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Hanoi Bitter Melon and Chicken Soup

A 9:16 storyboard, 82 seconds of edit time. Scene lengths are cuts, not the minutes the pot actually needs. Music mood: Sparse acoustic, warm room tone, no lyrics.

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  1. Scene 1 · hook · 4s

    Hook

    Shot. Open tight on the finished Hanoi Bitter Melon and Chicken Soup, then pull back just enough to see the plate. Ivory linen, warm window light, no faces, no logos, no text burned into the picture.

    Voiceover. Hanoi Bitter Melon and Chicken Soup. Hanoi Bitter Melon and Chicken Soup. Stuff is optional. Sliced bitter melon and chicken in a clear pot is the weeknight shape of this soup. Here is the whole thing, one move at a time.

    On screen. Hanoi Bitter Melon and Chicken Soup

  2. Scene 2 · title · 4s

    Open on the finished dish

    Shot. Slow push-in on the finished Hanoi Bitter Melon and Chicken Soup, ivory linen, a gold spoon just out of focus. No faces. No logos.

    Voiceover. Hanoi Bitter Melon and Chicken Soup. Hanoi Bitter Melon and Chicken Soup. Stuff is optional. Sliced bitter melon and chicken in a clear pot is the weeknight shape of this soup.

    On screen. Hanoi Bitter Melon and Chicken Soup

  3. Scene 3 · ingredients · 6s

    Mise en place

    Shot. Overhead flat lay. Hands set down small bowls in a quiet rhythm. Labels stay out of frame.

    Voiceover. Set out chicken breast, bitter melon, spinach, garlic, shallot. Measure before the pan is hot.

    On screen. Mise en place

  4. Scene 4 · equipment · 5s

    Equipment

    Shot. A slow pan across the tools on the counter, then back to the bowl. No brand logos.

    Voiceover. You need Heavy pot, Scale, Wooden spoon, Ladle.

    On screen. Heavy pot · Scale · Wooden spoon

  5. Scene 5 · step · 6s

    Step 1

    Shot. Hanoi Bitter Melon and Chicken Soup: mise en place in small cups. Natural window light, ivory linen, handmade ceramic, no text, no logo.

    Voiceover. Cut the chicken breast and bitter melon and spinach into even pieces. Measure the fish sauce, lime, and aromatics into cups so you are not hunting once the pot is hot.

    On screen. Cut the chicken breast and bitter melon and…

  6. Scene 6 · step · 6s

    Step 2

    Shot. Hanoi Bitter Melon and Chicken Soup: aromatics softening in a small slick of oil. Natural window light, ivory linen, handmade ceramic, no text, no logo.

    Voiceover. Warm the neutral oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Cook the garlic, ginger or galangal, and any chili paste until they smell sweet, about 1 minute. This is a short bloom, not a fry. Add star anise with the aromatics.

    On screen. Warm the neutral oil in a heavy pot over medium…

  7. Scene 7 · step · 7s

    Step 3

    Shot. Hanoi Bitter Melon and Chicken Soup: pot at a steady simmer. Natural window light, ivory linen, handmade ceramic, no text, no logo. Show the action, then a jump cut through the wait. Do not film the full Simmer 18 min in real time.

    Voiceover. Add the chicken breast and the broth. Bring it up, then drop to a steady simmer until the thickest piece is opaque and the juices run clear, about 18 minutes.

    On screen. Add the chicken breast and the… · Simmer 18 min

  8. Scene 8 · step · 6s

    Step 4

    Shot. Hanoi Bitter Melon and Chicken Soup: vegetables simmering in the pot. Natural window light, ivory linen, handmade ceramic, no text, no logo.

    Voiceover. Stir in bitter melon and spinach. Simmer only until they are tender, with some color left and not stewed to gray. If you are using noodles or rice, add them now so they drink a little of the broth.

    On screen. Stir in bitter melon and spinach. Simmer only…

  9. Scene 9 · step · 6s

    Step 5

    Shot. Hanoi Bitter Melon and Chicken Soup: herbs scattered over the finished pot. Natural window light, ivory linen, handmade ceramic, no text, no logo.

    Voiceover. Turn off the heat. Add cilantro and mint and lime. The neutral oil stays at the teaspoon you started with. Stuff is optional. Sliced bitter melon and chicken in a clear pot is the weeknight shape of this soup.

    On screen. Turn off the heat. Add cilantro and mint and…

  10. Scene 10 · doneness · 6s

    How you know it is done

    Shot. Close on the center of the food. A skewer, tap, or spoon shows the cue. Hold long enough to see it.

    Voiceover. Hanoi Bitter Melon and Chicken Soup is done when the thickest piece is tender and the liquid is quiet, not at a hard boil.

    On screen. Doneness

  11. Scene 11 · mistakes · 7s

    If it goes wrong

    Shot. Split screen is unnecessary. Show the finished, correct texture, then a hand points at the cue.

    Voiceover. Hanoi Bitter Melon and Chicken Soup looks done on top and is still raw in the center. Trust the cue in the method, not the color alone. Give it a few more minutes and check the center. Hanoi Bitter Melon and Chicken Soup spread, sank, or turned out dry. Measure by weight next time, heat the oven fully, and stop when the doneness cue appears rather than when the timer ends.

    On screen. Common fixes

  12. Scene 12 · storage · 5s

    Cooling and storage

    Shot. The dish cools on a rack, then a container is closed. No refrigerator brand in frame.

    Voiceover. Cool Hanoi Bitter Melon and Chicken Soup, then cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Freeze portions for a month if the dish reheats in a pot or oven, not a raw salad.

    On screen. Storage

  13. Scene 13 · nutrition · 5s

    Nutrition lower third

    Shot. Hold on a single serving. A quiet lower third fades in. No medical claims on screen.

    Voiceover. One serving is about 261 calories, with 33.5 grams of protein. Pai marks it Healthy.

    On screen. 261 kcal · 33.5 g protein · Healthy

  14. Scene 14 · plate · 5s

    Plate and close

    Shot. Spoon or tongs place the last garnish. Pull back to the full plate. End on steam or a still surface.

    Voiceover. Serve 4 bowls. Eat while it is at its best.

    On screen. Hanoi Bitter Melon and Chicken Soup

  15. Scene 15 · cta · 4s

    Close

    Shot. Hold the finished plate. A quiet end card can fade in after the picture. Do not cover the food with a logo.

    Voiceover. Cook Hanoi Bitter Melon and Chicken Soup from the Pai recipe. The amounts, the heat, and the moment to stop are written under each step.

    On screen. Cook it from the recipe

Machine-readable script for a later video tool. Scene durations are edit lengths, not cooking times. Long simmers and bakes are jump cuts. Order: hook, title, mise, equipment, one scene per numbered step (shot, on-screen text, voiceover, duration), doneness, fixes, storage, nutrition, plate, and the closing CTA. Keep the shot list and on-screen facts tied to this recipe.