DestinAsian Magazine: Hungry for Hue

Gemma Z Price
Journalist, Content Creator, Copy Writer, PR & Media Consultant, WSJ, VOGUE, Food & Wine, Conde Nast Traveller, Departures, WWD, AD

DestinAsian Magazine Front Page, published in August/September 2012

Famed for both its elaborate courtly cuisine and the humbler fare of its streets, Vietnam’s former imperial capital beckons with some of the most tantalizing cooking in the country.

The Nguyen kinds might be long gone, but in Hue, the legacy of Vietnam’s last royal court lingers. Compared with the frenzied pace of development in Ho Chi Minh, this historic UNESCO-listed town on the central coast is peaceful, slow-paced, and inescapably charming; on my first morning, I watched schoolgirls in pastel-coloured Áo dài bicycle through towering stone ramparts on their way to class, and wiry cyclo drivers padel piles of fresh fruits and vegetables to market along the moat of the Citadel, commissioned in 1804 by Emperor Gia Long as the seat of his new capital.

Under Hue’s imperial rule, all aspects of Vietnamese culture, from art to architecture, were adapted and refined. The cuisine was no exception. The country’s most celebrated chefs were brought to the city, where they developed thousands of new recipes. According to court chronicles, it was not uncommon for a lavish banquet to feature 300 different dishes, each — like old Hue itself — a perfect balance of colour and composition.

Many of the old culinary traditions live on, and today, Hue cuisine is held to be Vietnam’s most delicious and diverse. A visit to Ancient Hue, a home restaurant and gallery of an eccentric, elegant artist and chef Boi Tran, gives visitors an inkling of what a royal banquet and a meal crafted according to the Phong Thuỷ (feng shui) ideals of balance — five elements, five colours, five tastes might have been like. Her wooden Hmong minority house is set along a winding hillside track outside town, and when not catering to guests, she spends most of her days painting in her studio or garden. I sat chatting with her at a long wooden table while a feast carefully calibrated to the damp March weather was laid upon the green silk runner.

To start, a single, succulent shrimp served with “five tastes” (Tôm Ngũ Vị) in a clear broth spiced with lemongrass, shallots, chilli, lime leaf, and ginger; then a deliciously warming beef consommé accompanied by a steamed rice paper roll secured with dainty pandan-leaf bows. Following this was a fig salad (Vả Trộn), made with fruit from her garden, and her father’s favourite: red-rice soup with the bống fish.

Beef Soup w/ Rolled Rice Pancakes (Xáo Bò Bánh Ướt)

“Slow cooking is a signature of Hue dishes,” Boi Tran explains “For instance, this soup takes 24 hours to make: the rice must be cooked all night long, and the fish stewed with sugar for three or four hours, stirring continuously. It was a favourite of the Nguyen Kings.”

Emperor Gia Long‘s decision to build his capital at the confluence of rivers, seas, mountains, flood plains, and lagoons ensured that his subjects and their descendants would not want food in any season, whether the chilly winter or the searing summer. During the cool days of spring, stallholders do a roaring trade in vegetables, beans, eggplants, pumpkins, and root vegetables, all nourished by the rains and nutrient-rich deposits from the Perfume River.

Source Destinasian.com

Director Nguyen Quang Dung’s Documentary TV Series “Ambrosia in all the Details” and Painter Boi Tran

Boi Tran Garden is privileged to feature a documentary movie trailer directed by Director Nguyen Quang Dung and published by Galaxy Vietnam.

Christie’s: Southeast Asian Pictures’ Letter to Boi Tran Art Gallery in 1999

Accompanied as a collector and a consignor by Christie’s on the earliest days in 1999, Boi Tran and Boi Tran Garden (known as Boi Tran Art Gallery) has a heritage and reputation for connoisseurship and exclusive bespoke services for buying and selling art and antiques.

Council of Vietnamese Phan Family’s Honorary Certificate for Painter Boi Tran’s Sempiternal Contribution to the Community

Boi Tran Garden is privileged to present an honorary certificate the Council of Vietnamese Phan Family awarded to Painter Boi Tran in recognition and gratitude for her sempiternal dedication and voluntary contributions to serve and beautify the community. The credential is certified by the Council President Professor, Ph.D Phan Huu Dat,

Emeritus University Professor Vinh Tuong’s Letter: “Madame Boi Tran’s Artistry and Brilliance Bequeathed to us a Respect and Precious Memory that Lasts for Good”

On behalf of “the Delegation”, I extend my deep respect and appreciation for a unique opportunity to contemplate your works. Your artistry and great brilliance bequeathed to us a respect and and precious memory that lasts for good.

Ancient Mansions’ Rebirth

Hue becomes a poem capital in Vietnam thanks to its nature-blended architecture. In some aspects, the renaissance of pillar houses contributes to the reconstruction, preservation and protection of cityscape, cultural awareness and consciousness of this Imperial city.

