What is a reasonable grocery bill a week for middle class family of 5?

myvietnam wrote:

pls use dong as currency.

$20 p/kg quality beef is a crazy CHEAP price (regardless of currency)

I live in HCMC I buy beef in local market it is 240,000/kg, juicy, lean and great on the bbq melts in the mouth and as good as anything i've eaten back in Australia.

Imported beef is another story I can get Australian beef chuck frozen 191,000 +tax, cube roll ribeye is 289,000 + tax, TENDERLOIN - FROZEN AUSTRALIAN BEEF is 438,700+tax.

So $20 USD is pretty expensive unless buying from a supermarket.

On what planet? Australia?

Would you mind saying where? Mostly, I go to MeatWorks in Thao Dien. Recently, the ground beef is over 400k/kg. I’ve checked Big C & Megamart - it appears that they are dying the meat red. I am pretty careful about what I buy at both of them as I suspect that they carry many counterfeit products.

mitsmaak wrote:

I’ve checked Big C & Megamart - it appears that they are dying the meat red. I am pretty careful about what I buy at both of them as I suspect that they carry many counterfeit products.

The meat is real but the color may not be.  There is 3 gas mixture (carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen) that can be used to keep the red color in beef right up to and even beyond the normal sell-by date.  It is usually used at the point of vacuum packing of primal cuts.  Carbon monoxide (CO) in particular is approved for use in the US and CA but banned in the EU.  It is also approved in AU and NZ, the likely source of the supermarket beef, so maybe it is being applied at the point of origin and not necessarily in Vietnam.

For me the best beef in Vietnam, or anywhere for that matter, is at the specialty restaurants that sell young beef.  Its not really like veal because it has a normal diet but it is very tender and tasty at the same time.  My memory is getting sketchy (in all respects and not only about VN  ) but I think it is called thit bo.  Like a lot of restaurants in Vietnam they will usually have pictures of cattle on the sign.  If you are sensitive about such things, avoid the places with pictures of cats. 

Thanks for the response. And I was unaware of the gasses used. Makes sense and frankly unless there’s some chemical reactions. The gasses would dissipate rapidly.
Thit Bo is Vietnamese for beef. Do I understand correctly that you can buy raw beef from the restaurant? If you have a favorite location, I would be very keen to check it out.

As far as megamart & big C ; if you look at the “blood” . It looks like diluted koolaid. I don’t know what the cause is but it’s definitely not normal beef blood.
My wife’s mom worked in customs approval for fruit and vegetables. She won’t eat imported fruit at all. Apparently after the stuff is approved the next step is application of preservatives. I once sliced open an apple from NZ, and left it to the air. It took 3 days to show signs of oxidation. 😬

Was you talking to me? if so best use the quote so everyone knows,,,  I sent you a PM

Andybris2020 wrote:

myvietnam wrote:

pls use dong as currency.

$20 p/kg quality beef is a crazy CHEAP price (regardless of currency)

I live in HCMC I buy beef in local market it is 240,000/kg, juicy, lean and great on the bbq melts in the mouth and as good as anything i've eaten back in Australia.

Imported beef is another story I can get Australian beef chuck frozen 191,000 +tax, cube roll ribeye is 289,000 + tax, TENDERLOIN - FROZEN AUSTRALIAN BEEF is 438,700+tax.

So $20 USD is pretty expensive unless buying from a supermarket.

Yes, I think $20/kg is expensive as well. You can do better, I am sure. Asia MeatWorks only sell premium Australian beef and that’s equivalent to what most westerners think of. I was not fully aware of the op’s situation at the outset.

I’m interested which of the local markets that you buy beef in?

I would guess that there’s some decent grass fed local beef somewhere. I think it’s unlikely that they would hang it though but with the right cuts, I could age it myself . My biggest concern is about contamination and handling.

you guys are nuts!

even if i buy locally in AU, eye fillet is over $A40 p/kg - and that is not organic or anything special.

you guys are nuts!

even if i buy locally in AU, eye fillet is over $A40 p/kg - and that is not organic or anything special.

and here is an excerpt from HCMC Meatworks pricelist ....

Kingisland Tenderloin Thăn nội bò 1,285,000
Chicken Maryland Nạc đùi gà 150,000
Kingisland Cuberoll (Rib eye) Nạc cốt lết bò 995,000 Chicken Drum Sticks Đùi tỏi Gà 150,000
Kingisland Beef Short Loin (T - Bone) Cốt lết bò (T-Bone) 725,000 Whole Chicken Wing Cánh nguyên 125,000
Kingisland Beef Rump Nạc mông bò 625,000 Chicken Rib Vai gà 145,000
Kingisland Beef Striploin Thăn ngoại bò 760,000 Chicken Skewers Capsicum Gà xiên que rau củ 250,000
Kingisland Beef Thin Skirt Mạn sườn bò 495,000 Chicken Skewers Peanut Gà xiên que đậu phộng 250,000
Australian beef Frozen Chicken Nugget Gà vò viên 250,000
Black Angus Tenderloin (Grass Fed) Thăn nội bò đen 1,130,000
Chicken Sausages Xúc xích gà 280,000
Black Angus Rib Eye (Grass Fed) Nạc cốt lết bò đen 985,000 Chicken Kiev Ức gà tẩm bột vị bò 240,000
Black Angus Striploin (Grass Fed) Thăn ngoại bò đen 1,095,000 Chicken Steak Ga Bít Tết 245,000
Black Angus Beef Short Loin (T - Bone) Cốt lết bò đen có xương (T-Bone) 640,000 Chicken Breast Marinate Ức gà ướp 225,000
YGE Tenderloin Thăn nội bò 1,165,000
Chicken Schnitzel Ga Tẩm bột 215,000