Vietnam calling
A bespoke dinner at Sydney’s celebrated Red Lantern restaurant presented the finest of Vietnamese cuisine.
Guests at a special bespoke dinner hosted by APT and Gourmet Traveller at Sydney’s Red Lantern restaurant were treated to a rollcall of signature dishes by celebrated restaurateur-chef Luke Nguyen, along with a generous helping of his trademark hospitality.
A consummate host, chef Nguyen is an ambassador for APT and the dinner was designed to deliver a taste of the culinary experiences he creates for APT’s award-winning luxury river cruises taking in Vietnam, Cambodia and Myanmar.
A celebration of the flavours of Nguyen’s heritage along with fine dining and exotic travel, the dégustation kicked off with a medley of entrées including soft rice paper rolls with fish cakes, dill, coriander and puffed rice; salt and pepper silken tofu with lemongrass, chilli, garlic chips and spring onion oil; citrus-cured fish with Vietnamese herb salad; and Aunty 5’s rice cakes with prawn and pork floss. Roast pork belly followed, then wok-tossed pipis with Red Lantern’s XO sauce; caramelised salmon with water spinach, leeks and ginger; tea-smoked duck with banana blossom, red cabbage yuba sheets and chilli-ginger dressing; and char-grilled sirloin with Asian mushrooms. Vietnamese coffee crème caramel rounded out the dinner in fine style.
If guests didn’t already have an appetite for the exciting flavours of Vietnam, this menu sealed the deal. Nguyen, the host of popular television shows and author of several award-winning books on Vietnam, has been delivering the finest Vietnamese cuisine to Sydneysiders for 15 years at one of the most-awarded Vietnamese restaurants in the world. Who better, then, to host curious travellers to this most exotic and exciting part of the world?
The tour starts in Ho Chi Minh City, before guests embark on an eight-day luxury cruise up the Mekong River to Cambodia. In Ho Chi Minh City, guests enjoy dinners at restaurants recommended by Nguyen, who on selected departures leads a personal tour of old Saigon that includes visits to his extended family before hosting an exclusive cooking class. Other highlights include a three-course Vietnamese dinner designed by Nguyen on board the river ship, plus a fascinating “Get to Know Luke” session.
Speaking to guests on the night, Nguyen said that APT – named Best Tour Operator, Domestic and Best River Cruise Operator at the National Travel Industry Awards recently – offers travellers a unique opportunity to experience countries in a more intimate way. “APT is open to showing guests different experiences, ones that you can’t get on any other tour.”