“I love this beautiful country and wouldn’t live anywhere else (I’ve tried a few places), but I crave the interest and excitement of different landscapes and cultures. Most of all I hunger after the food.”

Travel has been a huge part of my life and the thought of not being able to leave New Zealand stresses me out. Don’t get me wrong, I love this beautiful country and wouldn’t live anywhere else (I’ve tried a few places), but I crave the interest and excitement of different landscapes and cultures. Most of all I hunger after the food. I fully admit to being that annoying person who rigorously plans each meal, talking about dinner over lunch, that being the lunch we didn’t eat until 3pm because I had to find the perfect place. On 28 March 2020, I was booked on a flight to Vietnam; Ginny Grant and I had a plan to eat our way around Hanoi, top of the list being pho. Over my first few weeks in lockdown I satisfied my hunger for pho by making steaming bowlsful, fragrant with herbs that instantly transported me back to my first visit to Vietnam. The following recipes are a way for me to travel back; for some of you it will be the same. For others the recipes might take you on a new adventure, as I’m looking forward to going on with my fellow Cuisine writers through their recipes.