More than 10,000 migrant workers living in rural districts will attend a music gala at the HCM City Youth Cultural House called Golden Ochna Welcomes Tết (Lunar New Year), which is part of the city’s Labour Federation’s charitable and cultural activities during the national holiday.    

Singers and dancers perform at the Golden Ochna Welcomes Tết, a music gala celebrating Lunar New Year, organised by the HCM City Labour Federation. Photo courtesy of the organiser

As many as 60 singers, dancers and comedians will participate, including last year’s winners of the Golden Ochna Award, an annual award that honours Vietnamese performers in theatre, music, film and TV.

Dancers from Bông Sen Theatre will open the night performing the traditional dance "HCM City Welcomes Spring". 

Pop stars Mỹ Tâm and Đông Nhi, and the pop band Monstar and Uni5 will be featured, singing popular Lunar New Year songs.

Trấn Thành and Hoài Linh, Golden Ochna winners in comedy and theatre, will perform extracts from comic dramas about the Ông Táo (Kitchen God).

The gala will open at 8pm on January 19 at 4 Phạm Ngọc Thạch Street in District 1. Entrance is free.

Mekong Delta organise flower streets

Cần Thơ City Flower Street is constructed on the city downtown nearby Ninh Kiều Pier. canthoplus.com

Localities in the Mekong Delta are racing against time to complete flower streets and organise spring flower fairs to celebrate Tết (Lunar New Year) and the festive season.

Cần Thơ City Flower Street is constructed on the city downtown nearby Ninh Kiều Pier.

The 300-metre-long flower street will showcase many kinds of flower in arrangement to portrait the country’s map and popular landmarks nationwide such as Ninh Kiều Pier, Hoàn Kiếm Lake, Huế imperial relic site, Đà Lạt Flower Garden, and Nhà Rồng Habour.

It also features successful models that contribute to the city’s socio-economic development.

It will open to the public from February 1-9.

The spring flower fair in Kiên Giang Province’s Rạch Giá City. Photo tintuc.vn

In Kiên Giang Province’s Rạch Giá city, the flower street and spring flower fair will kick off from January 25 to February 15 to celebrate the Year of the Pig.

The flower street on an area of 15,000 sq.m at the city’s new urban area uses lotus flower as a highlight and many kind of flowers to portrait different sceneries and symbols of the city.

A variety of entertainment and cuisine events will be held during the spring flower festival, including the first Kiên Giang Kylin-Dragon Dance Festival with the participation of 34 professional troupes.

HCM City hosts Tết Consumer Products fair

Visitors choose coffee products at the Green Market in HCM City. Photo bsa.org.vn

A wide range of “clean” fruits and agricultural produce, local specialities and consumer goods will be on display at the Green Market–Tết Consumer Products fair that will take place from January 27 to February 2 in HCM City’s District 1.

The fair will showcase organic and safe vegetables and fruits with traceable origins that meet hygiene and food safety standards.

Local specialties from many cities and provinces across the country will be on display such as Buôn Mê Thuột coffee, Northwest flavours, Quảng Ngãi fried rice, Tam Giang Lagoon salt and shrimp.

Businesses eligible for high-quality Vietnamese goods certification, traditional craft villages, and agricultural start-ups will also participate in the fair.

The annual event is organised by the Business Association of High Quality Vietnamese Goods and the Business Studies and Assistance Centre.

Lunar New Year celebration at Nikko Saigon

The Good Fortune Table set menu is on offer during the Tết holiday at Ming Court, an authentic Chinese restaurant at Nikko Saigon Hotel. 

The Lunar New Year holiday is the most important festival for Vietnamese and some other East Asian countries. It is time for family reunions, holiday celebrations and traditional flavours.

Hotel Nikko Saigon on this occasion is offering exclusive dining options for Tết from February 4 -7 at its Ming Court, an authentic Chinese restaurant. Special Tết menus for lunch and dinner and All You Can Eat Dim Sum brunch will be offered.

Whether choosing from the exquisite All You Can Eat Dim Sum brunch or the exclusive Tết set menu, each item is carefully prepared to symbolise health, fertility, happiness and good fortune in the New Year ahead.

With a contemporary design, Ming Court is a fine dining restaurant with a Taiwanese touch. Featuring authentic Chinese delicacies and a wide selection of delectable all-you-can-eat dim sum, Ming Court offers a number of celebrated dining experiences.

The Longevity set lunch or dinner (vegetarian) is priced at VNĐ700,000 net/person and the Good Fortune Table set lunch or dinner is VNĐ10 million net/table. The two will be available on February 4-7, while the Prosperity Dim Sum Brunch at VNĐ650,000++/person will be served on February 5. 

Ming Court is located on Level 3 of Hotel Nikko Saigon on 235 Nguyễn Văn Cừ Street in HCM City’s District 1. For reservations, call (028) 3925 7777.

Taste authentic Vietnamese cuisine at Vietnam House during Tết holiday  

Prawn and Hokkaido scallop mustard-leaf rolls served with red chilli sweet-sour fish sauce, a typical southern favourite taken to a whole new level, delivering the best of Vietnamese gastronomy with a modern twist at Vietnam House. 

Vietnam House, a contemporary Vietnamese fine dining restaurant, offers the best flavours of authentic Vietnamese cuisine elegantly prepared by its talented culinary team headed by Vietnamese-Australian celebrity chef Luke Nguyễn.

Its menu features unique presentations of classic dishes from the north to the south, using only high-quality produce and ingredients, making sure it is impeccably prepared and served in a stunning environment. All of these showcase a unique style of Vietnamese food.

Aside from executive set menus for lunch (VNĐ288,000/two course set) and dinner at VNĐ938,000/person, the restaurant has a special menu for vegetarians and a variety of a la carte items with prices starting from VNĐ178,000 for appetizers.  

Huế yellow snail and starfruit salad is one of the most popular salads at Vietnam House. 

On the main menu, lobster netted spring rolls and Huế yellow snail starfruit salad are two of the outstanding starters, while main dishes include wok-tossed cubed pepper beef tenderloin with smoked potato mashed and XO garoupa fillet char-grilled in banana leaf.  Phở or wagyu-beef noodle soup and salmon sour-and-spicy soup are also on offer.

Some of the delectable desserts such as pandan crème brulee (VNĐ168,000) and Vietnamese bean curd with coconut milk (VNĐ98,000) are Vietnam House’s pride.

Vietnam House is located in a restored colonial building on the corner of Đồng Khởi and Mạc Thị Bưởi streets in the heart of the city. The restaurant, which was renovated more than a year ago, was known as a popular destination for the city’s affluent business class in the past.

The restaurant, which now offers contemporary take on Vietnamese cuisine, is open seven days a week from 11am to 11pm. For reservations, please call (028) 3822 2226. VNS