“The chives are potent here,” quips Kirk Westaway, who has just ordered his second dose of Vietnamese coffee . We’re sitting in an alleyway at a local coffeeshop in Ho Chi Minh City , just two days from the grand opening of The Albion by Kirk Westaway at the Hôtel des Arts Saigon . Now on the intriguing topic of perennials, the Devon-born chef has plenty to say.
In fact, it was what sparked his attention about the locale in the first place when he visited Ho Chi Minh City and saw his bowl of pho inundated by a pile of herbs. “It was 50 percent pho and 50 percent herbs. They really go over the top and I love it.
I really think the world is not utilising it as much as we should.” Anyone who has had the English Garden experience at his other, 2-Michelin star restaurant Jaan would know anything plant-adjacent would naturally strike a chord for the famed chef. And here, in Saigon, he’s all too happy to be using locally grown vegetables and herbs for the dishes at The Albion.
His first-hand experience with that said bowl of pho inspired the entangling burst of flavours that one gets with the first bite of his favourite starter at his new restaurant, The Albion Tomato. Where the fruit comes to life; through a homemade ketchup as sweet, tart juices amalgamate all at once. A cold basil and orange sorbet and a gathering of Vietnamese sweet basil heightens the herbaceous experience.
Within, a pool of creamy burrata serves as a comforting equaliser. It’s clear that Westaw.