HÀ NỘI — A virtual phở restaurant has recently taken the gaming community by storm, with its name and virtual address becoming the two most searched keywords on social media.

Quán Phở Của Anh Hai (Brother Hai's Restaurant) is an indie game developed on a small scale, independent of any large companies or big names in gaming.

Although it has just been released, Brother Hai's Restaurant has quickly captured the attention of young people thanks to its surprising and engaging story, high entertainment value and the incorporation of many relatable everyday elements from Vietnamese life.

In the game, players take on the role of Brother Hai, a man determined to start his own business by opening a first-generation phở restaurant at 10 Đan Phượng street in a peaceful village in the outskirts of Hà Nội.

However, Brother Hai's life is anything but tranquil. Players not only sell phở as requested, but also face a series of amusing and challenging situations, from keeping an eye on his pet dog Cậu Vàng (Golden Boy), who frequently escapes his leash, to dealing with quirky customers visiting the restaurant.

There are even cinematic-style action sequences, and depending on the choices players make in each situation, they will reach one of four of the game's interesting endings.

Despite being a personal project, Brother Hai's Restaurant has created an unprecedented buzz in the Vietnamese gaming community. The two keywords Phở Anh Hai and Số 10 Đan Phượng unexpectedly became the focus on social media, attracting hundreds of thousands of searches and comments.

Many young people have used Google Maps and food delivery apps to search for the restaurant and its address to verify its existence. Numerous social media users have even shared images of real eateries in Đan Phượng, leading many to mistakenly believe that Brother Hai's Restaurant is a real spot.

A ride-hailing company shared internal statistics on October 3 showing that searches related to Phở Anh Hai and Số 10 Đan Phượng skyrocketed over the previous two days, not only in the ride-hailing section but also in the food delivery category.

The surge in interest was so significant that ride-hailing apps had to address the spike in searches for this fictional location.

According to players, what sets Brother Hai's Restaurant apart is not the special effects or graphics, but its distinctly Vietnamese setting. Every small detail evokes familiar memories: green plastic chairs, a jar of chopsticks on the table, red signs with yellow lettering and anti-drug slogans on old walls. 

This Vietnamese essence gives players the feeling of actually sitting in a phở restaurant at the end of the alley.

Statistics show that the game has currently reached 650,000 downloads with nearly one million views.

"Without complex graphics or an action-heavy script, the game still creates a ripple effect because it evokes memories for many different people," one player said.

The overnight popularity of the indie game even surprised its creator, a 22-year-old male student at Hà Nội University of Science and Technology, who said he wishes to remain anonymous.

"I never imagined the game would become this popular; I am incredibly happy. It stemmed from my desire to create a game that embodies Vietnamese cultural identity. I chose phở as a theme because it is very familiar to Vietnamese people and well known worldwide,” he told vtv.vn.

“Regarding the budget and investment for the game, I didn't invest anything because I didn't have the means to do so. I used resources that are widely shared online, brought them in and modified them myself. That's why I made the game completely free so everyone could access it.

“The game is simply a project I created for entertainment purposes. Popular memes and trends inspired me to incorporate them into the game to make it more relatable for Gen Z players. I sincerely thank everyone for their support of me and Brother Hai's Restaurant. I hope this support continues for my future projects.” — VNS