In my recent beach trip, I discovered a snack restaurant named 3A Food. The restaurant is located at 1243 An Dương Vương, Quảng Đông Ward, Thanh Hóa City, a place you shouldn't miss if you're looking for a place to enjoy delicious snacks at reasonable prices. Although it is located near a tourist area that is quite expensive, the prices here are very reasonable.
The restaurant has a spacious and clean space. However, the restaurant does not have air conditioning, only using mist fans. Therefore, on hot summer days, the place can be a little hot. However, the space is quite comfortable thanks to a simple but elegant design. The seating is traditional with floor seating, creating a friendly, intimate feeling, similar to those typical snack places in Vietnam. Especially, the painted wall with images of a green window and vibrant flower pots adds to the fresh and pleasant atmosphere.
The menu at 3A Food is quite diverse, with familiar snacks such as Korean spicy noodles, fried fermented pork, fried sausages, nem lụi, nem nướng,... I tried nem nướng and nem lụi, and both dishes made a strong impression on me.
Nem Nướng: This is perhaps the signature dish of the restaurant, with ground meat compressed into small square blocks, then sliced thin and grilled to a golden crisp. The grilled nem is very fragrant and rich, not too greasy, perfectly combined with various fresh vegetables like lettuce, rice noodles, cucumber, and sweet and sour papaya-carrot salad. Additionally, this dish is accompanied by crispy fried rice paper, adding a fun twist when eating.
Nem Lụi: This dish is also quite special, with minced meat wrapped around lemongrass stalks and grilled. The fragrance of lemongrass when grilled is very distinctive, creating a flavor that is unmistakable. Similar to nem nướng, nem lụi is served with fresh vegetables, noodles, and other seasonings, making the dish light and refreshing.
Both of these dishes are very delicious and just right, perfect for those who enjoy flavorful snacks but still want something easy to eat and not greasy.
In addition to the delicious snacks, 3A Food also offers some tasty beverages. I tried quất tea and peach tea, and both beverages left a good impression.
Peach Tea: The peach tea is very fragrant, with fresh peach slices and lemongrass inside, bringing a light and refreshing flavor. This drink is perfect for quenching thirst on hot summer days.
Quất Tea: The quất tea includes aloe vera, giving a cool sensation, which goes well with the snacks. The quất tea is not too sweet, very easy to drink, and made me feel very comfortable while enjoying it.
Both tea types are available in size L, just enough to quench your thirst throughout the meal, and the prices are quite reasonable, ranging from 0.7 to 1.5 USD.
Regarding the price, 3A Food offers very reasonable rates. Each snack dish like nem nướng or nem lụi costs around 35k (equivalent to 1.5 USD), a reasonable price for a full and delicious meal. The drinks are also priced from 0.7 to 1.5 USD, which is very reasonable for the quality and quantity of beverages you receive.
However, there is one small detail that made me a bit confused. On the restaurant’s menu, the name is listed as "3A Food" with the address at Quảng Đông Ward, Thanh Hóa. But on the tea cups, the logo "Zang Ti" is printed with a different address in Điện Biên Phủ Ward. Maybe the restaurant is using cups from another source or there was a printing mistake. Either way, this is a small detail and doesn’t affect the overall experience at the restaurant. However, if someone buys a drink at the restaurant to-go, they might not be clear about the restaurant’s name and address, which indicates that the restaurant has a weak brand-building strategy.
Although there is a slight inconvenience with the temperature in the summer, the quality of the food and drinks here is definitely worth trying. If I ever return to Thanh Hóa, I would certainly visit this place again to enjoy the delicious snacks.