Luke Nguyen

"My incredible food journey to France…started where much of my recent life has been centred: in Vietnam. After spending so much time there, I’ve become increasingly intrigued by the nuances of Vietnamese cuisine, and in trying to find out what makes one region’s food distinct from another…I’ve spent a lot of time investigating Vietnam’s unique regional dishes and cooking styles, and the more people I speak to about differences, similarities, influences and history, the clearer it becomes that the French, who colonised Vietnam from the mid-19th century until its independence in 1945, have left an indelible mark. "

Biography

Luke Nguyen is one of Australia’s best loved chefs. He is the owner of Sydney’s acclaimed Red Lantern restaurants, and is a regular presenter on SBS where his television shows have taken him all over the world. His recent series, Luke Nguyen’s France is the companion TV show to his new book - Luke Nguyen’s France, A Gastronomic Adventure. Luke is also the author of five previous cookbooks: Secrets of the Red Lantern, Indochine, The Songs of Sapa, China to Vietnam and The Food of Vietnam, the ultimate companion to authentic Vietnamese cooking. Luke currently splits his time between Australia and Vietnam, where he has recently opened his own cooking school - Grain - in Ho Chi Minh City.