"I cooked this dish in the garden of one of Hoi An’s most beautiful restaurants, called Brother’s Cafe. Built by the French in the early 1900s, it has the most spectacular landscaped garden along the river. Be sure to get a table outside in the evening to enjoy the view. The chefs there were easily able to source fresh young coconuts for me, but if you have to use tinned young coconut juice, omit the sugar in the recipe as tinned coconut juice contains added sugar." - Chef Luke Nguyen

"I discovered a small village in Bac Ha that grew a variety of red rice. When harvested and dried, the rice grains had a lovely purple colour — something I’d never seen before. This particular rice is also believed to have many medicinal qualities. So I bought some purple rice noodles and wok-tossed them with bamboo shoots and pork. The colour was so vibrant! Unfortunately, you can’t find purple rice noodles outside Bac Ha, so just use regular rice noodles instead. But remember, always use room-temperature fresh soft noodles, never ones that have come straight out of a fridge, as they will break during cooking." - Chef Luke Nguyen

"It wouldn’t be Christmas for the Jensen family without my mum’s steamed pudding, which uses one of her favourite treats, glacé ginger." - Chef Mark Jensen

“I visited Phu Quoc island many years ago while backpacking through the country. I was on a tight budget, so I found a cheap straw bungalow that cost only $8 a night. It was right on a beach, and every evening, the owner would cook everyone dinner. This dish was one of my favourites. The mussels were so plump and fresh, and the sweet basil tossed through matched them perfectly.” - Chef Luke Nguyen

“If you are ever on Phu Quoc island and can’t seem to find this dish in any restaurant, don’t worry. Just go to the fresh seafood market, buy yourself some juicy tiger prawns, take them to any street-food vendor or restaurant and ask them to make ‘Tôm Rang Muối’ for you. Be sure to leave the shells on, as the crispiness they add really makes this dish.” - Chef Luke Nguyen

“Leatherjacket is very underrated and is considered a bycatch species, a fish inadvertently caught while pursuing a more valuable prize. I think it has an amazing texture, it can carry big flavours such as lemongrass, soy or curry spices, and, once cooked, the flesh just slides off the bone.” - Chef Mark Jensen

“Oysters are the ultimate eco-friendly extravagance. They feed on microscopic organisms by drawing water into their shells and filtering the nutrients out. Oysters are like the canaries of the sea; they are highly sensitive to pollutants and can’t survive in anything less than pristine waters.” - Chef Mark Jensen

“I recommend the Australian Sustainable Seafood Guide as an introductory shopping guide for sustainable seafood species. The guide is available online at www.amcs.org.au or for further reading, visit www.msc.org or www.montereybayaquarium.org.” - Chef Mark Jensen

“Baguettes are one of many great things the French introduced to Vietnam. However, Vietnamese have adapted the French baguette and made it their own, making it more fluffy, airy and with a crispier finish. This allows us to add a variety of fillings to them, or to dip them in curries or slow-cooked stews, soaking up all the sauce.” - Chef Luke Nguyen

"Perhaps the least invasive form of aquaculture is the farming of molluscs. Species such as oysters, scallops and mussels are filter feeders and require pristine waters to thrive. These bivalves filter the phytoplankton and zooplankton from the water and do not need to be artificially fed." - Chef Mark Jensen

“In Vietnam, women hold the green papaya in one hand and, with a sharp knife in the other, rapidly and repeatedly cut into the fruit; fine shards fall away into a bowl. You can buy a special tool from an Asian supermarket that shreds the papaya beautifully (and safely), or simply slice the papaya very finely, then cut it into long thin strips.” - Chef Mark Jensen

“In this recipe, traditional French steak tartare, which is made with minced beef and served raw with egg yolk and seasoning, is given a Vietnamese makeover with the addition of Asian herbs and seasonings. The egg yolks used are quail, and it is dressed with a signature Vietnamese Nước Mắm Chấm.” - SBS Food

“Lemongrass is an essential ingredient in Vietnamese cooking. Not only does it impart a wonderful gingery citrus flavour to food, but it also has medicinal qualities. I grow lemongrass in my garden, so I also dry the stems to make my own lemongrass tea. Make this dish at your next Sunday barbecue and impress all your friends. The aromas released during grilling are amazing.” - Chef Luke Nguyen

“Squid is plentiful, reasonably inexpensive and can be roasted, grilled, sautéed, or stuffed and steamed. Yes, it’s very versatile, so please take advantage of it and experiment” - Chef Mark Jensen

“This is steak and three veg with a difference - packed with Vietnamese flavours, this is a great dinner to whip up on a weekday night.” - Chef Luke Nguyen

“In Vietnam, this dish is cooked at the table in a small frying pan over a charcoal grill. If you have a tabletop gas cooker, you can prepare this dish in a similar fashion. Cook the fish in smaller quantities and assemble the vermicelli salad at the table.” - Chef Mark Jensen

“I am a big fan of lemon-cured dishes. It all started with Bò Tái Chanh (lemon cured sirloin) - a dish I grew up with. Lemon curing is such a simple and clean way of cooking and the results are amazing. The citrus, when combined with mint, makes the dish refreshing, clean and crisp. At Red Lantern we only serve this kingfish recipe as a ‘special’ - and the guests love it.

When I was invited to cook for the Australian ambassador at a charity dinner for the Asian Society in Manila, I went a littler further and added a lemon cured scallop dish to the menu - it was a winner.” - Chef Luke Nguyen

“Luke Nguyen's Vietnamese fish cakes make perfect appetisers just as they are, or for a more substantial bite, wrap them in lettuce leaves with vermicelli noodles and herbs and serve with nuoc cham. The kids will love them too because they're not spicy, but you could always add a little chilli to the mixture for an extra kick.” - SBS Food

“This classic Vietnamese dipping sauce, Nuoc Mắm Chấm (or sometimes just called và Nước Chấm), is a balance of salty (from fish sauce), chilli and sweet. Serve it with fried street snacks, fresh rice paper rolls or use as a dressing over salads.” - SBS Food

“Ha Long Bay is famous for its mussels. They are plump, juicy and really sweet. When you buy delicious mussels like these, make sure to never overcook them. After they begin to open their shells, you need only another minute and they are done: take them out of the wok and enjoy straight away.” - Chef Luke Nguyen