Chay Garden Inaugurates the Vu Lan Chay Lành Culinary Event – Season of ƯƠM
The Vu Lan Chay Lành – Season of ƯƠM culinary event, organized by Chay Garden at the Rex Hotel, has officially welcomed diners with lunch buffets (11 AM – 2 PM) and dinner buffets (6 PM – 9 PM) from August 23 to September 22, 2025. This is an annual program by Chay Garden aimed at creating a multi-sensory vegetarian culinary experience, where every moment leaves a memorable impression on guests.
Each year, Vu Lan Chay Lành brings a unique vegetarian season, with the first four seasons named: ƯƠM – NẢY – TRỔ – KẾT, contributing to a new tradition that Vu Lan is not only a reminder of filial piety but also a journey of slow living, deep feeling, and together “sowing” the values of family love.
The opening ceremony of the Vu Lan Chay Lành – Season of ƯƠM culinary event took place on the evening of August 23, 2025, at the Hoa Mai Restaurant space, attended by guests such as Ms. Tô Thị Thúy Hà – Deputy Director of the Center for Research, Preservation, and Development of Vietnamese Cuisine, Mr. Đỗ Thanh Tuấn – External Affairs Director of Vinamilk, Mr. Nguyễn Quang Dũng – Marketing Director for Vinamilk’s product lines, artist Chí Tâm, singer Mỹ Hạnh, MC/Miss Sea Ninh Hoàng Ngân, social activist Chung Thúy Linh, along with representatives from press agencies and vegetarian cuisine enthusiasts.
In her opening speech, Ms. Hoàng Mộng Diễm – CEO of Chay Garden – shared that the Vu Lan Chay Lành program during the 7th lunar month is an opportunity to connect family love, honor parents, and spread humanistic values through pure vegetarian dishes. “Chay Garden’s greatest wish is that while parents are still healthy, everyone can bring them to enjoy warm family gatherings and savor healthy natural cuisine,” she shared.
Chay Garden representatives also expressed gratitude to partnering units, including the Rex Hotel, Vinamilk, and Focus Media, for their support in making the program successful. At the same time, she thanked the guests and press agencies for joining in spreading the message of love and promoting a healthy lifestyle.
The Essence of Vegetarian Cuisine
In the first season – ƯƠM (2025), a menu of over 100 vegetarian dishes is creatively prepared by Chay Garden’s chefs, blending traditional culinary essence with modern techniques to deliver fresh and refined taste experiences.
Inspired by various seeds – symbols of beginnings and nourishment – the Season of ƯƠM menu elevates dishes in both flavor and meaningful depth. More than just a buffet with hundreds of items, Vu Lan Chay Lành is where each dish carries a story and a meaningful message about family bonds and gratitude.
The weekly menu evolves layer by layer, from “sowing” seeds like rice, lotus seeds, cashews, mung beans, red beans, and more, blooming into a palette of flavors. Highlighted vegetarian dishes include Sesame Dressing Salad, Passion Fruit Dressing Salad, Italian Pasta with 9-Seed Cream Sauce, Mushrooms in 9-Seed Garlic Butter Sauce, 9-Seed Pumpkin Soup, 9-Seed Panna Cotta, Dulce de Leche Babka, and more. Choosing seeds as the menu foundation is not just an ingredient selection but Chay Garden’s way of honoring simple life, gratitude to nature, and reconnecting with nourishing values from Mother Earth.
Sowing Creativity with Vinamilk
With Vinamilk’s partnership, especially their vegan 9-seed creamer product, Chay Garden’s chefs have sown creative seeds to bring standout dishes to the Vu Lan Chay Lành buffet: Italian Pasta with 9-Seed Cream Sauce, 9-Seed Pumpkin Soup, Mushrooms in 9-Seed Garlic Butter Sauce, 9-Seed Panna Cotta, and more. Each dish not only inherits and develops Chay Garden’s culinary essence but also highlights the nutty aroma, creamy smoothness, and rich seed flavor of the 9-seed creamer – Vietnam’s first vegan condensed cream.
Ms. Tô Thị Thúy Hà – Deputy Director of the Center for Research, Preservation, and Development of Vietnamese Cuisine – shared: “The 7th lunar month is when everyone honors parents and ancestors. With over 100 vegetarian dishes made from natural ingredients, this year’s program not only offers rich experiences but also affirms the trend of vegetarian eating for health and living in harmony with nature.” She also praised Vinamilk’s partnership in introducing many vegan products like seed milk, yogurt, and plant-based nutrition, contributing to spreading a green and sustainable lifestyle.
Nurturing Family Bonds
Starting from a simple wish that children have opportunities to express gratitude to parents during Vu Lan, Chay Garden believes the Vu Lan Chay Lành – Season of ƯƠM event will help create a new tradition: Vu Lan as a reminder of filial piety and a journey of slow living, deep feeling, and together “sowing” family love values.
At the opening ceremony, many families chose the Vu Lan Chay Lành buffet to start the Vu Lan vegetarian month in a cozy atmosphere, sowing good wishes and fully connecting with themselves and loved ones. Accompanying his wife and two children to the event on the first day, Mr. Trần Trọng Quốc (56 years old, residing in Ho Chi Minh City) shared: “This Vu Lan season is a great opportunity to bond the family. Before, I didn’t think vegetarian food was delicious, but after eating here, my view on vegetarian dishes has changed. The food is so tasty yet feels light.”
With the message “Wrap love in the word LÀNH / Delicious flavors, filial piety dedicated to parents,” Chay Garden offers special gifts and discounts for guests attending with parents: 50% off ticket price for parents aged 60-69 and free tickets for parents 70 and older.
Beyond the culinary journey, the Vu Lan Chay Lành – Season of ƯƠM event also features a multi-sensory artistic space, evoking and spreading emotions through music, displays, and connecting activities. In the Rex Hotel lobby event area, the Happiness Tree – Chay Garden’s symbol – is where guests can hang handwritten cards and wishes for loved ones. All contribute to an event that’s not just for the palate but touches the depths of memory and emotion, making this Vu Lan not only a holiday but a complete bonding journey.
EVENT INFORMATION:
- Time: August 23 – September 22, 2025
- Location: Rex Hotel Saigon (Hoa Mai Restaurant – Rooftop Garden), 141 Nguyễn Huệ, Saigon Ward, Ho Chi Minh City
- Chay Garden offers special discounts for guests attending the Vu Lan Chay Lành – Season of ƯƠM event (August 23 – September 22, 2025) with parents, applicable when purchasing tickets and reserving tables in advance:
- 50% off ticket price for parents aged 60-69
- 100% off (free) ticket price for parents 70 and older
- Additionally, upon registering for the Happy Connection Journey membership program, customers receive an immediate 10% discount on Vu Lan Chay Lành buffet tickets, along with service discounts across the Chay Garden restaurant system.
- Highlight programs: Music performances with guest artists, sending messages on the Happiness Tree, receiving gifts, and more.
