Tay Ho Weekend Market is a famous spot in West Lake, ${bigcity_Hanoi:"Hanoi"}. For two years now, it’s a favorite destination for locals not only to food shop but also or even more, to meet friends or simply hang out and have a nice, relaxing weekend.
 
The popular market came about because of a Frenchman named Patrice Gautier who was the manager of Asian Veterinary and Livestock Services (ASVELIS) and wanted to introduce the importance of food safety into the country. During that time, the concept was quite alien to Vietnamese markets. So Gautier and his wife, dedicated and determined to teach the Vietnamese people how crucial food safety and cleanliness was to one’s health and life as a whole, opened a shop named Naturally Vietnam. The store sold poultry products produced by some local farmers under the USAID/ STOP AI project, guaranteed fresh and of top quality. The couple invited other food companies to join, thus the creation of the market.  
 
Essential foods can be found in the market. Chicken, duck, vegetables, eggs, milk, bread, dried fruit and nuts, honey and wine are just some of the things you can buy there. Almost all of the products are made locally in Vietnam and properly identified as to place of origin. Before, foreigners, both residents and visitors, used to be the only ones to buy in the market. But Pham Ngoc Diep, the market manager, now proudly claims that locals have started to patronize their products.
 
The market aims and maintains “safety, traceability, natural origin and good taste.” This means that the customers are assured of quality products and good service. In fact, the market was doing so well that more and more products started to arrive, and the store naturally expanded to another yard opposite the original shop. Now, aside from food, Tay Ho Weekend Market also sells clothes, books, accessories, cosmetics, and other more merchandise. Stalls are put up that sell quilts, teddy bears, and even used clothes.
 
Among the well-known stalls in the market are the ones that sell free-range chicken eggs and cosmetics. The former is so popular that clients have to order the eggs in advance. The latter is owned by a Frenchman, Jean Louis Valade, who has been in the skin care product business in Vietnam for two years. His products are both made locally in Vietnam and imported from France, but all are made from natural ingredients.
 
Tay Ho Weekend Market opens on Saturdays from 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. But it is more than just a market. More than the shopping, people love coming to the place both for the relaxing ambience and fun atmosphere, but most of all for having a chance to have a wonderful time with their family and friends.