In the memories of many Vietnamese people, water puppetry is associated with village ponds, village festivals, and bustling drum sounds during festivals. There, wooden puppets are thrown on the water surface, sometimes the dragon sprays rain, sometimes the schools of fish, sometimes the flood, recalling a rustic and vibrant folk life.
Today, right in the heart of the capital, that memory is recreated in another way: on the miniature water puppet stage in the space of MAMMOM restaurant - where diners can enjoy more than 100 dishes from three regions, while stepping into a "cutting bowl" of lively Vietnamese culture.
Water puppetry - from the village pond to the city
Water puppetry has a history of nearly a thousand years, originating from the Northern Delta. People take advantage of the pond around the village, build a stage with bamboo fences, behind the curtain, artisans control wooden puppets to tell stories.
MAMMOM Restaurant brings this form of folk art to the restaurant space as part of the complete experience. Right in the middle of the market, diners can still hear the sound of drums, the sound of muzzles, and watch the wooden puppets move on the water surface. The stage is compact but still maintains the spirit: water is the ground, puppets are the soul, and the story is a bridge between the past and the present.
The performances were selected from familiar performances, both familiar and rich in cultural significance such as the image of the winding dragon, spraying rain reminiscing on the legend of "Con rang chau Tien" - a symbol of prosperity, of the aspiration for favorable weather; the scene of buffaloes Plowing, female villagers planting, young green rice fields appearing on the water surface - the image of the rice civilization, of farmers needing to stick to the fields...
Each performance is only a few minutes old but enough to evoke an entire agricultural culture, beliefs and lifestyle of the Vietnamese people.
When folk culture meets cuisine
A special feature at MAMMOM is the connection of water puppetry with culinary experiences. In addition to being able to experience puppetry, diners can enjoy the three regions of rice - where familiar dishes from the North, Central, and South converge: from Hanoi pho rolls, nem Hue, to Southern banh xeo.
More than 100 dishes are prepared seasonally, presented in a traditional way, divided into many options: combo Tri-regional Flavors, region-by-region spring rolls, or whole-scale rice spring rolls for one person.
Cuisine and folk art are deeply rooted in the lives of Vietnamese people. We want to put both of these elements into the same space, so that each meal is not only a delicious taste, but also an opportunity to learn and connect with culture, the restaurant representative shared.
