H One's executive chef serves Vietnamese noodles to the masses

Instead of cooking in the pricey kitchens of H One or Harlan's for bankers and tycoons, chef Nelson Chui was in New Town Plaza, Sha Tin, serving Vietnamese noodles to the masses on Monday night. No, he hasn't been demoted or exiled. The executive chef of the H One Group is now also a partner in the Vietnamese franchise Pho24 (not to be confused with local chain Pho26), which just opened its first Hong Kong outlet. It promises to offer diners a more authentic taste of Vietnamese dishes.

'We want to change Hong Kong people's preconceptions of typical Vietnamese food,' Chui said. 'The Pho24 noodles, Vietnamese herbs, the fish sauce, the sweet and chilli sauce, they are all imported directly from Vietnam. I spent about three weeks in Ho Chi Minh City learning everything from their chain headquarters. It's essential to understand the country's history and cultural background to be able to cook up its genuine taste. Some of the most renowned dishes like pho [noodles in soup], or butter chicken and frog legs are inspired from the French.'

Helping out with the education and ensuring authenticity is Pho24 executive Jeff Dinh from Ho Chi Minh City.

The group started in 2003 and now has more than 70 franchises around the world. 'We're the first franchise to come out of Vietnam. We want to be the McDonalds of Vietnam - well, just in terms of the franchising aspect. Luckily, in Asia, fast food doesn't have to be bad food.'