City Eating

Tried & Tasted: Luke Nguyen's 'The Songs of Sapa'

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.

Tried & Tasted: 'From Pasta To Pancakes' Student Cookbook

For the last couple of months, reviews of Tiffany Goodall’s student cookbook have been popping up everywhere - largely thanks to the good people at Quadrille shipping them out to pro-critics and bloggers alike. By now, you’ll probably already know the set-up - it’s a ‘comic-book style’ guide to university dinners, with no need for pricey gadgets or unusual ingredients. The easy-to-follow recipes cover everything from how to boil an egg to knocking up a Thai green curry or a few burgers for your new mates. Last weekend, we left it in the less-than-capable hands of an 18 year old who will be heading off to uni at the end of the month. Here’s how he got on…

First Impressions: “It looks pretty good actually. I like the way there are pictures for every step and it’s divided into chapters like Fast Food and Wasted Weekends. Some bits seem basic, like how to make a toasted sandwich, but I’ve seen people set toasters on fire making those so maybe it’s a good plan. The list of essential store cupboard ingredients and utensils when I was putting my going-away-to-uni box together.”

Recipe No. 1 - Moroccan coucous salad - "This was from the Food On The Move chapter so I made it in the morning and took it to work. Couscous basically makes itself and the rest was just chopping up veg and herbs - easy. There's no seasoning apart from salt, pepper and some lemon juice so it was a bit boring. Probably a lot cheaper than buying a pre-packaged supermarket version but I'd add some spices to make it more interesting."

Books For Cooks: Seven Of The Best New Releases

Even London's greediest gourmets can't eat out every night, so here are a few of the most exciting new food books to look out for. They're on sale now or available for pre-order, so go on - treat yourself!

Momofuku - David Chang & Peter Meehan

Reservations at David Chang’s restaurants were like gold dust to New York foodies last year and we happily drooled over stateside food blogger’s reviews of his creative cooking. This eagerly awaited tome features recipes from Momofuku Ko, Ssam and Noodle Bar, including Chang’s signature pork buns and frozen foie gras. Sadly the sweet treats from the new Bakery & Milk Bar are absent, but pastry chef Christina Tosi’s ‘cereal milk custard’ and fried apple pie will definitely satisfy your sweet tooth.

The Songs Of Sapa - Luke Nguyen

The man behind Secrets of the Red Lantern is back with a culinary voyage through Vietnam, cooking with locals and visiting family and friends. Starting in the northwest in the villages around Sapa, he explores traditional recipes before moving south to discover French-Viet food in Hanoi. There are coastal dishes, noodles from Hoi An, and the imperial cooking of Hue – everything London’s new Viet-food fans could want and more. You can have a sneaky peak at the recipes for beef and kohlrabi salad and mud crab soup here.

The New Portugese Table – David Leite

Bringing an often-overlooked cuisine into the spotlight, David Leite explores both the classic and the contemporary in this fascinating guide to Portugese produce, recipes and culinary history. Beautifully illustrated with mouth-watering photographs, there are recipes for familiar favourites like salt cod fritters and fatias douradas (Portuguese sweet bread French toast) alongside a chapter devoted to store-cupboard essentials like paprika oil and piri-piri paste. Definitely a worthy addition to any foodie bookcase.
 
Everyday Harumi: Simple Japanese Food for Family and Friends - Harumi Kurihara

If, like us, your Japanese cookery skills are limited to basic sushi and chicken teriyaki, you’ll love this step-by-step guide to simple Japanese home cooking. Harumi Kurihara has put together 60 accessible recipes that won’t require hours in the kitchen or a trip across London to source ingredients. Her traditional techniques and store cupboard essentials are all you’ll need to create authentic soups, starters and full-on feasts.

Nutmeg & Custard - Marcus Wareing

Our copy of Wareing’s How to Cook the Perfect is so well thumbed we’re looking forward to upgrading to this shiny new release. Nutmeg & Custard focuses on the sort of food you share with family and friends, divided into chapters like the Grill Room, the Orient, Puds and Ice-Cream. From crumpets with burnt honey butter  to chorizo-crusted monkfish, these are recipes you’ll keep going back to.

Asian Dumplings – Andrea Nguyen

This book gets a special thumbs-up from the city-eating dumpling addicts because it covers all of our favourites – samosa, pot stickers, spring rolls, gyoza and more. Organised by type (buns, sweet, etc), the book has everything you need to know about equipment, ingredients, and techniques for shaping, filling and cooking.

