KOTO + HAVEN
KOTO and HAVEN are remarkable and important restaurants in South East Asia. They are both non-profit organizations that offer opportunities for at-risk and disadvantaged young adults, giving them a better future and well-paying jobs.
KOTO, a restaurant in Hanoi, stands for “Know One, Teach One.” On their website, they describe themselves as “a hospitality training center to break the poverty cycle among disadvantaged young adults and create a better future for themselves, their families, and their communities.” They also report that by 2021, more than 1,200 people have graduated from the center and now have many great jobs, such as executive and sous chefs, hotel and resort general managers, and business owners.
When we walked inside this restaurant, we got a break from all the hustle and bustle in Hanoi. It is peaceful, and very casual. It is a somewhat modern building that has many pictures of Hanoi on the walls. All the staff is super friendly and accommodating and of course, the food is magnificent. Now… let's talk about the food. It was DELICIOUS! I got a Vietnamese beef poke bowl. This poke bowl was different from any I've ever had. Instead of rice, they put in rice noodles (the kind used in Bun Cha) and topped them with lettuce, fresh lime juice, crispy shallots, watercress, cashews, and other tasty foods.
HAVEN means a safe place, the perfect meaning for this lovely restaurant found in the heart of Siem Reap. HAVEN has two mottos that are used and seen throughout the restaurant - “where helping tastes good” and “the meaning of life is to give life meaning.” These mottos are incredible, and when I think about it, both are so accurate! HAVEN provides just about everything for their employees - rent, electricity, housing, water, medical costs, food and clothing, school materials, educators, and they are all given a monthly salary.
The atmosphere of this restaurant is serene and happy. All of the seating is outside, string lights will twinkle above you and fans are blowing on you from every direction (You might be, like, ‘Why is she writing about fans?’ I am writing about fans because it is just so nice to just sit down in front of a fan with an ice cold drink after a long, hot day). The staff greets you with a smile and the waitress brought us nice, cool towels. The food was also spectacular here! I got crispy, delightful spring rolls, I tried a banana flower salad, and I also got a burger. (I was craving some American food!!!) For a drink I got coconut water…in a coconut! I was so excited, but when I tried it it wasn’t that great!! It tasted almost sour and sweet, not like I’d imagined it at all! After that, I enjoyed a heavenly lemon and mint beverage.
Both of these restaurants were wonderful. The food was great and the missions of the restaurants were even better. I think there should be more of these restaurants in the world because they make such a significant impact. From now on, I’m going to go out of my way to help and support exceptional restaurants like these.