Tan Hai Van Ho Chi Minh City Bill Shock

Post by Chiefeater VK

There are disappointing meals, and then there are dining experiences that make you go into shock. Our visit to Tan Hai Van Ho Chi Minh City ended up becoming the latter.

We arrived at about 9 pm and the restaurant was still very lively. People continued walking in even at that hour, which made its 24-hour operation rather easy to understand.

We were there for some dim sum. We ordered Siew Mai, Har Gao and a Steamed Rice Roll, or Cheong Fun. There were two of us.

The food itself was alright, although clearly tuned towards local preferences rather than what I am accustomed to.

The Har Gao filling was good. The prawns tasted fresh, but I didn’t enjoy the wrapper. It was much thicker than I like and had a slightly powdery, doughy mouthfeel rather than the thin, supple and slightly translucent skin I associate with a well-made Har Gao.

The Siew Mai was tasty, although its texture was firmer and harder than I prefer.

The Cheong Fun was similarly thicker than the Cantonese-style rice rolls I am accustomed to.

None of that, however, is what I now remember most about this meal. I made the mistake of paying being in an present state of mind.

When I subsequently checked the receipt while I was writing this review 2 weeks after dining there, I realised (thanks to ChatGPT) that what appeared on it bore virtually no resemblance to what we had eaten.

Instead of Siew Mai, Har Gao and Cheong Fun, the receipt listed:

Súp Tân Hải Vân Bào Ngư – VND818,000

Cua Thịt Loại Đại – VND992,800

T-Miến Chế Biến Thêm – VND96,000

The final amount charged was VND2,059,344.

We did not order the abalone soup. We did not order a large crab. We did not eat either of them.

I should have checked the receipt carefully before paying. That is on me.

I did not expect a resolution of this but my friends in Vietnam helped highlight this issue to the restaurant manager. To his credit, the restaurant manager called me to find out what had happened.

Because we had paid by cash, we had no exact proof that we had paid VND2m for the meal. But since he called, we took it in good faith that we could have paid the right amount but were given the wrong bill.

What I discovered about this meal was how amazing my colleagues in Vietnam are. And how a call from a restaurant manager could defuse what could have been a black mark of out trip to Ho Chi Minh City.

What I Would Do Next Time

Check the items I ordered and work out the pricing first.

Check that against the bill. Scan the bill and translate with Google or ChatGPT immediately before making payment.

Be in a present state of mind when making payment.

And have my foreign cash transactions recorded on the spot.

Business Hours

Open Daily
24 hours