Bo luc lac (shaking beef) is one dish that my uncle and I would often cook together for our nhậu sessions. Charred tender pieces of cubed steak, seasoned with a deep umami ingredients such as anchovy salt, stir fried with onion, capsicum and a generous knob of butter, then served alongside a bed of crisp and fresh vegetables.

Pork belly rice paper rolls contain soft and juicy pieces of sliced pork belly, served on a bed of rice vermicelli and a selection of Vietnamese herbs, neatly rolled in a rice paper sheet. I was introduced to this instant (no water dipping!) rice paper sheets version during my travels in Vietnam in 2017.

In this recipe, pork belly is rendered down significantly then combined with the traditional flavours of premium fish sauce, anchovy salt and dried shrimp.

Popular on the streets of Vietnam and in Vietnamese homes. Banh cu cai (radish cake) is a steamed savoury cake traditionally flavoured with the umami of dried shrimp and sweetened with daikon radish.

Snapper is a great rice paper roll filling as it’s generally available all year round and is soft but firm and naturally sweet. However, this Vietnamese rice paper roll recipe is quite versatile, so feel free to experiment with other varieties such as flat head, king george whiting, barramundi or garfish

Think your usual pho noodles but steeped in a homemade broth of rich vegetable flavours and served with the most umami mushrooms. Because the broth is made with only vegetables, this pho recipe is both vegetarian and vegan-friendly.