Surprised the tiny dishes ‘fake as real’

Pho bowl, bread, braised fish… all made of clay just like the real thing but with tiny size. Each model is skillfully molded by the author to realistic details such as chili seeds or veins on the stems of leaves.

Hanoi Pho with full details such as pieces of lemon, onion, chili, beef and split onion, combined with a jar of chili vinegar and a plate of dough…, all are tiny. The author of these unique culinary models of Vietnamese specialties is a bachelor of Hanoi University of Architecture: Nguyen Thi Ha An (29 years old). After graduating from university, An did not pursue the field of home design, the project she chose to start a business: founding Veene – a gift shop on Yen The Street (Hanoi). In 2019, the idea of ​​making miniature model products depicting Vietnamese specialties was rekindled and started by An. “In the past, I used to make handmade souvenir crafts. One day, I thought why not make products with my own identity and cuisine is the first thing that comes to my mind. In my opinion, cuisine is the culture of each country, the thing that is present and closest to each person, each region. Therefore, this product will also be more soulful when made”, An shared. . The smaller the food models, the more delicate, careful, meticulous and skillful the food will have to be. In order to make a model of food like pho, braised fish or com, An and his colleagues must know what the dish looks like in real life, then design it according to their creativity, sketch on paper, graphics on the computer, then start working. Currently, An has made a set of model products with 5 dishes representing the culinary regions of Vietnam: beef noodle soup, bread, braised fish, braised fish, and green rice. “Each Vietnamese dish has its own unique beauty. I want people to see the beauty of Vietnamese dishes through this model,” An shared. Talking about the difficulties in producing this unique product, An said that the source of raw materials was the most important, so he had to choose clay imported from Japan with superior characteristics, colorfastness and non-toxicity. Shaping also requires a lot of detail and careful study. According to An, each set of products takes 3-5 days to be completed. Each set of 5 such products costs from VND 1.5 million to VND 1.8 million and is only made to order. It is known that An’s customers are mainly foreigners and Vietnamese living abroad. So, not only the food, she also wants to make other unique cultural products to help people better understand the country, people and culture of Vietnam. Besides making food model products, An is cherishing making models such as antique costumes to show more diverse Vietnamese culture. Nguyen Thi Ha An – “chef” creates unique tiny dishes that introduce Vietnamese cuisine Very special “cooking” kit for perfecting small details of just a few millimeters Through social networks, the internet, Ha An’s group comes up with ideas and then exchanges with colleagues, chooses a way to express, draws 3D, etc., which are the stages before embarking on the production of the tiny item. Initially, Ha An specialized in producing small souvenirs on order besides key chains, paperweights… Through the mass media combined with the introduction of customers, miniature products are known to more people. Ha An’s production team has more than 10 people with different stages to complete products faster. To produce tiny dishes requires skillful hands, precise precision, as shown in the picture Ha An is attaching a tiny piece of chili to a bowl of beef noodle soup. Realizing the potential of tiny products, Ha An produces quite a variety of items according to customer requirements. The model of banh mi, a famous Vietnamese dish, fits perfectly on your finger, full of vegetables and meat, and 2 tiny pieces of cucumber. The model set of 5 dishes representing the culinary regions of Vietnam includes beef noodle soup, bread, braised fish, braised fish, and green rice. It is known that each set of 5 products will take 3-5 days to complete, priced from 1.5 million to 1.8 million VND and only made to order.