The Culinary Artist of Hanoi: Crafting Tet Feast Trays with a ‘Sweet’ Twist

Thuy Duong, a talented 30-year-old baker from Hanoi’s Thanh Xuan District, recently captivated the online community with her stunning creation. Her post on the “Esheep Kitchen Family” e-group, featuring photos of a Tet feast tray with the nostalgic caption “Old Flavor,” garnered over 7,000 reactions and countless admiring comments.

The intricate Tet feast tray, a masterpiece crafted from cake and fondant, includes six traditional dishes, along with bowls, plates, and chopsticks. Photo courtesy of Thuy Duong/Yeu Bep Esheep

“As someone who left home at a young age, I rarely had the chance to savor my mother’s home-cooked meals,” Duong shared. “So, I wanted to recreate the magic of Tet with this edible work of art.”

Indeed, the attention to detail is remarkable. Each dish, from the banh chung (square sticky rice cake) to the pork jelly and fried spring rolls, is meticulously crafted from cake, sugar, and chocolate. Even the bowls, plates, and chopsticks are works of art, molded from fondant and candy to look incredibly realistic.

A closer look at the pork rind soup, where the bowl is crafted from fondant and decorated with intricate details.

Duong and her team of eight dedicated five consecutive days to researching the textures and shapes of the dishes and utensils, aiming for absolute authenticity. “I wanted to evoke the Tet of my childhood,” she explained, “so we studied the early 2000s chopsticks, soup spoons, and porcelain to get the details just right.”

The fried spring rolls, for instance, are filled with fondant replicas of meatballs, wood ear, shiitake mushrooms, and shredded carrots, wrapped in thin rice paper for that signature puffy surface. As for the banh chung, it took four team members and thousands of sugar candy balls to create the illusion of sticky rice grains, boiled to perfection over 10 hours.

The stunning banh chung, a masterpiece of sugar candy balls and fondant, captures the essence of the traditional dish.

For the pork jelly and pork skin soup, Duong used gelatin to create a translucent effect, showcasing the “meat” and “vegetables” within. No detail was spared, as the team even drew flowers on the fondant bowls and plates, adding a touch of elegance.

Duong’s passion for baking and her attention to detail shine through in this creation. “I wanted to use my skills to bring people a taste of traditional Tet, especially those who, like me, live far from home,” she shared.

Thuy Duong, the talented baker behind the stunning Tet feast tray, hopes to spread the spirit of the Lunar New Year through her creations.

With this Tet tray and her previous viral hit, a 3D mooncake inspired by the North Vietnamese countryside, Duong has proven her ability to evoke strong emotions and memories through her culinary creations. “I plan to continue pushing the boundaries,” she revealed, “showcasing Vietnamese food culture not just during Tet but throughout the year.”

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