Vietnamese Miniature Food Creator Makes Edible Dishes The Size Of A Coin

Vietnamese miniature food creators

Any chef worth their salt will tell you cooking is a true form of art that requires years of practice and dedication to master, and of course, they have a point. Turning raw ingredients into delicious meals isn’t a skill you can pick up overnight, as I have experienced firsthand during my days learning how to cook during the lockdown in Đà Nẵng, where I live.

But we all know that creative minds know no bounds. There are always cooking enthusiasts out there who want to push their limits further, coming up with unique ways to show their passion for the culinary arts. A Vietnamese cooking channel, for instance, is constantly cooking mini versions of our regular dishes. The best part is, even though each of their creations are no bigger than the side of a coin, they are fully edible.

In other news, a Hanoi-based artist has also recently made international headlines for carving miniature figurines of popular Vietnamese dishes such as phở amd bánh mì. Her products look so real that they’ll make you want to take a bite.

Mini Vietnamese dishes that are fully edible

Mini duck breast with orange sauce
Video credit: Góc Bếp Nhỏ

Góc Bếp Nhỏ (Small Kitchen Corner) is a budding Vietnamese cooking channel that sets itself apart for its creative miniature versions of our everyday meals, each no bigger than the size of a coin.

While the tools are small, they are fully functional
Video credit: Góc Bếp Nhỏ

The channel takes its name quite literally, as everything used in its videos – from knives, forks, and other utensils to pans, pots, and stoves – is tiny. Though they might look like toys, all the tools are fully functional.

The dishes are made using real ingredients just like a regular meal
Video credit: Góc Bếp Nhỏ

Góc Bếp Nhỏ’s creations include a wide variety of dishes from both Asian and Western cuisines. You can find bánh chưng – a traditional cake that Vietnamese people eat during the Lunar New Year – in one video, and then Italian pasta in another. The dishes are prepared just like regular-sized meals, using real ingredients and condiments. As a result, they are fully edible.

Another Vietnamese artist makes miniature food figurines

A mini bánh mì figurine made by a Vietnamese artist
Image credit: Ha An Nguyen

Meanwhile, Nguyễn Thị Hà An, an artist currently living in Hanoi, has recently wowed the international community with her miniature figurines of signature Vietnamese food.

Made using clay and liquid plastic, Hà An’s works can be held on the tip of a finger, yet every detail is incredibly realistic. This zoomed-in picture of her phở model, for instance, shows a dish you’d expect to see on the menu of a phở restaurant. It also comes with a side dish featuring quẩy – crunchy fried flour sticks that many Vietnamese people like to eat with their phở.

Image credit: Ha An Nguyen

Aside from food figurines, Hà An also makes mini models of toys, furniture, and other everyday items. For her latest creation, the artist is working on mini star-shaped lanterns – a toy Vietnamese children often carry around during the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Image credit: Ha An Nguyen

Miniature food by Vietnamese creative talents

The world of cooking is indeed vast and beautiful. While savoring delicious dishes is one of life’s greatest satisfactions, seeing creative minds take things above and beyond with their miniature food creations – be they actually edible or just decorative ornaments – is also a delight.

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Cover image adapted from Góc Bếp Nhỏ and Ha An Nguyen

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Toan Ngo