Black sesame sweet soup has a different flavor
One midweek evening, Ms. Huynh Ngoc Thanh (born in 1995, District 10, Ho Chi Minh City) went to a small sweet soup shop on Nguyen Thai Binh Street (District 1) after reading information about this shop in a post on social media.
Entering the shop, she was surprised by the cozy space of old-style wooden tables and chairs mixed with modern ones, along with many musical instruments, dolls, and Japanese ceramics.
Ms. Thanh commented that the black sesame sweet soup at the shop has a different flavor than other places she has eaten (Photo: Cam Tien).
As a lover of this dessert, Ms. Thanh commented: "The black sesame dessert here is just sweet enough, fatty but not greasy, especially the coconut milk and black sesame do not mix together like other places but have separate, clear flavors."
The person behind this special pot of black sesame sweet soup is Mr. Hong Khac Le Cuong (70 years old), who devoted all his heart to creating this unique flavor.
“I chose the Japanese cooking method to make the sweet soup smooth, with little water, preserving the fiber of sesame, rice, and glutinous rice. The pot of sweet soup was cooked for 4 hours, stirring constantly over low heat,” Mr. Cuong shared.
In addition to black sesame sweet soup, which is the signature dish of the restaurant, the menu here also includes green bean sweet soup, black sesame smoothie, black sesame flan, custard flan, matcha flan, coffee flan, etc.
Black sesame sweet soup and black sesame flan are two best-selling dishes (Photo: Cam Tien).
Mr. Cuong said that the tea here does not use preservatives or additives, and the ingredients are carefully selected from reputable sources. “I do not dare to claim that my tea is better than anyone else’s, but I guarantee that the ingredients I use are of guaranteed quality,” Mr. Cuong said.
Although located in the center of District 1, each portion of chè here costs only from 20,000 to 35,000 VND, surprising many diners.
In response to rumors that he “sells chè just for passion” because the price is too reasonable in the middle of expensive District 1, Mr. Cuong denied it. He said that the shop was opened so that the couple could have extra income when they retire.
"This is the house my parents left me, I have... good fortune, I didn't buy it myself. My wife and I are old, selling tea doesn't take too much effort, just enough to make enough money to not bother our children, and we can make use of the space, saving money!", Mr. Cuong said.
During the time staying at the restaurant, it was not difficult for reporters to come across foreign guests who came to the restaurant thanks to recommendations on digital map applications.
On Google Maps, this small dessert shop receives a lot of praise from international tourists, many of whom comment that the dessert is a "Japanese tea-style dessert."
A diner said that from the delicate flavors to the way the dishes were presented, they seemed to be inspired by the style of the Land of the Rising Sun.
The dishes on the menu are all prepared by Mr. Cuong and his wife (Photo: Cam Tien).
A place to nurture the artist's soul
What impresses many people who come to the shop is not only the sweet soup, but also the relaxing moments when listening to the shop owner play musical instruments or interacting with guests in a small, cozy space imbued with cultural and artistic features.
Unlike other sweet soup shops in Ho Chi Minh City, the space here is decorated like a miniature gallery. Pointing to the stone powder and oil paintings hanging on the wall, Mr. Cuong boasted that all the paintings in the shop were hand-painted by his wife, Mrs. Dieu Thi My Duyen, who is a painter.
On the walls are zithers, moon lutes, violins, guitars, and harmonicas hanging among the paintings. On the table are glass cabinets containing a collection of Japanese dolls of various sizes. On the floor are Japanese ceramic vases, small wooden statues... All are arranged like a place to display works of art.
“I like everything gentle and the harmonious colors in Japanese art. You have to look at it for a long time to see all the beauty,” Mr. Cuong shared when asked about the style of the restaurant.
The owner often plays the piano spontaneously, bringing melodious tunes to the cozy space of the shop (Photo: Cam Tien).
When he was young, Mr. Cuong was a music teacher. He said that teaching at that time was not enough to make a living, tuition was only calculated in food, equivalent to about 300g of sugar/student/month.
After that, he quit teaching to do many different jobs and spent some time working abroad. When he was old and returned to his hometown, he and his wife decided to open a sweet soup shop to earn more income and live among music and painting, two lifelong passions of the couple.
“One loves music, one loves paintings, finally joining forces... to sell tea. How interesting!”, Mr. Cuong humorously said.
The owner of the tea shop plays the piano to serve customers ( Video : Cam Tien)
That is why the afternoons here often resound with the warm sound of the piano in classical music or gentle jazz melodies. Depending on the guests, Mr. Cuong chooses to play different music. For example, if there are older guests, he will play deep old music, while young guests can enjoy cheerful, modern songs.
In his spare time, he also invites guests to join him in playing and singing, whether they are professional artists or just people who like to play a few guitar chords.
“Any guest who knows how to play music is welcome. I leave the instrument there for anyone who wants to use it, just like at home. There have been a few times when foreign guests who are musicians or artists come here to travel, they listen to the instrument and then sit down and play with me,” he said.
If there are "compatible" guests, Mr. Cuong is willing to share many things (Photo: Cam Tien).
In recent days, videos of Mr. Cuong playing the guitar have been shared on social media, attracting many views and comments. "Eating sweet soup while listening to music makes me feel so noble," one person wrote.
A young customer who came to the restaurant for the first time also recounted: “My friend and I came to the restaurant and saw that the uncle and aunt rarely smiled, so we were a bit shy. But after asking about the guitars in the house, the uncle started talking and asked us many questions. At that time, the atmosphere became much more cheerful. The dessert was delicious, worth trying.”
Sharing with Dan Tri reporter, Mr. Cuong confessed that many times customers complained about his cold appearance. “Many people blame the owner for not being friendly. I also joked: “If you want me to talk, you have to ask”. Whoever starts a conversation first, I am willing to chat right away. Many people who do not know me think I am grumpy, but those who know me will know my personality,” he said.
Address: 149 Nguyen Thai Binh, Nguyen Thai Binh Ward, District 1, HCMC
Opening hours: 8am-9pm
Reference price: 15,000-30,000 VND
Source: https://dantri.com.vn/du-lich/quan-che-binh-dan-o-khu-dat-do-tphcm-chu-70-tuoi-dan-piano-phuc-vu-khach-20250612200126527.htm
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