Luke Nguyen, acclaimed owner and chef of Sydney restaurant Red Lantern and is the author of the bestselling books, Secrets of the Red Lantern & Songs of Sapa.

Luke Nguyen was born in 1978 in Thailand shortly after his parents fled Vietnam as boat people. After spending some time in a Thai refugee camp, his family eventually settled in Sydney, Australia.

In his spare time, Luke hosts 13-day culinary discovery trips to Vietnam and is the television chef of a cooking series for SBS Television, called Luke Nguyen’s Vietnam. With a huge extended family scattered throughout Vietnam, Luke is inspired to learn that they all have one thing in common – a love for food. Along the way, he prepares dishes in locations that represent an authentic Vietnam – in all its chaotic vibrancy.

In 2009, Luke Nguyen and Suzanna Boyd founded The Little Lantern Foundation in Hoi An, which provides disadvantaged youths with an opportunity to undertake a hospitality training program in Little Lantern’s operating hotel, restaurant and bar.