Vietnam’s rich cuisine gets its small screen debut

Chefs Nik Michael Imran and Sarah Benjamin have come to Vietnam as part of the Asian Food Channel hit Cooking for Love’s second season.
Vietnam’s rich cuisine gets its small screen debut ảnh 1Chefs Nik Michael Imran and Sarah Benjamin have come to Vietnam to promote Cooking For Love Season Two. (Photo: Asian Food Channel)

Hanoi (VNA) - Chefs Nik Michael Imran and Sarah Benjamin have come to Vietnam as part of the Asian Food Channel hit Cooking for Love’s second season. 

The series will follow Imran and Benjamin as they pit their kitchen skills and creativity to outdo each other and bring six new families together over the joy of food. With each episode capturing a family’s unique story, the competitive duo not only try to challenge each other but also themselves as they draw culinary inspiration from each personalised story and create their final dishes. 

They started the trip to Vietnam on October 31 to exchange with Vietnamese chefs and learn about the local cuisine. 

This is the first time Imran has travelled to Vietnam while for Benjamin, it’s the second one. 

Episode 4, entitled The Unsung Hero, focuses on Vietnamese food. It’s scheduled to be broadcast this month. Part of the episode tells the story of Adele Cheah, who was happily married for 10 years when her husband was suddenly taken away from their family in a fatal drowning accident. 

With her husband’s birthday coming up, Cheah is reminded of the positive influence he had on her life and others, and she celebrates with a cuisine they both enjoyed having together – Vietnamese, namely pho (beef noodle) and Vietnamese summer rolls. Imran and Benjamin will compete to cook these local dishes. 

Benjamin is one of the two winners of the first season of Food Hero. Born in Singapore to a British father and a Peranakan-Chinese mother, she grew up helping her parents and grandmother cook at home. 

Chef Imran is of Australian-Malaysian heritage and is the eldest of six siblings. Born in Malaysia, he grew up under the cooking influence of his father, who used to own an Italian restaurant in Brisbane, Australia. He starred in Asian Food Channel original series Tea Twist, in which he created yummy tea-based drinks, and Cooking for Love, where he and his co-star, Sarah Benjamin are pitted against each other to create affordable dishes for special family events. 

The Asian Food Channel (AFC) is the region’s leading food-focused channel that celebrates the unique Asian culinary experience with the added touch of global flavour. AFC entertains viewers with a range of local and international content from reality, lifestyle to travelogue programme formats. 

“I love char ca (charcoal grilled fish) of Vietnam,” said Benjamin. “The Vietnamese cuisine is so rich that we just want to have more time to learn about it.” 

Cooking for Love is broadcast every Thursday.-VNA

VNA

See more

Artists take part in a parade at the Hanoi Creative Design Festival 2024. (Photo the HFCD organiser)

'Creative Meetup' programme takes place in Hanoi

The 'Creative Meetup' programme in Hanoi showcases initiatives from the creative community across eight cultural industry sectors, celebrating creativity and innovative solutions within the creative community.

A student from Nguyen Du Lao-Vietnamese bilingual school participates in a story-telling competition in Vietnamese with the theme "Vinh Moc Tunnel - Quang Tri, where life is immortal" (Photo: VNA)

Culture expected to remain pillar of Vietnam’s sustainable development: ethnologist

Ha noted that the upcoming congress is also expected to improve institutions and infrastructure for cultural industries, intellectual property and the creative economy sector. These fields are not only drivers of identity-based economic growth but also key tools for strengthening soft power and projecting the national image in an increasingly interconnected world.

Heritage innovation drives Hanoi’s cultural growth (Photo: VNA)

Heritage renewal energises Hanoi’s cultural sector

According to Hanoi Department of Tourism Director Dang Huong Giang, these innovative products not only diversify experiences but also demonstrate the city’s adaptability to modern trends, contributing to improved visitor satisfaction and reinforcing Hanoi’s creative and forward-looking spirit.

Tourists visit the Hue Imperial Citadel. (Photo: VNA)

Hue digitises imperial heritage to mitigate disaster and climate risks

As science and technology advance rapidly, the Hue Monuments Conservation Centre was asked to accelerate the digitisation of documents, drawings, images and artefacts, build a unified database of monuments, and apply 3D, VR and AR technologies in research, exhibitions, and heritage interpretation.

Screenshot photo of the article about the match between Vietnam's U23 and Kyrgyzstan's U23 at King Abdullah Sports City Hall on January 9 on Aki Press.

Kyrgyzstan media warn their team ahead of match against Vietnam U23

After opening their campaign with a 0–1 defeat to Saudi Arabia U23 — a match in which they were reduced to 10 men from the 34th minute following Arsen Sharshenbekov’s red card — Kyrgyzstan U23 head into the meeting with Vietnam under heavy pressure. Another defeat would likely see coach Edmar Lacerda’s side eliminated early from the tournament.

Tran Ngoc Luong (right) is one of Vietnamese athletes in the Asian Mixed Martial Arts Championships 2026 in China. (Photo: VNA)

Vietnamese fighters eye Asian MMA titles in China

Vietnamese fighters will target championship honours when they compete at the Asian Mixed Martial Arts Championships 2026 in China, aiming to build momentum and ranking points on the continental stage.

At the ceremony to honour and reward coaches and athletes who achieved outstanding results at SEA Games 33 in Hanoi on January 7, 2025. (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi’s athletes, coaches honoured for great success at SEA Games 33

Addressing a ceremony to honour and reward coaches and athletes who achieved outstanding results at SEA Games 33 in Hanoi on January 7, Deputy Chairwoman of the Hanoi People’s Committee Vu Thu Ha stated that the municipal authorities have invested in world-class facilities, introduced support and reward policies for coaches and athletes, enabling them to train abroad, gain experience, and strengthen their competitiveness at international events.

Delegates cut the ribbon to open the “Spring – The Dawn of Victory” exhibition (Photo: nhandan.vn)

“Spring – The Dawn of Victory” exhibition opens

The exhibition highlights decisive historical turning points, the Party’s leadership role, and the immense strength of the people, which together laid the foundation for the victories of the Vietnamese revolution.