What do they say is the definition of insanity? Doing the same thing over and over again to get the same result. Over the years we had tried to get into Red Lantern and every time it was booked out. Granted we were trying fairly last minute on the busy nights but I was determined to get there eventually. When friend Ute suggested that we try it I repeated our tale of woe. I suspected the queues would be much worse now the owner Luke Nguyen has his own television show but Ute came back with a booking-we had a table there from 6pm-8pm!
Inside the restaurant, the walls are black and red and the lighting is dark. Items like a North Vietnamese radio sit on a bookshelf with the brand name “Red Lantern” written on the side. Vietnamese artefacts and tin robots sit on shelves. Service is lovely, our waitress steers us towards her favourites at our request and since we only have a two hour window we order and then proceed to talk and talk and talk.
Chef Luke Nguyen
Seeing my camera the waitress mentions “Luke in the house tonight” and we look at each other. I guess I had presumed that once you get a television show your time in your own restaurant is minimal but then we see him bringing out dishes from the kitchen. “That’s very uncheffy” Ute says as he we overhear him asking a table how they found their food was and removes their plates.
Banh Tom $16.00
Luke brings over our entrees. “Aunty 5’s rice cakes” are squares of chewy, sticky rice cakes that are served with pieces of tiger prawn, caramelised pork, pork floss and shallot oil. Ute asks Luke about these and he explains that he fell in love with them during his time in Vietnam. When it came to putting these on the menu he sought the advice as to which of his aunts made the best rice cakes and it was apparently auntie five out of the twelve aunts whose recipe inspired this dish. “These are just what I needed” Ute says and she is a big fan of the sticky, slightly crispy rice cakes and the fluffy, sweet pork floss sitting on top.
Goi vit $26
Now this was just what I needed, the duck breast with a lovely light char flavour, tender and paired with a crunchy pickled salad with myriad textures from the batons of cucumber, quartered cherry tomatoes, red onion, crushed peanuts and herbs all brought together with a sweet dressing, deep in flavour.
Bo Luc Lac $35.00
Shortly after, the mains arrive and the first is a tender cubed pasture fed Black Angus sirloin tossed in the wok with garlic, sesame and black pepper. The cubes of beef are plentiful and the accompanying salad gives the tender, rich, peppery beef a counterpoint.
Ca Chien Don $42.00
The other main was the line caught snapper which was served whole. It was shallow fried with a salad of green mango, radish, young jackfruit, tomato and Vietnamese herbs with the tumble of herbs on top giving the predominant flavour. The sauce is a beer sauce using the Vietnamese 333 beer (called ba ba ba). The mains are both good but the entrees really won our heart. Also, we were perhaps overly ambitious ordering these two mains given that we couldn’t finish both and we had our eye on dessert.
Asian greens with oyster sauce $16
We are both quite smitten with the Asian green with bok choy and wood ear mushrooms because of the sauce – you know those sauces which have such a lovely balance of flavours that you just find it hard to stop eating them?
Dessert trio $22
“What time is it?” I ask Ute mindful of dessert and our time limit. She looks at her watch, laughs and says “It’s 7:15pm.” Dessert, despite our distended tummies, is ordered and we try the dessert plate trio. In the centre is the Kem Flan which is a coconut creme caramel made with free range eggs and coconut milk which is smooth, eggy and with a delicious syrup. It is topped with small pieces of fresh strawberry and toasted coconut.
On one end is the Banh Cam Mang Cau which I learned how to make in the cooking class in Nha Trang. They’re sesame balls made with rice flour and glutinous rice flour that are filled with soursop fruit and then rolled in sesame seeds and deep fried. They sticky and starchy and sweet and come with a black sesame ice cream.
Lastly is the Com Nep La Chuoi which is red sticky rice wrapped in banana leaves and topped with a scoop of coconut macaroon ice cream. The red sticky rice is less sweet than Thai versions of red sticky rice so the coconut ice cream that sits on top sweetens it. The ice cream is just what we needed on this hot, sticky night and has a good texture from the coconut throughout it.
Luke comes over to ask how our meal was and adds “Do you know that you’re missing an episode of my show dining here tonight” Luke says and hands me a copy of an episode of his series Greater Mekong on DVD. “OK that’s a bit cheffy” Ute says and laughs.
