'ONE MAN'S STREETS SMARTS,' The Examiner, July 2010 - The plight of street kids in Vietnam moved a US academic to open a different sort of restaurant to help.

NEAL Bermas spent years wondering what he might do for Vietnam’s street children. The New York university professor was struck by their plight from his first visit to the country in the late 1990s.

‘‘I was approached by street kids selling postcards and flowers and I’d never really come across street kids before — it really affected me.’’

In subsequent visits an idea began to form — perhaps he could use his expertise in hospitality and business to start a training college for budding chefs and restaurant workers.

He talked to his university colleagues, who offered to help set up a not-for-profit organisation that would raise funds to support STREETS International.

And so, among the World Heritage buildings of Hoi An in central coastal Vietnam, the concept of STREETS took physical shape as a restaurant that trained disadvantaged youth in culinary skills.

STREETS has been open for a year when I walked in last month. It’s the cleanest restaurant I’ve seen in Hoi An — an impression reinforced by Professor Bermas.

‘‘Our goal is to train children not just for a job but for a career. Our standards are the same as you would find in a four or five-star hotel,’’ he says.

Hoi An’s ancient buildings, such as the 17th century Japanese Bridge, led to the city’s World Heritage listing by UNESCO and have seen a steady increase in visitors.

The city is still, however, inexpensive for an Australian visitor. It’s possible for a family of four to lash out with several courses and drinks at a mid-range restaurant for less than $20.

The constant availability of cheap, fine dining can leave you feeling decadent. Dining at STREETS is a wonderful way of making a contribution to a worthy cause without losing your holiday mojo.

During our visit the city is hot and muggy. In the heat, you appreciate the little touches by the trainees at STREETS, like the waiter who offers to add ice to your beer or a polite inquiry about how you enjoyed the signature Hoi An pancakes.

At the end of this year the first graduates will have completed their 18-month training program. Their certificates will be on a par with those of students doing a course at the award-winning Institute of Culinary Education in New York.

It’s easy to see why Lonely Planet called it ‘‘dining for a cause’’.

Professor Bermas says his hardest task is choosing each intake of students.

‘‘All the youth have compelling stories. Typical are the 16-year-old girl who was living in a detention centre after repeated arrests for street begging; a 17 year-old girl with a harelip, selling flowers in the street to support her father who was crippled by Agent Orange in the Vietnam War; and an 18 year-old girl shuttled between her destitute family and an orphanage, and forced to work for pitiful wages in a seedy bar, where she fought off the unwanted attentions of its male customers.’’

Professor Bermas expects the Hoi An restaurant to become self-sustaining and serve as a model for restaurant colleges in Vietnam and other South-East Asian countries.

‘‘It’s an ambitious program. We have very high expectations of the students in their training,’’ he says. ‘‘In my experience, people rise to the expectation.’’