Chè Khúc Bach
12 July 2024
Dear Diary,
At this point I am 28 days into my hospital leave and haven’t step foot into the LQ kitchen at all. I just received some really unfortunate news that the higher managements decided that we are gonna close down. They are shutting down the restaurant by 20th July… We are all in total shock. This decision really just happened overnight. Apparently even though we have been busy with reservations and cost still did not add up or smth like that. I’m really not sure about the details. To be really frank, I do not care about why but more of what. What is gonna happen to us? our team? What’s the plan for all of us? are we gonna be jobless overnight? Will I still make desserts here? There is a lot of unanswered questions. Really tragic. Just 12 days ago on the first of July we just had our company’s annual staff party. All of us enjoyed not knowing what tsunami waves/bomb that was literally there…
All that is left for me to do while I’m rotting at home is basically pray, and I’m a free thinker. I cannot imagine my colleagues faces when the bosses came down to the venue and announced the closure…
I’m banned to go back to the venue so in the meantime why not ill reflect back on the first dessert i created fro lo quay’s opening.
I was doing research and reached out to a few of my Vietnamese friends and one of them shared with me about khuc bach which basically is a dish with milk jelly, almonds in syrup. Sounded like a really simple thing to recreate. In my head I was like “ ohh, make panna cotta, throw in almonds and make some kind of tea syrup soup thingy.”
This is how it actually looks like traditionally.
Picture from : https://bachhoaxelam.com/set-nau-che-khuc-bach/
Milk panna cotta
300g Milk
300g Cream
10g/ 4 sheet gelatin
120g sugar
Soak gelatin in cold water to bloom for at least 5minutes
Bring milk and sugar to a boil.
Squeeze the excess water from the gelatin and add into the warm mixture.
Add cold cream, whisk, strain, pour into desired moulds
*For me I freeze my panna cotta for it to be easier to un-mould, defrost before serving
If you’re making this at home, set the panna cotta into cups in the chiller and enjoy anytime.
To serve use canned lychee or longans, cut the fruits in halves. Save the syrup for the ‘soup’
Toast some almond flakes
I serve mine with sliced lychee, kinako white chocolate crumbs, toasted almond flakes and boil milk foam on the top. Soup served as a table side service, poured in front of the guests.
Garnish : pink, red and purple cornflowers
