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Otago Daily Times
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
At home with flavour
Vietnamese in name, born in a Malaysian refugee camp and raised in suburban Australia, Thi Le has struggled with identity issues all her life. Her escape was cooking. While growing up she carried a deep loathing of food associated with her Vietnamese heritage, she came round to celebrating it. "Her self-expression and self-discovery have been articulated as recipes, the tool of her trade," her partner in business and life Jia-Yen Lee says. The dishes in the Melbourne-based chef's book Viet Kieu — which means "person of Vietnamese ancestry living abroad; foreigner in a familiar country" — reflect the essence of Vietnamese cuisine, produce, locality, adaptability and freshness. "This book has allowed me to use the tools of my trade as a chef-restaurateur to explore dimensions of both my Vietnamese ancestry and identity that the rigidity of a restaurant did not always allow," Le says. The book is peppered with stories about her food journey — she is owner of restaurants Anchovy and Jeow in Richmond and co-owner of a banh mi bar — upbringing and travels, some of it is hard reading as life has not been easy for Le as she navigated her place between two worlds while never feeling truly at home in either one. "My food is neither native nor adopted, but simply reflects a Vietnamese identity naturalised in Australia. This book tells that story of adaptation and preservation." So Le is on an ongoing journey to catalogue and learn about Vietnamese dishes and cooking techniques, which she combines with a reverence for produce and locality even if it yields unexpected substitutes. "To capture the complexities of what being a viet kieu means to her and to her food. It is a resource that showcases virtues of the Vietnamese character — pluck, adaptability and an unending appetite for freshness and flavour," Lee says. Le, who won Gourmet Traveller's Chef of the Year award in 2022, says the foundations of Vietnamese food are informed by its history, geography and ethnic tribes, which date back to the 10th Century BCE. "The Vietnamese pantry is very much a product of its past and geography, of its ethnic groups and their connection with the land, of historical trade and invasions of its early Chinese influence then later French and American ties, of regional variations informed by climate and topography." She believes it is an essential skill for a cook to be able to differentiate and understand ingredients as they become more sour, spicy and bitter and how sugars develop through fruit or how they alter and mellow through the processing of caramelisation. "One of my pet hates is rancid acid. It rears its hideous head in poorly executed Southeast Asian dressings and, unfortunately, the odd cocktail — puckery acid without the brightness." In the book she includes an extensive list of sauces, spices, oils, ferments and herbs that form her pantry, most available at Asian foodstores, to help understand the recipes. The book Images and text from Viet Kieu by Thi Le with Jia-Yen Lee, photography by Mark Chew. Murdoch Books RRP $59.99 Crispy egg noodles with seafood A staple dish across the menus of Melbourne's Viet-Chinese eateries. The good versions are stuff that dreams are made of, and the questionable versions are very much questionable. I like my egg noodles straddling the apex of crisp and just softened by the heat of the sauce between the time it was spooned over the noodles to the time the dish was walked to the table. I like the sauce with just enough gloop to coat but not so much to glue. I love my seafood fresh and just cooked. I have bitten into mouthfuls of cold (sometimes still frozen) imported seafood, ammonia- or chemical-laced, often texturally lifeless. I will take the natural sweetness and the tactile snap of a wok-licked local prawn any day. Serves 12 Ingredients 200g fresh egg noodles 60ml vegetable oil, plus 1 tsp for noodles 20g ginger, peeled and sliced 2 red Asian shallots, sliced 2 garlic cloves, minced 6 spring onions (scallions), white parts cut into 5 cm batons 150ml chicken stock or water 60g squid, cleaned, cut into chunks and lightly scored in a crosshatched pattern 23 prawns (shrimp), shelled and deveined 60g firm white fish fillets, such as John dory or