This unique dessert shop in District 1 offers delicious black sesame dishes and live piano music by its 70-year-old owner.
In the heart of Ho Chi Minh City's wealthiest district, a humble dessert shop draws both local and international visitors with its affordable prices and a unique experience - enjoying traditional sweet soups while listening to the 70-year-old owner play live piano music.
Japanese-inspired Chinese black sesame dessert
Mr. Cuong’s black sesame dessert shop is located on a central street in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Ha Nguyen
A heavy rain shower prompted 30-year-old Huynh Tuan Anh and his group of friends to stop by a small black sesame dessert shop on Nguyen Thai Binh Street, District 1. Not long after, a foreign tourist also wandered in.
With a calm demeanor, the shop’s owner, Hong Khac Le Cuong, 70, welcomed guests and helped them find seats, engaging them as if they were old friends.
Once everyone settled in, Mr. Cuong gently confirmed their orders before heading inside to prepare the desserts. The shop is run from his family’s modest home.
The space is adorned with Japanese-style paintings, dolls, and porcelain. A piano and various musical instruments also fill the cozy atmosphere.
To ward off the chill, the young group ordered warm black sesame soup. Trying the dish for the first time, they were full of praise for its unique flavor.
Made from black sesame, glutinous rice flour, and regular rice flour, Mr. Cuong’s dessert is smooth and creamy. It has a delicate sweetness, creamy texture, and an intriguing, delicious taste.
The shop is decorated with musical instruments, figurines, and Japanese ceramics. Photo: Ha Nguyen
All dishes at the shop are handcrafted by Mr. Cuong. Photo: Ha Nguyen
Black sesame soup with coconut milk offers a rich and refreshing flavor. Photo: Ha Nguyen
Customers can enjoy the black sesame soup plain or with coconut milk. The shop also offers green bean soup, black sesame smoothies, and a variety of flans, including black sesame flan, egg milk flan, matcha flan, and coffee flan.
All dishes are made entirely by Mr. Cuong himself.
Despite being located in the city’s wealthiest area, prices range only from VND 20,000 to 35,000 (about USD 0.80 to 1.40). The shop operates daily from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., including holidays.
“This dessert has Chinese origins,” Mr. Cuong said, “but I adapted it to follow Japanese culinary aesthetics.”
According to him, Chinese cuisine focuses on the liquid elements of dishes, while Japanese cuisine emphasizes solids. “So my dessert is thick and smooth, not watery, and retains the fiber and texture of the ingredients,” he explained.
He carefully selects natural, high-quality ingredients and prepares only a small pot each day to ensure strict quality standards.
The black sesame soup takes four hours to cook, using premium black sesame powder, rice flour, and glutinous rice flour, blended in a secret ratio. Mr. Cuong stirs it continuously by hand to avoid clumping or burning.
Live music with your dessert
Mr. Cuong advises not to stir the black sesame soup with coconut milk to preserve both its taste and presentation. Photo: Ha NguyenMr. Cuong carefully crafts each dish with attention to detail. Photo: Ha NguyenTuan Anh (center) and his friends enjoy the black sesame dessert. Photo: Ha NguyenMr. Cuong performs music for guests. Photo: Ha NguyenMr. Cuong plays music with a visiting music professor from Austria during the latter’s trip to Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Provided by the subject
In his youth, Mr. Cuong worked as a music teacher but eventually left the profession to pursue other paths abroad. Now retired, he and his wife sought a simple way to earn a living and find joy in their later years.
They chose to sell black sesame dessert because it was rare and met their criteria for a dish that was easy to make, nutritious, and enjoyable for both them and their customers.
A lover of Japanese culture and arts, Mr. Cuong taught himself to make the dessert in the Japanese style. He had strangers sample his early batches to get honest feedback, then refined the recipe accordingly.
In 2020, Mr. Cuong and his wife, Dieu Thi My Duyen (born 1958), opened the shop. A painter by profession, Mrs. Duyen decorated the space with her own artwork, while Mr. Cuong displayed Japanese porcelain and dolls collected over 20 years.
Their black sesame shop quickly gained popularity among locals and tourists alike, drawing people of all ages. Most guests praise the dessert for its delightful flavor and uniqueness.
Alongside the food, Mr. Cuong provides free live music. As customers enjoy their desserts, he often plays soft, melodic tunes on the piano.
Depending on the guests, Mr. Cuong selects different styles of music. For older customers, he plays classic ballads. For younger ones, he chooses lively, upbeat songs.
“I keep musical instruments in the shop so that any customer who wants to can play for fun,” Mr. Cuong shared. “I often perform for customers or join them in musical exchanges.”
Not just locals, but international tourists - many of whom are artists and musicians - frequently visit the shop to enjoy dessert and share music with Mr. Cuong. “We often play music together in a warm, joyful atmosphere,” he said.
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