Besides managing the kitchen staff, Mr. Doan Van Tuan finds relaxation in the kitchen. Photo: DOAN HAO LUONG
This milestone recognizes his outstanding contributions to the preservation, development, and dissemination of Vietnamese culinary culture.
Prioritize the use of local ingredients.
Throughout his career, Mr. Tuan's principle has been to present Vietnamese dishes to customers first, followed by European-style dishes with Vietnamese flavors, unless the customer makes a strict request, in which case he would prepare traditional European dishes.
According to Mr. Tuan, nowadays, European palates are gradually shifting towards Asian flavors, so they are looking for new tastes and fusions. This is an opportunity for him to introduce Vietnamese dishes to guests, thanks to the abundant local ingredients.
Each visitor comes from different countries and has different culinary tastes, so the chef needs to carefully research and prepare dishes that suit their preferences. For example, for a marine biologist, Mr. Tuan would choose sea bass with chili salt dip or grilled with scallions and butter.
"The characteristic of pipefish in Da Nang is that they live in deep, clean waters with coral bottoms. Pipefish have long snouts, but they don't use their mouths to eat; instead, they suck through their noses and only eat seaweed. Oceanographers know this species well, so they have very high standards for the quality of the fish. Therefore, we have to select them carefully to satisfy our customers," Mr. Tuan explained.
Since 2012, Mr. Tuan has gradually perfected traditional Vietnamese meals from all over the country, featuring many delicious dishes characteristic of each region. For example, a Northern Vietnamese meal cannot be without kohlrabi salad and traditional braised carp; a Central Vietnamese meal includes jellyfish salad and braised catfish with turmeric.
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As the first Vietnamese chef to hold the position of Executive Chef at a 5-star international resort, I see building, developing, and introducing Vietnamese cuisine to international tourists not just as a job, but as a long-term responsibility of those in the profession.”
Mr. Doan Van Tuan, Executive Chef of the International Tourist Complex at Furama Resort Danang.
Recreating traditional Vietnamese dishes also gives kitchen staff an opportunity to identify which dishes customers prefer in order to sell them. For example, the chicken rice counter sells shredded chicken rice, roasted chicken rice, pork rib rice, etc. Through this, Mr. Tuan realized that chicken rice is the most popular dish among tourists because of its unique cooking method, using chicken broth and fat to cook the rice.
"When I meet tourists, I always recommend two signature dishes of Da Nang: Quang noodles and chicken rice. The best food comes from tradition, and the chefs only enhance it," Mr. Tuan affirmed.
Spreading the cultural values of Vietnamese cuisine.
It wasn't until he was honored as a "Master Craftsman of Vietnamese Culinary Culture" that Mr. Tuan began thinking about promoting Vietnamese cuisine; from the very beginning of his career, he considered it a long-term responsibility. Perhaps that's why he's so interested in social work, participating in teaching courses for students at vocational colleges and serving as a judge in competitions both domestically and internationally.
In addition to his role as Vice President of the Da Nang Culinary Culture Association, Mr. Tuan is also a member of the World Chefs Association and a world culinary judge in Vietnam. This provides him with a favorable opportunity to fulfill his role as a "living heritage" in the journey of integrating Vietnamese cuisine into the international arena.
According to Mr. Tuan, to become a good chef, one must first know how to cook traditional dishes from their hometown. In cooking competitions, to create delicious dishes, chefs must have a foundational knowledge of their hometown cuisine, because creativity must be based on a fixed foundation and customer demand.
Source: https://baodanang.vn/nghe-nghe-nhan-ke-chuyen-am-thuc-3319427.html
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