After Hà Nội authorities ended the lockdown and allowed dining services to return, we were all anxious to put on our casual Sunday best to go out for a family meal. Discussion touched upon a steakhouse, a Russian restaurant whose menu looked great with grilled meat on charcoal, and a small place offering delicious sweet treats. 

Southern cakes a part of tradition

Sweet and savoury cake recipes in southern Việt Nam have evolved over decades to conform to changing lifestyles.  Now, in a bid to build their brands and earn more income, cake artisans plan to sell their goods abroad. Ngọc Diệp reports. 

For most Hanoians, cốm (green sticky rice) is one of the capital’s most important symbols of gastronomy and elegance, and so is bánh cốm (sweet cake made of green sticky rice and green beans).

For those who love traditional Vietnamese cakes, bánh da lợn (literal translation “pig-skin cake”) should be at the top of your list during Tết (Lunar New Year) holiday that celebrated the Year of the Pig.

UK travel site Skyscanner has named HCM City among the best places to celebrate Tết (Lunar New Year), Việt Nam’s biggest and most important holiday, alongside Beijing, Bangkok and Taipei.

If you are an avid traveler in Việt Nam, chances are you have heard of the Bánh Ít Towers.

Cốm is not only a Hanoian favourite. It also has an important place among Vietnamese foods as it is associated with Việt Nam's rice-growing culture which has been maintained for centuries. Eating cốm and cốm cakes gives us the fresh flavour and bucolic ambiance of the countryside.