barramundi, cut into chunks 70g broccolini (tenderstem broccoli), cut into chunks 30g Chinese celery, cut into 5cm batons Slurry 1½ Tbsp cornflour (cornstarch) 3 Tbsp cool water Sauce 1 Tbsp soy sauce 1 tsp fish sauce 1 tsp oyster sauce Pinch of raw sugar Pinch of cracked white pepper Prepare the noodles Loosen the fresh noodle pucks, then blanch in boiling water for about 50 seconds. Rinse under cold water until cool, vigorously shake out any excess water, and let drain. Set aside. Make the slurry In a small bowl, combine the cornflour and cool water, mixing well until smooth. Set aside. Make the sauce Combine all the sauce ingredients in a bowl, stirring until dissolved. Set aside. Fry the noodles Heat the 1 teaspoon of oil in a large wok or frying pan over high heat, then reduce to medium. Add the cooked noodles, spreading them out evenly. If they start to stick, add another splash of oil. Once the noodles start to char, flip them to char the other side. Be careful not to burn them. Transfer the crispy noodles to a plate and keep warm. Rinse and wipe out the wok. Cook the seafood and vegetables Heat the 60ml (¼ cup) of oil in the wok over medium heat. Add the ginger, shallot, garlic and spring onion batons; stir-fry for 1 minute until fragrant. Add the stock and bring to the boil. Add the squid, prawns and fish, stirring occasionally for 2 minutes. Add the slurry and sauce mixture, along with the broccolini. Stir fry for 2-3 minutes until the broccolini is just cooked. Remove the wok from the heat and toss in the Chinese celery. Serve the seafood and vegetable mixture over the fried noodles. Pandan chiffon cake A pandan chiffon cake represents a childhood memory for many of us. Some of us scoff it balled up into a single dense morsel; others eat it slowly, mesmerised by its fragrance and lightness. Pandan is an interesting food to describe. The aroma is vanilla-like, cut with a bit of greenness. I find dog owners understand the smell innately — it is the smell of a dog's paw pads, a sweet grassy note. I owe the development and refinement of this recipe to Kim Chin, a fellow kieu, who is as passionate about nostalgic desserts as I am. Serves 12 Ingredients 8 egg yolks 20 g caster (superfine) sugar 100ml pandan juice (see notes) 50ml coconut cream 60ml (¼ cup) vegetable oil ¾ tsp pandan essence (available at Asian food stores) ¾ tsp natural vanilla extract 150g plain (all-purpose) flour, sifted 2 tsp baking powder Pinch of salt 10 egg whites 1 tsp cream of tartar Coconut whipped cream 3g gelatine leaves (gold strength) 2½ tsp cool water 130g white chocolate bits 325ml thickened (whipping) cream 175ml (⅔ cup) coconut cream, at room temperature Salted coconut 200g freshly grated mature coconut Pinch of sea salt Make the cake Preheat the oven to 170°C . Place the egg yolks and 120g of the caster sugar in a mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer, whisk until light and aerated. Whisk in the pandan juice, coconut cream, oil, pandan essence and vanilla. Stir through the sifted flour, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, using clean beaters, whisk the egg whites until frothy. Gradually add the remaining 80 g of caster sugar and the cream of tartar, whisking until firm peaks form. Gently fold one-third of the egg white meringue at a time through the yolk mixture. Pour the batter into a large ungreased 25cm angel food cake tin. Smooth the surface. Run a skewer through the batter, then drop the tin once from a height to pop any large air bubbles. Bake for 40-42 minutes, then check for doneness. Use your finger to gently press on the centre of the cake. If the cake springs back, then it is done. If your finger indent remains, cook a little longer. Remove from the oven and leave to cool upside down in the tin. Once fully cooled, remove the cake from the tin by running a sharp paring knife around the inside of the tin. Without the icing, the cake will keep for up to 3 days in the fridge if properly covered with plastic wrap. Make the coconut whipped cream Place the gelatine leaves in a small bowl, cover with the water and leave to bloom for 10-15 minutes; they should form a gel-like mass. Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream in a saucepan over medium heat, being careful not to let it boil. Pour it over the chocolate and stir until melted. Add the gelatine and stir until dissolved, then stir in the coconut cream. Strain the mixture through a fine-meshed sieve and chill to set for at least 1 hour. Whip the coconut cream to stiff peaks. Set aside. Ice the cake Place the cake on a rotating cake stand. Using a palette knife and the help of the cake stand, spread the coconut whipped cream all over and around the cake. Mix the salted coconut ingredients together and sprinkle over the cake. Once iced, the cake will keep for 2 days in the fridge, but it's best eaten on the same day. Notes • You can make the pandan juice by blitzing 500g pandan leaves (available at Asian grocers) with 100ml water. Strain the mixture before using. • Pandan essence is necessary for both its aroma and aesthetics. Find it with the food colouring at the supermarket. • The cake tin is the same one used for angel food cake, 25cm in diameter. Mi vit tiem (duck in medicinal noodle soup) A medicinal soup that I consider to be more invigorating and comforting than a bowl of pho. The gentle sweetness of dried fruits tends to dominate the front palate, but it is very quickly chased by a mid-palate warmth of ginger. Serves 6 Ingredients 6 duck leg quarters 60ml (¼ cup) cooking wine 100g ginger, charred, then sliced 2 Tbsp mushroom soy sauce 1 Tbsp soy sauce 2½ Tbsp Chinese five spice 1½ tsp sea salt 1½ tsp cracked white pepper Broth 1½ tsp cinnamon sticks 2 star anise 3 whole cloves 2 tsp coriander seeds 1.5 litres (6 cups) chicken stock ¼ onion, charred, then sliced 100g ginger, charred, then sliced 10g dried longans (available at supermarkets and Asian grocers) 150g small daikon (white radish), peeled and cut into finger thick halfmoons 2 bunches coriander roots, scrubbed well 40g spring onion tops 20g dried shiitake mushrooms 6 dried red dates 10g dried goji berries 2 Tbsp light soy sauce 2 tsp sea salt To serve 450g mustard greens, chopped Ice bath 900g fresh thin egg noodles per person, cooked to packet instructions Marinate the duck overnight Rinse the duck legs under cold running water and pat dry with paper towel. Place in a large bowl with the cooking wine and ginger. Cover and leave to marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes. Mix together the soy sauces, five spice, salt and pepper, then rub all over the duck legs. Place in a large zip-lock bag and leave to marinate in the fridge overnight. Make the broth In a dry frying pan, toast the cinnamon sticks, star anise, cloves and coriander seeds over medium heat for a few minutes, or until fragrant. Place in a spice infuser or wrap in muslin (cheesecloth). Bring the stock to the boil in a large stockpot, skimming off any scum from the surface. Add the toasted spices, onion, ginger and longans, then leave to infuse over medium-low heat. A gentle bubble is adequate here, as you do not want the stock to reduce. Pan-fry the duck While the stock is infusing, pan-fry the duck in batches over medium-high heat for 2 minutes on each side, just to seal the meat; you are not aiming to cook the duck at this point. Set aside. Finish the soup After the broth has infused for about 1 hour, add the daikon, coriander roots, spring onion, shiitake mushrooms, dates and goji berries. Stir in the soy sauce and salt. Add the duck legs and simmer for another 30-45 minutes. (I like my duck legs to still have some texture to them. You can cook them further, if you wish in which case, I would start cooking the duck legs in advance of the daikon, dates and goji berries, as these will fall apart with longer simmering.) You are aiming for a clear stock, so ensure the broth does not come to a rapid boil at any point, as this will introduce Impurities and turbidity. To serve Blanch the mustard greens, refresh in the ice bath and divide among the servingbowls, along with the cooked noodles. Ladle the hot broth over the noodles, together with a duck leg, and some daikon and shiitake mushrooms. Serve immediately. Note • If you have them, you can use confit duck legs for this recipe. You may just want to tweak the amount of soy sauce used, as the confit duck will be more salty. • Charred onion/ginger/chilli/shallots: leave the skin on and skewer smaller pieces together, start on medium high-heat on stove or barbecue and char on each side. It will feel like you are cremating them but char them further than you think you need to. Once cooled, the skins should slip away easily.