So tell me Dear Reader, do you get inspired to visit a restaurant if you see the chef on television?
Red Lantern
545 Crown Street Surry Hills NSW 2010
Tel: +61 (02)9698 4355
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73 Comments | Add your own
Most of the time but not always. I wouldn’t go to Paula Deen’s or Rachel Ray’s restaurant even if I am getting paid. Here I drew the line. But yes, most of the time I would go to the restaurant with celebrity chef working… Beautiful setting and beautiful photos. Second pictures from the bottom has books. What are they?
wha fun! great food AND you got to meet Luke = awesome!
OMG OMG OMG!!!!
How awesome! I would never have imaged Luke coming to the table of guest in his restaurant!
Oh I am so jealous!
The food looks absolutely amazing too! I will have to make a booking for next time I am in Sydney.
I am guessing it was worth the wait for you
If I like the chef on TV, I am inspired by them and want to visit their restaurant. The food here looks delightful – I would happily chow down on the Asian greens.
Fabulos looking food. Auntie 5′s cakes look very interesting, I’m going to have to search out a good Vietnamese cook book. Any recommendations? GG
Lorraine,
First off, Yes, I am insane..
Next…I love your blog. Have I told you that lately.
You have it ALL & I’m happy for you, yet envious.
Anyhow, this food is presently so beautifully that it could pass as ART.
Um, what else? Yes, I would def. want to go to a restaurant because of the TV Chef…For example, have you heard of Nadia G? She is my fave. cooking show: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Oy8sIN3oow&feature=relmfu
Absolutely if the chef is Kylie Kwong or Luke! Red Lantern is one of my absolute faves in Sydney and I cant wait for the new bigger version to open soon.
Wow! All of that looks incredible.
Here in New Jersey, USA, there are many restaurants available in New York City that are owned by chefs that are on TV. Most of the time the TV chef is not there. I don’t think I would want to take the chance.
WOW! Your lucky you got to meet Luke, he and his TV shows are the reason for my wife and I visting Vietnam at the end of the year for a month.
We also dine at Red Lantern in January on our food tour of Sydney and it was by far the highlight for us. Cant wait to go again!
So now I have even more restaurants to catch up on for my next visit to Sydney next month which is by the way to do one of Dario’s courses, thanks to one of your earlier blogs.
Looks like a great night! We dined there a few years back and I remember loving the entrees too. We had the beef cubes though and they were SO tough you couldnt chew them and so we haven’t been back since but I do hear good things on a regular basis so perhaps we will have to give it another shot.
I have been trying to get in here for ages too! I am glad to have had a glimpse of what it will be like though. I am just going to have to keep trying!
Yes, I do! I went to Red Lantern for my 30th birthday dinner. I chose it because I love watching Luke Nguyen on his show – I love his presenting style and his food always looks delicious.
I was not disappointed. The food was fantastic!
Luke seems like a really nice guy.
I don’t know if the chef being on television particularly inspires me to go to a restaurant.
I remember seeing Justin North at Becasse set my hear a-flutter, also seeing Tetsuya at his restaurant. I almost DON’T expect them to be there because they’re on TV. So it’s nice to see them actually in the kitchen.
Probably my best experience was dining at Buon Ricocrdo. Armando Percuoco came out to the dining room and spent a lot of time talking to every table, then came to see us out when we left. Such a personal and unexpected touch.
When I am lucky to visit my grand-daughter in Surry Hills I walk past every day! It is always busy and if you are lucky to score a reservation you will not be disappointed. We have great places to eat here in Melbourne but Red Lantern is at the top of my list. Enjoy!
Yum! We are booked in here when we are in Sydney in June. I hope Luke is there then!
Aw, lucky you – you got to eat there with Luke!
That is one cute chef… I see why he has a show with those looks and that food… a fab combination. What is pork floss, btw???
I love anything made from sticky rice so the ricecakes looked amazing! And so were the dessert items
I am totally addicted to his Greater Mekong show
so I have DVD envy 
Yes! I saw Shaun Presland on Masterchef and HAD to go to Sake. I wasn’t disappoined!
