Event

More than 400 typical regional dishes and drinks are introduced, performed and served at the same time in 3 areas: North, Central and South by more than 40 culinary stalls from more than 40 members that are 4–5-star hotels, resorts and restaurants belonging to Saigontourist Group in Ho Chi Minh City and different localities. The chefs will write the story of Vietnamese cuisine rich in variety and flavors, with culinary cultural heritage that has been preserved and constantly developed and created over time.

“With the purpose of honoring and promoting the quintessential Vietnamese culinary values to domestic and foreign tourists, we hope the festival is an opportunity for visitors to enjoy a panoramic view and have the opportunity to learn, a practical experience of the diversity and richness of a fairly complete collection of the most delicious and unique dishes of the regions, especially unique dishes that are at risk of being lost. All of them are carefully selected, invested in and processed by culinary experts and talented chefs of the Saigontourist Group system, and show creativity in the way of expression", shares Mr. Pham Huy Binh - Saigontourist Group Chairman, Head of the Steering Committee of Saigontourist Group Culinary Culture, Delicacies Festival 2024.

A completely new dish, introduced for the first time at the Festival, is the Royal Salted Rice dish, an ancient "rice to the King" dish, from the Saigon - Morin Hotel (Hue Province). From rustic ingredients, the "royal chefs" (chefs who cooked for the King) in the past created a unique salted rice dish, famous for their meticulousness in choosing ingredients as well as their unique flavor. From the reign of King Minh Mang onwards, Hue salted rice was included in royal delicacies, becoming a dish in luxurious banquets of royal cuisine.

As the name suggests, Hue salted rice is rice eaten with different types of salt, commonly 9 types of salt, with the number 9 meaning "everlasting", symbolizing longevity and eternity. The delicate presentation of Hue salted rice is also a part of the value of this dish. The plate must be luxurious and sophisticated, made from high-quality materials such as ceramic or jade. Dinnerware often has elegant patterns, high legs and elaborate designs, showing sophistication in every detail. To create a classy Hue salted rice meal, the salt plates are often carefully arranged, forming a circle or flower shape. This arrangement not only makes the meal attractive but also honors the sophistication and artistry of Hue culinary culture.

Another "Royal" dish is steamed salted Cua chicken brought to the Festival by Saigon - Dong Ha Hotel (Quang Tri Province). “Land of Cua” refers to the land located on the Truong Son range, now belonging to Cam Chinh and Cam Nghia counties, Cam Lo district, Quang Tri province. Behind the delicious aroma, the people of "Cua land" also tell each other the story about Cua

chickens that were once a product to present King Ham Nghi, who always reminded his ministers that in the future the mountains and rivers would be peaceful, remember to raise Cua chickens to become ancestral products. Chicken "from Cua" has the characteristic of "eating termites during the day and sleeping on trees at night" to produce delicious and especially fragrant meat, firm but not tough, fatty but not greasy. Cua chicken is delicious from the meat, combined with laksa leaves, onions, sauce, a little spicy of chili, sweet of cucumber and spices in the unique way of "burnt land" cuisine.

This time, Saigon - Quang Binh Hotel introduces Bo Chinh ginseng jam, which was also used as a gift to the King in the past. According to medical records, ginseng root is one of the precious medicinal herbs of Oriental medicine, which has the effect of supporting appetite, improving sleep, enhancing eyesight, physical strength, mental clarity, and fighting fatigue. Ginseng jam is suitable for all ages, especially good for elderly people with weak health. Made from fresh Bo Chinh ginseng, a famous product of Bo Trach district, Quang Binh province, and rock sugar, the jam has a light-yellow color mixed with white sugar coating, has a light ginseng scent. The jam is soft, sweet and still retains the smell of ginseng.

Head back to the North, in the Northeast highlands, there is the specialty grilled fish in Ba Be Lake, the largest natural freshwater lake in Vietnam and one of the 20 largest natural freshwater lakes in the world. Dubbed the "Green Pearl" of Bac Kan province, the lake is a living space for many different species of large and small fish, of which the most delicious is Sharpbelly fish. Sharpbelly fish is only as small as 1-2 fingers, the meat is white, firm, delicious and not fishy. When grilled on bamboo splints, the fish has a mouth-watering aroma. The sweet taste of the fish blends with the characteristic flavor of charcoal creates an irresistible appeal. The fish can be eaten with both bones and meat, dipped in lemon, salt and pepper or spicy chili sauce. Sitting next to the red fire and enjoying grilled fish with firm meat, soft bones, and delicious flavor is definitely an unforgettable experience.

From the ancestral land, Saigon - Phu Tho Hotel brings back Saigon - Phu Tho palm noodles. The dish is a combination of Hung Lo rice noodles, a famous traditional craft village in Phu Tho, and boiled Phong Chau hill chicken. The delicious taste of chewy, firm meat chicken eating along with traditional grilled pork rolls on charcoal stove will ensure a soft, creamy taste. Finally, the palm fruit, a specialty of the midland region of Phu Tho, is a ripe glutinous palm with yellow, fatty flesh and small seeds. The broth is simmered completely from the bones, ensuring a sweet, fragrant and rich taste. The noodles are served with coriander, green onions, coriander, lime and chili.

