Dine for the Kids
Activity: The Blue Dragon Restaurant
Location: Hoi An, Quang Nam
Tip: Read the blog on the website and then bring a big appetite
While in Hoi An, enjoy a hearty Vietnamese meal in a restaurant staffed by ex-street kids. Part of the profits go to education, health and food for street kids and orphans.
Near the market with a view of the river
Near the market with a view of the river
The experience: Far from the run-of-the-mill eatery and a place to relax with a drink, the Blue Dragon restaurant’s friendly service and delicious meals are delivered by staff from disadvantaged backgrounds. Owner Mr Nam, who works with street kids, opened the restaurant in 2003 with funding from the Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation. In return, Mr Nam donates 5% of his profits to the small local NGO.
Located near the market with a view of the river, the Blue Dragon restaurant features a range of tasty dishes, including its signature, fried wonton. Steaming deep-fried spring rolls, spicy crab and spinach with shrimp are among other big hits. No trip to the Blue Dragon is complete without a sip of its popular coconut rum.
The restaurant displays products created by beneficiaries of the Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation. Their line up includes honey, sports shirts, art work, greeting cards photos and jewellery. The young people involved in producing the merchandise earn money from their sales.
Private cooking classes can be arranged in which participants select menu items to learn to prepare. Everyone has a youngster as an assistant, while going step by step through the recipes, from raw ingredients to a meal to enjoy after the class.
The Blue Dragon: tasty food, local products
The Blue Dragon: tasty food, local products
How it helps: Aside from enjoying a great meal and service, the Blue Dragon restaurant’s patrons dine knowing they are contributing to charity without having it added to the bill. Part of the restaurant’s profits go into local projects, such as paying for teachers at a local pagoda and providing fruit to children in orphanages. Other funds are directed to the Blue Orphan’s Children’s Foundation’s three official projects.
The Hoi An Street Children’s Centre receives donations for school fees, food and health insurance for 60 students. The Step Ahead programme, based in Hanoi, supports 150 street children or those with disabilities, and Stay in School helps rural youngsters continue their education in Bac Ninh province.
Kids who Mr Nam guided through training at the Blue Dragon have gone on to work as waiters and trainee chefs at The Vine, one of Hanoi’s finest dining establishments.
The Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation was founded by Michael Brosowski (Australian), Pham Sy Chung (Vietnamese) and Gonzalo Serrano (Spanish), who started teaching Hanoi street kids English, maths, art and yoga. In 2004 the Blue Dragon registered as an independent NGO, which aims to put disadvantaged or disabled children in school and give them jobs.
Location and contact information
Blue Dragon Restaurant
46 Bach Dang, Hoi An, Quang Nam,
Viet Nam (The restaurant is near the market facing the river)
Tel: (+845) [10] 91074
E-mail: bluedragon@bdcf.org
Web: www.bdcf.org/restaurant.html
Open 0900-1000 daily
Map: Marker indicates Hoi An …
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