Balade en France 2025: A French-inspired feast for the taste buds

Becoming a familiar cultural meeting place expected every spring in Hanoi, the French Food Festival "Balade en France" once again reunites the capital's public for three exciting days, March 28-30, 2025. Set in the vast green space of Thong Nhat Park, this fifth festival not only introduces the quintessence of French cuisine but also serves as a lively bridge between the two cultures of Vietnam and France.

From the moment you step in, you will be captivated by the alluring aroma of freshly baked baguettes, the rich, creamy taste of French cheeses such as Camembert and Roquefort, or the delicacy of cold cuts and pates prepared according to traditional recipes. In particular, the delicate, colorful and flavorful pastries will capture the attention of those with a sweet tooth. From the colorful, neatly arranged macarons, the golden, shiny croissants that have just come out of the oven, to the fragrant pain au chocolat or pain aux raisins.

Golden croissants at the Saint Honore booth. Photo: Yen Nhi

Not only are they beautiful, they also represent the ingenuity and meticulousness in the art of French baking – an indispensable part of the culinary experience at Balade en France. These are the main products that many French bakeries bring to the festival, with the desire to introduce the flavors of their homeland closer to the Vietnamese people.

French student Elise (21 years old) excitedly shared: "Balade en France is a great opportunity for us to meet Vietnamese customers directly, to better understand their needs and expectations for French pastries such as macarons or croissants. The most interesting thing for me is to chat with everyone, there are even Vietnamese customers who speak French very well, which is surprising and precious! This is really the best time to introduce the new store and promote the products."

Elise is preparing cakes to welcome visitors to the booth. Photo: Yen Nhi

Having just finished the morning French Language Race, the couple Hoang Thi Mai Huong and Mai Thi Thuy Hang (20 years old, students of Hanoi Law University - HLU) could not hide their excitement when immersing themselves in the unique culinary space of Balade en France, where they found a connection with their love of French culture.

Both expressed their excitement at discovering the cuisine here, partly due to their love of French culture and also their curiosity after watching the movie "Emily in Paris": "This is truly a paradise for those who love French pastries!", Thuy Hang exclaimed, although she admitted that she was so attracted to the tarts and cream cheese cakes that she did not have time to try her favorite croissant. Mai Huong also agreed, saying that the chocolate cakes were delicious and "croissant is a very typical, unique dish that everyone who comes here should try."

Mai Huong (left) and Thuy Hang (right) checked in with the cake that both commented was "super delicious". Photo: Yen Nhi

The highlight of the festival was the Taste France pavilion, representing the French Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty, where diners could sample high-quality agricultural products such as sweet and crisp Candice apples, along with famous wines from Bordeaux and Tuscany. The free tasting activities here attracted long lines of visitors, from food lovers to families looking for a different weekend experience.

A corner of the Taste France booth at the Balade en France 2025 French Food Festival. Photo: Yen Nhi

Sharing their feelings about this booth, two young people Nguyen Thi Minh Chau and Pham Thi Thu (19 years old, Biology students, Hanoi Open University) were both very impressed. Both were impressed with the "clean space, easy-to-find location" of the booth and especially enjoyed being able to taste many types of agricultural products as well as French wine for free. "The items here are all free for everyone to experience, it is truly an opportunity to try new flavors," Chau said.

Not only did they taste the wines, they also had interesting learning experiences right at the booth. "With just 5 minutes of chatting with the booth staff, I learned how to distinguish between red and white wines," Thu excitedly recounted. "Red wines often have a slightly astringent aftertaste, while white wines tend to be a little sweeter. A very interesting knowledge that I didn't know before!"

Both were excited to hear about wine knowledge. Photo: Yen Nhi

Not only satisfying the taste buds with countless delicious dishes at nearly 80 booths, Balade en France 2025 also brings a captivating visual experience through live cooking demonstrations. Professional chefs from France as well as famous restaurants and hotels such as La Table Hanoia, Metropole, Saint Honore, have truly transformed the stage area into an artistic open kitchen.

French chef Bertrand Jubault. Photo: Yen Nhi

Diners have the opportunity to admire the skill, passion and meticulousness in each step of the chefs, and to feel more deeply the art of French cuisine - an inseparable part of French culture. These lively performances, along with the delicious flavors spreading throughout the space, interesting stories of French-Vietnamese cultural exchange from the booths and attendees, are weaving memorable moments for the Balade en France Festival 2025.

Yen Nhi

Source: https://baophapluat.vn/balade-en-france-2025-bua-tiec-vi-giac-dam-chat-phap-post543914.html