Chef wants job in Vietnam
Peter Vasquez was the chef and owner of Marisol Restaurant in New Orleans. However, as he says in an email to me,
"Hurricane Katrina changed all that".
Now he's keen to start afresh in Vietnam.
"I have fallen in love with the Vietnamese culture, food, people and am interested in working in Vietnam."
"Your site is making me sell off everything to live there for a while."
Selling off your worldly goods is all well and good Peter, but as you and I know there's a "terrine of blood pudding and smoked ham hock" riding on this post helping you get a job. Can you help Peter? I bloody hope so. Read more about his work. Email him if you can help.
Somebody was asking me a while ago if I knew of a foreign chef looking for work in Vietnam. I have forwarded the link - do I get the food too if the position is filled?
I've also forwarded to our chef consultant here who is pretty well connected.
Posted by: omih | January 11, 2006 at 05:12 AM
I'm sure Peter appreciates this OMIH. However, the blood pudding and the ham hock are all mine. Get lost.
Posted by: pieman | January 11, 2006 at 05:18 AM
Harsh. Very harsh.
Posted by: omih | January 11, 2006 at 06:15 AM
I appreciate any and all responses. I'm paricularly fond of a lot of things that the squeemish find revolting. Kidneys, livers, brains,tails,.. any of the really yummy internal bits. This approach has not only gotten me in the more conventional food publications, but I'll venture to say I'm the only chef that's been mentioned in Bizarre magazine.
I'd love to open a little charcuterie at some point.
Don't worry..if and when I get there...I'll see to it there's blood pudding / ham hock terrines and stuffed pig's heads for all.
Posted by: Peter Vazquez | January 12, 2006 at 01:28 AM
I think I just lost my appetite.
But hopefully there is something out there. The trainees where I work in Vietnam, when they are doing their cooking classes for some reason refer to all offal as "fancy meat".
I'm not sure where that came from. Call me a Philistine but give me a steak anyday. Come to think of it I'd prefer a Cumberland sausage or four.
Now..there's a thought cumberland sausage, black/blood pudding,bacon and beans...now there's a meal.
Okay I'll leave now before I bring the tone down.
Posted by: omih | January 12, 2006 at 04:25 AM
Stuffed pig's head? That I would have to see. And eat. OMIH, does indeed sound like a very enjoyable lunch...
Posted by: pieman | January 12, 2006 at 04:34 AM
Wow. All it took was some pork to freak you out? Not a good sign. It's basically a sausage. The head is totally boned out and filled with a forcemeat of pork...harmless really.
Posted by: Peter Vazquez | January 12, 2006 at 05:45 AM
a friend interviewed anthony bourdin for a new york paper about a year ago and he said essentially the same thing (minus the katrina connection of course) - he'd fallen in love with vietnam and was planning to move there. we haven't heard any follow-up - anyone else know if he's actually gone and done this and if so where he's set up shop?
Posted by: Bruce | January 12, 2006 at 01:37 PM
Marisol is my favorite restaurant on the planet. Would hate to have to get a passport to eat this chef's food. His pork cheeks and tapas are heaven.
Posted by: Regina | January 12, 2006 at 06:18 PM
Good question about Anthony Bourdain. I also recall him saying that he was to move to Hoi An and stay for a year.
I googled AB and HA and can find repeated interviews stating his intention to move but can't find anything to say he actually made the trip.
I also know a couple of ex-pats living in HA and I have asked them if they have heard of anything and none have.
Sounds like he bottled it. Hey Pieman why not do a "Where in the world is Anthony Bourdain?"
Will he ever make it to Vietnam?
Posted by: omih | January 13, 2006 at 12:57 PM
Yes, I've heard the Bourdain story umpteen times. I emailed him thru Egullet yonks ago to say I'd be interested in doing a story about his move, his plans, maybe with a 'Blogger meets Bourdain downtown' theme. He never got back to me.
I do have his publicist's email address somewhere. Maybe I should drop her (or him? can't remember) an email?
FWIW, I hope he does do the Vietnam thing. Although I wouldn't recommend he drop anchor in Hoi An. It's tourist hell, there are interesting food options & ingredients admittedly, but if it's food he's after Saigon is the ONLY option.
I was in Danang and Hoi An a few weeks back... Shocking. Saigon has it all. On every street corner. And it is generally very good. Often excellent. Nowhere else in Vietnam comes even remotely close to Saigon when it comes to food.
hanoians may think they're great themselves. But, you know, really, they suck. Big time :)
Posted by: pieman | January 13, 2006 at 03:14 PM
Gotta job yet Peter?
Posted by: pieman | January 13, 2006 at 03:16 PM
nope....I'm not sure if the e-mail link is working, but I don't expect this will be particularly easy to begin with.
