Gaming shops flout curfew

Game on: Internet shops in Ha Noi are flouting a new city regulation requiring them to close by 11pm, with many continuing to operate until 6am. — VNA/VNS Photo Minh Tu

HA NOI — Internet shops in Ha Noi are flouting a new city regulation requiring them to close by 11pm, with many continuing to operate until 6am.

The rule, imposed on September 1, was aimed at reducing online game abuse among young people.

But Nguyen Hung, a student at the University of Technology and a self-confessed online game addict, said the hours after 11pm were "gold" for internet shops because many students rushed to them at night after finishing their studies for the day.

Hung said he often plays at a shop on Le Thanh Nghi Street in Hai Ba Trung District.

"It's a new school year, and many students from rural areas who come to study at universities in Ha Noi still have money to afford online games throughout the night," said Hung.

A shop owner who asked to have his name withheld said, "Despite the city's restriction, we try to keep our shop open to earn money."

The city has cut the main internet line to the shop, but the shop remains connected through shared network lines, he said, although the quality of the internet connection was lower, causing trouble for some gamers.

Many shop continue to operate without internet connections by offering offline games.

"These offline games are still entertaining," said Hung. "There's still blood and violence. Offline games are as dangerous as online games."

To get around the post-11pm ban, may shop use internet connections during the day and cut the line during the late hours to deal with any city inspectors.

Some internet shops have tried to find a loophole in the restriction by registering to change their form of business to a cafe – while continuing to providing oneline gaming.

For example, the Dat Shop on Giang Vo Road, which has been fined and urged to stop late night operations many times, has opened a cafe and provides free internet for customers who order a coffee.

Dat has also made this change since the new restriction bans internet shops and internet shops within a 200m radius of a school but not a cafe with internet.

An official from the Ha Noi Department of Information and Communications, Pham Quoc Ban, said they were confused as to how to deal with the problem. "But we'll tighten controls to prevent violent online games which have a highly negative effect on young people's behaviour and lifestyles."

Violations will be imposed with heavy fines and forced to be closed, Ban said.

The new regulation was also imposed in HCM City where 4,000 internet shops and over 1 million internet subscribers exist. — VNS

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Grilling mudfish on the street

Coal ovens blaze day and night grilling mudfish in shops on Tan Ky Tan Quy and Truong Chinh streets in Ho Chi Minh City.

The shops jostle for attention with signs as red as the coal in the ovens as the alluring smell of grilled fish wafts in the air.

But unlike most other street establishments, these shops in Tan Phu District only do takeouts. In that sense they aren’t so much “shops” as a grilled-mudfish market that offers locals a great alternative dish.

The shops grill the fish in almost the same simple way as it is done in the countryside, the only difference being they use coal ovens instead of a burning heap of straw.

The ovens are large enough to grill seven or eight fish weighing almost a kilogram each.

The outer skin is burnt until pitch black and removed by hand or with a stick to reveal another golden–brown layer of skin underneath.

The fish are then put back on the oven over low heat, sprinkled with shallot grease, and left there to marinate.

Street shops preferred

Restaurants too serve grilled mudfish, which is in fact an expensive dish. But street shops attract customers because of their friendly and quick service.

Accompanied by the same side dishes and dips like unripe bananas, sour carambola, vermicelli, rice paper, fresh vegetables, and fish sauce, the fish sold on the streets is in no way inferior to what is served in the restaurants.

Despite the use of a simple grilling technique, making mudfish is demanding work. For instance, to burn the outer skin completely, the cooks have to carefully turn the fish whiles also ensuring they are done in exactly five-minute intervals.

Removing the burnt skin is also hard work, especially since it is done at the same time as sprinkling the shallot grease and packing them for customers.

The fish are made using sugarcane instead of iron grates. As a result the sweet juice is absorbed by the meat. Shop owners sometimes put a crushed citronella stem in the fish’s stomach to neutralize its smell.

After grilling, the fish are taken off the sugarcane, placed in silver foil, sprinkled with shallot grease and crushed peanuts, and packed in a paper bag.

Some shops do not use sugarcane and stick to iron, which is more convenient since on busy days the fish can be half-grilled in advance and re-grilled when there is an order. But whatever grill is used, ensuring the fish are properly done is not an easy task.

Try this excellent dish and you will discover that however mudfish is grilled, it is a quintessential dish of the southern waterways.

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