Around 0:00 on 19/11, Le Minh Hieu and three friends visited a street stall near Ho Guom. They ordered 24 meat skewers, nem chua (fermented pork rolls), and four lemon teas. The stall had no listed menu. Upon receiving the bill, the group was surprised by the charges: 30,000 VND per skewer, 15,000 VND per nem chua, and 40,000 VND per lemon tea. The total bill for their meal exceeded one million dong.

"I had a meal near St. Joseph's Cathedral just a few days prior, and the cost for four people was only over 300,000 dong, so I assumed prices here would be similar," Hieu stated. Disagreeing with the charges, a heated argument ensued between the tourists and the vendor.

Hieu (wearing glasses) and his friends photographed their meal before the dispute with the stall owner. Photo: Provided

In a video recorded by Hieu, the stall owner asserted that the prices were normal for the Ho Guom area and offered a 5,000 dong discount per skewer; however, the group refused. The owner's husband then explained that daytime skewer prices ranged from 20,000 to 25,000 dong, justifying the evening charges. The situation escalated into a tense verbal exchange.

Unable to reach an agreement, Hieu's group reported the incident to Hoan Kiem Ward Police. According to Hieu, both parties subsequently settled on a payment of over 600,000 dong. "This is clearly a case of overcharging. While prices at tourist spots can be higher, they should not be this exorbitant," Hieu stated.

The incident's video garnered significant attention after being posted online. Most comments suggested the prices were excessively high for street food services, raising concerns about the impact on Hanoi's tourism image. A survey revealed that grilled meat skewers in Hanoi typically cost 8,000-15,000 dong, fried nem chua approximately 8,000 dong, and lemon tea ranges from 15,000 to 25,000 dong.

As of the evening of 24/11, Hoan Kiem district authorities had not issued an official response regarding the incident.

The Old Quarter frequently experiences disputes related to alleged overcharging for services. In early November, Jonathan, an American tourist, reported being pressured into using a cyclo service, then charged 100,000 dong for a 1.5 km ride. Despite not being taken to his correct destination, the cyclo driver demanded an additional 50,000 dong for "beer money." In September, a group of four Australian tourists was charged 1.2 million dong for two cyclos to tour the Old Quarter, a price four times higher than the usual rate.

Tu Nguyen