Hai Yen and her French husband have been living in Senegal for more than a year. She cooks Vietnamese dishes to serve restaurant diners with the desire that her homeland's cuisine is known to many people.
Don't be afraid to explore new lands
In 2003, Ms. Le Thi Hai Yen (41 years old, originally from Ho Chi Minh City) and her 2 daughters (with a divorced French husband) moved to France to settle down. Two years later, she met and became a husband and wife with her current husband. She has 2 more sons, the first child is in 9th grade this year, the second is just 2 years old.
Couple She used to live in TP.Marseille (France) for 10 years and then moved to TP.Toulouse for her husband to open his own company. Her husband's job has to travel to many countries often, so she and her children also follow the concept of "shifting".
Hai Yen is living in Senegal
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“During the Covid-19 outbreak, it was very difficult to go abroad. With countries whose level has shifted to red, my wife and I can't pass. At that time, the two were planning to pass through Ivory Coast, but a week before departure, the country turned red and could not pass. In Africa, Senegal is one of the two countries with a blue epidemic level, so the whole family decided to go there,” she recalled.
For her, life in Senegal is quite peaceful
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The idea that the decision to move with her husband to Africa will be difficult for the Vietnamese bride, but the reality is quite comfortable.
“When I first passed, I was a bit surprised by the facilities in Senegal. People's lives are quite simple, people in remote areas do not yet have electricity and water, only people in big cities or rich have it," said the Vietnamese bride.
The staff at the restaurant help Yen in cooking
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A few weeks after arriving in the new country, the woman began to go to the market by motorbike or horse-drawn carriage. It is very difficult to find Vietnamese food and ingredients here, tropical fruits are not many. Her family bought a house near the beach with their taste and intend to stay here for a long time.
Introducing Vietnamese cuisine to Senegalese diners
Yen learned to adapt to her new life through food. She saw that the natives often used hibiscus leaves to cook soup, and the flowers were soaked in water to drink. The woman also tried it, it was very strange at first, but gradually she got used to it.
Hoi An chicken rice dish prepared by Ms. Yen
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“Where I live is about 80km from the main city of Senegal, there is a Vietnamese restaurant. However, finding rice paper and fish sauce is also very difficult because the Vietnamese community living here is small. For 8 months, I couldn't get fish sauce, there were ingredients I had to bring from France. In addition to new dishes, there are pure Vietnamese dishes in every meal," the mother of four confided.
Dessert tea
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In addition to indigenous people, Senegal also has a lot of Europeans coming to live and work. There are no Vietnamese restaurants in the area where she lives, so she often cooks traditional dishes and invites people to dine to strengthen connections.
Spring rolls are loved by many diners
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On one occasion, a French friend complimented her cooking skills and asked her to cook for a nearby restaurant. She agreed and went to the restaurant to cook once a month. In Senegal, "house without number, street without name" is popular, so she cannot do it at home to sell online. She often prepares menus for diners to order.
“Goi cuon, spring rolls, braised meat… are the dishes that people here love to eat. The first time I worked for about 40 people and succeeded when they complimented a lot. I still remember a time when making sweet potato soup, many people thought that dessert would be cakes, buttermilk... but did not expect the main ingredient to be potatoes. The other time there was banana ice cream, they were also surprised when they ate it. Seeing them enjoy the dishes prepared by my own hands, I am very happy”, she shared.
Vietnamese cooking ingredients are hard to find in Senegal
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According to her, restaurants in Senegal are quite expensive, up to 20.000 f/dish, equivalent to 30 euros because of the high cost of ingredients and materials.
“Food in Senegal has about 8-10 main dishes. Vietnamese cuisine makes me proud and I want to introduce the food to more countries,” the Vietnamese bride confided.
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