Vietnamese-Australian celebrity chef Luke Nguyen will join efforts with the national flag carrier Viet Nam Airlines to bring Vietnamese cuisine to the world under an agreement inked between the two sides in Canberra, Australia on 14 March.

Vietnamese-Australian celebrity chef Luke Nguyen is the food ambassador of the national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines. (Photo: Deponline)

The signing ceremony was attended by Minister, Chairman of the Office of the Government Mai Tien Dung, who is accompanying Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc during his visit to Australia.

Under the three-year document, Luke Nguyen will be in charge of improving quality for meals on Viet Nam Airlines’ flights and creating eight new regional specialties for the business class.  He will also give consultations to the airline’s current 50 business-class menus right in 2018.

The food magician will popularise Vietnamese food to international friends via cultural and trade exchange programmes in various countries.

At the event, Executive Vice President of Viet Nam Airlines Le Hong Ha said that the cooperation with Nguyen aims to elevate the art of Vietnamese cuisine. It is of significant when both nations are celebrating 45^th anniversary of the diplomatic ties this year, he noted.

He expressed his hope that Vietnam Airlines and the chef will contribute to bolstering cultural cooperation and other connections between the two countries.

Currently, the airline is using new-generation Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners on its 17 flights per week to Australia, offering the international four-star standard service on the route, he added.

Luke Nguyen, for his part, wished to bring Vietnamese taste to tourists in the five continents and thanked Vietnam Airlines for giving him an opportunity to have closer connection with his homeland.

Professional services have earned Viet Nam Airlines the four-star airline title by Skytrax for the second consecutive year. It is one of the most punctual airlines in the world with on-time performance index of above 90%.  Also, the carrier was recognised as the “World’s Leading Airline – Premium Economy Class” and the “World’s Leading Cultural Airline” at the World Travel Awards.

Inviting the Vietnamese-Australian chef to become its food ambassador is part of Vietnam Airlines’ strategy to improve service quality and passengers’ experience, eyeing to become a 5-star airline in the coming time.

Chef Luke Nguyen has attached himself to the culinary career for over 30 years. He is renowned for a chain of restaurants worldwide like Red Lantern, Moi Moi by Luke Nguyen and Viet Nam House. He judged the Master Chef Viet Nam seasons 1 and 2 and was a special guest of chef Gordon Ramsay’s Great Escape programme and Master Chef Australia.

He was once the official food ambassador of Etihad Airways, being responsible for planning menus for the airline’s flights to and from Viet Nam.

(Source: VNA)