Returning: Luke Nguyen’s Vietnam

Luke Nguyen, returns to his country of heritage for another instalment of his culinary series.

The owner of Sydney’s Red Lantern restuants visits Hue, Vietnam’s spectacular northern countryside, Ha Long Bay, French inspired Hanoi and the mountains of Sapa.

The 10 part series again sees Nguyen cooking exotic dishes in even more exotic locales.

Last series, Luke explored the Southern regions of Vietnam with his family and uncovered their mutual love for food. In this series Luke continues to discover this love in the beautiful northern regions whilst engaging and learning from the local rural people.

We travel with Luke as he demonstrates his passion for Vietnam and its cuisine. He shows us how to cook `grass roots’ style and demonstrates ways to discover the clean, fresh and fragrant experience of cooking and eating healthy, delicious Vietnamese food.

In the first episode Luke prepares a fig salad on the out skirts of Hue’s historic citadel, the seat of the Nguy n emperors. He visits some of Hue’s local eateries and prepares some favourite dishes with the help of the surrounding people.

Continuing along the DMZ, Luke meets Mr Tran’s family and together, catches and cooks carp grilled in Betel leaves. Reaching Vinh, he explores the vibrant market and soon becomes surrounded by locals all too eager to lend a hand, as he prepares a pork rib dish.

In the serene beauties of Tam Coc, Luke explores the ancient caves and prepares a snail dish whilst being guided by a local. The beauty of this region is encapsulated by a mountain goat dish, atop one of the highest mountains looking over the region.

The hustle and bustle of Hanoi is a welcome change in Episode 4. Here the French influence on the food and culture of Vietnam is explored. Street dishes are eaten and inspire Luke to create his own. We discover the processes of rice paper, how to make a terrine and cook duck on the side of a busy Hanoi road, a few kilometres from the city centre.

Onwards to Sapa, Luke prepares a dish in the clouds with local Su May in her village Ta Phin. Here they cook field mushrooms gathered in the early morning. We get to see and feel how the local Mong people live and Luke shares a communal Salmon Hot Pot that he prepares on the porch of a local home.

As we travel further into the rural regions of Vietnam, highlights include tea smoking duck whilst waiting for home made corn wine and preparing some ginger chicken in the notoriously busy weekend Bac Ha market, which brings many a tourists flocking.

Seafood is the main ingredient as we float around the beautiful Ha Long Bay. Blue swimmer crabs, pippies and muscles are caught and cooked in and amongst the floating villages.

Finally, we reach Mai Chau and visit the local white Thai people. Here Luke gets to eat his jackfruit salad with a family in their stilt house, cook fish in bamboo and discover his love for a family feast.

In this second series of Luke Nguyen’s Vietnam, Luke demonstrates his passion for the country, it’s people and the regional food and creates dishes that inspire the home cook or anyone who wants to try this magnificent cuisine in an easy to follow style.

It returns Thursday, 2nd December at 7.30pm on SBS ONE