Dining in candles, listening to Vietnamese fairy tales: unique culinary experiences in Ho Chi Minh City

Entering the restaurant, diners are welcomed into a space lit only by flickering candles. This way of starting reminds of childhood "power outages", the whole family gathered around candlelight, evoking a simple memory that everyone has experienced.

The flickering candle on the dining table, the dim space made me feel like I was returning to my childhood, the evenings when the whole family gathered together during power outages. In the heart of bustling Ho Chi Minh City, in a small corner of a restaurant on Nguyen Van Huong Street (An Khanh Ward, Ho Chi Minh City), I suddenly relived that memory in a very different dinner: enjoying cuisine associated with Vietnamese fairy tales.

The flickering candlelight rekindles childhood memories, diners are both delighted and reminded of the beloved old days gathering with family.

PHOTO: LE NAM

From the moment I sat down, I could feel the chef’s intention. The space was lit only by flickering candles, reminiscent of family meals during power outages. After the appetizer, the light on the table slowly turned on, just enough to create warmth, not too harsh.

Meal filled with Vietnamese fairy tales

From here, the journey of dishes associated with Vietnamese fairy tales, lasting a full 2 ​​hours, is like a trip back to childhood, where taste buds and memories go together. What is special is that after the storytelling, the chef explains why the dishes have the appearance of that fairy tale.

'Eating star fruit and paying back with gold': when goose liver turns into a divine bird; Japanese Wagyu and Vietnamese buffalo "share the same table"... the author had a very vivid Vietnamese culinary experience for 2 hours

PHOTO: LE NAM

The most impressive dish for me was the dish "An khế tra vang". When the staff finished telling the story of the gentle younger brother who was rewarded by the divine bird, in front of me was a plate of food with a piece of foie gras shaped like a bird's wing. Right at the table, the chef lit a fire on the foie gras, making the outer layer crispy while the inside was still soft and fatty. The highlight was the thick, sticky sauce made from sweet and sour fish sauce, with a sparkling golden glow, evoking the image of the gold bars the divine bird brought back. The rich, salty and sweet flavors mixed with the fat melted on the tip of my tongue, both strange and explosive. I felt like I was "eating" the story I had just heard.

If in folklore, the black buffalo and the yellow buffalo are a dispute to be settled, then in the cuisine of this restaurant, it is a fusion. The dish combines premium Japanese Wagyu beef and Vietnamese buffalo jerky. The soft, sweet, luxurious Wagyu beef contrasts with the crispy, chewy, smoky shredded buffalo jerky. Two seemingly distant cultures converge on one plate, creating a unique experience. While eating, I thought, the chef must want to convey the message: cuisine can become a bridge, harmonizing differences.

Thach Sanh and the pot of rice that never runs out

PHOTO: LE NAM

When it came to the Thach Sanh dish, I was surprised once again when the staff humorously introduced: "Thach Sanh's best friend brought the magical rice pot to the restaurant". Indeed, the rice is served in a clay pot, and when the customers finish eating, they will immediately be given more. The feeling of "the rice is gone and then filled again" not only reminds me of the magical rice pot but also brings the warmth of a family meal.

Sticky fragrant rice, eaten with duck meat prepared with ground doi leaves and cereals. The taste is both familiar and strange: familiar in the rusticity of the rice, strange in the taste of doi leaves with the scent of the mountains and forests. To me, this is not only a dish but also a clever "interpretation" of the spirit of the fairy tale.

2 hours of very lively dinner

Other dishes also left a lasting impression. Hundred-jointed bamboo - with bamboo shoots, crabs, and chorizo ​​- evokes the image of a poor man using magical bamboo to overcome challenges. Mai An Tiem has the fresh taste of watermelon, cucumber, and feta cheese, recalling the journey of wandering on a deserted island. Son Tinh - Thuy Tinh combines cod, green bananas, and salted fat - symbolizing the competition between mountains and water. Finally, Ma Luong closes his journey with the sweetness of toffee, chocolate, and tea, like the final strokes of a magic pen.

There was more than just food on the table. Every time a story was told, the staff would place a postcard illustrating a scene from the story. The modern paintings, while still retaining the folk spirit, made me eat, look, and recall my childhood memories.

7 dishes are 7 skillfully told fairy tales, elevating the experience of a Vietnamese dinner

PHOTO: LE NAM

When the main menu ends, this restaurant also offers customers "childhood snacks": dried apricots, Big Babol candy, C candy... along with some cute childhood games. I suddenly found myself back in the old days, chewing candy and laughing with friends.

An evening here, in a cozy restaurant on Nguyen Van Huong Street, gave me a full experience: childhood memories, storytelling, creative cuisine and pride in Vietnamese identity. In a dynamic city like Ho Chi Minh City, perhaps it is cultural experiences like this that make people really stop and listen to stories from the past.

Thanhnien.vn

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/an-trong-nen-nghe-truyen-co-tich-viet-trai-nghiem-am-thuc-doc-dao-o-tphcm-185250822154301666.htm