Linh Trang, founder of Savoury Days: from university lecturer to baking ‘wizard’

So after perseverance and discipline, do skillful hands follow?

Not quite. I think curiosity and a love of learning come first, along with creativity, the desire to innovate, and a passion for discovery.

I don’t see myself as a cook—I am a scientist at heart. My real passion is exploring, researching, and understanding things on a deeper level. Why does this method work? Why should we do it this way rather than another? This analytical mindset has been invaluable in both cooking and baking.

I have read extensively, studied with numerous teachers, and instead of relying on guesswork, I conduct trials—scientific experiments, if you will—to get to the root of every issue. The result is that my baking recipes allow others to bypass much of the trial-and-error process.

And finally, there is passion. Without it, even the most disciplined person will struggle to sustain anything long-term.

The last factor is passion, because without passion it is difficult to maintain anything, no matter how disciplined.

In your view, does passion need to be in place before we begin, or does it develop as we achieve results?

I love researching and creating recipes, whether for cooking or baking. But I am not someone who simply enjoys spending time in the kitchen for its own sake. I am there to experiment, to refine, and to improve.

When I was younger, I focused entirely on my studies—my mother took care of all the cooking. It wasn’t until I moved abroad and had to prepare meals for myself that I started to gain experience. Curiosity has always been part of my nature, so when I found cooking to be an interesting challenge, I began exploring recipes. The process felt like scientific research. Even now, what keeps me in the kitchen is the ability to investigate, experiment, and create.

Read more: Explore the home kitchens of 3 famous chefs and restaurant owners in Hong Kong

From a food blogger who shared recipes for fun to a former university lecturer turned professional baking instructor—what prompted such a dramatic shift?

In 2017, after completing my PhD, I returned to Vietnam and took up a teaching position at the International School, Vietnam National University, Hanoi. Up to that point, sharing recipes had been a hobby.

Then one day, I was struck by how little had changed. At a restaurant, I realised that the cakes being served were no different from those I had tasted a decade earlier. Meanwhile, in neighbouring countries such as Thailand and Singapore, the baking industry had evolved significantly. That was the moment I knew I had to do something—to open a baking class and introduce people to new techniques and trends.

However, those in-person classes were limited—they only ran on weekends and were confined to Hanoi. I wanted to make learning more accessible, so I launched an online course, allowing anyone with a passion for baking to take part. The goal remained the same: to help people bake better, with a more systematic and effortless approach.

In many ways, creating my online course in 2019 was simply an extension of writing books—only in video format.

A year later, the Covid-19 pandemic reshaped habits worldwide. People became more receptive to online education and recognised its practical benefits. As a result, my baking classes gained even wider acceptance.

Linh Trang, you have mastered a variety of savoury dishes, both Asian and European. Why focus exclusively on baking?

It’s true that I love cooking in all its forms, but teaching online is different from simply sharing a recipe. A recipe is personal—it reflects experience, and experience can be subjective. Teaching, however, demands precision. You have to provide scientifically tested formulas and a structured foundation so that students make as few mistakes as possible. This requires a tremendous investment of time, effort, and resources.

For instance, before launching a course, my team studies extensive reference materials and existing recipes. We then experiment with every ingredient available in Vietnam to identify the best options. Only after this meticulous process do we finalise a standard recipe and begin filming. In many ways, it mirrors the development of a university-level curriculum.

Beyond that, I chose baking because it has a tangible impact on people’s lives—especially those looking to start a business.

The world of baking is vast—how do you structure your courses?

My priority is always the learners. Some of my students bake for their families, while others want to start a business. Both groups need to develop skills that suit their own preferences. Because of this, my team and I constantly monitor the market, paying close attention to trends. We focus first on what appeals to the majority before catering to more niche interests.

After years of baking, I have developed a strong understanding of Vietnamese tastes. I also keep an eye on markets in neighbouring countries such as Singapore, Taiwan, South Korea and Japan, where preferences tend to align with those in Vietnam. Typically, if a particular cake becomes popular in these regions, it will soon trend here as well. Western tastes, however, are an entirely different matter.

I view Happie as a school—with classrooms, functional spaces and students learning according to their level and interests. How do you manage that ‘school’?

I’m glad you see it that way, because that’s exactly what I want to build—even though I’m still teaching alone. I still see myself as an educator, just in a different field.

At Happie, I have a team dedicated to developing recipes. Together, we read, research, study materials and experiment extensively. There are courses we spend weeks—sometimes months—perfecting, overcoming challenges that many believe are impossible.

My goal remains the same: to help people become better bakers. At happie.vn, my team and I design courses that cater to all skill levels. Even those who have never baked before can learn with ease. We also offer a completely free series for beginners, Anyone Can Bake Good Cakes, covering essential techniques.

Our students receive timely responses to all their questions, although we rarely receive many—because the most common challenges in baking have already been anticipated and addressed in our lessons.

I have no ambition to make Happie the number one baking school. I simply aim to do my best with what I know about education and the art of baking.

Article published from the original article in Tatler Vietnam, February 2025 issue.

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