Mai Simpson’s eyes glisten with joy as she roams about her soon-to-be Vietnamese restaurant at the heart of Aberdeen.
The mum of two and her husband Dave signed the lease for the abandoned unit on Back Wynd six weeks ago.
But Mai can already envision how the downtrodden spot could be transformed into a mecca for Vietnamese cuisine.
Opening her own restaurant has been a life-long dream, and she has been working out all of the details in her head for years.
Carefully stepping across the rubble strewn on the floor, the couple begins to share their ideas for their new venue, Mai’s Vietnamese Kitchen.
On the ground floor, there will be about 10 tables where customers will be able to enjoy authentic dishes from her homeland.
And at the corner – where construction tools and wooden ledges now lay stacked up – there will be a bar.
Perhaps they could even serve Vietnamese staples such as the unusual rice wine prepared in a jar with a snake, Dave and Mai giggle.
But for now, they want to focus on getting the place in shape – and then pick the menu.
‘I’ve always dreamed of running my own Vietnamese restaurant’
Mai has been running a very successful take-away service from her home in Mannofield for about three years.
Started off on a whim after a friend gave her a “little push”, the 47-year-old has now grown a solid base of customers – who rush for her delicious meals every week.
Spring rolls stuffed with bean sprouts and prawn, chicken pho, bamboo shoot noodles – her recipes are all inspired by the street food cuisine of her home city of Hanoi.
And each week is different, with customers able to pick from a fresh set of dishes every Thursday and Friday.
Mai has already built a reputation for being a master of the authentic Vietnamese culinary – and now she wants to bring a tiny bit of her culture to the city centre.
“I love cooking – and I love making people happy with my cooking,” she smiles.
“Opening up a restaurant has always been a dream of mine, and after three years of doing it from home we thought it was the right time to take this next step.
“This restaurant will give people the chance to have the real Vietnamese experience and enjoy my dishes the way they need to be – warm and cooked to a 100% perfection.”
Mai’s restaurant to offer the ‘ultimate Vietnamese experience’
The project is still in its infancy, but Mai and Dave hope to have the restaurant open by February next year.
They have already picked a Vietnamese firm to come up with an authentic decor for it, which would transcend customers to far-away Asia as they set foot through the doors.
And if all goes to plan, even the crockery and glassware will be Vietnam-made.
“Can you tell I’ve been thinking about this a lot,” Mai chuckles over a boiling hot tea at the city centre branch of Costa – whose uniform surroundings are a far cry from how she sees her venue.
“I want everything in this place to recreate traditional Vietnam – from the plates that I plan to take from home to the paintings on the walls.
Dave adds: “If you look at Edinburgh and Glasgow, they are a lot more cosmopolitan – and we don’t see a reason why Aberdeen can be like that too.
“It will bring more diversity to the high street, and that can only be a good thing.”
Are you excited for Mai’s Vietnamese Kitchen coming to the city centre? Let us know in our comments section below.
Why did they pick the city centre?
Stretching huge smiles, the pair can’t contain their excitement about this new chapter for Mai’s Vietnamese Kitchen.
But they admit that taking over a city centre unit in this climate is a “gamble”.
Dave says finding the right spot for the venue was a bit challenging, and they viewed several other units – including a few on Union Street – before picking this one.
The Back Wynd property ticked all the boxes, the 50-year-old adds. It was small and cosy, and in a central location where there is a constant flow of people passing by.
“I do feel that the city has been degrading in recent years – there is not a lot in the city centre, and it has been a very difficult time for businesses, which is obvious.
“But I think it might be coming to a turning point now, and once all of these roadworks are finished and the revamp is completed, the city centre will probably go on the up.
“And this restaurant can add to that, and help make it a vibrant and diverse place.”
Read more:
Conversation