After fleeing Vietnam in 1978, Luke Nguyen’s family spent a year in a Thai refugee camp (where he was born) before finally settling in Australia. Luke is now the chef and owner of the famous Red Lantern Vietnamese restaurant in Sydney and author of the best-selling book ‘Secrets of the Red Lantern’. His new book, ‘The Songs of Sapa’, is a personal and culinary journey through his family’s homeland, starting in the north and ending in the south. Like many of the food books released this year, it’s a sizeable tome where full-colour photographs and personal anecdotes fill as many pages as the recipes themselves.
From the street stalls of Sapa, piled high with bahn mi (filled baguettes), Luke and his partner head for Hanoi in search of the best pho in town. Seated at a communal table, surrounded by locals, they tuck into ‘a bowl of fragrant beef broth, uncomplicated and delicious’. Unlike in Saigon, where the tables are laden with sauces and herbs; here they find only fresh chilli and lime wedges. Musing on the culinary differences between north and south, Nguyen explains: ‘I have learned to appreciate the subtlety of Hanoi food: it is delicate, simple and clean, and allows the natural flavours of the produce to really shine.’ His descriptions are vivid enough to inspire even the laziest foodie to head East, in the hope of discovering the same simple but elegant cuisine and culture.
From imperial Hue to the riverside town of Hoi An, then south to Saigon, Luke’s story is interspersed with recipes for regional specialties and familiar favourites like rice paper spring rolls, simple stir-fries and warming noodle soups. The seafood recipes are excellent, making the most of huge jumbo prawns and fresh squid. He picks up tips and family secrets from local experts, friends (old and new) and his own relatives, including his half-sister who shares her recipe for citrus-cured tiger prawns rolled in a fiery tamarind and chilli sauce.
Overwhelmed by unfamiliar dishes like the exotic pumpkin flower salad and vibrant purple yam and prawn soup, we spent a weekend trying out the simpler recipes. While assembling the ingredients wasn’t always easy, the flavours were flawless - fragrant ginger and lemongrass chicken; prawns drenched in chilli and garlic (pictured); fresh green mango salad; and the best bowl of pho we’ve eaten this side of Saigon. Yes, some of the broths require a lot of time and energy, but if it’s authenticity and depth of flavour you’re looking for, it’s worth every minute.
This isn’t a beginner’s guide to Vietnamese cooking. Some of the ingredients are hard to find, even in London’s well-stocked ethnic food stores, and the recipes aren’t exactly ideal for after-work suppers. That said, it’s perfect for ‘serious’ home-cooks with a passion for Vietnamese food and anyone who wants to learn more about the culture and the cuisine. The photographs - many taken by Nguyen’s partner, Suzanna Boyd - are stunning and the recipes themselves are well worth taking time over. Take the time to read the stories and even if you never cook a single dish, you will have learnt something about the beauty and simplicity of Vietnamese cuisine.
'The Songs of Sapa', published by Murdoch Books, is available now on Amazon.co.uk.
Some of London's best Vietnamese food is currently being served at Mien Tay in Battersea, but you can also eat well at Cay Tre, Cafe East, Song Que and Viet. If you want to try London's new favourite snack food, bahn mi (traditional Vietnamese filled baguettes), head for Caphe House, Viet Baguette, Banzi or the BahnMi 11 stall at Broadway Market on Saturdays.
