THE SAIGON KITCHEN STORY

Homecooked Vietnamese Food

A little about me - Trung, chef & owner - I started cooking when I was 5 or 6. I was born after the Vietnamese war in a very small town by the sea in the North of Vietnam, called Bai Tu Long Bay.

​

My roots in Vietnamese food run deep. I did touch the food at a very early age always guided by mum. She taught me other skills too like how to use a knife, work an open fire, along with ways to identify and pick out the best ingredients and how to combine them to make well-balanced dishes.

​

In every Vietnamese meal there has to be a harmonious balance between the tastes and textures. We apply the principles of the five elements and also of yin and yang. Every meal must have spicy, sour, bitter, salty and sweet flavours. They also must have crunchy, crisp, chewy, soft and silky textures. They do not need to be equal but they do need to be balanced.

​

In Vietnam when we invite someone to come into our home that means we invite them into our kitchen. I've purposefully picked some of my favourite dishes from friends and family kitchens around Vietnam.  I hope you like them too!