SGTT Spring 2010 – You keep fiddling with your camera. When asked what you're taking pictures of, you smile and point to the handwritten Vietnamese signs on the store shelves: “Seeing Vietnamese words makes me feel so touched…” Touched, because you are standing in the middle of Paris, in a shop called "Thanh Bình Jeune" (Young Thanh Binh). Why “young”? That’s the story of a family lineage…

With a gentle Saigon accent and fluent Vietnamese, Ngô Minh Đường, the owner of Thanh Bình Jeune, shares that both his parents – Ngô Văn Nhân and Ngô Thị Hằng – were Northerners who migrated south before the Geneva Accords. Like birds finding a good land, his father became one of the major contractors in Saigon, having built Tân Sơn Nhất airport in the early 1960s.

A New Path and Continuing the Legacy

In 1968, the contractor decided to make a second departure, bringing the whole family to France, starting an Asian food business from a small shop only a few dozen square meters in Maubert Square, District 5, Paris. The brand Thanh Bình – named after one of their twin daughters – developed quickly as it had no competition. “Because of my parents’ wholehearted dedication,” Thanh Bình quipped to me. Supporting her, the youngest brother Minh Đường added that their parents not only shared the same hometown and surname “but also the same values in life. They even passed away in the same year.” From the affectionate way the children refer to them, one can easily sense the warmth and mutual respect of a traditional Vietnamese family.

Since their father was a contractor, Minh Đường studied architecture, but after graduation, he chose to help his parents run the business. He said that before passing away, his parents divided their legacy: Thủy Bình would manage the original Thanh Bình, and a new branch – Thanh Bình Jeune – would be established for Thanh Bình (the daughter) and him to oversee. Thanh Bình Jeune now has three branches, including the well-known location at 20 Avenue Verdun 94200 Ivry sur Seine. It's renowned not only because 80% of its 3,700m² area features Vietnamese products, but also because it hosts elaborate annual Tet (Lunar New Year) fairs, complete with famous Vietnamese singers and artists. Minh Đường admitted that organizing these fairs always incurs losses, but the family wants to preserve the Tet spirit for Vietnamese people, especially for “the kids” – future customers of Thanh Bình.

The Ant and the Weevil

“Purely Oriental” is the slogan proudly displayed at Thanh Bình Jeune, but the deeper goal is “purely Vietnamese.” To achieve this, for over 40 years, this family has worked diligently and persistently – like ants – to bring Vietnamese delicacies and flavors to France. Beyond just business profits, Thanh Bình Jeune has embraced the mission of promoting Vietnamese products in Europe, with rice being the first dream product, intended to rival declining-quality Thai rice. After a long tasting tour across Vietnam two years ago, Minh Đường chose ST5 rice, which he said isn’t as fragrant as Thai rice but much sweeter. Thanh Bình Jeune eagerly ordered a large quantity and prepared beautiful packaging. Unfortunately, the first twenty tons imported were infested with weevils due to inadequate fumigation. The rice had to be sent back for reprocessing, but the chaotic procedures at the time left Thanh Bình’s “ambassadors” unsettled. They decided it was better to accept losses and liquidate the rice domestically rather than risk damaging the reputation of Vietnamese rice on its first European debut.

But the brand’s reputation still… took a hit. More recently, in a different incident: after years of purchasing frozen basa fish from a trusted company via a Vietnamese intermediary in France, Thanh Bình Jeune tried buying from a new source. The result was disastrous: the first eight tons were returned by customers – especially large African clients. The reason? The fish turned mushy when thawed because it had been pumped with too much water! Thanh Bình Jeune now has to hold onto these deceptive goods, bearing the ongoing complaint about the short-sighted thinking of some Vietnamese producers. That said, not all Vietnamese products are poor. Thanh Bình notes that frozen prepared foods, instant noodles, candies, and Vietnamese coffee sell very well.

Besides traditional foods – which we jokingly call "trading in memories" – nearly every new delicacy that appears in Vietnam shows up soon after at Thanh Bình Jeune. I still remember discovering crispy rice cakes with shredded pork, fried flour cakes… many years ago at Thanh Bình Jeune, not in Vietnam.

I’ve known this family since 1990 when I attended the Nantes Film Festival with the film "The Wandering Circus," back when Thủy Bình was managing the cultural stall at the Maison du Vietnam in Paris. They later became my audience when “Chung cư” and “Mê Thảo” were released in France. And I, with my Vietnamese eating habits, have remained one of their regular customers. Though familiar with and appreciative of the brand’s charitable activities, I must admit it didn’t leave a strong impression at first. Compared to Chinese supermarkets, this Vietnamese store seemed a bit shabby – fewer goods, less tidiness, fewer smiles… But over the past two years, Thanh Bình Jeune has suddenly transformed: its products are now diverse and neatly arranged, service is cheerful. Especially the cultural section – with quality and fresh publications – now occupies several square meters, becoming a go-to place for Vietnamese people to buy spring publications during Tet. Along with travel services, Thanh Bình Jeune serves as a bridge bringing the Vietnamese brand to Europe.

I asked Minh Đường who would continue building that bridge when all the descendants have chosen other careers. Minh Đường said he’s thinking of bringing in “outsiders” – specifically eyeing students working in the store to find a successor. Whoever it is, stranger or kin, I wish Thanh Bình Jeune prosperity. Because more than just a specialty business, this place is a source of pride for many Vietnamese people in France…