As a member of the African group that has been with Quang Linh Vlogs for many years in Angola, Dong Paulo (38 years old, from Hung Ha, Thai Binh ) and his partner Pham Bao are loved by many people for their genuine, simple personality and always caring for everyone.

Currently, in addition to farming and supporting people in remote villages in Angola with agricultural cultivation, Dong Paulo and Pham Bao also regularly post videos instructing group members on how to cook typical Vietnamese dishes such as: lemongrass stir-fried chicken, turmeric braised chicken, black bean sweet soup, cassava sticky rice, braised pork...

They hope that simple meals will help locals have more energy to work and spread the unique culinary culture of their homeland.

In the most recent video posted on Dong Paulo’s YouTube channel with over 860,000 followers, Pham Bao shows off his cooking skills in a familiar Vietnamese dish on the occasion of the birthday of Matel’s wife – a close member of the group, who is from Angola. It is a mixed hotpot.

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Bao (in black) and Matel (far left) and two Angolan members prepare ingredients for Vietnamese hotpot

Pham Bao said that after returning home from work on the farm, Matel told him about his wife's birthday. Because he received the notice a bit late, Bao and everyone else did not have much time to prepare.

The group quickly decided to go to the market to buy some more things like chicken, bones, beef, and the rest used available ingredients at home like crab, sweet potatoes, and green vegetables (harvested from the farm) to make hot pot in time to invite Matel's wife to enjoy.

Afterwards, the members prepared and cleaned the ingredients together and brought the food to Matel's house not far away to prepare a cozy birthday party. Bao also revealed that Dong Paulo was seriously ill and could not attend the special meal with everyone.

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A cozy birthday party with a familiar Vietnamese hot pot dish, filled with side dishes such as beef, chicken, crab, sweet potato, and sweet peppers.

Matel's wife was very happy to see her husband and familiar family members appear. She could not hide her emotion because it was the first time she had such a crowded and complete birthday party.

At Matel's house, Bao was in the kitchen, happily cooking and instructing everyone on how to make Vietnamese hot pot. He also introduced this dish as delicious and very popular in Vietnam, and did not forget to describe each ingredient used to make the hot pot.

In addition, he also thoughtfully prepared a fruit dessert, a bag of green apples, which he received from a close friend in the African group who had just brought them from Vietnam.

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Vietnamese guy guides members how to cook Vietnamese hot pot

Bao said that to make delicious hot pot broth, first you have to saute the shallots and then add the tomatoes. The broth is simmered from bones so it has a light sweetness, then seasoned with appropriate spices.

While simmering the bones to make the hotpot broth, he also steamed the crab so that he could eat it right away. The crab was steamed with lemongrass and a little salt to keep the best flavor.

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Members enjoyed crab and eagerly awaited the hot pot dish cooked by the Vietnamese guy.

After about half an hour, the party was ready, Bao and everyone started to enjoy. He put meat, vegetables, and sweet potatoes into the hot pot and instructed the members to eat crab while waiting for the ingredients to cook.

Bao also recommends everyone to eat instant noodles if they are hungry. This is a popular dish for Vietnamese people and is often used to eat with hot pot.

The Vietnamese guy also revealed that the whole group had enjoyed Vietnamese hotpot before, except for Matel's wife. During the meal, she did not comment much but always showed a happy expression and enjoyed the food, to the point that she "couldn't put down her chopsticks".

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Hot pot is a familiar dish of Vietnamese people, served with diverse ingredients, depending on the preferences and culture of each region.

When Bao asked her about the Vietnamese hotpot, the African woman praised it and said she didn't think the taste would be so appealing.

At the end of the party, Matel's wife thanked her husband and the team members for treating her to a delicious Vietnamese meal on her joyful birthday.

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Matel's wife was moved to thank everyone for organizing a crowded and cozy birthday party for her.

As for Bao, he expressed regret that the party was a bit lacking, because he did not have time to buy a cake and gifts for his wife Matel.

“Today is a big local holiday so all the shops here are closed. So I couldn’t find a birthday cake, soft drinks and gifts for her. Next year I will prepare more carefully,” Bao said.

Photo: Dong Paulo Vlogs – Life in Africa

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