2 tons of durian devoured at $7 all-you-can-eat buffet in HCMC, forcing early closure

Held on Sunday at a Vina T&T fruit store, the event was one of the few durian buffets ever held in Vietnam. Customers paid VND199,000 (around US$7.61) for a one-hour session to eat as much Ri6 durian, sourced from the Mekong Delta, as they could.

A durian sold by Vina T&T. Photo courtesy of the company

The buffet was scheduled to run from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., but demand was so high that it ended by 6 p.m, Thanh Nien newspaper reported.

The strong response from the community and media exceeded the company’s expectations, leading to a large number of attendees in a very short time, a store representative said.

"Due to weather conditions and some transportation challenges, the additional durian shipment could not arrive as planned."

Customers eat durians at a buffet in Ho Chi Minh City on June 10, 2025. Photo by Vina T&T

Yen Oanh, a customer, said the ticket price was reasonable compared to current durian market prices. "The fruits taste much better than what I buy at markets," she told Nguoi Lao Dong newspaper.

This event marked the third durian buffet hosted by Vina T&T and the second in HCMC. Its first event was held in the southern province of Dong Thap on May 29 and June 1 when one ton of durian was consumed.

Durian buffets have become popular in recent years in major durian-producing countries such as Thailand and Malaysia.

Some hotels even partner with orchards to offer customers durian buffet tour packages which include rooms and other travel experiences.