Bac ninh: Steaks and chicken cutlets sizzle on a hot iron plate, filling the air in Vietnam's Bac Ninh with the aroma of Taiwanese-style cuisine. Behind the kitchen is Nguyen Van Tam, who spent 12 years working in Taiwan and now runs a steakhouse that brings a taste of Taiwan to northern Vietnam.
According to Focus Taiwan, Bac Ninh, about an hour's drive northeast of Hanoi, is lined with businesses displaying signs in Chinese and Korean to cater to the many East Asian expatriates who work and live there. Among those businesses is Want Go Steak House, a teppanyaki chain that originated in Kaohsiung and opened its first Vietnam location in 2023 through Nguyen's persistence. Inside, his wife, also Vietnamese, greets customers in Mandarin and offers cold-brew tea. Like many steakhouses in Taiwan, it also has a self-serve station offering corn soup, black tea, and a variety of drinks from dispensers.
In 2008, Nguyen went to Taiwan to work in a factory in Kaohsiung, hoping his wages would help support his family. But reality proved harsher than expected. He told CNA earlier this week that he had to repay a US$6,000 fee to a manpower broker for arranging the job, leaving him with just over NT$10,000 (US$312.14) a month after fee payments were deducted. Needing more income, he decided to take a side job on weekends washing dishes at Want Go. When the factory where he was working later went out of business, washing dishes became his full-time job.
Recalling his first encounter with Taiwanese teppanyaki, Nguyen said he never understood the Taiwanese preference for medium-rare steaks and fried eggs, but soon grew fond of them. He also praised Taiwanese-style steak and corn soup as making a great combination. After spending 12 years in Taiwan, Nguyen returned to Vietnam in 2020, only to be hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. With the small savings he had, he considered working abroad again.
Want Go's owner, who had become a close friend, called and asked Nguyen if he was interested in opening the steakhouse's first overseas branch in rapidly developing Vietnam, even offering to provide the startup capital. Nguyen said he was, and the Want Go franchise in Vietnam was on its way. He said he chose to settle in Bac Ninh because "relations between Vietnam and Taiwan are getting stronger...and many Taiwanese have invested in Bac Ninh and opened factories."
Throughout the interview, Nguyen repeatedly expressed his gratitude toward his former Taiwanese employers, including the owner of Want Go. "Without Taiwan, I wouldn't be who I am today. I learned a lot and grew a lot while I was there. I think Taiwanese people are very kind; they treated us well and helped me so much," he said.
Jason, a Taiwanese working at a major Japanese company in Vietnam, has been living in the country for eight years and visits the steakhouse two to three times a month. "The taste is very close to Taiwan, and the texture is just as good," he said. "I'm sure many Taiwanese would choose to eat here. It brings back memories of Taiwan, and having this kind of steakhouse in Bac Ninh is great...it helps introduce Taiwanese flavors to more Vietnamese."
A Vietnamese woman and several of her family members also praised the food. "After coming here, I found the food really suited my taste, and it makes me want to visit Taiwan to try more delicious dishes," Thu said. "I've heard Taiwan has a lot of great foods, and these flavors seem perfect for Vietnamese people."
According to Nguyen, Want Go's owner in Taiwan didn't charge any franchise fees, and apart from the main ingredients being imported from Taiwan, there was only one requirement: cleanliness and hygiene. Ph?m Van Duong, who operates Want Go's second steakhouse branch south of Hanoi, said such restaurants are still rare in Vietnam. "I think we will work even harder to do better and introduce Taiwanese food to more Vietnamese people, because Taiwanese cuisine is really delicious," Ph?m said.