My Vietnamese Kitchen: Recipes and stories to bring Vietnamese food to life on your plate

i should declare that I am biased. I have been on one of Uyen's cooking courses, which was truly sensational. So I've been cooking some of the dishes that are so nicely set out in this cook book for a few months already. In particular I have cooked her take on the classic Pho many times now and it's always a delicious, uplifting, nutritious experience that will never tire. This recipe alone makes the book price worthwhile in my view. I've got loads of cookbooks and cook from scratch almost every day. I am as excited about getting to know some of the new dishes in this book as i have been for any book in my collection. The only drawback I can think of for someone thinking of buying this book is that some of the ingredients can be a little tricky to get hold of unless you can get to a specialist Vietnamese shop. I live about 6 miles from one and so I stock up from time to time on good fish sauce, noodles and dried spices that form the backbone of many dishes. The book does introduce some unusual herbs, which need to be sourced fresh from a specialist Vietnamese shop, but I have found that most of the dishes can be cooked by substituting easy to get hold of herbs such as common mint, coriander, chilli, etc and so even if you don't have a specialise store nearby you'll be able to make really delicious if not 100% authentic food from this book. Very highly recommended. Start enjoying Uyen's recipes tomorrow!

Full disclosure - Uyen is a friend of mine. However, I am well-known for being (brutally) honest, and even if I did not know her, I would heartily recommend this book. From the very first pages, you know you're in safe hands - there are lavish photo guides to Vietnamese herbs, noodles and spices. As you go through, every single recipe has a photo to illustrate it, which means you know how exactly how the dish should turn out. The text is clear and well-written, but most importantly, I have attended Uyen's Vietnamese cookery class and eaten at her supperclub and I KNOW for a fact that this woman can cook and can teach - for example, I make her recipe for Caramelised Pork Belly and Eggs a lot, and it was Uyen who taught me how to make Vietnamese Summer Rolls.I love My Vietnamese Kitchen so much that I bought 6 copies of it to give to all my family this Christmas (I hope they don't see this review) - it may be one of the most stunning cookbooks I have ever seen, so even if they never bother to use it (which would be madness), it makes a brilliant gift. Seriously, you should buy it.

Very nice clear instructive recipes

Being Vietnamese i bought this for a friend. I flicked through it and it looked quite good with conventional and unconventional dishes unfortunately i wasn't able to try them out. Good looking and well made book. I gave it a four star which might be a tad harsh as there were duplicated pages in the middle, taking away from the quality feel. Fortunately it were duplications as opposed to missing pages. There are not a lot of accessible books available on Vietnamese cooking, this one is a good introduction.

Lovely looking book with great instructions.I bought this book after visiting Vietnam and loving the food. Unfortunately the recipes do seem quite complicated so I can't see me trying any of these . I didn't realise that, although the food tastes quite simple, there's a lot of work that goes into them.

Visited Vietnam for a holiday this year and absolutely loved the food. As the writer is Vietnamese I thought it was the right way to go to see her recipes and I was right. Throughly enjoying going through the recipes and learning a lot. I am a youngish pensioner but your never too old to learn!! Lol.

Firstly, this book is a great introduction to Vietnamese cookery which takes you through ingredients, different mealtimes and how Vietnamese people feel and think about food. The recipes are easy to follow and those that I've tried are delicious! But also, it is really beautifully designed and produced, with excellent photography - it feels special and makes an attractive addition to any bookshelf. Some of the ingredients can be difficult to track down if you don't have a specialist Vietnamese shop near to you, but nonetheless I think this would make a great gift for anyone who loves food and cooking.

This book is one of the most attractive cook books on my shelf. I love the food photo and the little stories about Uyen's life that accompany every recipe. I love Vietnamese food but was always a bit hesitant to try it myself as Vietnamese cuisine requires a range of different ingredients and techniques and I was scared to mess it up. Now, with Uyen Luu's book, I already made authentic summer rolls (so easy when you know how!) and can't wait to cook more of her mouthwatering recipes. Big recommendation!