Art of Pho
On the 18th and 19th March, founder and executive chef of NamNam Noodle Bar, Chef Nam, invited guests to an exclusive pairing dinner to the restaurant's Plaza Indonesia outlet. Guests were treated to a dazzling evening of culinary adventure, aptly named the Art of Pho.
Chef Nam started his culinary journey at the prestigious Copenhagen Culinary Institute before he cut his teeth at some of the world's most famous kitchens. He spent years working alongside world-famous chefs at Michelin-starred restaurants such as Le Canard Oslo as well New York's Aquavit restaurant, famous for its brilliant Scandinavian cuisine.
NamNam Noodle Bar serves up fast-casual comfort Vietnamese classics such as the universally loved pho noodle and bahn mi sandwich and prides itself on its policy of not using monosodium glutamate in its cooking.
Guests at the dinner enjoyed a delightful appetiser of homemade belinjo crackers seasoned simply with truffle salt. The first appetiser was a lobster fruit salad with special house-made sauce paired with tart and refreshing lotus iced tea. Next up was a fiery dish of scallops, smoky eggplant and fermented fish sauce accompanied by strawberry basil sparkling water. Guests enjoyed a consommé of Papua mud crab with lemongrass-ginger iced tea. A well-balanced dish of sautéed black cod and shellfish with red wine sauce was accompanied by a honeykumquat sparkling water. The chef's take on Vietnamese xôi chiên featured grilled kampong chicken in sticky rice, paired with a lime sparkling water. Finally, an aromatic dish of truffled pho wagyu was served. For desserts, guests enjoyed a lovely traditional Vietnamese warm che of cassava, sweet potato and fresh-pressed coconut milk with Vietnamese coffee.