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| Chef Nguyen Tan Cong |
Easy to follow and practice
Starting his cooking video classes in 2023, chef Nguyen Tan Cong (Vi Da Ward) was among the first in Hue to embrace this model. Choosing Hue cuisine as his specialty, he produced instructional videos on a variety of signature dishes, including bún bò Huế (Hue-style spicy beef noodle soup), bánh canh Nam Phổ (Nam Pho-style thick noodle soup), and bánh đậu xanh trái cây (fruit-shaped mung bean cakes), with carefully crafted content and polished visuals.
Cong shared, ‘Unlike the common belief that learning through videos is limited to watching recipes, I structure my lessons into detailed step-by-step processes for each dish. From preparing ingredients and kitchen tools to food preparation, seasoning, and cooking techniques, every step is carefully filmed and edited so learners can easily follow along and successfully recreate the dishes at home.’
What makes these classes distinctive is not simply the recipes, but the professional expertise woven into every lesson. With nearly 20 years in the kitchen and more than 13 years teaching cooking, Cong has built up a wealth of culinary tips and techniques not commonly found in cookbooks.
Take banh canh nam pho (Nam Pho-style thick noodle soup), for example. The dish is far more than simply smooth and chewy rice noodles. When teaching ingredient selection, Cong guides learners on how to choose the right type of rice to produce the most suitable rice flour. He then demonstrates the techniques for kneading the dough and carefully preparing the broth down to the finest details, helping recreate the authentic flavor of the renowned dish.
“Those seemingly simple details are actually the essence behind the quality and refined flavor of a dish,” Cong shared. It is also this factor that gives the lessons their appeal, drawing learners instead of relying solely on free videos online.
Spreading Hue cuisine
Compared with in-person classes, learning through videos provides advantages in both convenience and cost, while still ensuring access to recipes and cooking techniques. According to Cong, “Course fees typically range from VND300,000 to VND2 million, depending on the complexity of the dish. Learners can revisit the lessons as many times as needed to practice at their own pace, while continuing to receive guidance from teachers whenever necessary.” As such, Cong’s teaching model is attracting a growing number of learners.
Beyond homemakers, Cong’s lessons have also attracted many young learners and people living far from their homeland. Tran Thanh Thanh, a student now residing in the United States, turned to Cong’s class to learn how to make bánh đậu xanh trái cây (fruit-shaped mung bean cakes). “I’m originally from Hue, and fruit-shaped mung bean cakes were a familiar part of my childhood,” she said. “But after moving overseas, even when I managed to find the cakes, the taste never quite matched my memories.”
From the lessons, Thanh meticulously practiced every step, from stirring the mung bean filling and molding the cakes to coloring them. Her early attempts were challenging, particularly in preparing the bean-and-sugar mixture and shaping the cakes, but through repeatedly watching the lessons and seeking further guidance from the instructor, she eventually produced visually appealing cakes with the familiar nutty fragrance of mung beans. ‘To me, this achievement is not only about mastering a Hue cake, but also about reconnecting with the childhood memories of my homeland,’ she said.
Through video-based lessons, Hue cuisine is reaching learners across different regions and even beyond the country’s borders. Screen-based cooking classes are not only places for sharing culinary skills, but also bridges for spreading the cuisine of the former imperial capital through a new approach. In practice, this is no longer a temporary solution or fleeting trend, but a model gradually shaping flexible learning habits aligned with the pace of modern life.