Bao-Nguyet Very valuable source of Asian products such as rice wafers and pasta, fish sauce, fresh herbs and etc.

The shop is owned by both spouses Nguyen Xuan Bao and Pham Thi Nguyet (in Vietnam family name always come first). Mrs. Pham sits behind the counter in the store, and Mr. Nguyen is responsible for supply. “I’m just a worker,” modestly says Ms. Pham.

Nguyet came to Bulgaria at for the first time in 1982 on an exchange program for labor and professional training between Bulgaria and Vietnam. After completing of the program five years later, Mrs. Pham returned to her homeland with a Bulgarian diploma in culinary arts. In 1993 she was invited to work in a restaurant nad came back with her husband. Later on they opened their small shop for Asian food products.

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What she likes the most about Bulgaria is the mild climate.

Her favorite Bulgarian dishes are tripe soup, roasted lamb and shopska salad.

What she misses the most from her homeland is her mother. She regrets the fact that, due to health and financial reasons, she is unable to travel to Vietnam often to see her.

Her favorite childhood dish is called xôi đỗ - a special variety of sticky rice, cooked together with green beans – simple homemade traditional Vietnamese dish.

The Sofia store was opened in 2008. The name comes from the two first names of the spouses.

In the store you can find all sorts of Asian products such as rice wafers, rice noodles, fish, chili and soy sauce, cellophane or green bean noodles, Thai jasmine rice, spices, Vietnamese green tea, coffee, and once a month there is a fresh delivery of spices such as several types of coriander, Thai basil, lemongrass, chilly peppers, betel leaves, etc.

Their customers are most often Vietnamese, sometimes Chinese, Indonesians and rarely Bulgarians.

Interview and photos: An Fam
Translation from Bulgarian: Boyan Boychev
Illustration: Dmitry Yagodin for Compote Collective
November 30, 2013