Budda Master, Sugata Thich Chon Huong and his Inscription to the Woman Intellectual Boi Tran

Honoured to present a typewritten poem by the most venerable Buddha Master, Sugata Chon Huong, reigning over Quang Te Temple, whose devotion would grace Buddhism in Hue and Vietnam, gifted to woman intellectual Boi Tran.

Vinh Phoi, a Pioneering Abstract Expressionist, a Loyalist to the Imperial Hue and His Handwritten Reference Letter to Boi Tran and the Art Gallery

“If you yearn for the truth and integrity of something, ask Vinh Phoi.” – Trinh Cong Son

Director of Vietnam National Fine Arts Museum Cao Trong Thiem and the Written Massage to Boi Tran

Here’s wishing you, BOI TRAN, health, beauty and prosperity.

Mai Van Hien, Sketcher of the First Banknote for Vietnam and His Letter to Boi Tran and Boi Tran Art Gallery in 1998

I hope the gallery will cooperate and work side by side with a humbled semi skilled and below average painter who, 60 years ago (not so many), was trained and educated in a city of exquisite sceneries and graceful people, Hue.

Photographer Jean-Baptiste Huynh’s Message to Bem from Paris

Bem, I really want to invite you to Paris to see all these new works that I love and I would love to see your works as well whenever you come or I come to see you in Hue. So, let’s stay in touch. Big hugs. Big kisses. You are

Luu Cong Nhan: Endless Memoirs

“Dearly gifted to Ms Boi Tran and Chau a fond memory” – Luu Cong Nhan

Diep Minh Chau’s Drawings of Boi Tran and Minh Chau with His Inscriptions

“Dearly gifted to my friend Boi Tran” – Diep Minh Chau

Nguyen Trong Niet and Bui Xuan Phai’s Last Handwriting Before His Quietus in 1988

“The last sketch of Phai before his quietus. His handwriting is on the reverse.” – Painter Nguyen Trong Niet, Bui Xuan Phai’s closest companion.

Truong Be: A Quest For The Absolute and His Handwriting to Boi Tran

Truong Be is a great artist for the obvious reason that he is a true man who has been able to embody the history of his country even though he refrains from doing so. Behind his candid and alluring smile and beyond his stalwart posture, a strong character is revealed.

“Nature and People from an Old Outlook” Exhibition, Invitation and a Handwritten Note of Viet Hai and Tran Luu Hau to Boi Tran

On the occasion of the exhibition “Nature and People from an Old Outlook” by Artist Nguyen Viet Hai and Artist Tran Luu Hau hosted and organized by Vietnamese Fine Art Association in 2001.

Dinh Cuong: “A Piece of Poetry to the Lady on Thien An Hill in the Cold Drizzle”

Is a lady on Thien An Hill with the door latched feeling blue?

Le Ba Dang’s Handwritten Letter to Boi Tran in 1999

Fondly wish you health, prosperity and ups to the moon.

Epilogue by Trinh Cong Son on the Grand Opening of Boi Tran Art Gallery in 1995

Even if small or not, this art gallery is a monument in the city; its appearance will be remembered for ever. Returning to the old city…, to this art gallery, one feels that as he or she is coming back to see a sweetheart, who one will miss and love

Prologue by Buu Y on the Grand Opening of Boi Tran Art Gallery in 1995

Once no art exhibitions have been organized with their actual sense; there would not have been any complete, conventional conformality to the land and her history.

Nguyen Trung’s Expression on Boi Tran’s Exhibition: I and the Call from My Within

Boi Tran, with a sensible heart and the gifted talent of an artist, fully perceives the artistic and literary beauty of nature that comes right out from her magnificent garden and then conveys that beauty most aesthetically to her works.

Nguyen Trung’s Preamble on the Exhibition of Paintings: Hue in 1996

It can be briefly said that the painting exhibition that The Boi Tran Art Gallery brings to us from Hue is a poetic picture of Hue, a poem composed by the talent in Hue.

Words of Architect Ngo Manh Duc, Son of Le Thi Luu to Boi Tran and Her Work of Art

I had the pleasure of contemplating your work which I found magnificent and I’m very happy to be able to express my admiration seeing your work.

Harper’s Bazaar: A Great Hue Destination

Boi Tran Garden, nestled on Thien An Hill and 10 kilometres from the city centre, is a well-known destination for local artists and international masters whenever they travel to Hue.

Christie’s: Women in Art from the XVI to the XXI Century

Boi Tran, the only Vietnamese female artist, has her work presented in this exceptional sale.

