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| From left, British Michelin-starred chef John Burton-Race and 2012 Iron Chef Vietnam winner Nguyen Thanh Tung prepares special dinner at HOME Finest Saigon restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, in last May. / Courtesy of Paradise Vietnam |
By Kim Jae-heun
HANOI ― Ever since Vietnamese celebrity chef Nguyen Thanh Tung started working as an executive chef for HOME restaurants with the opening of its first branch in Hanoi in 2015, he has been devoting his career to spreading the word about Vietnamese cuisine and giving authentic gastronomic experiences to guests from all over the world.
The first HOME in the capital city met with instant success, leading to the launch of another branch in the country's central region of Hoi An in 2016 and one more in Ho Chi Minh City in 2017.
"With the aim of bringing Vietnamese food from the street to the dining table, all HOME restaurants highlight the culinary delicacies in each area by using fresh ingredients and traditional cooking methods," Tung said during an interview with The Korea Times at HOME Hanoi restaurant, Sept. 23.
With 20 years of experience under his belt, including his winning the very first Iron Chef competition in Vietnam in 2012, Tung is proud to introduce Vietnamese delicacies he believes cannot be found elsewhere.
Compared to other countries' cuisines, Vietnamese food is lighter, healthier and more refreshing, he said.
"You can graze all day without feeling stuffed and you can see Vietnamese food has a great balance of all flavors: sweet, sour, salty, bitter and spicy. Vietnamese people rarely overuse oil or pricy ingredients like shark fin, oyster or caviar, but rather select local, seasonal and common ingredients," Tung said.
"Meanwhile, Vietnamese food also has been influenced by French and Chinese cuisine after a long history of colonization. We have taken their food and transformed them entirely into our own style."
Tung said he finds Vietnamese food to be somewhat similar to other Southeast Asian foods, but they have their own distinct differences.
He believes Thai food, for example, is often characterized as sweet and spicy, while Vietnamese food is considered light and refreshing.
"Thai food puts an emphasis on contrasting flavors as Thai dishes are often spicy and heavy with coconut milk, shrimp paste and chili sauce. Vietnamese cuisine is considered less spicy, less oily and healthier than Thai cuisine. Vietnamese recipes are always focusing on the balance of aromatics, heat, sweetness, sourness and the flavor of fish sauce," Tung said.
In the near future, the chef wants to elevate Vietnamese cuisine to a higher level so that customers can enjoy a full dining experience, not just something cheap and cheerful.
"Through HOME restaurants, I believe it is time for the world to see the best of Vietnamese cuisine. We want to show how diverse Vietnamese food can be besides pho, banh mi and cha gio. We have many chances to appear on the international cuisine map and impress people," Tung said.
