Coronavirus-shaped burgers in Vietnam
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a severe impact on businesses all over Vietnam. Many stores and restaurants have been forced to temporarily shut down, while others have switched to offering takeaways only.
Some restaurants have been unfaltering in their dealings with the difficult situation, however. They have come up with creative ideas to not only attract attention to their food, but also contribute to the fight against the virus by boosting positivity in the community.
Previously we reported on a restaurant in Hanoi that entertained its diners by using a drone to serve food to them. Now, a pizza brand in the city is selling burgers shaped like the coronavirus to reduce fear of the pandemic.
“If you are scared of something, just eat it”
Pizza Home’s staff making buns for the “corona burger”
Image credit: BURGER CORONA by Pizza Home
For over a week, Pizza Home, a pizza chain with multiple outlets in Hanoi, has been selling burgers with buns shaped like the coronavirus, which fascinated the media.
Video credit: Hoang Tung
These special burgers still come with the usual ham, cheese, and veggie fillings, but their buns have been dyed green with pandan leaves and matcha powder and shaped to resemble the look of a virus.
Mr Hoàng Tùng, owner of Pizza Home and the one who invented this “corona burger”, said in an interview with BBC that when he was watching the Pixar animated movie Monsters, Inc. with his son, he found the appearance of the character Michael, a round green monster with one eye, very amusing, which was why he took that as an inspiration for the burger.
Mr Tùng’s interview with BBC
Video credit: Hoang Tung
He also shared that the original idea stems from a joke that “if you hate/fear something, just eat it”, something many Vietnamese parents tell their children when they refuse to eat their food.
“Amidst all the gloomy news and negativity, I just want to make a product related to the virus, but one that brings joy and positivity instead,” Mr Tùng wrote on his personal Facebook page.
Corona burger brings positivity
Mr Tùng makes a great point. In these tough times, staying positive is just as important as staying alert. We are glad to see that Vietnamese business owners are undeterred by the situation and have even found quirky ways to turn the tide in their favor. With such an attitude, Vietnam will surely be back on its feet right after the pandemic is over.
For more funny COVID-19 stories, check out:
- Vietnamese drivers do push-ups to prove they are covid-free when questioned by traffic police
- Vietnamese illustrators portray medical workers as superheroes
- Man in HCMC uses rope-and-pulley to get deliveries
Cover image adapted from: BURGER CORONA by Pizza Home, EXP.GG
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