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Tet Festival In New Orleans East Is Vietnamese Food Heaven. Here's How To Do It Right
Attending the Tet Festival in New Orleans East always feels like a feast for the senses even before the first bite.
Fireworks and a dragon dance start things off, musicians perform on stage and there's an undercurrent of gleeful children ricocheting around the festival grounds, many blasting silly string at each other.
A tent full of games of chance pulses with activity as people plunk down tokens by the fistful and roll the dice. Food tents are lined with open-air kitchens and dining hall-style seating, filled with sounds and aromas of Vietnamese cooking.
People explore food options and sit at long tables to eat and drink during Tet Fest at Mary Queen of Vietnam Church in New Orleans. (Photo by Sophia Germer, NOLA.Com, The Times-PicayuneThe New Orleans Advocate)
Sophia GermerHere someone's tending a cauldron of pho, there someone pulls puffy fried bananas from vats of oil and another is whipping spring rolls together with the speed of a piano virtuoso at the keys.
Tet is the Vietnamese celebration of the Lunar New Year; the biggest local celebration is the Tet Festival put on annually by Mary Queen of Vietnam Church in New Orleans East. The fest takes place this weekend, Feb. 16-18.
Lan Bui prepares "the best spicy soup" during Tet Fest at Mary Queen of Vietnam Church in New Orleans in 2023. (Photo by Sophia Germer, NOLA.Com, The Times-PicayuneThe New Orleans Advocate)
Sophia GermerFor those who already know and love Vietnamese cooking, Tet Festival is a wonderland of abundance. For those just beginning to explore the cuisine, it provides a deep, headfirst dive into its flavors.
It also shows what happens when a tight-knit community comes together to cook, eat and share with others. That's a familiar starting point for many a celebration in Louisiana, and it sounds like a good start to the year to me.
What to know if you goCrowds gather for Tet Fest at Mary Queen of Vietnam Church in New Orleans. The festival celebrates the Lunar New Year from Friday to Sunday with crafts, food, games and performances. (Photo by Sophia Germer, NOLA.Com, The Times-PicayuneThe New Orleans Advocate)
Sophia GermerTet Festival is held on the church grounds, found a few blocks off Chef Menteur Highway in the middle of the Village de L'Est neighborhood, a hub of the local Vietnamese community.
Admission is free and so is parking at the large lot just next to the church grounds.
It's good to have a stash of cash on hand for the various games and vendors, and there are ATMs on-site.
Banh mi sandwiches are constructed during Tet Fest at Mary Queen of Vietnam Church in New Orleans. (Photo by Sophia Germer, NOLA.Com, The Times-PicayuneThe New Orleans Advocate)
Sophia GermerAbout 15,000 people typically attend the three-day festival. They're drawn from around the region with some visitors driving in from Pensacola or Houston.
Increasingly, the festival has seen a rise in people from outside the Vietnamese community, said Deacon Vinh Tran, one of the organizers, and this has been a very welcome development, he said.
"We try to open the door to everybody," Tran told me.
Tuan Huynh wears a New Years hat during Tet Fest at Mary Queen of Vietnam Church in New Orleans. Huynh has lived in New Orleans since 1975 when he moved from Vietnam. (Photo by Sophia Germer, NOLA.Com, The Times-PicayuneThe New Orleans Advocate)
Sophia GermerThe music lineup has expanded from traditional and pop Vietnamese bands to include popular acts from the regional party circuit. This year that brings the No Idea Band (Feb. 17, from 1:30 p.M. To 5 p.M.) and Groovy 7 (Feb. 18., from 1:30 p.M. To 5:30 p.M.).
Tai Vu, lofts a dragon head during the dragon dance as crowds celebrate Tet Fest, the Vietnamese lunar new year celebration at Mary Queen of Vietnam Church in New Orleans East.
PHOTO BY SHAWN FINKA dragon dance and fireworks display start things off on Friday around 6 p.M., and these repeat around the same time Saturday and Sunday.
This is a very family-oriented festival, run by the church, and between all the school fair-style games and the booths selling toys, it can feel like a playground for young kids.
People explore food options and crafts during Tet Fest at Mary Queen of Vietnam Church in New Orleans. (Photo by Sophia Germer, NOLA.Com, The Times-PicayuneThe New Orleans Advocate)
Sophia GermerIt's also a party for the adults. Cases of Heineken and Bud Light are stacked everywhere.
A food rompFestival-goers order food during Tet Fest at Mary Queen of Vietnam Church in New Orleans. (Photo by Sophia Germer, NOLA.Com, The Times-PicayuneThe New Orleans Advocate)
Sophia GermerThe food at Tet comes from teams of cooks formed through ministries within the church. It is a blend of street food, festival food and home-style recipes, and includes much that's not normally found at restaurants in New Orleans.
