extensive menu that includes not only the usual pho, bun cha, and Southern-style bun bo, but also an array of nostalgic “nhậu” (drinking) items like mango-tossed chicken feet, fermented pork rolls, roasted duck with mac mat leaves, dried beef, and fish with fish sauce.

The restaurant is run by a Vietnamese couple - Chi Anh from Hai Phong and her husband, a seasoned chef from Hanoi’s Old Quarter with over 30 years of culinary experience. Before opening this Parisian spot, they operated several suburban eateries serving mostly local French customers.

Despite their years in France, the couple still longed for their hometown street corners, where they could wind down after a busy day with cold draft beer, spicy chicken feet, garlic-fried duck, and green papaya salad with dried beef.

“We had this idea to recreate a Hanoi street corner here in Paris,” said Chi Anh. “A place where people could enjoy Vietnamese food at colorful plastic tables on the sidewalk in a lively, slightly chaotic - but joyful - atmosphere.”

Beyond the classics that international diners love, the couple boldly introduced “sidewalk-style drinking dishes” to the menu - like jellyfish with mam tom (fermented shrimp paste).

“We tried, and watched how customers responded,” said Chi Anh. “European diners usually prefer boneless, tender meats, so we weren’t sure how they’d take to chicken feet or garlic-roasted duck. But to our surprise, they tried it - and loved it. Many even came back again. Business has been growing ever since.”

“On weekends, the place gets as loud as a wet market,” she added with a laugh. “There’s staff shouting orders, music playing, and a constant buzz of energy. We’ve created the closest thing to Vietnam here - except maybe the sound of motorbike horns! Vietnamese customers come here to soothe their homesickness, while Westerners come for a new cultural experience.”

The restaurant spans two floors, covering 200 square meters and accommodating up to 100 guests per sitting. It’s open daily from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., with 100% Vietnamese staff. Inside, diners sit at wooden or plastic tables surrounded by hand-drawn scenes of Hanoi’s Old Quarter. In the summer, red and blue plastic tables spill out onto the sidewalk.

The couple also installed a large screen near the entrance, showcasing videos on Vietnamese travel, culture, and cuisine. In front sits a traditional cyclo with a sign that reads: “Taking diners on a journey across Vietnam.”

“It took six months to design and nearly seven more to renovate and build,” shared Chi Anh. “We poured our hearts into it so that when guests walk in, they really feel the essence of Vietnam.”

Thanks to flourishing trade between Vietnam and France, all key Vietnamese ingredients are readily available. “Some things, like jellyfish, we assumed wouldn’t appeal to French or European palates,” said Chi Anh. “But after a popular YouTuber featured our jellyfish dish, it started flying off the shelves.”

Today, the restaurant offers jellyfish salad, jellyfish in fish sauce, and jellyfish with mam tom, often paired with grilled tofu in Hai Phong style.

In the summer, the jellyfish with mam tom is served right on the sidewalk. Diners savor the chewy texture of the jellyfish, paired with rich grilled tofu, crunchy coconut, fresh herbs, and a bold dipping sauce - while watching the hustle and bustle of the Paris streets. It’s a scene straight out of a Hanoi or Hai Phong alley during the jellyfish season in March and April.

Beyond Vietnamese and French diners, the restaurant has gained popularity among African patrons as well. “Their taste is surprisingly similar to ours,” Chi Anh observed. “They love grilled chicken feet, fried chicken wings in fish sauce, stir-fried balut with tamarind, garlic duck, and crispy pan-fried pho.”

Among the restaurant’s bestsellers are bun cha, grilled beef wrapped in betel leaves, grilled pork rolls, garlic-roasted duck, chicken feet, jellyfish salad, and Northern-style pho.

Every day, the grilled pork patties and meatballs are prepared directly by the couple using traditional Hanoi recipes. The grilled pork is always served hot, slightly charred, and bursting with aroma.

Prices are mid-range for the area. For example, garlic-roasted duck (half portion) costs €25 (around USD 27); mango-tossed chicken feet, fermented pork rolls, and mango beef salad each cost €10 (about USD 11); fried fish with mango sauce is €20 (USD 21.50); and fish rolls in tamarind sauce are €25.

“Opening a restaurant in Paris comes with strict regulations and the work is demanding,” Chi Anh admitted. “But we’re happy to cook Vietnamese food and share it with the world. We want to prove that Vietnamese cuisine can win over anyone.”

Linh Trang