Going veggie and beyond

The sensation of a veggie dish used to hit me most on Lễ Vu Lan (Ullambana Festival). It was something more about our culture and custom to observe the practice of going veggie during the festival.

In Vietnam, vegetarian food is prepared very sophisticatedly and time consumingly. Between a non-veggie and a veggie dish, most people will choose to make the former for its convenience. This implies the fact in our country making a good veggie dish is always harder than making a good non-veggie one. As a cook, I have been raised out of that perception and reality. I therefore believed vegetarian food was something special and upper-classed in terms of its spirit behind the food. I also therefore held appreciation towards those vegans.


It is not until recently that my veggie perception goes through a transformation. By going veggie, I am aiming to going green and clean. Simply speaking, it is all about vegetables and cleanness in its all senses. I try not to use lots of spices, particularly those spices which may transform the aroma and taste of vegetables. If possible, I try to serve raw vegetables or make them stay fresh over tender fire. In terms of nutrition, strong belief and evidence about healthy food are always held towards raw and fresh vegetables.

A veggie dish, if colour and texture preserved, can hit your eyes the way a picture does. Always through a dish of this kind of food do I enjoy a unique presentation of art. This kind of enjoyment can bring the gourmet beyond the visibility of food to a world of imagination and creativity, both materially and spiritually. With this point, I figure out some kind of sensation veggie food may bring to your mind and soul, the feeling you can surely have when in the middle of the nature's immensity.

Photo note (from top to bottom):

1. Bánh bột lọc chay (vegan tapioca cake with mung bean paste filling)
2. Sauteed mushroom and green round bean, mixed with raw snow pea sprouts
3. Rolled and fried egg and red cabbage, served with lectuce