"Everybody loves rice
paper rolls, also known as Vietnamese rolls, but not many
people understand the art of making these delicate and time
consuming morsels. The first rule is they have to be made
fresh and eaten on the day they are made. They should never
be made the day before, refrigerated and served the next
day, even in large quantities. .Large
quantities mean many hands. Secondly, the ingredients must
be market fresh. Finally and just as importantly, the mix
of ingredients used must be perfectly balanced to allow
the main ingredient to shine through. It must be light,
clean tasting, and yet complex in flavour."
" Not
many people know that there are different grades of fish
sauce (nuoc mam), just as there are for olive oils. Extra
virgin olive oil is made from the first press and is more
flavoursome than virgin olive oil or just olive oil. This
same rule applies to judging different fish sauces. For
first extract fish sauce, look for the words nhi or thuong
hang on the label as it indicates nuoc mam from the first
extraction. I use the label 'Viet Huong' as they use fresh
high quality anchovies of the first extraction."
Born in Luang Prahbang Laos, of Vietnamese heritage and
a lineage of chefs, Nga has cooking in her blood. Nga has
been making rice paper rolls since knee high but commercially
since the 90's as a caterer in Melbourne and now Sydney.
She concentrates on traditional Vietnamese recipes and techniques
but also allows for some modern fusion.
Other
Chu family businesses include: |
Lan
Chu wholesale Vietnamese smallgoods |
Sydney |
Indochine Fine Vietnamese
Restaurant |
Melbourne |
Tien Dat Vietnamese
Restaurant |
Melbourne |
Eastern View restaurant
|
Melbourne |
The Engine Shed
Bar and Café |
Melbourne |
Via Volaré
Cafe |
Melbourne |