It's tempting to grab the first dishes you spot (for my godson last year, that was a Korean corn dog filled with mozzarella and crusted with Cheetos, from one of the decidedly less-traditional food stands).
Corn is grilled during Tet Fest at Mary Queen of Vietnam Church in New Orleans. (Photo by Sophia Germer, NOLA.Com, The Times-PicayuneThe New Orleans Advocate)
Sophia GermerBut I recommend strolling the grounds to assess your options. Many food booths have their items on display or pictured on menu boards, and across the different tents and booths, you'll find some variations on the same dish. This isn't a cooking competition, per se, but Tran confirms that there is indeed a competitive streak across the teams.
Tran Sy prepares bags for optional soup toppings during Tet Fest at Mary Queen of Vietnam Church in New Orleans. (Photo by Sophia Germer, NOLA.Com, The Times-PicayuneThe New Orleans Advocate)
Sophia GermerThere are at least three versions of pho in the works this year, and other regional soups like bun bo hue, a richer, brawnier soup, and hu tieu, a regional specialty from the Mekong delta in the south of Vietnam with a lighter broth and thicker, udon-like noodles with a mix of pork and seafood.
Keep browsing and you'll find green pandan waffles, banh cuon (rice noodle rolls, which are slippery, sticky like free-form crepes made of noodle), crispy salt and pepper shrimp, crabs fried in their shells and goi ca, a raw fish dish somewhere between ceviche and salad to fold into rice paper rolls.
Father Thien Nguyen grills during Tet Fest at Mary Queen of Vietnam Church in New Orleans. (Photo by Sophia Germer, NOLA.Com, The Times-PicayuneThe New Orleans Advocate)
Sophia GermerThen there's trung vit long, or fertilized duck egg. It's best known by its Filipino name duck balut. With all its crunchy bits, there's no missing that you're eating an unhatched duck embryo when you bite in (after a few tries, I've decided this is one acquired taste I have not acquired).
To slurp or not to slurp?Women prepare and package spring rolls during Tet Fest at Mary Queen of Vietnam Church in New Orleans. (Photo by Sophia Germer, NOLA.Com, The Times-PicayuneThe New Orleans Advocate)
Sophia GermerThe best approach is to go with a family or a few friends and sample a range of dishes, all the better if you're close enough with your companions to share the same soup.
Tran also confirms that audible slurping is a sign of appreciation.
"At least for people of my generation," he added. "The younger people, they don't like to do that, but for us, if you hear people slurping, you know that's a good pho."
J. Knoblach prepares a bowl of pho soup during Tet Fest at Mary Queen of Vietnam Church in New Orleans. (Photo by Sophia Germer, NOLA.Com, The Times-PicayuneThe New Orleans Advocate)
Sophia GermerWalking the grounds means watching how many of the dishes come together as teams work in outdoor kitchens open to view. Someone is washing fresh herbs, another person is grilling meat, another has watchful eyes on the broth.
Tran said this reflects a key part of Tet traditions from home cooking.
"I compare Tet to Thanksgiving," he said. "You want to go home to family, and when everyone is together you cook and prepare. You never see one person in a Vietnamese holiday kitchen. It's the whole family. Everyone has a responsibility to put the meal together."
Tet Festival at Mary Queen of Vietnam Church
14011 Dwyer Blvd.
6 p.M. To 11 p.M. Feb. 16; 11 a.M. To 11 p.M. Feb. 17; 9 a.M. To 10 p.M. Feb. 18
17 Ways To Slurp Noodle Soup This Season
Long winter days have a way of inducing pasta and soup cravings, and we have plenty of recipes for combining the two bowls of comfort. From classic chicken noodle soup and ramen to Cambodian rice noodle soup and Sino-Vietnamese egg noodle soup, there are plenty of hearty, aromatic broth and noodle pairings to put in rotation. These are our best noodle soups to slurp this season.
