Khanh Nguyen - Red Lantern - Interview

Timeout Taste Test 2010 Dish: Beef rolled with betel leaves and caul fat.

If you could do an apprenticeship at any restaurant in the world, where would it be and why?
The French Laundry, because I’d love to learn more about French cuisine and the different techniques used.

What is your favourite restaurant in Sydney apart from your own?
Rockpool, because of the Asian influences with a modern approach.

Who is your culinary hero and why?
I don’t really have a culinary hero because there are so many great chefs out there, but if I had to pick, then the chefs at my work would be my culinary heroes because they are the ones who are there for me to teach me and for me to look up to.

What is your least favourite job in the kitchen and why?
Picking the leaves off herbs for our salads. I do it almost every day and it does get a bit boring sometimes because there’s so many different herbs that we use.

Favourite chef's tool and why?
My chefs knife of course! It’s the tool that I use everyday and it’s something I have to look after, keeping it sharp so it can do the job.

Anything you can't/won't eat and why?
I would eat anything that’s served from a restaurant.

What was your food epiphany?
When I started high school I did hospitality because I liked eating, then after doing it for a few weeks I realized I liked cooking as much as I like to eat. I learnt that there’s so many things you can do with food, putting together different flavours that go well together. I knew I wanted to be a chef. I wanted to leave school to start an apprenticeship but my mum wanted me to finish school before I start making decisions about work, so I graduated year 12 and then the first thing I did was look for an apprenticeship. What really made me want to be a chef was when I had work placement for school at James Squire Restaurant and Brewhouse. I saw that the kitchen environment can be a really fun place to work and there’s always a job to do so I’d never get bored. Now that I’m working in a kitchen I really do love it. I can be under heaps of pressure and stressed at times but the more pressure then the more exciting it gets. When service is over I feel really rewarded to see that I’ve beat the rush and sent everything out. I love it because there’s always something new to learn and always room for improvement
 
What would your Death Row meal be?
I wouldn’t have a meal before I die, I would have a feast. I’d probably end up dying from eating to much food, I love food!
 
Best food tip for Sydney diners?
Well I’m not sure about any food tips, but probably go out for dinner at the beginning of the week because restaurants aren’t as busy and the food comes out quick! In terms of which days have the best produce, if it’s a good restaurant, then everyday should have fresh produce.

What do you cook at home?
Usually I try new things that I’ve never made before. Usually it’s a dessert, because there’s a lot of classic desserts such as brulee, panna cotta, bavarois etc and I want to try to make them all. Sometimes when I think of an original dish I try and make it to see how it turns out and I ask my family to try and give me some tips for improvement.
 
What was the thinking behind the dish you created for the Time Out Taste Test?
Well basically I tried to create balance in flavour, having the elements of sweet, sour, salty and a hint of spicy in the dish along with some contrast; hot beef with cold salad, tender beef to the crunch of the vegetables. Betel leaves, pickled vegetable salad and the pineapple and anchovy sauce (with my own variation) are familiar ingredients used in Vietnamese cuisine, the inspiration I got to create the dish is a traditional Vietnamese dish that’s on Red Lantern’s menu and a dish my mum sometimes makes called ‘bo la lot’, which was basically minced beef with lemongrass and shallots etc wrapped with betel leaves. I had a modern approach by rolling eye fillet in betel leaves which have been cooked with garlic, and soy and then rolling it again in caul fat, then roasting it in the oven (something rarely used in Vietnamese cooking). I tried using different vegetables in the spiced pickled vegetable salad that aren’t usually used in Vietnamese cuisine, such as leek and beetroot.

What was the Time Out Taste Test like to participate in?
I was under a lot of pressure prepping for the eighty covers in that one day. The hardest thing was probably not knowing where everything was stored at the bistro, so every time I needed something I had to ask someone and I probably annoyed them a bit. Luckily I had help from the staff at Bistro CBD or I definitely wouldn’t have finished on time and it would’ve been a disaster! When it came to service time I was quite nervous, probably because things didn’t turn out as I planned, I over cooked my eye fillet which was the biggest let down of the night. I’ve learnt something pretty obvious though, that some ovens cook faster than others. I felt really good after my dishes were all sent out. It was a big relief that there weren’t any sent back or complaints. Overall it was a great experience, it was good to work with other apprentices and to see we were all helping each other while competing against each other. I learnt new things, I tried my best and tried to help the others as much as I could and I think that’s what the event was all about. I’d definitely enter another competition like the Time Out Taste Test.

Time Out Taste Test 2010 - results

Have you eaten here? Leave a review at the bottom of the page. No login required. Click for guidelines.