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The name of the restaurant is evocative: Hoi Do, meaning ‘back then’. At the restaurant’s entrance, a bicycle leans on a wall explaining its name and theme.
“This is a place for old people to find a part of their past, for young people to get a glimpse of how their parents and grandparents lived and for visitors to find out a little bit about how southern people lived in the 80s,” the owner says.
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In a neat yard with outdoor umbrellas and the shade of trees, rustic wooden tables and chairs await customers.
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The kitchen has been designed like an old grocery store.
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Inside the house attached to the restaurant, the 1980s theme continues in very authentic fashion, every inch a reminder of the past.
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The life for a middle-class family in the 80s is played out in detail. The husband is a teacher in his 50s, the wife has an eatery in front of the house, and all members of the family live together in the small house.
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The husband uses one room to tutor students, and it is furnished in a classroom format with a blackboard and benches.
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The dining room has floor tiles with patterns popular in the 80s, and furniture that was in vogue then.
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Some customers feel a pang when they see this black and white TV, a coveted treasure back then.
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Thermos flasks, hurricane lamps and glass bottles with conical paper caps are objects that senior and middle-aged customers will easily identify with.
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A sewing machine and fabric. The eighties were a time of self-reliance with families undertaking most tasks on their own.
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A sedge bag carries the menu, which lists reasonably priced food and drinks.
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A typical southern meal with savory dishes, vegetables and dessert costs VND40,000 ($1.7) while a drink costs VND14,000 ($0.6).