I am a young chef in Ho Chi Minh City, harboring an ambition for Vietnamese fusion cuisine. I wanted to combine the subtlety of Japanese cuisine with the rich flavors of the Mekong Delta, but I didn’t know where to start. In a food group on OVFRIENDS, I boldly shared my somewhat “crazy” idea.
Many thought it was fanciful, but one user from Japan, a retired sushi chef, showed great interest. He didn’t teach me recipes; he taught me philosophy. Through our conversations, he showed me some Kaiseki cooking techniques, the art of presentation, and respect for seasonal ingredients.
Two years later, my small restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City was unexpectedly featured in an international food magazine. The dish that made its name was “Kaiseki-style grilled snakehead fish wrapped in seaweed.” I rushed to message and thank my online mentor.
He replied with just a short sentence: “Now it’s your turn to pass that knowledge on to someone else.”