Cover Li Bai’s Ba Trang cake, a cherished delicacy in Chinese cuisine each 5th of May, holds the quiet power of ritual, preserving heritage while offering heartfelt sincerity
Li Bai’s Ba Trang cake, a cherished delicacy in Chinese cuisine each 5th of May, holds the quiet power of ritual, preserving heritage while offering heartfelt sincerity
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As the Duanwu Festival nears, the Ba Trang cake returns to centre stage. Traditionally gifted every May 5, it serves not only as a tribute to cultural roots but also as a gesture of thoughtful giving. At Li Bai restaurant in Saigon, this time-honoured treat is elevated into a refined retail experience, catering to those who appreciate meaningful gifts and culinary excellence.
Within Li Bai’s kitchen, in-house production is an ethos, a promise of quality and care. Every stage, from ingredient selection to final presentation, is undertaken by seasoned chefs, whose craftsmanship ensures each item carries the restaurant’s distinct Cantonese imprint, a legacy honed over two decades.
This dedication to detail is the very essence of Li Bai’s identity. Handmade from start to finish, these products embody not just taste, but a philosophy and a celebration of heritage and refinement that resonates with discerning palates.
Li Bai and the journey of handcrafting traditional gifts
Since the early 2000s, Li Bai restaurant, tucked within the second floor of the Sheraton Saigon Grand Opera Hotel, has been a prime destination for authentic Cantonese dining. It has quietly led the way in preserving the cultural artistry of festive gifting, launching a premium range of handcrafted products for holiday seasons. Among them, its signature line of mooncakes has long stood out. Baked by hand in-house, they have become an enduring symbol of elegant generosity, with hundreds of thousands made each year.
Above Handmade mooncakes by Li Bai restaurant, a tribute to tradition and craft
Handmade mooncakes by Li Bai restaurant, a tribute to tradition and craft
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In 2010, the restaurant expanded its seasonal repertoire with the launch of Ba Trang cake for the Duanwu Festival. The initiative carried forward its artisanal spirit, turning a classic into an evocative cultural experience.
Ba Trang cake: Li Bai’s homage to tradition and craftsmanship
Ba Trang cake has always been a centrepiece of the Doan Ngo Festival. Yet, in today’s crowded market, premium interpretations with a five-star finish remain a rarity. Li Bai’s version, however, speaks of elegance and emotional resonance a gift as thoughtful as it is beautiful.
Above Li Bai’s Ba Trang cakes are made using a treasured Cantonese recipe, passed down through generations, refined into a luxurious artisanal offering
Li Bai’s Ba Trang cakes are made using a treasured Cantonese recipe, passed down through generations, refined into a luxurious artisanal offering
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Drawing on an ancestral recipe from the original Cantonese community, the chefs at Li Bai craft their Ba Trang cakes with handpicked ingredients from trusted sources—abalone, scallops, pork, chicken, goose, glutinous rice, mung beans, chestnuts, ginkgo, and shiitake mushrooms among them. The preparation, meticulous and methodical, demands both precision and care. It’s a process that safeguards the food’s nutrition while preserving its delicate flavours, resulting in a cake that feels as timeless as the tradition it honours.
Above With fine ingredients such as abalone, scallops, pork, chicken and goose sticky rice, each Ba Trang cake delivers a superb flavour experience
With fine ingredients such as abalone, scallops, pork, chicken and goose sticky rice, each Ba Trang cake delivers a superb flavour experience
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To ensure every Ba Trang cake reaches diners at its best, the restaurant refines its recipe year after year. Diners are treated to two distinctive fillings that blend the flavours of East and West—one with pork and Iberico smoked ham, another with chicken and foie gras, the latter lending a rich, silky indulgence that melts delicately on the tongue. Premium options such as abalone and scallop offer an elevated choice, packed with nutrition and complexity. For those preferring plant-based fare, Li Bai presents a refined combination of tempeh, mushrooms and truffle sauce, full of depth and elegance.
Above Each cake is not only a feast for the senses, but also a study in visual harmony and detail
Each cake is not only a feast for the senses, but also a study in visual harmony and detail
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Though the visual simplicity of Ba Trang cake suggests modesty, its creation is anything but. From the careful selection of high-quality ingredients to inventive layering of flavours, each cake tells a story. A delicate shell of glutinous rice, soft and subtly seasoned, encases a rich filling imbued with Cantonese character, yet still warmly familiar to the Vietnamese palate.
Read more: Li Bai: Cantonese cuisine that connects generations
Behind the tens of thousands of cakes prepared for the Doan Ngo Festival stands Mr Diep Nhieu, Assistant Chef at Li Bai. With more than twenty years at the stove, he knows the rhythm of every stage, from mixing to moulding, and believes that flavour comes not only from technique or ingredients, but from wholehearted devotion.
Efforts to preserve traditional culture through self-production capacity
Despite undergoing a full renovation in 2024, Li Bai has remained steadfast in its philosophy: honouring tradition through craftsmanship. This commitment is evident in every retail product whether served at family tables or gifted during festive gatherings.
Read more: What’s so special about Peking duck that it graces the most prestigious Cantonese menus?
From mooncakes and Ba Trang cakes to XO sauce, all retail offerings are produced in-house at Li Bai and within the Sheraton Saigon Grand Opera Hotel’s culinary network. From ingredient selection to packaging, each stage is handled internally. It’s this cohesion that preserves the integrity, flavour and distinctiveness of every product, year after year. These handcrafted items are more than just delicious, they are declarations of identity, refinement and care, treasured by connoisseurs.
Above Handmade creations that delight the senses and speak to the soul, each one an emblem of artistry and intention
Handmade creations that delight the senses and speak to the soul, each one an emblem of artistry and intention
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From cake to gift box, every detail tells a tale. From fire and flour, from the hands of artisans, trust is born, and a place in the hearts of diners both in Saigon and abroad is quietly secured. For Li Bai, the art of premium handmade products is more than a tradition. It is a commitment to excellence, to heritage, and to the timeless elegance of Cantonese culinary culture.
For information about Sheraton Saigon Grand Opera hotel, please visit here .
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