As the famous saying goes, "If you're afraid of something, you should eat it." Amidst the coronavirus pandemic, a Vietnamese restaurant in downtown Hanoi, called Hanoi Pizza Home, has come up with a bizarre green-coloured, coronavirus-themed burger for their customers, to boost their morale. The ‘Coronaburger’, as they call it, is a regular beef burger but with a fun twist to it.
Laughing in the face of the global pandemic, Chef Hoang Tung's corona-burger consists of small green-buns crowned with little spikes on them, that represent the microscopic images of the coronavirus. The hue of green in the buns is added by mixing fresh spinach juice in the dough which not only adds flavour and colour to the burger but also the necessary nutrition. The burger comes with beef and chicken options and costs 65,000 VND ($2.70).
The idea of the burger was inspired by a request from Tung's 10-year-old son, who had asked him to try something "fun" as he was bored of the incessant bad news that was going around.
It takes more time and ingredients to make the ‘Corona’ burger but we keep the price low, as it is a new product. But more importantly, we want to spread joy and positivity in this tough time for everyone.Hoang Tung, Owner
Ever since it debuted on the menu on Tuesday, the restaurant has had almost 100 orders for the corona-burgers despite the increasing numbers of businesses that were forced shut due to the rapid spread of coronavirus in Vietnam. Tung hopes this new creation will boost his sales, which have been badly affected since the COVID-19 outbreak hit Vietnam at the end of January.
There are now 148 recorded cases of the virus in Vietnam, but no reported deaths, according to the health ministry. Authorities in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City have also ordered to close all non-essential businesses, although some food outlets, including Tung’s takeaway shop, still remain open.
(With inputs from AP)
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