“Mì Sủi Cảo is very similar to a dumpling or wonton. Luke learns from the Great Aunties about the secret recipe and style techniques.” - SBS Food

“My parents owned their own restaurant for 20 years. They rarely ate at home because they worked 100-odd hours a week. When they did find time to eat at home, I remember it always being this dish, as it is quick, simple to make and light to eat. Just reading the recipe, I can smell the beef hitting the hot pan of garlic.” - Chef Luke Nguyen

“I met an award-winning artisan pie maker named Neil Broomfield, who was inspired by my Vietnamese phở recipe and decided to make a pie version of the traditional beef noodle soup. The result was stunning. The recipe makes more broth than you will need for these pies, but it freezes well and will never go to waste.” - Chef Luke Nguyen

“In almost every corner of Hoi An you can see vendors selling chicken rice. The most common style of chicken rice is torn with your fingers, as Luke does with his dish.” - SBS Food

“This one-pot wonder is perfect to make in your slow-cooker, so that you can enjoy it over a bowl of fluffy white rice!” - SBS Food

“Most cultivated and Asian mushrooms are available year round, although wild mushrooms are generally only in season during Autumn and Winter. This dish will work well with any combination of mushrooms. Try varieties such as slipper jacks, chanterelles and pine mushrooms.” - Chef Mark Jensen

“Every week, I use a large quantity of pork in my restaurant, Red Lantern. Asian cultures love pork and Asian chefs have developed a plethora of recipes for its preparation. Interestingly, I find the most delicious and succulent Asian pork recipes require meat that is full of fat. My favourite cuts of pork are the belly, shoulder and neck, which also happen to represent the best value. Slowly roasted or braised, these cuts yield meat that is sticky and unctuous, creating an addictive feeling in the mouth that is second to none. I don’t know why we are so scared of fat!” - Chef Mark Jensen

“I came across a locally distilled gin when I visited the Maltby Street Market. It was called Little Bird Gin, and it surprisingly had great botanicals like grapefruit, orange and ginger. I decided to use it to make some Asian inspired gin-based dressings for freshly shucked oysters.” - Chef Luke Nguyen

“One of my most memorable fishing experiences was being out there on the boat in Newquay Cornwall, catching spider crabs. I was completely blown away by the sheer size of them - from claw to claw, a spider crab can expand up to 2 metres long! If you can’t get your hands on spider crabs, substitute with blue-swimmer, spanner or mud crab.” - Chef Luke Nguyen

“I had never tried a Scotch egg before arriving in Britain. I was amazed at how many stores, delis, farmers' markets, cafes, restaurants and even highway rest stops served them! These soft-boiled eggs coated with pork mince reminded me so much of a dish I came across in South East Asia. The recipe used quail eggs, which I thought would work perfectly in my Scotch egg.” - Chef Luke Nguyen

“This classic British dish usually calls for boiled prawns covered in a thick cocktail sauce made from mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce, tomato sauce and Tabasco. Here, I have transformed this traditional dish into something with a fresher, lighter, South East Asian flavour. - Chef Luke Nguyen

“These crisp vegetarian cakes would make a great accompaniment to your bacon and eggs in the morning. Alternatively, break them in half and toss through a green papaya salad with fresh Asian herbs.” - Chef Luke Nguyen

“Travelling through the UK, I saw so many fish and chip shops, cafes and pubs serving battered scampi with mayo. Despite this dish's popularity, I found the batter a bit too thick for the delicate crustacean. So here is my version of the fried seafood treat with just a light dusting of potato starch and an aromatic seasoning, along with a punchy garlic mayonnaise for dipping action.” - Chef Luke Nguyen

“A classic banana cake from Saigon inspired this bread and butter pudding recipe. It's light and not overly sweet.” - Chef Luke Nguyen

“Scallops in Scotland are incredibly juicy and plump so I couldn’t resist the opportunity to cook with them. I have kept the roe on, as I really like its flavour and colour, but you can discard it if you wish. Combining whisky with soy sauce, sesame oil and chilli may seem a little strange, but the flavours work really well together.” - Chef Luke Nguyen

“This is a very traditional Vietnamese dish called ‘Thit Kho’, juicy pork belly slow-braised in young coconut juice. If you can’t get fresh coconuts, you can buy the coconut water in a tin from your local Asian market. Make sure to read the back and purchase ones with no added sugar.” - Chef Luke Nguyen

“I’ve sampled all varieties of curries in Bangkok, but this noodle curry, originating from Chiang Mai, has to be one of my favourites. This recipe uses Thai curry powder – a fragrant blend of ground pepper, cloves, coriander seeds, cumin, fennel, chilli flakes, turmeric and ginger, available from spice shops and Asian markets.” - Chef Luke Nguyen

“If you’re up near the Giant Swing or the Democracy Monument, you must dine at Mit Ko Yuan on Dinso Road in Sao Chingcha. I’m telling you, this place has not changed a bit since it opened over 60 years ago. They’ve still got the original decor so it’s truly olde worlde, with tiled walls, blue shelves and gorgeous old wooden tables and stools down each side. It oozes character. Despite being wildly popular they’ve never expanded and they even run the same menu they had when they opened – there’s a copy of it on the wall complete with the original prices. I really enjoy their yum woon sen, which you’ll also see cooked on the street too and you will see the cook stand behind a wok and cook this dish to order. It only takes a few minutes before you are eating this divine plate of seafood noodles.” - Chef Luke Nguyen

“I came across a street food cart in Saigon’s busy Chinatown wok tossing rice noodles. I couldn’t help myself but ask the owner if I could make my own dish. Within 3 minutes, I was done. This noodle dish is a very simple, quick and tasty dish to make at home on any night of the week. - Chef Luke Nguyen