It's almost time for Tết, which means huge branches of yellow hoa mai flowers will start sprouting all over Little Saigon; red banners reading, “Chúc mừng năm mới” (Happy New Year) will be strung in every shop and restaurant; and food shops everywhere will explode with blocks of sticky rice with pork and mung beans, carefully wrapped in green lá dong or banana leaves and tied with raffia.
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Xanh Bistro will host a banh chung-making workshop at 4 p.m. on Jan. 29; the event is free, but reservations are required. Call the restaurant at (714) 531-2030.
If you can't make it for the demo, there will be a special small-plates menu available for Tết from Jan. 29 through Feb. 5 that includes bánh chưng with pickled vegetables, a pork and egg hot pot, lotus root salad with water celery and shrimp, and xôi lạp xưởng (sticky rice with sweet sausage and scallion oil).
