adminRecently, MOM Cooking Studio has introduced a new class focused on brewing and experiencing Vietnamese coffee culture in true Saigon style for international tourists.
Founded in 2018, MOM Cooking Studio has welcomed more than 20,000 international guests from over 20 countries. Founder Nguyễn Đình Lê Hoà and co-founder Phan Trọng Nghĩa established the studio to teach traditional dishes from Vietnam’s three regions – North, Central, and South – such as phở, bánh mì, gỏi cuốn, bún chả, bún bò, bánh xèo and more, with the goal of introducing Vietnamese cuisine in an authentic, approachable, and experience-rich way.
Since 2017, the first classes were held in a small rooftop kitchen of a hostel, serving more than 10 students a day. In 2018, MOM Cooking Class was officially established and began welcoming international tourist groups.
Many visitors describe Vietnamese food as warm and refined, creating a sense of connection. Quite a few students continue to send photos of dishes they cook at home after returning to their countries, seeing it as a way to preserve beautiful memories of Vietnam. According to Lê Hoà, based on feedback from tens of thousands of international guests, Vietnamese cuisine stands out in three key ways. First is its freshness and healthiness, with abundant herbs, minimal oil, and fresh ingredients. Second is its harmony and balance, a refined combination of salty, sweet, sour, and spicy flavors, where each dish has depth without being dominated by a single taste. Third is its strong cultural identity, as every dish carries a story – from ingredient selection to customs and the Vietnamese way of life.
In 2023, MOM Cooking Studio expanded its model to include local market tours, ingredient exploration, and tasting experiences, helping their guests gain a deeper understanding of Vietnamese culinary culture.
Most recently, Nguyễn Đình Lê Hoà has introduced Vietnamese coffee brewing as an engaging new class for foreign visitors. He shared, “To me, Vietnamese coffee is not just a drink, but a cultural identity distilled over time. Many international tourists often ask why Vietnamese people favor the phin filter, how the strong flavor is created, or about the origins of iced milk coffee. I opened this coffee class so that our guests can better understand the journey of Vietnamese coffee, especially the value of robusta beans.”
Visitors are excited to brew coffee using the phin themselves – a simple ritual that is deeply Vietnamese. They are also introduced to how each region and generation has its own distinct style of enjoying coffee.
Lê Hoà added that most guests discover MOM Cooking Studio via word of mouth, positive reviews, and the trust of the international travel community.
“What impresses me most is their genuine enthusiasm and sincerity when discovering Vietnamese food,” he said.