Seoul (VNA) – The Vietnamese chain Alagi has opened its second restaurant in Seoul this June, after the first one has gained popularity among locals.

Inaugurated on June 11, the restaurant lies in Seodaemun district and serves some 150 guests on a daily basis.

According to founder Doan Ngoc Quang, the first Alagi restaurant opened in Dongdaemun district in September 2018, serving 120 – 150 eaters daily on average. 

Quang said the chain aims at promoting Vietnamese cuisine among Korean food lovers. He hoped that his restaurants will grow to compete against Vietnamese food chains run by Koreans.

Talking to the Vietnam News Agency, Quang said after obtaining his master degree from the Kookmin University, he decided to stay in Seoul and started the business. 

His initial survey of the market showed that most of Vietnamese restaurants here are operated following Korean models or are in form of a family restaurant managed by Vietnamese women, who married Korean men. As such, they face difficult in maintaining the original taste of Vietnamese culinary delights. 

He said 3.6 million people from the RoK visited Vietnam last year, adding that many Koreans have been to Vietnam now and know the original flavour of local food.

As such, the point is to ease the seasoning and cut the amount of oil used Vietnamese dishes to better suit Korean taste, Quang stressed.

Currently, the RoK houses approximately 400 Vietnamese restaurants, of which more than 100 are located in Seoul.-VNA