Please Help Me Buy Stuff in a Large Self-Serve Bakery
June 12, 2024 12:41 AM Subscribe
I'm staying in a non-tourist area of Hanoi, and every day I walk past an *amazing* large bakery, but I never go in because... TBH I've never been in this type of self-serve bakery before. I *think* you just get personal tongs and put stuff on a tray which you then take to the checkout (maybe specifying eat-in or take-out?), but I don't speak Vietnamese so my brain thinks any incorrect assumptions could spark an international incident, and so - so far - no pastries for me (I know how ridiculous this all sounds, yes).
I'm quite embarrassed about this question, but in my defense - more often than not - folks seem a little shocked when I walk into a store here, so I feel much more on the back foot than, say, in Thailand (where I just came from).
I'm also a little neurodivergent in that some seemingly simple processes can appear potentially catastrophic to me, even though I fully understand that buying a pastry doesn't typically require a certification procedure.
I'm quite embarrassed about this question, but in my defense - more often than not - folks seem a little shocked when I walk into a store here, so I feel much more on the back foot than, say, in Thailand (where I just came from).
I'm also a little neurodivergent in that some seemingly simple processes can appear potentially catastrophic to me, even though I fully understand that buying a pastry doesn't typically require a certification procedure.
Best answer: I *think* you just get personal tongs and put stuff on a tray which you then take to the checkout (maybe specifying eat-in or take-out?)
I've never been to Vietnam but that looks like bakeries where I live, where I look around until I find some small paper bags and tongs and then fill up the bags with what I want - things with different prices go in different bags. Some places have little napkin-type things instead of tongs; either way you use them to grab stuff without touching anything directly. Usually the prices are per weight rather than per item so the bags get weighed by the checkout person.
Which doesn't mean that's how it works at this bakery. So I'd go in and look around at what people are doing - where do they get the bag/tray/tongs, are things weighed at the register, etc.
Also you don't speak Vietnamese but many people speak English, and body language can also get you far even if they don't. So you can go in, observe for a minute, and then if nobody comes up to goggle at you/help you you can go stand next to someone who's helping themselves and gesture to their bag/tray/whatever and ask "excuse me, where do I get that?". They'll almost certainly point out the source. Then once you have one, if they haven't decided to take you under their wing on their own, you can make a slight show off watching how they fill their bag/tray/etc, do something similar and say "like this?", etc.
If people do stare at you when you come in that actually makes things easier! Make eye contact with someone who seems to be helping themselves, walk over, and start asking them as above. Treat staring as an invitation.
If you have social anxiety this might be a little hard but this is an anonymous transaction - you'll never see these people again - and a lot of people really like to help clueless tourists. Just be polite, step into your role as a little lost sheep, and defer to their expertise.
Also, as a tourist you're expected to get things wrong - nobody will think "what's wrong with this neurodivergent tourist", everybody will think "clueless tourist". It can be a little refreshing to not be expected to know how everything works, for once. Just be a respectful clueless tourist and you'll be doing the job well.
posted by trig at 1:19 AM on June 12 [22 favorites]
I've never been to Vietnam but that looks like bakeries where I live, where I look around until I find some small paper bags and tongs and then fill up the bags with what I want - things with different prices go in different bags. Some places have little napkin-type things instead of tongs; either way you use them to grab stuff without touching anything directly. Usually the prices are per weight rather than per item so the bags get weighed by the checkout person.
Which doesn't mean that's how it works at this bakery. So I'd go in and look around at what people are doing - where do they get the bag/tray/tongs, are things weighed at the register, etc.
Also you don't speak Vietnamese but many people speak English, and body language can also get you far even if they don't. So you can go in, observe for a minute, and then if nobody comes up to goggle at you/help you you can go stand next to someone who's helping themselves and gesture to their bag/tray/whatever and ask "excuse me, where do I get that?". They'll almost certainly point out the source. Then once you have one, if they haven't decided to take you under their wing on their own, you can make a slight show off watching how they fill their bag/tray/etc, do something similar and say "like this?", etc.
If people do stare at you when you come in that actually makes things easier! Make eye contact with someone who seems to be helping themselves, walk over, and start asking them as above. Treat staring as an invitation.
If you have social anxiety this might be a little hard but this is an anonymous transaction - you'll never see these people again - and a lot of people really like to help clueless tourists. Just be polite, step into your role as a little lost sheep, and defer to their expertise.
Also, as a tourist you're expected to get things wrong - nobody will think "what's wrong with this neurodivergent tourist", everybody will think "clueless tourist". It can be a little refreshing to not be expected to know how everything works, for once. Just be a respectful clueless tourist and you'll be doing the job well.
posted by trig at 1:19 AM on June 12 [22 favorites]
I think at the Hong Kong Paris Something bakeries in SF they will have cafeteria trays to stack your choices upon, bagging at the register if desired.
posted by rhizome at 3:27 AM on June 12
posted by rhizome at 3:27 AM on June 12
As long as you don’t use your hands only the tongs to handle food, you’re fine. When I’ve had hands full or it’s a weird bread thing, I’d point and then hold up my fingers for the number of items I wanted, and the shop assistant would help. The trays are to carry lots and lots of items up to the cash register where they will count and total up everything and usually put it all into another larger bag.
posted by dorothyisunderwood at 4:13 AM on June 12
posted by dorothyisunderwood at 4:13 AM on June 12
In our US location, the bakery has trays and tongs near the food/front entrance wall. Tongs are sometimes in a device that looks like a microwave, but it runs a sanitation cycle. Follow some other customers in and see what they do and use that as a guide.
