Unique pearl dish originating from Hai Duong specialty cake

Breathing modern life into traditional cuisine

In January 2024, Chu Kafe launched a pearl dish inspired by the specialty green bean cake of Hai Duong. To make this special pearl dish, the restaurant researched, selected ingredients, fermented the dough, and calculated the preparation time.

Mr. Vu Van Dong, manager of Chu Kafe shared: “At first, we encountered many difficulties because we did not have a ready-made recipe. We worked and learned from each step to gradually improve. At the same time, we also listened to customers' feedback and suggestions to produce the most chewy and delicious tapioca pearls. At first, not many customers chose green bean tapioca pearls because they were still hesitant, strange and new. But gradually, this special tapioca pearl dish has made a good impression on customers. Initially, the shop made tapioca pearls manually, then invested in machinery to meet the needs of diners.”

In September 2024, Chu Kafe continued to launch another type of pearls that is also associated with the famous specialty cake of Hai Duong, Ninh Giang sticky rice cake. To find the recipe, the restaurant's staff spent a lot of time visiting sticky rice cake production facilities in Ninh Giang to learn about the cake flour, sticky rice leaves, etc. Chu Kafe hopes that when customers enjoy sticky rice cake pearls, they will feel like they are eating a different version of Ninh Giang sticky rice cake.

Mr. Dong said: “We have had valuable experiences in the process of making traditional sticky rice cake, and discovered the cultural and historical story that formed a traditional cake of the Dong people. Through these experiences, Chu Kafe has further strengthened its orientation of combining traditional culture and cuisine to inherit and continue in a modern product."

The flour to make tapioca pearls for Banh Gai is a combination of Gai leaf flour, with the added flavor of green beans and coconut, but it must be done in a way that does not break the structure of the pearls but still retains the original flavor. The first batches of Banh Gai pearls were brought to the Banh Gai production facility in Ninh Giang, for experienced bakers to enjoy and give comments. Combined with inviting regular customers to try and experience so that the shop can make appropriate adjustments before officially launching.

Diners welcome

When coming to Chu Kafe, Ms. Nguyen Thi Lan Anh in An Son commune (Nam Sach) heard about the tapioca pearls associated with Hai Duong specialties, so she decided to choose to drink with roasted rice black tea.

Ms. Lan Anh said: “I was very surprised by the creativity of the shop. When I enjoyed it, I felt like I was eating Ninh Giang green bean cake and gai cake. A strange yet familiar flavor, the tapioca pearls are soft, chewy, and fragrant with the taste of green bean cake. Gai cake pearls have the aroma of gai leaves, a little bit of green bean and a little bit of coconut fat combined with roasted black tea and rice to create a unique flavor."

As a regular customer, every time she comes to the restaurant, Ms. Bui Tu Linh in Gia Loc town chooses the restaurant's specialty tapioca pearls to enjoy. When welcoming friends from other provinces and cities to Hai Duong, Ms. Linh always introduces this special dish. "I think this is a great way to reach young customers, giving them the opportunity to enjoy the cultural and culinary values ​​of their birthplace, and at the same time spreading the word to friends near and far," Ms. Linh said.

When launching green bean pearls and sticky rice pearls, the shop had a period of time to apply the unlimited free program when customers choose these 2 types of pearls.

Currently, Chu Kafe has 2 locations in Hai Duong City, each of which welcomes 130-170 customers per day. Of these, 35-45% of customers choose to enjoy drinks with green bean tapioca pearls and gai cake tapioca pearls.

This is also a new way to bring Hai Duong specialties to young customers. It is even more widespread when the restaurant introduces these special products through social networking sites such as Facebook and TikTok.

It is known that Chu Kafe continues to come up with ideas and research to create new products and unique drinks originating from the unique flavors of Hai Duong.