adminFor the first time, Madame Lam Restaurant has launched a charitable initiative titled “Sharing Flavours, Spreading Love,” with the aim of offering children a fun and educational experience about Vietnamese culinary culture while spreading the values of sharing and giving to community.
The program is held once a month through the Traditional Cake-Making Workshops with Head Chef Như Cường at Madame Lam. Following the success of the first session – “Making Mooncakes” – which received enthusiastic participation from both children and their parents, the second workshop making bánh ít trần (Vietnamese sticky rice dumplings) took place on October 25, . The class was filled with laughter and curiosity as the kids learned the charming story behind this traditional Vietnamese treat and joyfully crafted their own bánh ít trần with their little hands.
Few may know the legend behind this rustic delicacy, which traces back to the tale of bánh chưng and bánh dày from ancient Vietnam. It is said that during the reign of the sixth Hùng King, Prince Lang Liêu created bánh chưng and bánh dày as offerings to heaven and earth. Meanwhile, the King’s youngest princess was good at cooking. When she tasted Lang Liêu’s cakes, she was inspired to make a new kind of cake that combined the essence of both.
As a result, she created a new cake combined from white sticky rice flours of bánh dày and wrapped it around the mung bean filling of the bánh chưng, it called as “nàng út ít” cake, as the intimate name of the youngest princess. Over time, the cake became popular in life. Eventually, the name of cake was shortened to bánh ít – ít cake. Today, there are many regional variations of this cake across Vietnam, including bánh ít trần, bánh ít lá gai, and others with mung bean or shrimp fillings.
During the workshop, Head Chef Như Cường guided the children to make bánh ít trần in the style of Central Vietnam, inspired by his hometown – Bình Định. He also added creative twists to the traditional recipe by infusing natural colours from butterfly pea flowers and magenta leaves, making the cakes even more visually appealing. “In my hometown, bánh ít trần is usually prepared by families during their ancestral ceremonies,” shared Chef Cường. “It’s a time when generations come together – grandparents, parents, and children – sharing stories and enjoying this humble yet meaningful dish.”
Through this culinary workshop, children not only enjoy hands-on fun but also gain a deeper appreciation for Vietnam’s diverse and vibrant food culture – one deeply rooted in its rice-growing civilization. Moreover, each child who participate the workshop also contributes to a greater cause: supporting children in difficult circumstances and helping to build a bridge of kindness and hope.
All proceeds from the “Sharing Flavors, Spreading Love” program are donated to the Vietnam Children’s Fund to assist children battling cancer.
Mr. Rad Kivette, CEO of the Vietnam Children’s Fund, shared:
“I am so proud to be working with Michelin selected Madame Lam Restaurant, and the outstanding Chef Cuong, to bring treatment and encouragement so that our little cancer patients will have hope for a tomorrow. Along with a warm heart, Chef Cuong is very creative, holding classes to teach healthy local students how to prepare mooncakes and contemporary Vietnamese cuisine. What excites me is that the program is child to child because that can change the lives of the donors and the beneficiaries. All proceeds from the six workshops will be donated to Kare childrens cancer treatment program, a program of the Vietnam Children’s Fund social enterprise. Thank you Madame Lam restaurant and Chef Cuong.”
As a restaurant celebrating contemporary Vietnamese cuisine, Madame Lam not only presents distinctive flavours that bridge tradition and modernity through its dishes, presentation, and ambiance, but also strives to connect and share the deeper cultural and human values of Vietnam.
Chef Như Cường added: “Every flavour tells a story. Through ‘Sharing Flavors, Spreading Love,’ we hope these small yet heartfelt stories can continue to nurture courage, hope, and faith for the children on their journey ahead.”
This event marks not just a culinary experience for children, but also the beginning of Madame Lam’s ongoing journey to spread humanity and compassion through the art of Vietnamese cuisine.
For more information:
Madame Lam Restaurant
10 Trần Ngọc Diện, An Khánh Ward, HCMC
Tel: 0703 226 262
Website: https://madamelam.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MadameLamRestaurant