While Crown Perth’s highly-anticipated Urban Food District remains largely a construction site, local chef and TV personality Jenny Lam peeked inside earlier this week for a first-look, as the owner of new Vietnamese eatery Saigon Story, Street Food Retold.
Unveiled as the market-style precinct’s first WA vendor, Lam toured the space and imagined the flow of her third hospitality venture, following casual Leederville street eats spot Bunn Mee, as well as Vietnamese tapas restaurant Phat Lon which she recently sold.
“The first emotion is excitement and buzz, because you can envision something, and it’s not a new thing serving food and Banh Mis, but when it’s a new space, just to even see the counter, that’s the entrance to the kitchen, that’s where the chefs are going to pass the food over, it gets real,” she told The Sunday Times.
“It’s exciting to know that 12 weeks from now, we’ll be feeding people.”
Locking in 18 menu items, the former Masterchef contestant is keeping it simple with “small but mighty snacks, Bahn Mis and one bowl wonders” in a nod to Vietnamese street food culture.
Camera IconFormer MasterChef contestant Jenny Lam is pictured in front of a mural at the entry of Crown Perth’s under-construction Urban Food District. Credit: Justin Benson-Cooper/The West Australian
She said the hero dishes guests must try would include a Jenny Lam special dubbed “the king of Bahn Mis” which promises to satisfy the appetites of Aussie carnivores.
The Eat like a Vet author will also be serving what she believes is a Perth-first — fried, rice paper spring rolls filled with Shark Bay prawns and traditional pork.
And although her family boasts South Vietnamese heritage, Lam is also jumping on the Bun Cha Hanoi pork and vermicelli noodle trend, understood to be Anthony Bourdain and Obama’s favourite Vietnamese dish.
The hard-working chef has observed another pattern in food habits over the last 10-15 years.
“I think people are moving away from the heavy fast foods,” she said.
“People still want something that’s quick and convenient, tasty, but they want it to be healthier.
“And I think a Banh Mi delivers all those things.”
Hoping to catch Crown Perth’s casual diners, late-night gamblers, and game day event-goers, Lam’s latest offering will land right in the middle of upmarket dining and pure street food.
Asked if she felt pressure being the first local name revealed after the announcements of established international vendors Side Piece Pizza, Burgers by ES, and Tekki Bar, she said it was always hot in the kitchen as a chef.
“Given that I live and breathe food — from the age of eight I’ve been cooking — food is my life, it’s my therapy, it’s my love language. So I don’t really feel fear, I feel honour,” she said.
“And I feel excitement that I get to feed so many people at such a high-traffick venue, and I also felt like we needed more food options at Crown.”