Kitchen Confidential
10 minutes with ... Luke Nguyen
Sydney chef Luke Nguyen has taken us on armchair travels to his native Vietnam with his SBS food show , now he ’ s coming to Perth to tantaslise tastebuds at the Good Food & Wine Show .
What was it like growing up in Cabramatta in the 1980s ?
It was tough . My siblings and myself were very young , we all worked day and night at my parents ’ restaurant , but was also expected to score high grades at school . We didn ’ t have much of a childhood really . It was all work , work , work .
In your book , Secrets of the Red Lantern , food was at your family ’ s heart . How did cooking bring you together ?
Working at the restaurant was the only ‘ family ’ time we would share outside of the house , cooking together at our home kitchen was always special . We would then , of course , enjoy the many courses we cooked , over several hours .
Is your family still in the kitchen together ?
Our family is all quite dispersed now , my brother is in London , and I spend my time between Vietnam and Sydney , but when the family gets together it inevitably involves food , lots of it .
The Good Food & Wine Show is at the Perth Convention Exhibition Centre July 19-21 . For your chance to win a double entry pass , go to the competitions page for details .
Cabramatta can be a violent place . How did you cope with that ?
I was in my teens during the violent era of Cabramatta and , I must say , if my parents didn ’ t fill all my time with restaurant work , I could easily have got myself into some trouble . I think team sports and hard work is a great way of keeping teenagers out of mischief .
Racism can be a real problem in Australian society . Did you feel accepted as a child and teenager ?
It was very hard for boat people to be accepted in Australia . The Vietnamese experienced a lot of racism throughout the years , in fact we still do .
We have all fallen in love with Vietnam through your cooking shows on SBS . How important was it to reconnect with your family ’ s heritage ?
It was very important for me to reconnect not only with my family ’ s heritage , but also my own Vietnamese culture . I arrived in Australia when I was very young , so I really wanted to learn more about Vietnamese history and , of course , discover regional Vietnamese cuisine . It was something I needed to do as an adult and I feel very lucky that I can make it part of my work and share it with the rest of Australia and the world .
What emotions do you feel when you return to Vietnam ?
I have never lived in Vietnam , however , every time I return , I feel like I have arrived home . I definitely have a close connection to the country . I am constantly learning when I am there – something new every day . I learn more about my language , culture , history and of course the food .
Do you have a favorite region in a culinary sense ?
My favorite region for food would have to be Saigon , as it is the most diverse and contemporary . It has tropical weather , which means it is more abundant in herbs , fruits and vegetables and it is also close to the Mekong River and the sea , so the seafood is incredibly fresh .
We hear that you are to be on the first series of MasterChef Vietnam . What do you think will come from the show being produced there ?
I decided to be a judge on MasterChef to promote Vietnamese cuisine and to put it on the world culinary map . It is currently airing in Vietnam and it is getting rave reviews . The great thing about MasterChef is that it gets people cooking , and especially the younger generation who are sadly cooking less and moving towards fast foods .
Is traditional Vietnamese cooking under threat from the West and fast food ?
Absolutely , which is one of the main reasons why I wanted to be involved in MasterChef . I have noticed during my travels through Vietnam that the children are becoming overweight because of all the western fast food available . There are a lot of herbs and vegetables used in Vietnamese cooking , it is such a healthy cuisine , so for me , it is extremely sad to see the younger generation eating so badly .
You ’ re heading West soon for the Good Food & Wine Show . Do you have a favourite restaurant / chef here ?
I have only been to the West once , and it was for only five hours , so unfortunately I didn ’ t get a chance to check places out . This time will be different though …
What dish could you never remove from the Red Lantern menu ?
Chilli salted squid What would be your last meal ?
Banh Xeo – A crisp rice flour crepe , filled with mung beans , tiger prawns , pork belly , bean sprouts , spring onions and wrapped in fresh mustard lettuce and perilla leaves , dipped in a sweet fish sauce . ��
By Ms Jan Hallam
50 medicalforum