Scotsman
21-06-2025
- Scotsman
I had a room with a view and some of Scotland's best seafood at The Pierhouse hotel
A visit to The Pierhouse hotel brings spectacular views and a feast of seafood prepared by Scotland's Chef of the Year. Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... At Port Appin the Scottish scenery puts on an outstanding performance. Take a drive down the secluded lane that leads to the shores of Loch Linnhe and you reach The Pierhouse Hotel, with 12 rooms and an outstanding seafood restaurant. Our berth at the front of the charming white-washed building comes with its own door, if I step out of our room I can watch the Lismore ferry shuttle back and forth from the pier and gaze at views of Mull in the distance, the Morvern mountains and the Ardnamurchan peninsula. I meet Michael Leathley, head chef at The Pierhouse, as he checks on the lobster pots in the loch. He was recently named Scotland's Chef of the Year, a testament to his talent, turning this remote kitchen into one of the UK's leading locations for destination dining. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Leathley has been shaping the menu here for just over five-and-a-half years. Born and raised in North Shields and Newcastle, Michael now lives on the Argyll coast with his wife Ieva, and their son, Jonas. His dishes feature fresh langoustines, mussels and lobsters harvested from Loch Linnhe and Loch Etive, as well as handpicked oysters from the oyster beds of Loch Creran, just 10 minutes from the hotel. Michael works with a network of local producers and suppliers, including langoustine fisherman Eoghan Black; Caledonian Oyster Company's Judith Vajk, Emma Rennie Dennis and her brother Mark Rennie from Wee Isle Dairy on the Isle of Gigha. He says that one of the great joys of his work is to showcase the best of Argyll produce: 'I'm exceedingly proud of the relationships that I build up with our suppliers and wherever possible, I source all ingredients within a 50-mile radius of the hotel. 'Coming to work at The Pierhouse has allowed me the freedom to explore and experiment with our incredible local larder and there's so much of it right on my doorstep. I'd never really felt connected to the food in the same way as I do in Port Appin.' The Pierhouse Michael's grandfather was an in-shore fisherman, which led to an early appreciation of seafood. He describes his cooking style as 'unpretentious – a little classic and a little modern'. The hotel restaurant has three AA silver stars, two AA rosettes and is one of only three Argyll restaurants featured in the Michelin Guide for Great Britain and Ireland 2025. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The compact dining room is bathed in golden light as we sit down for dinner. Your meal at The Pierhouse comes with a beguiling view across to the isle of Lismore, the hills and loch change character as the night draws in. The dishes are more than capable of competing for attention. We start with a wee crab cake, a recent addition to the menu. Then those Loch Creran oysters that should be enjoyed with a swipe of mignonette, a squeeze of lemon and with a spot of tabasco sauce. One of the great joys in life. Hand dived scallops baked in the shell, topped with puff pastry and roe Jacqueline jus, is among Michael's signature dishes and makes good use of one of Scotland's most outstanding ingredients. See also the grilled Loch Linnhe creel caught langoustines, an utter delight. Grilled lobster Thermidor with Isle of Mull cheddar brings the meal to a crescendo. If there's one thing that can compete with Scottish seafood, it's Highland beef, and the ribeye steak from Lochaber Larder, served with whisky bordelaise sauce and potatoes pavé is a scene-stealing addition to the summer menu. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Before returning to our cosy, cottage-like accommodation, there's an opportunity to sit outside and catch the last of the sunset while marvelling at our surroundings. Port Appin is one of Scotland's great hidden gems.