01 of 17
Herbal Chicken Bone Broth with Soba Noodles Charissa Fay / Food Styling by Nora Singley / Prop Styling by Maeve Sheridan Make the ultimate herbal bone broth for longevity and overall wellness with 100% buckwheat soba noodles for a bowl of replenishment.02 of 17
Restorative Ginger and Turmeric Noodle Soup Jennifer Causey Inspired by her Chinese mother's restorative soups, Hetty McKinnon concocted this noodle soup with ginger and turmeric curry paste for winter comfort food.03 of 17
Tonkotsu Ramen Frederick Hardy II / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen A perfect winter weekend cooking project, this ramen is rich from the meltingly tender chashu pork and soft-boiled egg and brightened by the pickled mushrooms.04 of 17
Leftover Roast Turkey and Chinese Egg Noodle Soup Alison Miksch Leftover Thanksgiving turkey inspired this Instant Pot recipe, a variation of the Sino-Viet roast duck–egg noodle soup, called mi vit tiem.05 of 17
Chicken Pho Diana Chistruga Charles Phan quarters a whole chicken and boils dried rice noodles in this intense, aromatic, Vietnamese-inspired soup.06 of 17
Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Shell Royster Every home cook and restaurant in Taiwan has their own closely guarded formula for this classic soup with wheat-based noodles and tender braised beef, but most recipes make use of a tomato and doubanjiang (chili bean sauce) to add savory depth to the broth.07 of 17
Miso-Tofu Hot Pot with Ramen Victor Protasio This soothing hot pot recipe cooks ramen noodles in an earthy, fragrant broth flavored from simmering tofu and vegetables.08 of 17
Oxtail Noodle Soup Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen Taking inspiration from kare-kare, a famous Filipino beef stew with a savory peanut sauce, this noodle soup features oxtails and a silky broth made from the rich oxtail cooking liquid, peanut butter, fish sauce, and anchovies to enhance the umami.09 of 17
Smoked Brisket Noodle Soup Greg DuPree Southern barbecued brisket is paired with tender egg noodles, okra, corn, and lima beans for this hearty, smoky soup.10 of 17
Collard Greens Ramen Greg DuPree This ham-hock-enriched, noodle-laced bowl is an ode to yaka mein and the American South.11 of 17
Yakamein Frederick Hardy II / Food Styling by Melissa Gray / Prop Styling by Christina Brockman This hearty and comforting beef noodle soup with roots in Chinese and Creole cuisine is commonly served throughout New Orleans. Chicago chef Bryan Jupiter's version ladles the stock over spaghetti.12 of 17
Bún Bò Huế (Vietnamese Vermicelli Noodle Soup with Sliced Beef) Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Audrey Taylor Topped with a multitude of garnishes, this aromatic and savory soup features lemongrass-infused bone broth with vermicelli noodles and tender beef.13 of 17
Kuy Teav (Cambodian Rice Noodle Soup) Deana Saukam This rice noodle soup takes on layers of flavor from shrimp, pork, and vegetables and is traditionally served for breakfast in Cambodia. Deana Saukam ladles the rich stock over crisp lettuce leaves and rice noodles then tops with herbs, sliced chiles, soy sauce, and lime.14 of 17
Chicken Noodle Soup with Parsnips and Dill © Bobbi Lin Lots of carrots and parsnips make old-favorite chicken noodle soup a sweet standby.15 of 17
Mrs. Tran's Pho Broth with Flank Steak Eric Wolfinger Make a batch of this pho broth, simmered slowly with beef knuckle bones, whole toasted spices, and aromatics, for an instant, soothing noodle bowl any night of the week.16 of 17
Tofu, Eggplant and Shiitake Noodle Soup © Kana Okada Num Pang Sandwich Shop co-founder Ratha Chaupoly shares this plant-based katiev ("noodle soup" in Cambodian) with rice vermicelli, vegetables, herbs, and mushrooms in vegetable broth.17 of 17
Miso Chicken Ramen John Kernick Sometimes a ramen fix is just the right thing, and this quick and easy version from Justin Chapple hits the spot. The addition of white miso and runny eggs are key to making it feel extra special.Thanks for your feedback!
Where To Slurp Pho In Milwaukee This Phobruary
Eating a bowl of Vietnamese pho is like hitting a magical "soothe" button. At its core, it's about the liquid – a deeply aromatic bone broth laced with star anise.
The diner builds on it, adding meat – beef or oxtail are common – and a big clump of thin, slippery rice noodles. Then more contouring, with fresh herbs like Thai basil, scallions, tangy hoisin, crunchy bean sprouts and a spritz of fresh lime.
Join us at the 2024 Unity Awards to recognize this year's honorees!March 7 at 7 p.M.GATHER at Deer District
Celebrate this star soup all month long at the annual Phobruary event in the Silver City neighborhood (National Avenue from 34th to 37th streets). Participating restaurant Vientiane Noodle Shop is offering its dazzling beef/meatball pho, shown here, for $7 Tues-Fri, dine-in only. For more info and participants, go to viacdc.Org.
This story is part of Milwaukee Magazine's February issue. Find it on newsstands or buy a copy at milwaukeemag.Com/shop. Be the first to get every new issue. Subscribe. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Reddit Email Commentscomments
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