You can have Google translate or a similar app ready to go on your phone for conversation. My understanding is if you are tempted to say YUM, clarify as YUMMY, as YUM is not the same in Vietnamese.
When I went to Asia there were many many times that I was a distinct visual minority, and people would look to notice, so there was more attention. It helped me appreciate how easily blending in can be overlooked, and there are labors with difference, starting with being noticed and observed.
Do NOT let that stop you from having delicious pastries! They look amazing! Feel free to share about what you tried, deliciousness awaits!
posted by childofTethys at 5:28 AM on June 12 [1 favorite]
You can have Google translate or a similar app ready to go on your phone for conversation. My understanding is if you are tempted to say YUM, clarify as YUMMY, as YUM is not the same in Vietnamese.
When I went to Asia there were many many times that I was a distinct visual minority, and people would look to notice, so there was more attention. It helped me appreciate how easily blending in can be overlooked, and there are labors with difference, starting with being noticed and observed.
Do NOT let that stop you from having delicious pastries! They look amazing! Feel free to share about what you tried, deliciousness awaits!
posted by childofTethys at 5:28 AM on June 12 [1 favorite]
Yes, take a tray and pair of tongs. There might be a square of paper to put on the tray first. Pick up the pieces you want to eat, there should be little signs saying what each one costs. Bring to cashier and they will add it up and put in bag. The bakeries I’m familiar with don’t have tables but if this one does, just gesture with your hand that you want to eat there and not to bag. If you point to a table, use your whole hand, not your fore finger.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 6:04 AM on June 12 [2 favorites]
posted by TWinbrook8 at 6:04 AM on June 12 [2 favorites]
Best answer: There might be some sections that are self serve and other areas where you are helped by an employee. For instance, I’ve been to places like that which do all the grab your own regular breads, pastries, even sandwiches, but then there is cold drinks station, a hot drinks/coffee station, and a delicate refrigerated desserts section (like little gelatin fruit pudding things, flans, etc) and each station had an employee waiting to make a drink or grab something from a closed display. You either choose to skip these stations and enter the line for payment, or you go up to whichever ones you want, they would have their own smaller lines, and indicate what you want and they would either hand it to you or place it on your tray. The two places I’ve been to that do this had these stations after the main self serve queue, so the people waiting for a drink or whatever didn’t hold up anyone just picking up a box of baked goods to go.
One thing you might try is to search for the bakery’s name on sites that do video. There very likely have been things like tiktoks and YouTube videos of what the place is like. If you’re unsure how to type the name, find their website and copypaste it from there, and look for results in Vietnamese. I bet there are some videos of teens or aunties and their families trying out the new/renowned bakery that you could watch. There might be a whole food review, even. That way you could do some observing before you actually go.
I do think the best way to get your answers would be to go into the store and hang out in a slightly out of the way spot for a few minutes, just watching what people do. Then join the line and buy like, one thing. Then once you have confidence, return another day and get more.
posted by Mizu at 6:57 AM on June 12 [2 favorites]
One thing you might try is to search for the bakery’s name on sites that do video. There very likely have been things like tiktoks and YouTube videos of what the place is like. If you’re unsure how to type the name, find their website and copypaste it from there, and look for results in Vietnamese. I bet there are some videos of teens or aunties and their families trying out the new/renowned bakery that you could watch. There might be a whole food review, even. That way you could do some observing before you actually go.
I do think the best way to get your answers would be to go into the store and hang out in a slightly out of the way spot for a few minutes, just watching what people do. Then join the line and buy like, one thing. Then once you have confidence, return another day and get more.
posted by Mizu at 6:57 AM on June 12 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: Thanks everyone for your helpful replies! I just slow-walked past and took a longer lookie-loo, and *saw tongs and trays just inside the entrance*: I think there may be pastries in my future....
posted by 4th Matryoshka Doll at 7:10 AM on June 12 [35 favorites]
posted by 4th Matryoshka Doll at 7:10 AM on June 12 [35 favorites]
Did you get the pastries yet???
posted by amtho at 12:02 PM on June 12 [4 favorites]
posted by amtho at 12:02 PM on June 12 [4 favorites]
Response by poster: Ha ha - not yet: now that I know how to do it, the next phase is to continue walking past until I get so tired of myself that I just dive in. It's like a three-way competition between how much I want pastries, how easy it is to avoid the situation, and how much I'm annoying myself (particularly since I'm doing this repeatedly). I am definitely annoying myself a lot, so I expect the spell to be broken soon....
posted by 4th Matryoshka Doll at 7:56 PM on June 12 [1 favorite]
posted by 4th Matryoshka Doll at 7:56 PM on June 12 [1 favorite]
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I'm sure there are many active Youtubers who speaks English and Vietnamese and can help you navigate the food scene, esp. that bakery (for a fee, of course)
posted by kschang at 12:44 AM on June 12 [1 favorite]