Luke Nguyen, a Vietnamese-Australian chef, has returned to his parents’ homeland to make a television show exploring the diverse world of Vietnamese cuisine and culture.

The Australian film crew is shooting the first episode of the 10-part “Luke Nguyen’s Vietnam” series in Ho Chi Minh City. The series will focus on local specialties in central and southern Vietnam.

Each 45-minutes episode will be broadcast on Australia’s Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) and Travel and Living and Discovery channels from the fourth quarter of this year.

Nguyen has already worked with SBS, Australia’s multicultural broadcasting service, including on an earlier series of 30-minute food shows.

Nguyen and his film crew not only focus on Vietnam’s food but the country’s culture and lifestyle, visiting bustling local markets and street vendors.

Nguyen made eight trips to Vietnam to research his show.

“In Australia, people are familiar with Chinese and Thai food,” Nguyen said. “I want people to get to know Vietnamese food through this show. I want them to know that Vietnam has good food, good people and beautiful scenery. The biggest goal of my life is to prove to the world that Vietnamese food is the best!”

The celebrity chef’s passion for food stemmed from his parents, who ran a Vietnamese restaurant in Sydney called “Pho Cay Du”.

Nguyen began helping out at the family’s restaurant at the age of six. Eleven years later, he started training with renowned Sydney restaurateurs and chefs.

In 2002, the 23-year-old Nguyen and his sister opened their first restaurant, the Red Lantern Restaurant, in Sydney’s Surry Hills.

Red Lantern soon won critical acclaim and a number of awards including the Restaurant and Catering Industry Association of Australia’s “best restaurant” awards in 2006, 2007 and 2008.

Nguyen has become a regular guest on food TV shows and at food festivals in Australia and other countries.

“I have learned one thing: there has never been a lack of fresh ingredients in Vietnamese kitchens,” director of the show, Michael Francis Donnelly, said. “It is not an easy thing to have in the Western countries I have visited for my work.”

“I believe the viewers will be interested in what they see just like we were. They will be surprised by not only the food but also the beautiful scenery and the friendly people here,” he said.

The crew plans to return to Vietnam next year to shoot a second series, which will mainly focus of northern and central specialties.

(Source: FPC, Vietnews)