The Culinary Institute of America

Vietnamese Herbs at Ben Thanh Market

The central market of Hồ Chí Minh City in Vietnam, Ben Thanh Market has over 1,500 booths selling items ranging from fresh produce, juices, and food, to apparel and fabric. Chef Mai Pham of Lemon Grass Restaurant is joined by Executive Chef Benoit Leloup, Hotel des Arts Saigon to tour the market’s fresh produce. Chef Mai shows us the specialty herbs of the Vietnamese kitchen, including red perilla, saw tooth herb (also known as culantro), and dill.
Watch the full series at: https://www.plantforwardkitchen.org/southeast-asia

Vietnamese Lemongrass Tofu with Peanuts

Vietnamese lemongrass tofu with peanuts is intensely flavorful and harnesses the fresh, citrusy notes of lemongrass. Mai Pham from Lemon Grass Restaurant in Sacramento, CA shows us how she makes this dish, and thinks that whether you love or hate tofu, you will love this dish!
Watch the full series at: https://www.plantforwardkitchen.org/southeast-asia

Vietnamese Clay Pot with Shrimp and Tofu

While very rare in western recipes, in Vietnamese cooking, mixing tofu with an animal protein is very common, and makes a great combination of flavors and textures. Chef Mai Pham from Lemon Grass Restaurant in Sacramento, CA shows us how to make this traditional Vietnamese clay pot with shrimp and tofu.
Chef Mai explains that a chảo đất or clay pot dish, is an important part of a Vietnamese family meal, and also a convenient cooking vessel—because it’s used to cook the dish from start to finish and is also how the dish is served. A sauté pan can also be used to make the dish, if you don’t have a clay pot, however!

Gỏi Gá: Vietnamese Chicken Salad with Tofu and Peanuts

Chef Mai Pham from Lemon Grass Restaurant in Sacramento, CA, makes a classic Vietnamese dish: Gỏi Gá or Vietnamese chicken salad with tofu and peanuts. With crispy cabbage, herbs, and a tangy dressing, this salad is refreshing and delicious.
Watch the full series at: https://www.plantforwardkitchen.org/southeast-asia

Vegetarian Temple Restaurant at Vĩnh Nghiêm Pagoda

Chef Yen Nguyen serves only vegetarian food at her Temple Restaurant at Buddhist Vĩnh Nghiêm Pagoda in Ho Chi Min City, Vietnam. She shares some of her most popular dishes with Chef Mai Pham from Lemon Grass Restaurant. Her peanut stir-fry, seaweed fried rice, fried mushrooms, lemongrass tofu, and spring rolls are the biggest hits on her menu.
Watch the full series at: https://www.plantforwardkitchen.org/southeast-asia

Vegetarian Pho with Tofu and Mushrooms

Chef Cam Van and Mai Pham show us how to make a vegan version of Vietnamese pho. This deeply flavorful and carefully balanced vegetable broth is made with charred onions and garlic, salted radish, cinnamon, cardamom, star anise, coriander, fennel, and cloves. The broth is ladled over fried tofu, oyster mushrooms, vegetarian tofu “sausage,” and rice noodles.
Nguyen Dzoan Cam Van is a household name in Vietnam, and considered Vietnam's "national chef" for her role on her popular cooking show “Kheo Tay Hay Lam.” The famous cooking teacher was ordained as a Buddhist monk in 2019, and she has since focused on teaching vegetarian cooking. The Spice Garden is a cooking school in Củ Chi, a rural district of Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam where Cam Van now teaches her cooking classes. 
Watch the full series at: https://www.plantforwardkitchen.org/southeast-asia

Vietnamese Clay Pot with Tofu and Peanuts

Chef Cam Van shows us how to make a classic Vietnamese dish -- Vietnamese clay pot with tofu and peanuts -- which she prepares with Chef Mai Pham from Lemon Grass Restaurant.
Ordained as a Buddhist monk in 2019, Nguyen Dzoan Cam Van has since focused on teaching vegetarian cooking. The Spice Garden is a cooking school in Củ Chi, a rural district of Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam where Cam Van now teaches her cooking classes. 
Watch the full series at: https://www.plantforwardkitchen.org/southeast-asia

Jicama and Tofu Spring Rolls with Peanut Sauce

These vegan Vietnamese spring rolls are filled with sautéed jicama, fried tofu, mint, perilla, and sautéed radishes, and served with a peanut dipping sauce. Chef Cam Van shows us how to make this popular Vietnamese street food, which she prepares with Chef Mai Pham from Lemon Grass Restaurant.
Ordained as a Buddhist monk in 2019, Nguyen Dzoan Cam Van has since focused on teaching vegetarian cooking. The Spice Garden is a cooking school in Củ Chi, a rural district of Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam where Cam Van now teaches her cooking classes. 
Watch the full series at: https://www.plantforwardkitchen.org/southeast-asia