It took a whole month of scheduling before I could meet the famous Vietnamese-American chef Kevin Tien in Washington, D.C. It’s truly fascinating that in the heart of the U.S. capital, there’s a culinary space called Moon Rabbit - where this young man quietly plants seeds of creativity to bring Vietnamese cuisine to the world and inspire the Vietnamese expatriate community.

On the Lantern Festival (the Full Moon of the First Lunar Month) more than 15 years ago, the most “pure Hue native” friend I know, architect Nguyen Trong Huan, and I put on thin raincoats and walked together through the light, drifting drizzle to search for Hue’s culinary specialties. Having lived in this city for many years, Huan still longed for the flavors he once tasted.

On the afternoon of December 25, Hue City Department of Health held a conference to review the pilot model for “Food safety market in food and beverage services business” at Tay Loc Market. This is one of the city's key traditional markets, serving not only as a food source for locals, but also as a popular destination for tourists visiting and experiencing Hue's culinary culture.

On the evening of December 18, in Hue City, a ceremony was held to officially receive the national intangible cultural heritage title for folk knowledge related to Bun Bo Hue (Hue Beef Noodle Soup), alongside the opening of the International Culinary Festival “Hue - Culinary Capital”.

During a career orientation session at Byron Nelson High School in Texas, USA, my daughter and I had the opportunity to experience an exceptionally well-organized Culinary Arts vocational training model. In the U.S. education system, students are guided toward basic career paths as soon as they enter middle school, preparing them for vocational training in high school if they choose not to pursue a university pathway.

On November 27, Permanent Vice Chairman of the Hue City People’s Committee Nguyen Thanh Binh had an official meeting with the Organizing Committee of the “100 Flavors - Michelin-Starred Chefs” program.

Not only travelers from afar, but various TikTokers and Facebookers with hundreds of followers also come to Hue to explore and share unique culinary experiences that they’ve gained in this place.

The culinary passport is seen as a fresh idea that turns dining experiences into highlights of a travel journey. Instead of traditional sightseeing, visitors can “stamp their taste buds” by checking in with signature dishes at each destination. This idea opens up new ways to stimulate tourism demand.

On the afternoon of October 8, Hue College of Tourism coordinated with Cholimex Foods to hold a contest titled “Finding Hue’s Culinary Ambassador - Season 6” with the theme “Hue Cuisine in the Green Flow - Creativity for Sustainable Development”.

On August 8, Hue College of Tourism in collaboration with the USA Poultry & Egg Export Council organized the “Cooking with U.S. Chicken” competition.

In the coming time, the tourism sector will enhance the promotion of culinary tourism through culinary events and festivals, and create unique culinary tours to promote the advantages of local cuisine and enhance the tourism experience for visitors.

Upon preliminary treatments, the young chefs begin to make steamed fish with the five spicy types of fennels in the style of Hue-Royal and steamed snails with lemongrass leaves.

Coming to Thoi Quan space, you can encounter old features, experience and learn about Hue culinary culture from royal to folk cuisine.