The Hidden Gem: A Hair Salon with a Secret Noodle Shop

Tucked away behind Album Hair, a hairstylist and food entrepreneur's passion project, lies Tong Mein, a noodle shop that has been a labor of love for Dat Tran. Located in Riverside, part of Toronto, Ontario, this unassuming eatery is hidden from view, requiring potential customers to walk around the salon through an alleyway to discover it.

As someone who has been in the food industry during the COVID-19 pandemic, Dat shares that Tong Mein's concept was born out of necessity. "During lockdown, I had a lot of time on my hands," he says, "and I decided to turn my passion for cooking into a business." The result is a noodle shop that serves not only delicious food but also nutritious and easy-to-prepare meals.

Tong Mein's menu boasts a variety of options to suit every taste and dietary requirement. From beef bone soup broth to chicken bonesoup broth, seafood soup broth made with lobster head, and vegan soup broth, there's something for everyone. But the real star of the show is the selection of proteins – Dat offers a range of choices to cater to different tastes.

But what really sets Tong Mein apart from other noodle shops is its focus on vegetables. "We have an enormous selection of vegetable options," Dat explains proudly. "Our customers are always surprised when they see how many choices we offer." And if there's one dish that stands out, it's the beef noodle soup – a fan favorite that never fails to impress.

As the camera pans across the alleyway, the sound of sizzling and simmering can be heard from within Tong Mein. It's clear that this is more than just a noodle shop; it's a labor of love. When asked about his experience running both Album Hair and Tong Mein, Dat smiles wistfully. "It's not always easy," he admits, "but it's worth it to see my customers enjoying the food I've made with love."

As we step into Tong Mein, the camera shows us the cozy and intimate atmosphere that awaits inside. The walls are adorned with colorful artwork, and the tables are filled with steaming bowls of noodle soup and chill bowls. It's clear that this is a place where people come to relax and enjoy good food.

The video then pans back to show Dat Tran welcoming viewers to his restaurant. He introduces himself as the owner of both Album Hair and Tong Mein, and invites us on a journey behind the scenes of his noodle shop. With a warm smile, he greets us and says "Hi," before launching into an explanation of how Tong Mein came to be.

For Dat Tran, running a noodle shop is not just about serving food; it's about bringing people together. As he explains, Tong Mein has become a sensation in the community, with customers often having to search for it on social media and word of mouth. "It's almost like a treasure hunt," Dat chuckles, "and I don't think there's another hair salon that has a noodle shop behind it."

As we explore Tong Mein further, the camera shows us the kitchen where the magic happens. We see steaming bowls of noodle soup, vegetables galore, and a team of chefs hard at work, preparing meals for the day ahead. It's clear that this is a place where food is made with love and care.

Dat Tran takes us on a tour of his restaurant, pointing out different dishes and explaining the inspiration behind each one. He talks about his customers, who he meets every day, and shares stories of how Tong Mein has brought people together. As we watch, it becomes clear that this is more than just a noodle shop; it's a community hub.

As the tour comes to an end, Dat invites us to try some of Tong Mein's famous beef noodle soup. With a steaming bowl in front of us, we take our first bite, and the flavors explode on our taste buds. It's clear that this is a dish made with love and care – just like everything else at Tong Mein.