Posted by: Peter Vazquez | January 13, 2006 at 03:57 PM
Whoops. You are right. Gremlin got in the code. Fixed now.
Posted by: pieman | January 13, 2006 at 04:15 PM
As much as it pains me to say - I agree about the food. Hoi An food seems to have taken on some kind of legendary significance but when I was there it seemed kind of lacking in taste and imagination.
FWIW I think that Hanoi wipes the floor with Saigon in so many respects....but food isn't one of them.
I think there is a lot of "Emperors New Clothes" thing going around...Hanoi food is commmonly not great.I am routinely told about great places to eat but turn up to find them average at best.
I wonder if Bourdain has embarrased himself with his Vietnamese intentions and has found himself under pressure from publicists and publishers and has been unable to find the time to move to Vietnam.
Wuss.
Posted by: omih | January 13, 2006 at 06:28 PM
Pete,
You might want to check this position out to start.
Oriental Stars Group (OSG)
General Manager for Restaurant
Oriental Stars Group (OSG) is a leading company in Vietnam in term of providing number of hi-end restaurants to two big city in Vietnam like Hanoi capital and Saigon city. Now We are looking for a candidate who suitable for General Manager position in both Hanoi and Saigon. Contact me if you think you are the fit with the position.
Pham Quang Son
email:OrientalPSon@yahoo.com
or checkout at www.vietnamonline.com
Posted by: viet | January 14, 2006 at 02:48 AM
OMIH, let's give the poor guy a chance. We're barely halfway thru January... BTW - Have you read any of his books? A friend gave me 'Kitchen Confidential' about a year ago and I still haven't got round to attacking beyond the intro. Busy with a 800 word North korea tome at the mo' and into the foreseeable future...
THX Viet ;)
Does anyone have a copy of Discovery Mag lying around? From memory there is a free ad page at the back. Maybe Peter should put an ad in there??
Posted by: pieman | January 14, 2006 at 06:43 AM
Ahhh...yes... fair point...I had originally read it as him saying he was moving "within the year" as opposed to "next year". April last year was the first time I can find mention of it.
Anyway, I have read his second book but not Kitchen Confidential. It's all right - his love of Vietnam come across as heartfelt and genuine.
Posted by: omih | January 14, 2006 at 04:16 PM
"his love of Vietnam come across as heartfelt and genuine."
which is nice...
Posted by: pieman | January 16, 2006 at 02:38 AM
I thought so
Posted by: omih | January 16, 2006 at 03:09 AM
Here's a thought. What if Bourdain and Peter open a joint in Hoi An? Or two joints. Bourdain's Bisque n Burgers and Pete's Pig head, or summit?
Posted by: pieman | January 16, 2006 at 03:13 AM
I'm all for it. Although I didn't care for Kitchen Confidential greatly....I loved A Cooks Tour. I think we share a lot of the same ideas about food and eating.
He seems like a cool guy.
Posted by: Peter Vazquez | January 16, 2006 at 05:37 PM
Hello chefs,
I will host another Chefs Tour Vietnam in April 2006. Please visit website site www.cheftourvietnam.com
Posted by: Michael Bao | February 06, 2006 at 06:54 PM
Dear industry people,
Please note that chef MICHAEL BAO from Bao 111 NY is NOT the Chef behind Xu although he says he is on his website & press releases. The real chefs behind Xu Restaurant Lounge is Chef Jason Berberman & Paco Robert.
Regards,
Xu Restaurant Lounge
Lv one. 71 - 75 Hai Ba Trung street
District 1. Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam.
www.xusaigon.com
Tele: +84 8 8248468
fax: +84 8 8248469
mail@xusaigon.com
Posted by: Xu Restaurant Lounge | April 11, 2006 at 03:28 PM
Jason and Robert, cooking Vietnamese? How? That's why the restaurant so empty and will be close soon... so confusion
Posted by: Chef | May 12, 2006 at 07:10 AM
I too am a chef/catering manager from Australia looking to relocate to Vietnam, any help or ideas greatly appreciated
Posted by: Ian Robinson | October 14, 2007 at 02:11 PM
ianrobinson055@msn.com
Posted by: Ian Robinson | October 14, 2007 at 02:12 PM
i am a chef too (chinese chef) i see there are lot of chances ot working in vietnam . also i am working in vietnam , if you need any help e-mail to me ,
Posted by: jake liu | January 22, 2008 at 05:56 PM
jake12345678vn@yahoo.com
Posted by: jake liu | January 22, 2008 at 05:57 PM
How strange I'm looking for a Vietnamese Chef to work in Bulgaria
Posted by: John Owen | August 25, 2008 at 02:06 PM
Looks like Bourdain is finally gonna do it:
http://fisheggtree.blogspot.com/2009/01/anthony-bourdain-still-coming-to.html
Posted by: Vietnam traveller | January 23, 2009 at 09:11 AM