Oh what wonderful food, it’s only 9.30am yet here I am craving the rice cakes and duck!!
I think whenever I see a chef on TV I’m inspired to avoid their restaurants for the foreseeable future until they hype goes down. I think I will have to put that aside to try that duck! Looks sensational!
Love Luke- he has such an easy presenting style. I also love the idea behind his charity- its so good. I can’t say I love red lantern (yet) because I too haven’t been able to get a booking when I’m in Syd. Next time i shall try again.
I love his show on the Cooking Channel. I hope they film more seasons of it, as Luke is so much fun to watch and his dishes so inviting. You’re so lucky to have been able to indulge in them first-hand at his restaurant.
Hi Lorraine, my mouth was absolutely watering while I read your wonderful descriptions of the food. It was very nice of Chef to come to your table, I always appreciate that.
To answer your question, we have been to several celebrity chef’s restaurants and for the most part have been disappointed, so I’m going to say no from now on.
Now I SHALL call you ‘LUCKY DUCK’
!! As Luke Nguyen acts as guide on so many APT Vietnam tours as well as doing his various series [have learned so much from Greater Mekong, tho' the format is somewhat different from his previous series.], I really did not think he oft made it into his restaurant, especially in working mode! I am not a celebrity ‘hunter’ but would give anything to meet him and am so jealous of two of my friends who will soon be off to enjoy his knowledge AND Vietnam! He truly seems the nicest of guys 
! And that food is some of the most interesting and real and beautifully photographed [take a bow, lady!] food I have seen from that part of the world 
! Normally, once a chef becomes famous, I take a step back from his restaurant, but in this case the opposite very much applies!!
Oh I’ve wanted to go there forever! And how lovely that Luke is such a nice guy
That first dish with the floss grabs my eye indeed!
I would only make an effort to go to a TV chefs restaurant if there’s something about them or their cooking that has intrigued or impressed me. Luke has impressed me on his TV shows by being a genuine nice guy, and his lovely fresh flavours. Lucky you!
I’ve been the same with Red Lantern; have always wanted to eat there but never have, and it’s always fully booked. And all that time watching Luke’s SBS shows and getting hungry!
how awesome do the Aunty 5’s rice cakes look so yummy ^_^
Great post, Lorraine. Luke is one of my food heroes and I felt very privileged to have been able to dine at Red Lantern earlier this year! Sadly, Luke was overseas at the time, so I look forward to (hopefully) meeting him another time. The food is quite simply exquisite and the service outstanding.
Re your question, I rarely dine out, as cooking at home is my thing. That said, it is always a lovely treat to visit the restaurant of a well known chef; whether they are a celeb or not.
OMG what gorgeous food. No wonder the man is famous!
Actually, sometimes chefs inspire me and I think how interesting it would be to visit their restaurants, sometimes they have the opposite effect!
Love Red Lantern – can be hard to get a table for dinner, but so worth the wait! Aunty 5′s rice cakes are the best (um apart from everything else on the menu that I love with equal vigour). And fabulous that Luke was in the kitchen (and on the floor) when you were there. Time for another visit!
I’ve been to Red Lantern twice now, and enjoyed dining there both time now. The first time was prior to Luke becoming a big celebrity chef, he was just starting out by featuring in his sister’s book, and he was there working the floor and making sure everything is fine. The second time was not too long ago and Luke wasn’t in, was a little disappointed that I didn’t get to see/talk to him but I guess that’s the life of a celeb chef.
I tend to avoid “celebrity chef” restaurants; in my experience they tend to be overpriced for what you get, and overcrowded.
I am a big fan of Luke Nguyen – I love his shows! I think it’s so great that he still works and serves in his own restaurant – so I think I’ll make an exception for him when I visit Sydney later this year.
Yes, eating at a television chef’s own restaurant is divine. I would love to eat at Red Lantern and thoroughly enjoy his shows. Those entrees look amazing, with varied mains, also enticing, with unique desserts. Thank you for sharing your Red Lantern escapade and how lucky to meet Luke Nguyen! Was he as friendly and relaxed as he appears on his TV shows?
I had to look up ‘pork floss’.
I want to dig in to that bowl of Asian greens with oyster sauce – yum!
