VERY GOOD VIET GOODS — PROJECT LAUNCH EVENT
SAVVi Code, in partnership with Cranbrook Vietnamese Student Association (CVSA), and Thiện Kiến is proud to host an intimate cultural and wellness evening introducing “Very Good Viet Goods” - a new benchmark for premium Vietnamese products built on credibility, innovation, and global quality. Rooted in SAVVi’s mission to elevate Viet founders and exports through entrepreneurship, health, and high standards. Very Good Viet Goods represents more than a product launch in the US - it is a celebration of Vietnamese heritage and integrity in manufacturing. As the Very Good Viet Goods program emphasizes, Vietnamese goods can meet the expectations of even the most discerning international audiences when guided by innovation and business excellence.
The event takes place in early March, aligning with the time when coastal communities in Central Vietnam celebrate the Whale Worship (Cầu Ngư) Festival—a traditional ritual praying for safety, harmony, and abundant harvests from the sea. This spirit is transformed into a blessing of warmth, abundance, and good fortune, creating a space that connects people, nature, and Vietnamese culture.
For centuries, the fishermen along Vietnam's central and southern coasts have shared a profound, sacred bond with the ocean. At the heart of this connection lies Lễ Cầu Ngư (The Whale Festival), the most significant cultural event of the year. This is not merely a festival; it is a testament to the spiritual resilience and gratitude of those who call the sea their second home.
1. The Deity of the Deep: "Cá Ông"
Unlike many cultures that fear the giants of the ocean, Vietnamese fishers revere the whale as a benevolent deity known as Cá Ông (Lord Whale). In their spiritual view, the whale is a messenger of the Sea God, sent to protect sailors from storms and shipwrecks. This belief is rooted in countless legends—and real-life accounts—of whales guiding distressed boats to safety.
2. A Ritual of Gratitude and Hope
The festival serves two primary spiritual purposes:
Thanksgiving: Expressing deep gratitude for the protection and the bountiful harvests (fish) granted during the previous year.
Supplication: Praying for "Peaceful waves and calm winds" (Sóng yên biển lặng) and a future where the nets are always full.
The Whale Worship Festival is a traditional ritual practiced by Vietnam’s central coastal communities at the beginning of the year, offering prayers for safety, good fortune, and plentiful harvests from the sea.
At Very Good Viet Goods, the spirit of Cầu Ngư is reimagined not through ceremonial formality, but through warmth:
The warmth of herbal infusions in TKG
The warmth of simply prepared coastal dishes
The warmth of gathering, sharing, and human connection
Together, TKG and the coastal menu offer a quiet blessing: to warm the body, calm the mind, and invite abundance into life.
The evening will feature TKG, the pioneering herbal drink line of Very Good Viet Goods, crafted as a premium wellness beverage:
Chemical-free, sugar-free, naturally sweetened with pure honey
Engineered for international export and global premium markets
Preserved through advanced freeze-drying technology to retain aroma and medicinal properties
With transparent packaging and a thoughtful separation of freeze-dried powder and pure honey, TKG blends Vietnamese tradition with modern health technology, dissolving instantly in hot or cold water.
TKG applies freeze-drying technology from herbal infusions, preserving natural flavor, active compounds, and the original energetic qualities of the ingredients.
With its inherent warming properties, TKG can be enjoyed with hot water, room-temperature water, or even cold water—while still delivering a comforting sense of warmth and balance to the body.
Dual-chamber packaging design:
Freeze-dried herbal powder
Pure honey (natural sweetener)
→ Allows personalized taste while maintaining the purity of each component.
Freeze-dried powder from Ginger & Lemongrass infusion
Lemon Lemongrass Ginger — a familiar drink, yet reborn across the teabreak tables and private parties curated by Thiện Kiến. Crafted from an original recipe, this beverage has always drawn special attention from the very first sip. Not because of its complexity, but because of the feeling it creates: warm, clear, and unforgettable.
That drink is named TKG – Lư Trung Hỏa. True to its name, its character is instantly recognizable: the bold, fiery heat of ginger strikes the senses head-on, followed closely by the warm fragrance of lemongrass, spreading swiftly from the lips down the throat. The sensation is like a furnace ignited in an instant — decisive and full of energy.