In conclusion, Dat Tran's Tong Mein is a hidden gem that has captured the hearts of Torontonians and foodies alike. From its secret location behind Album Hair to its delicious noodle soup and chill bowls, there's something for everyone at this unassuming eatery. Whether you're looking for a nutritious meal or just a taste of something new, Tong Mein is definitely worth a visit.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: en-We are hidden right behindAlbum Hair in a green container.It's not on a main street.It's, you know,it's not where it's visible.People would actuallyhave to walk aroundto the back of the salonthrough the alleyway to find it.So, I am a hairstylistand also a food entrepreneur.What did you do during COVIDand during lockdown?This is what I did.A lot of people have found outabout Tong Meinthrough social media,word of mouth.There was peoplelooking for Tong Mein,and it took themover half an hour.It's almostlike a treasure hunt.I don't think there isanother hair salonthat has a noodle shopout there.Here's Album Hair,and we're going to Tong Mein.♪♪Can't even see where Tong Meinis yet.Still hidden.Hi. My name is Dat Tran, andI own Album Hair and Tong Mein.Tong Mein is behind Album Hair,which is in Riverside,part of Toronto, Ontario.We serve noodle soupand chill bowl.The concept of Tong Meinis delicious, easy, nutritious.We have a beef bone soup broth.We have a chicken bonesoup broth.We have our seafood soup broth,which is madeout of lobster head.And we have it a vegansoup broth.We have differentprotein options.We also have huge selectionsof vegetable.Our best-selling dish isactually the beef noodle soup.Yeah, my customersare actually really surprisedthat there is a noodle shopin the back,but they assume, actually,there's a kitchen as well.And I go, \"No.\"Sous vide and pasta boileris how I came aboutwith being able to sell itin the shipping container.So, I'm making our signaturebeef noodle soup bowl.First, take the beef.We put that in here.So, our beef is vacuum-sealedwith flavors,and it's not dried out,actually, either.And then we putthe soup broth in.Then I get our rice noodle.'Cause everything is portioned,so it's a lot easierto work with.So, when I make the bowls --So, we have our spinach,broccoli, kale, carrot,cucumber, squash,sweet onion, green onion,cilantro, and alfalfa sprouts.And we have our thickrice noodle at the bottom.So we take our proteinthat's been sous vide already.This is ribeye meat that we use.♪♪I've been doing thisfor close to 20 years.It's just part of my mechanism.My mom had a hair salonin Vietnam.And, moving to Canada,she opened her own hair salon.I helped her out when I was 10.She asked me to shampoosomeone's hair.And, being 10, I couldn't reallyreach the scalp that well,so I was, like,washing like this.And that was literally my firstexperience in the hair salon.You know,when you get your hair cut,you're more revitalized,more energized, right?You feel refreshed.That's how I look about foodas well, right?So my thought process ishow can I create somethingthat actually will constantlyimprove your well-being,your health,even your mental state?You know, being in a pandemic,we were locked down,and I was trying tofigure out --How do I keep myselfand my mental health there?So that's why I came aboutwith this.So I created the menuof Tong Mein,assessable hereto all the clientsso our clients can orderthe noodle soup with the QR codeand then pick it upin the back here, the container,and sit it up on the patioto be able to eat it.I thought, you know,opening a restaurant,the cost of it would --You know, most restaurantsare in the hundredsof thousands of dollars.And for me,purchasing a containerwas a fraction of that price.And that's how I thoughtof Tong Mein.If I can geta shipping container inand I designed the interiorto have the kitchen counter,the sink, and everything else,I can just hook up the plumbingand electrical.And then I was in business.We're on the wayto the commercial kitchento pick up the soup broth.I was born in Vietnam,in Saigon,which is now Ho Chi Minh City.I actually didn't grow upin Vietnam.I came when I was 5 1/2.We were sponsored by my aunt.Like, every immigrant's tryingto improve your family, right?My aunt thought we would havea better opportunity in Canada.Growing up,I've always loved to cook.I started cooking when I was 7.You know, I was kind of inspiredby my dad.My dad was also always cooking,so I thought, you know,\"How hard would it be?\"♪♪So, we are at our commercialcatering kitchenwhere we make the soup brothand where we prep allthe ingredients for Tong Mein.This is Aaron, our chef,and this is Misha,our kitchen support.And over here, it isour lobster head soup broth.We have the lobster headfrom the East Coast.We have pineapple, leek, onions,celery, carrots.From here, we freeze it.And once that is frozen,we bring it overto the shipping container.When we open it, we have allour frozen soup broth sous videand ready to order.So, this is my favoritesoup broth.It's simple,but there is so much characterand depth into it.Aaron and I came up with it.It reminds us of stuffwe grew up eating, you know?Pineapple is in a lotof the Vietnamese cuisinethat is sweet and sour.With the Southeast Asiancommunityof, you know, the noodle soup,there wasn't anythingthat was catered tomore dietary restriction,people who are who arevery health-conscious.Having my brother-in-law,who's severely celiac --my niece has severe nut allergyas well --I started to realize, you know,what can I actually reducefrom the soup broththat I can make accessibleto a lot of peoplewho have a dietary restriction?Growing up, my siblings,we just got along,and certain times,we didn't get along.I think it's like every family.When my dad passed away,I had to take careof my youngest brother.And now he's a chef,and he's actually the personthat helped me find thecommercial kitchen that I got.I lost my dad when I was 16.He was a very simple man.And I think because of that,he taught me how to livea simple life as well,how I try to create everythingaround me to be simple.I think he would be proud,but I wish he was around.But if it wasn't for himnot being here,I don't think I would have beenthe same person.He's almost like my angel.I feel like he's...Sorry.You know, I feel likehe's always been there,looking out for me.I've learned not to have fearof death,and I think my dadmade me aware of that.If you don't have confidenceto try something,you will never knowwhat you're capable of.♪♪I'm always trying to pushthe envelope of where can I go.I feel very fortunate for othersto share their experiencewith me.This is how I work with food.How can I feed you somethingthat could help influence youto be more positive?How can I cut your hairto make you feel good?How can I feed youto make you feel good?♪♪\n"