VI
EN
In just under four hours, starting at 5:30 PM, the Luc Tinh Home Kitchen Restaurant recreated the atmosphere of Tet celebrations in a traditional Southern Vietnamese village, from the bustling and joyful days leading up to Tet, decorating houses, buying flowers and fruits, preparing cakes and sweets, to the respectful act of lighting incense to invite ancestors to return home for Tet on the 30th day of the 12th lunar month.
From outside the gate, pots of vibrant yellow chrysanthemums and a rickshaw laden with Tet flowers lead visitors into the "village." Along both sides of the road are clumps of marigolds – a popular flower during Tet in Southern Vietnam – and rows of earthenware jars and pots, a common sight in every household. Beside these, familiar regional songs like "Southern Land Song," "Ly Cay Bong," and "Banh Bong Lan" are sung with heartfelt longing, inviting visitors back to their hometowns, to the Tet celebrations filled with nostalgia.
Ms. Doan Thi Thu Thuy, owner of the Bep Nha Luc Tinh restaurant, shared: “I grew up in the Mekong Delta, so I love the Tet (Lunar New Year) of the past. In my memory, from the 23rd day of the 12th lunar month, when the Kitchen God is sent to heaven, preparations for Tet begin in a bustling atmosphere. Around the 26th day of the 12th lunar month, there's a flurry of flowers and fruits; around the 29th, it's even more joyful and busy. The Tet market is lively, not only selling all sorts of things but also a place where children play dice games, and people make grasshoppers from coconut leaves... so I wanted to recount that story in this program.”
In the soft, warm glow of oil lamps, the entire space of the Six Provinces Kitchen is imbued with a nostalgic atmosphere, evoking images of villagers busily preparing for the approaching Tet holiday. In one corner, a family is wiping banana leaves in preparation for wrapping banh tet (traditional Vietnamese rice cakes); another family started earlier, so the sticky rice, mung beans, and pork fat are already ready, and they are busy wrapping the cakes together. In another corner, a woman is wiping sweat, hastily finishing a pan of coconut jam, while another family is pouring sponge cake and busily preparing savory dishes for the Spring festivities. Here, customers not only rediscover simple country dishes like fried bananas, banana candy, swallow's nest cakes, and corn porridge, but also get to see firsthand how these interesting dishes are made. If they wish, they can stop by to sample a piece of jam, a bowl of sweet soup, or a sponge cake to experience the flavors of Tet of yesteryear.
The restaurant, located in the Mekong Delta, also takes advantage of the large lake in the middle to recreate the atmosphere of a riverside dock. On that dock, several boats carrying flowers and watermelons are moored, allowing customers to choose what they want to take home for Tet (Lunar New Year). On both banks of the river, young men and women are singing and exchanging verses, and after each farewell, some people still linger with fond memories.
And as a way to remember their ancestors, the "Kitchen of the Six Provinces" also recreates the scene of descendants cleaning the altar, wiping down the glass painting, polishing the bronze incense burner, and preparing flower vases and fruit plates so they can light incense to welcome their ancestors back for Tet.
At the end of the spring outing and New Year's feast, the restaurant bid farewell to guests with bamboo baskets filled with delicious treats like sticky rice cakes, sausages, and ginger jam, all homemade by the kitchen staff, amidst the gentle strains of music: "If we miss our date this afternoon, then this spring will be sad. Sadder than the old apricot trees. And spring will forget to wear its new clothes. Our old promises remain intact."
Yes, who wouldn't feel sad and nostalgic about saying goodbye or missing out on Tet like that? The lyrics of that song, along with the images of Tet in the Southern countryside that Bếp Nhà Lục Tỉnh recreates, seem to be reminding those far from home to return to their families during the Spring days to celebrate a truly joyful Tet. And if anyone wants to relive the Tet of the past, to "reconnect" with old friends in this village, they can come back next Tet, when the "villagers" are preparing to celebrate a new Tet.
To successfully organize this event, the restaurant spent a whole month preparing the concept, ordering flowers, mats, etc., from the Mekong Delta to decorate in the authentic Southern Vietnamese style, and also rediscovering the authentic recipes for some traditional dishes. This was not a ticketed event, but a special occasion organized by the restaurant to introduce friends, loyal customers, and some representatives of the diplomatic corps to how people in Southern Vietnam celebrate Tet (Lunar New Year).