Speaking of fun dishes, Ninh Chu seafood Banh Xeo (Ninh Thuan Province) is a dish not to be missed. Ninh Chu Banh Xeo are round in shape, with a radius of about 5 cm and are poured in a mold made of clay originating from Bau Truc pottery village, the oldest traditional craft village in Southeast Asia. As for the dipping sauce of Ninh Chu Banh Xeo, it is served with not just one but many types of dipping sauces including peanut sauce, tomato sauce, chili garlic sauce,... when eaten, soak in the fish sauce, absorb evenly and eat as soon as you take it out of the mold while it is still hot and crispy. It is indispensable to eat with raw vegetables. The filling of Banh Xeo is very nutritious, with bean sprouts containing high levels of vitamin C and E, raw vegetables served with fish mint, herbs, basil, marigold, lettuce,..containing lots of carotene, vitamin C and high amounts of mineral salts. This is a prominent dish at the booth of Saigon - Ninh Chu Resort.

This time, Dong Khanh Hotel continues to conquer diners with the cuisine of the Cho Lon region in Saigon, typically with four flavors of roasted duck, inviting diners from sight to smell. Roast duck has four different flavors: honey, white sesame, chili powder and bamboo charcoal. Bamboo charcoal starch is used to coat the duck skin before roasting. The honey flavor is sweet, the sesame flavor is fragrant, the chili flavor is slightly spicy and the bamboo charcoal flavor is fragrant enough to create a new feeling. Served with a piece of roasted duck meat with duck filling made from mushrooms, char and pickled sauerkraut with a rather well-rounded signature dipping sauce.

There are many unique and extraordinary dishes introduced by member units of the Saigontourist Group system at this festival. The dishes are attractive right from the name, which also somewhat evokes the image of the dish. For example, the grilled pig with bamboo tubes from the Saigon - Ban Me Hotel (Buon Ma Thuot Province), Dalat artichoke Pho from the Saigon - Da Lat Hotel, and the herbal pork vermicelli noodle dish from the green cuisine line of Rex Saigon Hotel, Crab noodle soup (Saigon - Rach Gia Hotel), Binh Thuan duck meat Banh Xeo (Saigon - Mui Ne resort).

From Phu Yen ocean tuna, with creativity and skillful hands, the chef of Saigon - Phu Yen Hotel has conquered diners through many "unique and distinctive" dishes such as ocean tuna eye stew, tuna fillet with green pepper sauce, shaking tuna fillet... Coastal delicacies also include grilled sea urchin with egg and onion sauce, horn scallop skewered with sugar pepper (Saigon - Phu Quoc Resort), grilled Longhorn boxfish with salt and chili (Saigon - Con Dao Resort). Delicious dishes of the fishing village in the coastal area of Can Gio include snail rolls with Bui leaves and shrimp salad with pincer leaves (Saigon - Can Gio Eco-tourism Area).

One of the new features of the Saigontourist Group Culinary Culture, Delicacies Festival 2024 is the voting activity for the “Top 10 must try delicious dishes at the Festival” for attendees. Information about the above dishes is also a suggestion for customers to vote and receive many attractive gifts from Saigontourist Group.

Serving the needs of entertainment and traditional cultural experiences for guests to enjoy, the Saigontourist Group Culinary Culture, Delicacies Festival organizes many unique activities such as art performances, cultural exchanges, folk games, recreating activities of traditional craft villages. Performances of Bac Ninh Quan ho, Then singing, Northwest musical instruments, Thai Xoe dancing, Hue singing, amateur folk music, coconut shell singing and dancing, monkey dancing, five-syllable music, bamboo dancing, traditional musical instruments... along with performances that interact with guests, making the festival space more bustling and colorful with regional cultures. This year's festival arranges an area for traditional handicraft villages, typically making noodles, weaving bamboo, making conical hats, cooking soy milk, making tofu, making pottery and a folk cake village.

The festival is open to the public from 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. every day, continuously from March 28 to 31, 2024. To participate in the festival, customers buy entrance tickets with attached coupons to use the service, with a package ticket price of 200,000 VND/adult, accompanying children are free. To order tickets early and receive a 10% discount from now until 5:00 p.m. on March 26, 2024, customers contact the official ticket sales points of the Saigontourist Group Culinary Cultural, Delicacies Festival 2024:

Bình Quới 1 Tourist Village: 0901 889 701; Bình Quới 2 Tourist Village: 0901 889 702;

Bình Quới 3 Tourist Village: 0901 889 703; Tân Cảng Tourist Area: 0901 889 704;

Văn Thánh Tourist Area: 0901 889 705;

Or contact hotline: 0901 889 709 - 0868 769 064.

Detailed information about the Festival at website: www.saigontourist.com.vn