I first met Loc in 2019 at the Light Pub, which he’d opened a year earlier. I was fairly new to the Nghi An province (living in Dien Chau) and would frequent Cua Lo for the beach and the chill vibe. What I discovered about Dien Chau and Cua Lo was there were no bars! Bia Hoi joints, sure, plenty—but a bar with stools and western brand booze—nary a one! Except (as I was to find out) Loc’s, Light Pub.
Loc was a likeable guy—handsome, hardworking, and hospitable. We became fast friends. I spent a lot of time at his pub and met a lot of people. Including the couple, Thien and Van Anh, as well as their two adorable children, Bao Ngan and Thien Anh (you’ll hear more about Bao Ngan, aka Abalone, soon).
In 2022, Loc shuttered the Light Pub and opened Ari, a cozy and chic hotspot near the beach. Shortly after, he converted his operation into a café/pub. Opening from 7am until 11am daily to service locals and tourists with coffee and exotic fruit drinks. And then reopening at 6pm to serve more serious drinkers (it should be noted, you can purchase alcoholic beverages during the café’s hours of operation).
Backstory: Loc spent three years working and studying in Japan. He returned with vision and the bucks to back it up. “Bars and pubs were popular in Japan. And I’d spent plenty of time in places like Hanoi and Da Nang, where there are numerous drinking establishments,” Loc told me through my adorable, nine-year-old translator—Bao Ngan (yep, the same girl, whom I call Abalone, because Bao Ngu is how you say Abalone, and that’s close enough for me).
“I had the dream of opening Cua Lo’s first pub,” Loc continued proudly. I asked him why he named his establishment Ari. He explained that it came from both the Japanese word for Thank You (Arigato) and the Cua Lo colloquial term, Ari, which loosely translates to “a little of this, a little of that.”
Loc mixes fabulously colorful concoctions—a regular mixologist. Of course, he serves Vietnamese brand beers (as well as Heineken) and has shelves of well-known western brands (vodka, rum, tequila, gin, bourbon, scotch, et al.).
Ari offers a simple assortment of bar snacks, but on occasion the pub hosts BBQs (fish, fowl, assorted meats, and sausages). There is also frequent live music and DJ jams, and the occasional soccer game aired on the television.
When I suggested that Loc was something of a visionary (opening a western-style pub in a resoundingly non-western habitat), he smiled knowingly. “Over the past year, Cua Lo has unveiled plans for the future. Our sleepy town is awakening. It’s always been a popular beach resort spot for Vietnamese from Hanoi and the Nghe An province, but now its reputation is spreading. It’s receiving a facelift and upgrades, and I feel that westerners will soon discover the charms of Cua Lo Beach. When they do, they will have a place to wet their whistle.”
It was a dual honor interviewing Loc and touting his wonderful drinking establishment. One: Loc is a longtime friend, and he deserves the success he is achieving. Two: little Abalone (whom I met as a tyke) is a precocious, witty, well-versed English-speaking savant. That she was capable of serving as translator for this interview made me proud, and, well, that called for a drink. Thankfully, I was in the right place!
VISIT ARI PUB ON FACEBOOK
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