With the rise of social media platforms like YouTube, a plethora of food review channels have emerged, each with its unique flair. From restaurant reviews and mukbangs to cooking tutorials, we have an ever-growing pool of interesting content to enjoy.
However, alongside this growth, there exist contents deemed as “internet trash.” A prime example is the recent report by VTV on the channel Hanoi Street, run by the character Duy Nến, who is known for his ‘going underground’ reviews.
Hanoi Street is a YouTube channel with up to 400,000 subscribers, primarily focusing on reviews of Hanoi’s cuisine and the various places that the channel owner visits. In the eyes of most viewers, reviewers are generally expected to have a solid understanding of what they are talking about, or at least have done their research. However, Duy Nến is different; not only does he have descriptions and reviews that are perplexingly unclear, but many of his videos also reveal his ridiculous mistakes.
For example, a few times Duy Nến has provided descriptions and reviews that are quite baffling:
– Review while eating pho: “A bit of spiciness from chili paste and a light sourness that’s very refreshing from lime. Very delicious”.
– Review while eating bánh chay: “Looks just like a shimmering star amidst the natural lights, and it seems Duy hasn’t seen any flaws. I don’t know if my bite has caused this star any pain, but I must set aside that sentiment to eat”.
Additionally, the mistakes made while speaking in the videos are indeed hard to list, such as not being able to differentiate between scallions and celery, fish sauce and broth, calling the date of 3/3 the “Phon Thuc Festival”, describing dipping fish sauce for bun cha as having a “crunchy” taste, and “the ribs are crunchy”…
In fact, during one review at a heart dish restaurant, this YouTuber was told by the restaurant owner, “Are you crazy or just stupid?” when he claimed he saw some places dipping the dish in rainwater for crunch (?). On another occasion, while eating bun cha with a friend, Duy Nến called fish sauce… broth, and even stated that it had no fish sauce smell and wasn’t salty (??).
Images featured in the Hanoi Street video (Screenshot)
As of now, it remains unclear whether Duy Nến’s silly mistakes and naiveté in his review videos are genuine or intentional to garner viewer attention. However, one thing is very clear: viewers are indeed paying attention to this channel, but with a sense of frustration each time they watch. Alongside this, a slew of channels boycotting Duy Nến has emerged across Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube.
Regarding this case, Dr. Vu The Long from the Vietnam Culinary Culture Association commented: “We cannot force them to learn literary language first because no one prohibits them from speaking. The ignorance regarding their level will be ridiculed by the public”.
Currently, the topic of the food review videos from the Hanoi Street channel continues to spark much debate.
Source: Compilation