North 54, a modern Vietnamese snack bar from an emerging cooking talent, is coming to Leederville this winter
In his short yet action-packed career as a chef, Bac Pham has cooked many cuisines.
He's cooked modern Australian at State Buildings' bustling Petition Kitchen. He's dabbled in Italian cucina at Swanbourne wine bar Vinotto. He's even helped advance the new-wave bowlo food movement with the Special Delivery crew at Doubleview Bowling Club.
This July, Pham finally gets to focus full-time on the flavours of his heritage when he opens North 54: a fresh-faced, 25-seat eatery in Leederville serving Vietnamese food. Vietnamese food, it's worth mentioning, as viewed through the lens and life story of a Vietnamese-born, Australian-raised latecomer to the cooking game.
'It's authentic, but it's definitely not traditional [Vietnamese cooking],' says Pham. 'I'm cooking traditional recipes but not doing them the traditional way.
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His friends refuse to come with him at weekends because he gets recognised too often, though he glances towards the pokies-playing pensioners this Tuesday lunchtime and reckons we're safe for now. 'We have the pub at home now,' he says. '[My partner] Meg got me a kegerator for Christmas. It's like a beer tap in a fridge, so now we just do it up the road. 'But the parmas aren't as good.'
