■ Why did you choose Vietnam as the place to create new dishes?

I have visited many countries around the world, but Vietnam has a strange attraction for me. The attraction of its culture and cuisine has made me come back here many times. In particular, Ha Long Bay, with its beautiful scenery and abundant seafood, has inspired me to create dishes using fresh local ingredients. In addition to superb ingredients, I am also impressed by Vietnamese dishes that use rich and varied spices.

In particular, the cooperation with Paradise Vietnam has helped me bring my dishes to a lot of food devotees from all over the world visiting Ha Long Bay. Working with the chefs on Paradise Cruise, I was impressed with their passion for cooking and their experience. Together with these chefs, I have created many Vietnamese-flavored dishes that I feel especially happy about. 

Ha Long Bay, with its beautiful scenery and abundant seafood, has inspired me to create dishes using fresh local ingredients as well as other superb ingredients.

■ Can you tell us about your upcoming project with Paradise Vietnam?

I have cooperated with Paradise Vietnam on many previous culinary projects with President Cruise - the largest cruise in Ha Long Bay, such as the Ngon Gallery restaurant, which was ranked top in Nha Trang on TripAdvisor. With this new project, I am particularly excited and inspired to create delicious food for diners. In the new year I will work with the chef of Paradise Grand - the first Paradise Vietnam cruise to explore Lan Ha Bay in Cat Ba Island, bringing the first Michelin-star menu to Lan Ha. I was dedicated to creating a menu from local ingredients combined with imported premium ingredients.

■ What is the greatest difference in the new menu on Paradise Grand Cruise?

With the main seafood dishes, I will make the most of local ingredients and combine them with special spices and processing methods to create completely new recipes. Scrumptious seafood dishes such as lobster, scallops, and salmon, as well as famous local specialties such as sea bass, tiger shrimp, and crab, will have unique flavors and certainly bring an unforgettable experience to guests. In particular, diners on the Paradise Grand Cruise will enjoy grilled Nha Trang lobster - an indispensable dish on the menu and one I spent a lot of time on creating a unique recipe. I also offer a number of choices for vegetarians and kids, so ensure everyone will have a delicious meal. 

■ How do you think Vietnamese food can be made more and more popular with international customers?

Working in Vietnam with Paradise Vietnam, I have had more experience with Vietnamese chefs and better understand the taste of international diners when eating Vietnamese food. I think Vietnamese cuisine has a lot of potential to grow in the international culinary market. It possesses certain strengths compared to Western countries and other countries in the region because of its delicate taste and fresh ingredients.

However, one difficulty for Vietnamese cuisine developing in the international market is the service quality at Vietnamese restaurants. I have visited many restaurants in Vietnam and see that the service is still not professional and the staff are inexperienced. At high-end restaurants, service needs more attention to provide a complete experience for guests.

When working with Paradise Vietnam, I have found the service quality and taste of the dishes on its cruises as well as the restaurants to be very good, and they have great potential for development. I hope myself and Paradise Vietnam will contribute to bring unique and delicious flavors in Vietnamese cuisine to more international guests.

■ What are your plans and goals for 2020 when cooperating with Paradise Vietnam?

With the Paradise Grand Cruise project, I hope I will bring the most complete culinary experience to guests. Presenting the first Michelin-star menu on Lan Ha Bay, I believe Paradise Grand Cruise will hold an outstanding advantage in high-end cuisine. 2020 will also be a busy year at Paradise Vietnam, with key projects such as the Paradise Delight restaurant cruise - a new symbol of high-end dining in Ha Long Bay. I will have the opportunity to create many new dishes and menus with Paradise Vietnam’s diverse network of restaurants.