Sauces - Michel Roux

For anyone who has ever burnt a béchamel or cried over a crème anglaise, the daddy of sauces is here to help. There are classics like béarnaise, chasseur and tartare, as well as contemporary ideas like white fish with coconut and chilli sauce or a bitter blackberry coulis to drizzle over desserts. The new revised edition features over 200 sauces (including 20 new additions) and is guaranteed to become your go-to guide for dressing, marinades and more.

Books For Cooks: Seven Of The Best New Releases

Even London’s most insatiable gourmets can’t eat out every night of the week, so we’ve compiled a list of some of the most exciting food books on offer this month. All are available now or can be pre-ordered online – go on, treat yourself!

The Seasoned Vegetarian - Simon Rimmer

Following the success of his highly acclaimed book The Accidental Vegetarian; Simon Rimmer returns with another helping of innovative and flavour-packed vegetarian recipes. Based on the menu at his award-winning restaurant, Greens, The Seasoned Vegetarian features internationally-inspired dishes and creative flavour combinations that will appeal to vegetarians and carnivores alike. Fans of BBC Two’s Something For The Weekend won’t be disappointed and novice veggies will love Rimmer’s simple and easy-to-follow style.

Eat vegetarian in London: Saf; Vanilla Black; Food for Thought; Maoz; Manna; Tibits.

Serendip: My Sri Lankan Kitchen - Peter Kuruvita

Tired of Thai? Uninspired by Indian? Try Sri Lankan - a must for anyone with an insatiable appetite for spicy curries. In Serendip, chef Peter Kuruvita describes the kitchen experiences of his grandmother and aunties, as well as his own visits to the bustling markets and food stalls in Sri Lanka. The beautiful photographs and heart-warming stories add colour to traditional recipes for curries, breads, snacks and sticky sweet treats.

Eat Sri Lankan in London: Elephant Walk; The Ceylon Tavern; Hop & Spice; Papaya.

New Bistro - Fran Warde

Written by London-based food writer Fran Warde, New Bistro is a fascinating introduction to twelve chefs at the forefront of France’s bistro revolution. For each of them, Fran outlines their approach to French country cooking and introduces four of their recipes, in addition to 50 of her own recipes, inspired by bistros and eateries from all over France. Alongside recipes for accessible and affordable classics like steak frites, pot au feu and cassoulet; she also recommends the ‘runners up’ at the back of the book – ideal if you’re travelling to France this summer.

Eat bistro-style in London: Cote; Savoir Faire; The Lobster Pot; Gazette; The French Table.

Books For Cooks: Three Of The Best New Foodie Offerings

Whether you’re too cold, too poor or just too busy; we know that in January you’re more likely to turn to your kitchen cupboards than to London’s newly opened eateries - however enticing they may be. Don’t forget to have a look at the special offers to see if we can save you some cash but if you’ve got your heart set on home cooking, here are three of our favourite new cookbooks to get you through the winter months.

1) ‘James Every Day: The Ultimate Collection’ - James Martin

The lovable Yorkshire lad first appeared on our TV screens back in 1996, but James Martin’s no-nonsense approach to classic dishes has stopped him from becoming yet another tiresome celeb chef. In ‘James Every Day’, you’ll find new recipes as well as some favourites from his past bestsellers like ‘Eating In’ and ‘Delicious’. We love this collection because it’s well suited to cooks with limited time (and cash), who have little or no interest in fussy creations served on enormous plates. It’s a hefty tome divided into hearty chapters like ‘meat’, ‘soups’, and ‘pies, tarts and batters’. (Dessert fans will love his unashamedly calorific puddings.)

Unlike other celeb cookbooks that we read like bibles but rarely use; ‘James Every Day’ is full of recipes that you’ll actually cook. There are dishes that you could knock up mid-week for the family and those that would satisfy even the most demanding dinner party guests. Some of our favourites include the pan-fried cod with vanilla shrimp butter; honeyed duck confit; lobster, mango and rocket tarts; and the dangerously decadent white chocolate, whisky and croissant butter pudding. If that all sounds like hard work, how about some chargrilled peaches with amaretto and basil?

If you, or someone you know, can’t imagine Saturday mornings without ‘Saturday Kitchen’; you’ll love this book.