When I was in London I went to Pollen Street Social which is Jason Atherton’s restaurant… he’s on a lot of British cooking shows. He’s a seriously nice guy and came out for a chat after hearing he had an Australian in the restaurant – he only opened a few weeks previously and he’s friends with Matt Moran. He ended up coming back two other times because we were chatting and laughing so much.
I also went to The Connaught for dinner one night and met Helene Darroze who came to check on whether people were enjoying their meals. As if anyone is going to say no to her!
Oh, this is why I love Vietnamese food! Intense, zingy, spicy, strong flavours that don’t weigh you down, and then rich and often dairy-free desserts to make you want to go home and sleep happy. Wheee!
P.S. Sometimes it confuses my brain to think of TV people being, like, REAL.
Lorraine, rebook now as you have to go back… I didn’t see the squid! Where was your chilli salt squid?? I would think about selling a small child for that squid… or at least swapping for a short period.
Red Lantern is still my favourite restaurant in Sydney, and the uncheffy-ness just adds to more of the appeal.
Great photos of Luke, Lorraine. He seems such a wonderful (and talented) person. And a huge congrats to you on being a finalist in the Best Blog competition. Very well deserved xx
I tend to avoid restaurants that have had recent reviews but the food at the Red Lantern looks beautiful and worth the hype. Also Luke seems so nice both on TV and in your experience with him!
What a yummy dinner, and I’m impressed at Luke’s cheffly and uncheffly behaviour! I definitely get inspired, and so do my kids. Mr 11′s dream is to cook with Matt Preston or one of the other Masterchefs!
YOU LUCKY ARSE YOU.
So glad to say I went to Red Lantern BEFORE he got famous and loved every minute of it, so hard to get into ever since!
I really want to eat here, but alas i rarely eat out in the city.
It is great that he was there serving his customers.
Lucky for foxtel iq series link i never have to miss episodes of my favourite show!
Oh Lorraine, how exciting and how delicious!! So refreshing to see an uncheffy chef!! I think the only cele restaurant I could be lured into might be one of rick stein’s places in padstow…
Sometimes it is good to say you ate at a tv famous chef’s restaurant BEFORE they were on the box. It meant they were there more often too, so the standard was more consistent. I went to Press Club before George was on MC. It therefore felt like my discovery! Clearly not, but the food was great. I’m a bit put off once they become famous.
Yes I do and have been fortunate to have said chefs present when I’ve dined, ie: Luke, Stefano Manfredi of Balla, Kylie Kwong, Neil Perry. It’s hard to maintain composure and I tend to get a bit starry-eyed at their ‘rockstar status ‘ lol My husband rolls his eyes and just doesn’t get it!
Like you Lorraine , we finally ate at Red Lantern after two failed attempts, I love the freshness of his dishes and the happy balance of ingredients. I think he still consults at Fat Noodle at The Star casino, so when in the city we’ll often drop in for a quick, tasty meal . One evening, he came to oversee changes to the menu and looked across at our table with a big beaming smile!
I think that all chefs have one thing in common, they want to see people enjoying their food and enjoy we do!
I absolutely love Luke. I have been to Red Lantern but I am afraid I had the same terrible tough beef as Erin and a watery bowl of almost boiled fish. we were chastised for arriving too early and made to sit and wait without menus until they were ready for us. Even though it was not the experience I wanted for those prices….. I still love Luke!
I have the biggest crush on Luke Nguyen so would be thrilled to bits if I had been in your shoes! Haha. He is the sweetest chef on TV don’t you think? I’m also one of those that doesn’t buy the hype and actually avoid the restaurants with famous chefs in them. Although I wouldn’t mind running into David Chang if I’m ever in a Momofuku in NYC!
My parents love Luke Nguyen’s TV show and have been wanting to visit his restaurant. The dishes look amazing and definitely worth a visit sometime this year – I’ll remember to book ahead though!
lol shamefully yes! and when I spot the celebrity chef I act like one of those crazy teenagers meeting One Direction…. aiya!
Looks wonderful! I really admire Luke and would love to meet him someday. Also Kylie Kwong. I love watching their shows and reading their books, because they tell stories and share their cultures, too.