Éternité Magazine: Cloud Landing Collection by Designer Tran Thien Khanh and Photographer Tran Dinh Thuc Doan

Cloud Landing Collection by Designer Tran Thien Khanh and Photographer Tran Dinh Thuc Doan

Royal Cuisine – Cultural Interview: The Hue To Go by KF Seetoh

There was a visit to another dimension of food glory, a ride out to visit Boi Tran Garden to meet Madame Boi Tran herself, a living legend of an artist and chef. The place, the green, manicured and curated garden and yards with French and local Hue touches plus the

Anne-Solenne Hatte and “La Cuisine De Bà” or “Tasting Vietnam”

What a pure bliss seeing my second family in Hue. Not only Boi Tran is a dedicated artist, but also a woman of love. Thank you sister Thuc Doan / Bem for the precious time.

“Incubating Culture in Vietnam and Hue’s Rebirth as Vietnam’s Center of Art & Heritage” Hosted by Harvard Kennedy School, Fulbright University Vietnam and Boi Tran Garden

I remember very fondly our meeting at your home. Mostly I shared a great respect for your pioneer-ship for making Hue’s artistic rebirth a reality.

Ravenel: Select Modern & Contemporary Art, Vietnamese Modern Art

Boi Tran is one of the few outstanding Vietnamese female artists. Her style is heavily influenced by her teacher, Nguyen Trung and she also served as a source of creative inspiration for Nguyen Trung’s works. Tran’s Elegant in Hue trilogy is presented in a classical European triptych form. They depict

General Secretary, Germany Minister of Digital Affairs and Transport Volker Wissing’s Letter to Artist Boi Tran

I would like to thank you for your hospitality and warm welcome in your home Boi Tran Garden. We were very impressed with your paintings and especially the beautiful garden that you have created. My companion and I really enjoyed the contented evening spent with you thanks to your presence

“A Perfect Evening of Companionship” with Skirball Cultural Center Founding President and CEO Uri D Herscher

You treated us to such a joyful experience in the home of your mother surrounded by her portraits of beauty. You were a magnificent host. Your words came from your heart and entered ours and our words came from our hearts and were meant to enter yours. It was a

Shanghai Pujiang Southeast Asia Culture and Art Exchange Center President Zhang Zhi Yong Celebrates Boi Tran’s Solo Exhibition: Le Rêve Qui Veille

On the special occasion of Boi Tran’s 60 years of age as well as her solo exhibition: Le Rêve Qui Veille on 26 October 2017, Mr and Mrs Zhang Zhi Yong, President of Shanghai Pujiang Southeast Asia Culture and Art Exchange Center comes to celebrate and share the pleasure and

Boi Tran: “Le Rêve Qui Veille” by Christie’s Senior Expert Jean-François Hubert

There is no place without a history. There is no history without a place. There are places without measure, and histories beyond all time. Elegant moments and secret places. Patches of eternity and jolted thoughts. To verify this, one must know Boi Tran.

Fine Dining Deepened in Endless Conversation with Mr William Drea “Bro” Adams and Mr Joe Boulos

Bem. Thank you for the lovely dinner and the honour of spending time in the home and art gallery of Madame Boi Tran. It was a very memorable evening and we are very grateful. It will be certainly one of the highlights of our trip.

Largest Museum in Canada: Royal Ontario Museum and Letter to Painter Boi Tran

The largest museum in Canada and the letter to Painter Boi Tran.

Cultural Exchange: Chairman of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung, Deputy Secretary (Asia-Pacific), Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs Mr Ng Teck Hean and Painter Boi Tran

Boi Tran Garden is privileged to host a cultural exchange between Vietnam and Singapore. The dignitaries includes Mr Le Hoai Trung, Chairman of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Foreign Affairs; Mr Ng Teck Hean, Deputy Secretary (Asia-Pacific), Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Mr Nguyen Van Cao, Former Chairman of

Christie’s: Se Souvenir Des Belles Choses – A Curated Collection of Vietnamese Art

On this special occasion, Christie’s, for the very first time, published a separate Vietnamese Art Vanity – Se Souvenir Des Belles Choses: A Curated Collection of Vietnamese Art. Se Souvenir Des Belles Choses: A Curated Collection of Vietnamese Art is one of Thuc Doan / Bem’s publications as an art translator and advisor has made the catalog

Group Exhibition ”Chòn Chòn”: Hanoi and Hue Young Artists Co-Sponsored by Boi Tran Garden in 2015

Boi Tran Garden is excited to inform to be one of the sponsors of the group exhibition “Chòn Chòn”: Hanoi and Hue young artists in 2015

Cultural Exchange: The Combination of Hue Royal Refined Music and Hue Culinary Culture

Formally requested by Vietnam First Lady Mai Thi Hanh, Boi Tran Garden was privileged to host a cultural exchange meeting combined with Hue royal refined music and Hue fine dining on the official first foreign visit to Vietnam of Laos First Lady Naly Sisoulith.

