Nguyễn Thanh Hà

As the Mid-Autumn Festival approaches, Hà Nội’s jubilant atmosphere welcoming the festival is bustling at every corner of the city, with thousands of traditional and modern toys displayed along Hàng Mã Street in the heart of the capital.

Apart from Hàng Mã, Ngon Garden Restaurant at 70 Nguyễn Du Street is a popular destination for Hanoians and people from surrounding provinces. They love to come here not only for the great dishes and specialties but also to experience traditional culture with its unique characteristics, which cannot be compared to anywhere else in the heart of the capital, said city resident Hoàng Thanh Thủy.

Ngon Garden Restaurant in Hà Nội has created a ripe yellow rice pathway to welcome the coming Mid-Autumn Festival. — Photos courtesy of Ngon Garden.

Thủy, from Tây Hồ District, told Việt Nam News that her family, including her two children, recently visited Ngon Garden Restaurant in front of the beautiful Thiền Quang Lake to relax at a unique place ahead of the upcoming festival.

The main festival falls on the middle of the eighth lunar month, or September 17 this year.

“The Mid-Autumn Festival is one of most important celebrations for Vietnamese people. The festival takes place during the full moon, which shines its light to the earth, and also during the rice harvest. That’s why I would like to present people with a special gift: a path of yellow rice as a symbol of a bumper harvest around the restaurant. It’s also my wish for all to enjoy a happy Mid-Autumn Festival where family members, relatives and friends reunite together,” Phạm Bích Hạnh, the owner of Ngon Garden Restaurant, said.

Children are excited to wear masks to welcome the Mid-Autumn Festival and learn about Việt Nam's rice cultivation at the restaurant decorated by Ngon Garden Restaurant staff.

“As a regular foodie at Ngon Garden Restaurant, I appreciated Hạnh’s dedication and her staff, who always create new and improved high-quality dishes and also new and significant decorations at their restaurant," said Thủy, adding that she and other foodies would never forget previous decorations, like the path lined with lilies in April and a field of green rice seen around the restaurant in June, as well as the current yellow ripe rice pathways.

Hạnh said she wished to help foodies fully understand about Việt Nam’s wet rice cultivation with activities from Vietnamese communities.

A delegation of guests are enjoying the yellow rice path while checking into the restaurant.

“My children are so happy to run on the yellow rice paths while enjoying the full moon and stars decorations, and they love the beautiful moon and big star lamps hanging elsewhere at the restaurant,” said Thủy, noting that the family is very impressed with the natural beauty of the space. They thoroughly enjoyed such a unique atmosphere, allowing them to welcome the full moon among nature in the modern city of Hà Nội.

Hạnh said it’s not easy to create an image of such an old natural space. Ngon Garden has used 1,000 lights and 2,000 star lamps along with other LED lamps. The restaurant's staff have also devoted their time and energy to setting up such a unique look for this year’s Mid-Autumn Festival, she noted, adding that it's all worth it.

A family enjoys tasty dishes at a table decorated with ripe yellow rice and other plants.

“We ourselves create hand-made toys such as star lamps, masks and others, so that guests can feel nostalgic for unification when arriving at Ngon Garden Restaurant to enjoy tasty and amazing dishes -- and also the full moon,” said Hạnh, adding that she wishes that during this year's festival, family members, relatives and friends have a good chance to connect with each other while children learn about traditional culture.

The theme, called 'Yellow Autumn in Street Garden' or Thu Vàng Trong Vườn Phố, will last until September 17 at 70 Nguyễn Du Street.

A couple is happy to enjoy the Mid-Autumn Festival decorations in the unique space at Ngon Garden Restaurant in Hà Nội.

The main festival will be held on September 14-15. After entertainment, guests will enjoy traditional Mid-Autumn specialties such as moon cakes, fruits and young sticky rice or cốm Làng Vòng.

Ngon Garden and Quán Ăn Ngon have been listed by the prestigious Michelin Guide twice, this year and last year, which helped put them on the culinary map. — VNS