Crème Caramel — And Where Vietnamese Bánh Flan Comes From
Crème caramel is a custard baked in a water bath over a layer of liquid caramel, chilled, then turned out onto a plate — the direct ancestor of Vietnamese bánh flan. At Maison Vie it is served à la carte at 28 Tăng Bạt Hổ, Hai Bà Trưng, Hanoi. Ask your waiter for the day's price.
Where bánh flan comes from
Almost every Vietnamese person grows up eating bánh flan, and few think of it as French. It is, though: crème caramel came to Vietnam with the French, stayed, and took a new name — flan being a French word too.
It stayed because its ingredients suited the place: eggs, sugar, milk, no elaborate oven, no butter. Then Vietnam adjusted it — condensed milk for a sweeter, richer set, and in many places a pour of black coffee over the top. The Vietnamese version is denser and sweeter, and shaved ice with it is entirely normal.
The French version went the other way: plainer, wobblier, with a more bitter caramel. Neither is the correct one. They are two branches of the same root, about a century apart. Eating the French version in Hanoi means tasting the first draft of something you have known since childhood.
Crème caramel is not crème brûlée
This is the most-confused pair in French desserts, and they differ from the ground up:
| Crème caramel | Crème brûlée | |
|---|---|---|
| The caramel | Liquid, at the bottom of the mould, made first | Hard and crisp, on top, torched as it leaves the kitchen |
| The custard | Whole eggs + milk | Yolks + cream |
| Texture | Light, wobbly, holds a clean slice | Dense and rich; the spoon has to break through |
| Service | Turned out, the caramel running down as sauce | Served in its own dish |
| Temperature | Cold throughout | Cold custard, warm sugar crust |
In short: crème caramel is the one you turn over, crème brûlée the one you crack. In one the caramel is made first and becomes a sauce; in the other it is made last and must still be crisp at the table.
Why the caramel goes underneath
That order is not a whim. Sugar is cooked to caramel and poured into the bottom of the mould, where it cools and sets hard. The custard goes on top, and the whole thing bakes in a water bath — surrounded by hot water, because custard meeting dry or fierce heat curdles and pits instead of setting smooth.
Then, over the hours of chilling, the hard caramel at the bottom draws moisture out of the custard and dissolves back into a sauce. So when the mould is turned over, the caramel runs down around it — which is why this dessert has to be made the day before. A crème caramel made in a hurry leaves a sheet of hard sugar stuck in the mould and arrives with no sauce at all.
It shares something with the terrine we wrote about last week: in both, the waiting is a cooking step, not a delay. The opposite of the soufflé, which must be eaten within twelve minutes.
The other desserts on the menu
If you want to compare at the table, its nearest relative is on the à la carte list:
| Dessert | Price |
|---|---|
| Phú Quốc vanilla crème brûlée — crisp caramel | 135,000đ |
| Selection of seasonal tropical fruit | 195,000đ |
| Warm seasonal soufflé, Phú Quốc vanilla ice cream | 235,000đ |
| Selection of mature French cheeses | 395,000đ |
The crème brûlée is also the Vanilla Option of the dessert course in the Menu Dégustation. Everything served by the plate is on the à la carte menu.
What to drink
The wine the restaurant lists against its custard dessert is Sauternes — the sweet wine of Bordeaux, from Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc.
| Wine | Region | Bottle |
|---|---|---|
| Baron P. de Rothschild « Mouton Cadet » Sauternes — 37.5 cl | Sauternes AOC, Bordeaux | 1,950,000đ |
| Baron P. de Rothschild « Mouton Cadet » Sauternes — 75 cl | Sauternes AOC, Bordeaux | 3,800,000đ |
| Crémant de Bourgogne Brut Vignerons de Buxy | Bourgogne AOC | 1,950,000đ |
With crème caramel — lighter than a crème brûlée — the Crémant sometimes serves better than the sweet wine: the bubbles cut across the custard's richness instead of stacking sweetness on sweetness. See the full wine list and our wine pairing guide.
Booking details
Crème caramel is served à la carte. Please ask your waiter at the table, or call ahead, for the price. All menu prices exclude a 5% service charge and 10% VAT. A custard always contains milk and eggs and cannot be made without them — tell us about allergies in advance and the kitchen will suggest another dessert.
Maison Vie is open daily 11:00–14:00 and 17:30–22:00 at 28 Tăng Bạt Hổ, Hai Bà Trưng, Hanoi. The kitchen is led by Chef Joel F. Tisserand, with more than 40 years in French kitchens. Book on +84 904 150 383 or through our contact page; for larger groups or a room of your own, see private dining.
Frequently asked questions
What is crème caramel?
A custard of eggs, sugar and milk, baked in a water bath over a layer of caramel poured into the bottom of the mould, chilled for hours, then turned out so the caramel runs down as a sauce.
Is Vietnamese bánh flan the same as crème caramel?
The same root. Bánh flan is crème caramel as it came to Vietnam with the French and was then adjusted to local taste — usually with condensed milk, so sweeter and richer, and often with coffee poured over. The French version is plainer and wobblier.
How is crème caramel different from crème brûlée?
Crème caramel has liquid caramel underneath, made first, and the dessert is turned out onto a plate. Crème brûlée has a hard sugar crust torched on top as it leaves the kitchen and is served in its own dish. The custards differ too: whole eggs with milk, against yolks with cream.
Why bake it in a water bath?
Because custard exposed to dry or fierce heat curdles and pits instead of setting smooth. Surrounding the mould with hot water keeps the heat around it steady and gentle.
Does Maison Vie serve crème caramel, and what does it cost?
Yes, à la carte. The price is not printed in this article — please ask your waiter at the table or call +84 904 150 383 before you come.
What should I drink with a custard dessert?
Sauternes is the classic answer for custards. For crème caramel specifically, being the lighter of the two, a bottle of Crémant often works better, because the bubbles cut the richness rather than adding more sweetness.