Lư Trung Hỏa is a Nạp Âm of the Fire Element, carrying within it the spirit of two Can Chi pairs — Bính Dần and Đinh Mão:
Ginger — fierce and direct, like Bính Dần (The Fire Tiger)
Lemongrass — refined, gentle yet enduring, like Đinh Mão (The Fire Cat)
Those two yin–yang elements move in tandem, creating a drink that warms the body — quickly, clearly, and powerfully.
PHÚ ĐĂNG HOẢ
Freeze-dried powder from Perilla Leaf & Clove infusion
With a "vanguard" as boldly defined as Lư Trung Hỏa already leading the way, the next question Thiện Kiến faced was: does the Fire Element hold only one kind of flame?
The second vanguard had to preserve the nature of Fire — but move in an entirely opposite direction: gentle, deep, and refined. From that, Phú Đăng Hỏa was born.
Phú Đăng Hỏa carries the soft, herbal fragrance of perilla, opening with a pleasant balance of kumquat and honey. At first touch to the lips, everything feels light and tender. But it is only after the last sip that the warmth begins to make itself known — spreading from within, slow and enduring — like the flame of a oil lamp: not fierce, not blazing, yet bright enough and warm enough to last.
If Lư Trung Hỏa is the fire of a furnace, then Phú Đăng Hỏa is the fire of a lamp.
Perilla carries the expressive, outward presence of Giáp Thìn — yang in nature, clearly felt
Clove is quiet like Ất Tỵ — yin in nature, silently kindling the flame from deep within
These two characters come together to create an entirely distinct experience — one that speaks directly to Lư Trung Hỏa within the same elemental family.
In the tradition of the Whale Worship (Cầu Ngư) Festival, a shared meal is more than nourishment—it is a ritual of gratitude and the sharing of the sea’s blessings, honoring the ocean and praying for a safe, bountiful fishing season.
The four dishes presented at Very Good Viet Goods embody this spirit while harmonizing with the warming nature of TKG:
Hand-pounded Squid Cake (Chả Mực giã tay) – a symbol of abundance and communal bonding. Fresh squid is traditionally pounded by hand, bound together through rhythm and strength, reflecting the unity of fishing communities before each journey to sea.
One-sun-dried Pangasius Fish (Cá Dứa một nắng) – a dish of restraint and simplicity. Dried under the sun for just one day, it preserves natural sweetness and represents the philosophy of working with nature rather than over-processing it.
One-sun-dried Black Tiger Shrimp (Tôm Sú một nắng) – firm, richly flavored, and resilient, embodying the strength and endurance of coastal people facing the open sea.
One-sun-dried Squid (Mực một nắng) - sun-dried for just one day to concentrate natural sweetness and ocean umami while preserving tenderness. It reflects coastal restraint and respect for nature, letting the true character of the sea speak with clarity and balance.
This menu is not merely cuisine, but a living slice of Vietnam’s maritime life, where salty, sweet, and warming notes converge.
Very Good Viet Goods goes beyond a product showcase—it becomes a cultural experience where Vietnamese goods speak in their own voice: sincere, layered, and enduring.
How TKG Was “Invented”: From Ritual to Modern Form
TKG did not begin as a commercial concept. It emerged from years of lived experience—hosting gatherings, preparing Vietnamese seasonal offerings, and watching which flavors consistently brought comfort across generations and cultures.
Over time, Thiện Kiến recognized that one drink appeared again and again, always beloved: Ginger & Lemongrass (Gừng Sả)—warm, grounding, universally welcoming. It became a cultural constant, whether served to Vietnamese elders, young professionals, or international guests.
In 2025, Thiện Kiến entered a new chapter: not only curating cultural experiences, but developing a product that could carry Vietnamese warmth into the world. Drawing on three years of accumulated insight, they “invented” TKG as a modern preservation of ritual—using freeze-drying technology to retain aroma, medicinal properties, and the energetic essence of the herbs themselves.
TKG is therefore not just a beverage, but an offering:
warmth from within
cultural integrity without compromise
Vietnam’s regional voice expressed through wellness
Beyond Product: Vietnamese Culture in Its Own Voice
This evening is not simply a showcase. It is a cultural experience—where Vietnamese goods speak sincerely and enduringly, through gratitude, regional depth, and human connection.
Thiện Kiến represents what Viet Goods is truly about: premium Vietnamese exports not built on trend, but built on heritage made visible, and on stories meant to be shared with the world.
Location: Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
Time: 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM | March 7, 2026