Heritage Magazine: Best of Both Worlds

Owning an exquisite garden around 5000m2 nestled on Thien An Hill where art researchers, scholars, specialists, and experts in Vietnam and other countries oftentimes pass by, Heritage is privileged to meet this talented artist Boi Tran – “A true heroine” of the ancient Hue in her own mansion.

Anthony Bourdain Parts Unknown: Vivacious in Vietnam

Boi Tran is a painter and something of a throwback, an anomaly, a creature from another, earlier time in the life of the onetime Imperial City. She also cooks, magnificently from a repertoire of Imperial Hue-era dishes numbering over 100. She spoils all of us with a succession of dishes.

A Fork in Asia’s Road: The Hue Home by John Krich

It seems a special shame to dig in without first having a look at dishes designed by this cultured city’s most renowned artist Boi Tran, one of the remarkable women who have used their homes to help revive their hometown’s food culture.

Thanh Nien News: Complete Transcendence

“Mother and Children” fetched approximately USD 10,000 at Christie’s Hong Kong on May 26, 2013. Boi Tran is only the second Vietnamese female painter, the other being Le Thi Luu (1911 – 1988), selected by the two prestigious international auction houses Sotheby’s and Christie’s.

DestinAsian Magazine: Hungry for Hue

German Television Broadcaster ZDF Interview by Journalist Peter Kunz: Artist Boi Tran and the Gracefulness of Her Art, Cuisine and Architecture at Boi Tran Garden

Boi Tran Garden is proud to document a brief footage by ZDF German Television Broadcaster, featuring the gracefulness of Boi Tran’s art, cuisine and architecture at Boi Tran Garden

“Thank you for opening your house to us but furthermore, your heart” – Gilbert Montagné

French Singer, Musician, Pianist, Organist Gilbert Montagné expressing the pleasure to meet and having the warmest welcome by Boi Tran at her residence.

Travel+Leisure Magazine: Vietnamese Food – The Ultimate Food Guide

Boi Tran took the precious formality of Hue cuisine to a new place, where the pleasure of pure flavour, not mere visual dazzle, was primary.

Boi Tran ‘Madonna’, the First Time Presented and Phenomenally Hammered at Sotheby’s Hong Kong in 2008

Boi Tran’s pictorial work presents profound originality: it is part of an isolated approach, removed from the dominant schools; it expresses the search for universal humanism deeply rooted in a characteristically Vietnamese sensitivity.

Luu Ly and Bui Xuan Phai Sketchbook: A True Sense of Nostalgia at Boi Tran Art Gallery

In an excellent state of preservation after these years, artist Luu Ly now bequeaths his precious treasure to artist Boi Tran in the belief that Boi Tran will take on the perpetuation and introduce these profound sketches to the world.

Cultural Exchange: Singapore’s Asian Civilisations Museum, The Peranakan Museum Founding Director Dr Kenson Kwok “Thank you for beautifully nourishing our bodies and souls” and the Singapore Home Affairs Delegation at Boi Tran Garden

Boi Tran Garden is privileged to host a cultural exchange between the representatives of Singapore Home Affairs, The National Heritage Board Museum, Singapore’s Asian Civilisations Museum, the Peranakan Museum, the National Gallery Singapore, the Singapore Embassy to Vietnam and the Delegation from Singapore Government.

Tran Ninh Ho’s “For the one I miss” and “A Lady and Lotus” by Boi Tran

Publication of Poet Tran Ninh Ho (Vietnamese, B. 1943) and his handwriting to Artist Boi Tran, issued by Writers Association Publishing House circa 2005. The front cover is Boi Tran’s “Lady and Lotus” oil on canvas.

Boi Tran, Ladies and Flowers by Nguyen Trong Tao

I stopped by Minh Chau Art Gallery not only to contemplate the masterpieces of leading artists such as Nguyen Phan Chanh, Bui Xuan Phai, Nguyen Tu Nghiem, Nguyen Sang… or visit the young owner Minh Chau but to feast my eyes on her mother’s paintings displayed to the art lovers

Asian Art News: Small and Miniature Paintings by the Masters at Minh Chau Art Gallery

This exhibition brought together a wide variety of work by some of the most prominent names in the 20th century Vietnamese art world. There is a timeless quality to many of the works on show whose spirit-if not style-is to be seen clearly even in a great deal of the

Minh Chau Art Gallery’s Exhibition: Small and Miniature Paintings by the Masters

Timeout Magazine: The Divine Form

Minh Chau Art Gallery houses one of Hanoi’s more impressive and valuable collections of paintings of Nguyen Gia Tri, Tran Van Can, Bui Xuan Phai, Nguyen Sang, and a remarkable collection of Nguyen Trung’s paintings besides Trinh Cong Son, Dinh Cuong, Tran Huy Hoan, Tran Luu Hau, Diep Minh Chau,

DestinAsian Magazine: Hungry for Hue

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