The traditional feast in Vietnamese culture is not merely about preparing a family meal, but also carries a profound spiritual significance. It embodies gratitude, reverence, and prayers for ancestors. It symbolizes family unity during festive occasions, gatherings of relatives and friends, as well as prosperity, good fortune, and hope for a peaceful and happy new year.

The indispensable dishes in a traditional Vietnamese feast

The traditional Vietnamese feast is a unique cultural beauty of the nation, showcasing sophistication and skill in presentation and preparation of dishes. In these traditional feasts, certain dishes are indispensable, symbolizing hopes for a peaceful and prosperous new year.

Chung Cake

Thit mo dua hanh cau doi do (Pork fat, pickled onions, and red couplets)

Cay neu, trang phao, banh chung xanh (Neu tree, firecrackers, and green square sticky rice cakes)

Chung cake, with its sweet flavor of glutinous rice, rich pork, and fragrant mung beans, is a dish that carries the essence of the homeland and embodies the traditional cultural beauty of the Vietnamese people. The square-shaped cake symbolizes the earth and is an indispensable dish during Vietnamese Tet holidays.

The ingredients for making Chung Cake are quite simple, including glutinous rice, green beans, pork, dong leaves, and spices. Glutinous rice is washed clean and soaked in water for about 6-8 hours to soften. Green beans are washed clean and soaked in water for about 2-3 hours to swell. Pork is selected as fatty pork, washed clean, and sliced thinly. 

After preparing the ingredients, we proceed to wrap the cake. The dong leaves are washed clean and dried. Glutinous rice is spread evenly on the dong leaves, followed by green beans and pork. Then, we roll up the dong leaves, and tie them tightly with string.

Hanoi Spring Roll

Hanoi Spring Roll is a relatively familiar dish in traditional Vietnamese feasts. It is made from minced pork, vegetables, and a few characteristic spices such as garlic, chili, salt, and sugar mixed together, then wrapped in dried rice paper. When eaten, people often dip Spring Roll in sweet and sour fish sauce with pickles such as cucumbers, carrots, and chili. Nem Hanoi is not only a specialty of Hanoi, but also has a strong flavor and cultural identity of the people of the capital.

Pork Leg Braised with Bamboo Shoots

Pork Leg Braised with Bamboo Shoots is a traditional specialty dish of Northern Vietnam. It is a familiar dish on festive occasions and family gatherings. The dish is made with many elaborate steps. The pig's trotter is cut into pieces and stewed with bamboo shoots, along with some familiar spices such as fish sauce, pepper, garlic, and chili peppers. When the dish is cooked, the meat becomes more fragrant and greasy, with the perfect balance of softness and toughness. The combination of pork and bamboo shoots creates a rich flavor. 

Jellied Meat

Jellied Meat is a traditional dish from Northern Vietnam, often served during the Lunar New Year. The main ingredients include pork leg, pork skin, wood ear mushrooms, and spices. The pork leg is cleaned, boiled until cooked, and then sliced into bite-sized pieces. The pork skin is cleaned of hair, sliced into small pieces, and soaked in water to expand. All these ingredients are then sautéed together.

After stir-frying the pork leg and pork skin, add the broth to the pot, bring it to a boil, then add wood ear mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, and spices. Simmer over low heat until the meat sets, then turn off the heat. The jellied meat has a milky white color, a sweet and savory taste of the meat, and a fragrant aroma of wood ear mushrooms and shiitake mushrooms. When eaten, it has a crisp and refreshing texture, making it very appealing.

Caramelized Pork and Eggs

The main ingredients for this dish are pork belly and chicken eggs. The pork is cleaned and cut into bite-sized pieces. The eggs are hard-boiled and peeled. To enhance the flavor, the pork is marinated with seasonings such as fish sauce, seasoning powder, sugar, pepper, etc., for about 30 minutes to allow the meat to absorb the flavors evenly.

After that, put the pork into a pot with coconut water or filtered water. When it boils, add the eggs to simmer together. Simmer the pork on low heat until it becomes tender and the sauce thickens, then turn off the heat.

Caramelized Pork and Eggs has a beautiful golden color, a rich and flavorful taste with the aroma of the pork and the well-absorbed seasoning from the eggs. When eaten, thịt kho trứng has a rich, fatty taste from the pork and a savory flavor from the eggs, making it very appealing.

Clay-pot braised fish

Clay-pot braised fish is a traditional Vietnamese dish, often prepared with meticulous care. The main ingredients for making this dish are black carp, fish sauce, sugar, seasoning powder, pepper, galangal, turmeric, and chili. The black carp is cleaned, cut into pieces, and then marinated with the mixture of fish sauce, sugar, seasoning powder, pepper, galangal, turmeric, and chili.

To make clay-pot braised fish delicious, marinate the fish with fish sauce, sugar, seasoning powder, pepper, etc. for about 30 minutes until the fish absorbs the flavors. Then, place the fish in the clay pot, add slices of galangal, turmeric, and chili on top. Braise the fish over low heat until it becomes soft and the sauce thickens, then turn off the heat. Clay-pot braised fish has a beautiful brown color, a rich and savory taste, and a fragrant aroma from the fish, galangal, turmeric, and chili. When eaten, it has a rich, fatty taste from the fish and a pungent flavor from the galangal, turmeric, and chili, which makes it very appealing.

Enjoying Traditional Vietnamese Feast at Phung Thanh Restaurant

Indulging in a Traditional Vietnamese Feast at Phung Thanh Restaurant is an exquisite experience that will linger in your memory. Amidst a cozy ambiance, you can savor traditional flavors, including iconic dishes like square sticky rice cake (banh chung), fermented pork roll (nem), caramelized fish in clay pot (ca kho tau), and pork braised in traditional spices (thit lon nau dong).

Each dish is meticulously prepared from fresh ingredients with delicate craftsmanship, embodying the essence of Vietnamese countryside. What sets Phung Thanh Restaurant apart is its preservation of traditional table setting, creating a warm and intimate atmosphere reminiscent of a family meal, while honoring the beauty of Vietnamese culinary culture.

With a perfect blend of exquisite flavors and elegant decor, a professional and enthusiastic staff, Phụng Thành restaurant has become the ideal destination for those who love traditional cuisine and wish to experience Vietnamese culinary culture.