homecooked stories by Trang

🎄This Christmas: If You’re Not Going Home, Come Eat With Me

A Vietnamese homecooked supper for anyone staying in Berlin this holiday season.

Welcome to homecooked stories by Trang

This December, I’m hosting a special edition for those of us who are staying in Berlin — whether you don’t celebrate Christmas, can’t travel home, or simply want a cozy evening around a shared table.

The Story
I’ve lived in Europe for almost 13 years, and every December brings the same familiar question:“What am I going to do for Christmas this year?”

It’s not my holiday, but the city changes — friends travel, families gather, and Berlin becomes unusually still. I’ve always found myself caught between loving the quiet… and feeling the low note of everyone else having a place to belong.

Over time, I created my own tradition:
Every Christmas, I cook myself a feast. Not because I plan to eat everything, but because the act of cooking makes me feel at home again.

Sometimes it’s just me.
Sometimes one friend.
Sometimes a small group of people who also aren’t going anywhere.

Slowly, my home became a home away from home for friends spending the holidays in Berlin.

This year, I’m opening that table to you too.

Event details
A Vietnamese family-style meal, following the Northern tradition:

một mặn · một canh · một rau
(one savory/protein dish · one soup · one vegetable)

And because it’s Christmas, we’ll add:
✨ an extra savory dish
✨ a small sweet dessert

The menu is made of dishes that appear again and again on my family’s table during the first meal after I arrive home:

• Canh khoai tây cà rốt hầm xương
  Potato & carrot soup simmered with pork bones
• Thịt kho tàu
  Braised pork belly & eggs, glossy and rich
• Xíu mại sốt cà chua
  Vietnamese-style meatballs in tomato sauce
• Bắp cải luộc + nước mắm gừng
  Boiled cabbage with ginger fish sauce — humble, clean, comforting
• A small, sweet surprise dessert

No vegan or vegetarian option will be available for this dinner.

Good to Know
📍 Location: Pankow, Berlin (M2 tram stop Prenzlauer Promenade/Am Steinberg — exact address shared after RSVP)
🗓 Date:

• Thursday, December 18 — Dinner, 19:00–22:00, OR
• Sunday, December 21 — Lunch, 12:30–15:30, OR
• Thursday, December 25 — Lunch, 12:30–15:30