Luke Nguyen's Railway Vietnam

Mind the gap

Luke Nguyen returns to Vietnam to film a brand-new series following the tracks of the Reunification Express, a line that runs the length of the country.

SBS FOOd

Episode guide | Luke Nguyen's Railway Vietnam

In this 10-part series, Luke visits ten locations from the spectacular coastline of Hoi An to the majestic mountains of Sapa, all by train.

NO LAKSA HERE

Vietnamese food crawl: Mum's pho takes on Top End laksa

Laksa-obsessed Darwin is getting its phở fix, complete with mum’s seal of approval.

PERTH, WA

Vietnamese food crawl: Taste Vietnam's north in Australia's far west

This small part of Vietnam is full of tasty surprises but there’s no need to grab a plane ticket to experience it if you find yourself in Perth.

CANLEY VALE

Vietnamese food crawl: The all-day bun bo Hue joint feeding local chefs

An 80 kg beef bone and a boiling pot big enough to swim in, making bun bo Hue is no picnic.

NEW SOUTH WALES

Vietnamese food crawl: Luke Nguyen's tips for a Viet fix in Cabramatta

Luke Nguyen shares his all-time faves, how many have you tried?

Recipes
From south to north

Vietnamese

Sturgeon with song cai botanicals

Fresh fish grilled over a fire pit gives a beautiful smoky flavour that adds to the spice rub.

Vietnamese

Green papaya salad with buffalo jerky

A fresh Vietnamese salad of papaya, herbs and coconut served with a homemade dipping sauce.

Vietnamese

Confit salmon with ginger oyster sauce

Double the salmon with this delicate confit topped with salmon roe and a ginger oyster sauce.

Vietnamese

Magenta sticky rice with sweet coconut and mango

The vibrant colour of this sticky rice is the uniqueness of this dish!

Vietnamese

Crispy noodle pillows with stir-fried beef

Luke cooks this delicious dish literally on the train tracks! There is little space either side of the tracks as it’s kept clear for the locals to use as pathways.

Vietnamese

Bun cha

At its heart, bun cha is grilled pork, rice noodles, herbs and fish sauce all in one bowl. What a combination!

Vietnamese

Hai Phong red noodles with steamed crab

The red noodles made from flour and coloured with a dark caramel made from granulated brown sugar are known as ‘Banh Da’ and are a speciality of Hai Phong.

Vietnamese

Crispy pork and quail egg dumplings

Luke Nguyen makes an impression on the locals when cooking this street food ‘Banh Goi’ - he’s even offered money from a curious local to try the crispy pork...

Vietnamese

Vietnamese goat curry

The aromatic, homemade paste beautifully flavours the goat meat which is preferred for its tenderness.

Vietnamese

Chilli salted rice paddy crab with lemongrass

The tiny rice paddy crabs that are used in this dish can be found near the rice paddy fields and waterways surrounding Ninh Binh. This is a great dish to snack on...