How a classic French dish influenced Vietnamese cuisine

The roots of pho can go back to when the French ruled Vietnam. The soup's name may have been taken from that era when people tried incorporating what they could into their cooking while living under hard times; it is often believed to be an adaptation or variant on pot au feu, which means literally ‘pot on the fire’.

Cartilaginous beef bones simmered on low heat for at least three hours are required to create pot au feu, or the pho broth we’ve all come to love. The long hours of slow cooking are the clear trait of French influence in many popular Vietnamese dishes.

This winter, Le Feu Cuisine is celebrating more than 100 years of French-influenced Vietnamese cuisine with its winter menu, including bo kho, taken from the French boeuf bourguignon. Bo kho is a delicious pot-roasted beef stew, fragrant with lemongrass, star anise and cinnamon. It is cooked slow on low heat for hours until the meat is so tender that it falls off the fork with ease. Carrots are added to complete the dish.

The Vietnamese ga kho gung, or ginger chicken casserole, can be traced back to the French’s chicken fricassee. Le Feu Cuisine uses the casserole cuts of the chicken, pan-seared to get the golden aromatic flavour, before cooking them in a rich chicken pho broth. Chilli and ginger are added to increase the flavour.

Another winter treat is ca kho to, a Mekong caramelised fish clay pot dish. The fish is submerged in a sugar and coconut water mix and slowly cooked in a clay pot until the sauce is caramelised. It is served with a bowl of steaming jasmine rice.

And for the non-meat lovers, Le Feu Cuisine celebrates its aubergine curry ratatouille, with eggplant, young corn and roasted cauliflower slowly cooked in a rich fragrant coconut milk broth.