Mời cả nhà ăn cơm!

Vietnamese food was at the centre of when I listened to all the stories that my elders spoke about in a way that was very unfiltered, not too academic, and very accessible. And it really looked at their personal experience of global histories in a way that was away from the white gaze, the colonial gaze, just very honest and without trying to create any trauma porn. So, Vietnamese food was a place where safety happened, where we nourished and cared for each other.

I think recently,… because I lost my grandma last year. I think my most memorable experience with food is her making thịt kho because it is something that everyone in my family loves. And that was the last dish she made before she passed. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to eat it because I’m so far away. This dish is a very memorable one because of her.

Ich habe meine Hausaufgaben im Restaurant gemacht und da immer auch hinter der Theke, im Service oder in der Küche ausgeholfen. Oder wenn die Eltern nicht da sind, für die Schwester zu Hause gekocht. Also man musste relativ schnell erwachsen und selbstständig sein. Weil die Eltern mussten arbeiten und Geld verdienen.