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The 5 key ingredients of Vietnamese cooking

Love Vietnamese food? Chef Phil Davenport of Saigon Lane shows us how easy it can be to cook from home! And it all starts with these 5 simple ingredients…
  • 20 Jan 2017
The 5 key ingredients of Vietnamese cooking
Love Vietnamese food? Chef Phil Davenport of Saigon Lane shows us how easy it can be to cook from home! And it all starts with these 5 simple ingredients…

From beef pho to pork belly banh mi, there’s no denying Australia’s growing love of Vietnamese food. Fresh, full-flavoured, and a little lighter than some of our other Asian cuisine favourites, it’s perfect for our warmer Aussie weather. 

Vietnamese dishes are also really easy to recreate at home. Chef Phil Davenport of Sydney’s street-food-style restaurant, Saigon Lane, reveals the 5 ingredients that are the building blocks of Vietnamese. Best of all, they’re all available from your local supermarket – or may even be in your pantry now!

Nuoc cham can be paired with Vietnamese rice paper rolls (Photo: Benito Martin)

1.     Fish sauce

Fish sauce adds a salty element to the flavour balance. Because of its intensity, a little goes a long way. “You can use fish sauce to make nouc cham dressing, which is a fresh, sweet, sour and fishy sauce used for salads and fried food,” says Phil. 

Saigon Lane use chilli in their crab with coconut and lime (Photo: supplied)

2.     Chilli

Although Vietnam has a milder, fresher cuisine than some of its neighbouring countries, chilli is still a vital ingredient. It’s used raw in soups, salads and stir-fries. 

Ginger gives pork & peanut burgers signature Vietnamese flair

3.     Ginger

Ginger’s distinct, warming flavour rarely absent from Vietnamese dishes. Saigon Lane serves up their tiger spring rolls with a ginger dipping sauce.

Saigon Lane's vegan rice paper rolls are packed with mint and crisp, veggie goodness (Photo: supplied)

4.     Vietnamese mint

Vietnamese mint has a more peppery taste and longer leaves than its more common counterpart. It’s usually eaten raw salads and duck-related dishes. Phil likes to serve it with nem ran (prawn & pork spring rolls), to add freshness to the meaty flavour. 

Are you coriander yay or nay? Saigon Lane's crispy pork buns are delish! (Photo: supplied)

5.     Coriander

Coriander haters, look away! This controversial herb is used generously in Vietnamese cooking. It’s a key ingredient in Vietnamese coleslaw, and also pairs well with crispy meat dishes such as pork belly steamed buns.

Saigon Lane is located at Bondi, Darlinghurst, Glebe and the CBD in Sydney. Visit www.saigonlane.com.

Vietnamese pork & peanut burgers

Vietnamese pork & peanut burgers

Vietnamese rice paper rolls

Vietnamese rice paper rolls

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