5 Washoku Recipes for Tet

Introduction: Washoku for the Tet Table

Tet (Lunar New Year) in Vietnam is a precious time for families to gather around the dining table. For Japanese families in HCMC, cooking washoku during this special season is a wonderful opportunity to feel the warmth of Japanese New Year right in Vietnam.

Note: This article and some images were created with AI assistance and reviewed by our editorial team before publication.

This article introduces 5 washoku recipes perfect for the Tet table, using ingredients available in HCMC. All are family-friendly menus everyone can enjoy.

!Tet-style Japanese dining table

1. Ozoni-Style Pho Soup

An essential New Year's ozoni, reimagined with Vietnamese pho noodles.

Ingredients (4 servings):

• Pho noodles: 400g
• Chicken thigh: 200g
• Daikon: 1/4
• Carrot: 1
• Komatsuna (or spinach): 1 bunch
• Dashi stock: 1200ml
• Soy sauce: 2 tbsp
• Mirin: 1 tbsp
• Salt: a pinch

How to make:

1. Cut chicken into pieces, slice daikon and carrot into thin half-moons
2. Add dashi to pot, add chicken and root vegetables, simmer on medium heat
3. Season with soy sauce, mirin, and salt when vegetables are tender
4. Boil pho noodles separately and place in bowls
5. Pour soup over noodles and top with blanched komatsuna

Cutting carrots into flower shapes adds festive elegance.

2. Chikuzenni with Vietnamese Ingredients

A Chikuzenni perfect as an osechi substitute, made with Vietnamese market ingredients.

Ingredients (4 servings):

• Chicken thigh: 300g
• Lotus root (or taro): 200g
• Carrot: 1
• Konnyaku: 1 block
• Shiitake: 6
• Green beans: 100g
• Dashi stock: 400ml
• Soy sauce: 3 tbsp
• Mirin: 2 tbsp
• Sugar: 1.5 tbsp
• Cooking oil: 1 tbsp

How to make:

1. Cut chicken into pieces and vegetables into chunks
2. Heat oil in pot, stir-fry chicken until color changes, add vegetables
3. Add dashi, cover with drop lid and simmer 15 minutes on medium heat
4. Add soy sauce, mirin, sugar and simmer on low until liquid reduces
5. Add green beans and briefly cook

With abundant fresh vegetables at HCMC markets, your chikuzenni can be even more varied than in Japan.

!Cooking chikuzenni

3. Red and White Namasu for Tet

A dish with auspicious red and white colors that brightens the Tet table. Similar to Vietnamese do chua (pickled vegetables), so Vietnamese guests will enjoy it too.

Ingredients:

• Daikon: 1/3
• Carrot: 1/2
• Vinegar: 4 tbsp
• Sugar: 3 tbsp
• Salt: 1 tsp
• Yuzu peel (if available): a little

How to make:

1. Julienne daikon and carrot, salt for 10 minutes
2. Squeeze out water when softened
3. Marinate in sweet vinegar (vinegar + sugar)
4. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes

Keeps well, so you can make it a few days before Tet.

4. Shrimp Chawanmushi

A luxurious shrimp chawanmushi worthy of a Tet feast. Using Vietnam's fresh shrimp makes it exceptional.

Ingredients (4 servings):

• Eggs: 3
• Dashi stock: 450ml
• Shrimp: 8
• Chicken breast: 1 strip
• Shiitake: 2
• Soy sauce: 1 tsp
• Mirin: 1 tsp
• Salt: a pinch
• Mitsuba (or cilantro): to taste

How to make:

1. Peel and devein shrimp, thinly slice chicken breast
2. Beat eggs, combine with cooled dashi and seasonings
3. Place ingredients in cups, strain egg mixture in
4. Steam on low heat 15 minutes, or use a pan with water as makeshift steamer
5. Garnish with mitsuba

!Chawanmushi

5. Matcha Che (Vietnamese-Japanese Fusion Dessert)

A fusion dessert for Tet combining Vietnamese traditional che with matcha.

Ingredients (4 servings):

• Matcha powder: 1 tbsp
• Coconut milk: 400ml
• Shiratamako (glutinous rice flour): 100g
• Sugar: 3 tbsp
• Red beans (canned OK): 100g
• Ice: as needed

How to make:

1. Gradually add water to shiratamako, knead to earlobe softness
2. Roll into small balls, boil until floating, plunge into cold water
3. Dissolve matcha in a little hot water, mix with coconut milk and sugar
4. Put shiratama and red beans in glasses, pour matcha coconut milk
5. Add ice to taste

A cold dessert perfect for HCMC's hot Tet.

Tips for Sourcing Ingredients in HCMC

The key to Tet washoku is ingredient sourcing.

• Dashi: The Farmi app carries authentic dashi packs and dashi powder
• Soy sauce, mirin: Japanese seasonings also available on Farmi
• Vegetables: Vietnamese markets have fresh daikon, carrots, and shiitake
• Shrimp: Vietnam has abundant fresh shrimp at more affordable prices than Japan

!HCMC market ingredients

FAQ

Q1. How to order?

Download Farmi from App Store or Google Play. Available in Japanese, English, Vietnamese.

Q2. Delivery time?

Within 1 hour across Ho Chi Minh City.

Q3. Authentic products?

All products sourced through official import channels.

Q4. Delivery area?

Currently Ho Chi Minh City only.

Summary: Add Color to Tet with Washoku

Tet is a precious opportunity to deepen family bonds. Try creating a special dining table with recipes that blend the warmth of washoku and Vietnamese food culture.

All 5 recipes introduced can be made with ingredients available in HCMC. Japanese seasonings can be easily ordered on the Farmi app. Fresh ingredients delivered to your door: make the most of it.

Order Japanese seasonings and ingredients on the Farmi app to enjoy washoku during Tet.