When ‘Ăn Cơm!’ was called from the bottom of the stairs, Phi Yến and her sister knew it was time to eat. The aroma of freshly cooked rice would already be drifting through the house. The literal translation of ‘ăn cơm’ is ‘to eat rice’, but in Vietnamese it means ‘come to the table’.

In Ăn Cơm, Phi Yến takes you into a world where food and family are at the heart of everything. She shares the dishes she grew up with — recipes her parents brought with them from Vietnam. Cooking together helped Phi Yến better understand how her parents lived in Vietnam and what they went through on their separate journeys to the Netherlands.

Ăn Cơm is a beautiful cookbook filled with home-style Vietnamese dishes, along with practical tips on ingredients and techniques. It invites you to cook and share meals with your loved ones — from fragrant pho and fresh spring rolls to bánh mì, caramelized pork belly, sweet and sour fish soup, and banana tapioca pudding.