I love his enthusiasm on his TV show and I’d love to one day go to Red Lantern. I really should, considering it’s just around the corner!
Great photos, you’ve got me wanting a second dinner!
Oh I looove Vietnamese and this looks damn good!
I don’t get nearly enough opportunities to eat at fancy restaurants let alone ones with famous chefs
NO WAY!!! SO JEALOUS!!!! WAAAAAAAAAAAAA… I’m such a group cheffie that I’m crying tears of disappointment that it wasn’t me when I visited!! WAAAAA
I think I would like to go to a restaurant whose chef had his own show on tv provided I liked what I saw.
The food shown here looks and sounds fantastic.
How funny – We used to have a SE Asian restaurant Red Lantern and it was quite popular but closed. This place looks a lot nicer, especially with the famous chef. I’m not sure if I’d go because of chef, but if I get to take a picture of the chef, I’d totally do it and will have a big smile on my face!
I love Luke, he seems like such a sweetheart. Dining at one of Heston’s restaurants is at the top of my list…but I’m VERY excited to be dining at a Thomas Keller restaurant in the US when I go in a couple of weeks! I’m all for Chef’s being on TV, you can never have enough shows about cooking/food/travel as far as I’m concerned!
I saw Luke browsing in a bookshop last year and I nearly ran into a shelf of books as I was so busy checking him out! Sad. I LOVE Red Lantern, great food and I’m all for the ethically raised meat they serve. Great place.
Great to see you were finally able to dine there!
We went for my birthday in January for the tasting menu and loved it. The service especially was fantastic, and the waitress even organised sparklers in my dessert
I’m totally a sucker for celebrity chefs – one with charisma. use’s one of them. I’d go mad for Jamie Oliver & Nigella too. Maybe it’s a british thing… Bo Luc Lac is ben’s fav vietnamese dish! & I love those sesame balls…
Heidi xo
Only if they are on Crimestoppers.
I definitely get inspired and want to visit all of the celebrities restaurants hehe I d love to go to Jamie s Italian but haven’t had the chance yet
too bad Nigella Lawson doesn’t have a restaurant ~
Wow so lucky to see Luke there at Red Lantern hehe
I didn’t know it was SO hard to get a table!
Great post! I was a huge fan of Luke and Red Lantern before he was ever on TV. I just spent more than 2 months traveling in Vietnam and I used his Songs of Sapa book as a guidebook! It was huge and heavy, but worth it’s weight in teaching me about Vietnamese food as I traveled.
Sometimes i would go if they are on tv, but what is the worst is that you go and pay a small fortune, and the chef is not even in house, and what most people forget is that yes they come up with the menus, but it is normally the rest of the kitchen that actually cooks it and they are all forgotten
I also want to go there but haven’t even started trying to book!! Very lucky that Luke was in the house that night huh??
I really love Luke Nguyen and love that he is still spending so much time at his restaurant.
I’m not particularly fussed about eating at the restaurants of celeb chefs as I always imagine they are too busy being celebs and less time in their restaurants being chefs. I do adore food shows however.
My best friend’s husband adores Rick Stein and was thrilled when they made it down to Bannisters, despite him not being there very often.
Red Lantern is another one that looks amazing and Im dying to go to. Looks like a fab night
He’s such a nice guy
I’m dying of hunger – and i’ve already eaten. Those photos are amazing – Red Lantern is officially at number one on my restaurant to do list from this moment on!YUM!
Wow. I too have felt the never-going-to-get-in sting at Red Lantern, but this gives me hope.
And I do get a thrill when I see Kylie Kwong at the Eveleigh Markets.
My son and new Vietnamese Australian daughter in law took us to The Red Lantern when we were in Sydney as I mentioned I had seen Luke on TV here in England. We had a fabulous meal and I was able to chat to Luke as he was “on duty” the night we were there also.
I wouldn’t go to a restaurant here, if I’d seen the chef on TV,mainly because the prices are prohibitive, although I would love to go to Rick Stein’s place in Padstow.
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[...] flummoxing words is Pho. Eager to know more about it, I sat down with Vietnamese Australian chef Luke Nguyen from Red Lantern restaurant. My first question, before I embarrassed myself any more was how was Pho pronounced. [...]
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