The Age
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Age
‘We've never seen a Malaysian restaurant like this before': Ho Jiak arrives in Melbourne
It's been more than a decade since Malaysian-born Junda Khoo swapped a career in finance for a career in food, the self-taught chef going on to take Sydney's dining scene by storm with the slow-burn success of Ho Jiak, which has four iterations across the Harbour City. In 2023, Khoo was a Chef of the Year finalist in The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide awards, while his Town Hall restaurant earned its first hat, which it's since retained. Previous SlideNext Slide Naturally, anticipation has been high since Khoo announced that he was bringing his thrilling brand of Malaysian cooking to Melbourne, with a three-level, three-in-one venue on Rainbow Alley in the CBD that he says has ballooned into a $7-million project. The first two venues opened in late May: fast-casual Da Bao, serving home-style Malaysian dishes on street level, and beer hall Ho Liao, doing Malaysian classics with a twist on the top floor. But the jewel in the crown opens today on the level between them. Called Ho Jiak – Junda's Playground, Khoo says it's his most boundary-pushing restaurant yet. 'We've never seen a Malaysian restaurant like this before in Australia,' says the chef, who's relocated to Melbourne for six months to spearhead the launch of the venues.
Sydney Morning Herald
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘We've never seen a Malaysian restaurant like this before': Ho Jiak arrives in Melbourne
It's been more than a decade since Malaysian-born Junda Khoo swapped a career in finance for a career in food, the self-taught chef going on to take Sydney's dining scene by storm with the slow-burn success of Ho Jiak, which has four iterations across the Harbour City. In 2023, Khoo was a Chef of the Year finalist in The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide awards, while his Town Hall restaurant earned its first hat, which it's since retained. Previous SlideNext Slide Naturally, anticipation has been high since Khoo announced that he was bringing his thrilling brand of Malaysian cooking to Melbourne, with a three-level, three-in-one venue on Rainbow Alley in the CBD that he says has ballooned into a $7-million project. The first two venues opened in late May: fast-casual Da Bao, serving home-style Malaysian dishes on street level, and beer hall Ho Liao, doing Malaysian classics with a twist on the top floor. But the jewel in the crown opens today on the level between them. Called Ho Jiak – Junda's Playground, Khoo says it's his most boundary-pushing restaurant yet. 'We've never seen a Malaysian restaurant like this before in Australia,' says the chef, who's relocated to Melbourne for six months to spearhead the launch of the venues.
Edinburgh Live
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Edinburgh Live
Edinburgh celebrity chef up against UK's finest for coveted national award
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info An Edinburgh celebrity chef is in the running for a major award - up against famous chefs from around the UK. Restaurant Online released its 'Chef of the Year' shortlist for the National Restaurant Awards 2025 and Edinburgh's own Roberta Hall-McCarron made the exclusive six-person list. She is up against heavy-hitting chefs from around the UK such as Mark Birchall of Moor Hall - a three-Michelin Star eatery in Lancashire - and Kim Ratcharoen, who runs Gordon Ramsay's three-star London restaurant. Roberta made her mark on Edinburgh's culinary scene with her early work at The Tower Restaurant, formerly located in the National Museum, the Balmoral Hotel, and the Castle Terrace, as well as working alongside Tom Kitchin at The Kitchin - a Michelin-star restaurant in Leith. She made a splash in Edinburgh's fine dining world after opening The Little Chartoom, a Michelin-guide Leith restaurant and wine bar which "ranges from subtle to bold flavours while always retaining a keen sense of balance", according to the Guide. Join Edinburgh Live's Whatsapp Community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages. Roberta also co-runs restaurants Eleanor and Ardfern on Bonnington Road, rounding out a her prolific portfolio and garnering national fame. Restaurant Online says Roberta transitioned "seamlessly" to more casual ventures in her more recent ventures Eleanor and Ardfern. The celebrity chef has appeared on BBC's Great British Menu. The multi-hyphenate has also released a debut cookbook in 2024 called The Changing Tides which offers recipes that utilise Scottish produce such as game, fish, wild mushrooms, and berries. The winner of the coveted Chef of the Year award will be announced at the National Restaurant Awards on June 9.
