JuniorChef

JuniorChef JuniorChef has a mission to bring the joy of cooking to the kids of Ho Chi Minh. JuniorChef Saigon - Learn Tasty.

We run clubs, classes and workshops at the top International and Bilingual schools in Vietnam, as well as private classes for kids and adults alike! Live Delicious
We are keen to meet kitchen collaborators! Email us at: [email protected] and let's get cooking!

Five spice is five things: star anise, cloves, Chinese cinnamon, Sichuan pepper, fennel seeds.Ground together, it's one ...
24/05/2026

Five spice is five things: star anise, cloves, Chinese cinnamon, Sichuan pepper, fennel seeds.
Ground together, it's one of the oldest spice blends in the world β€” used in Chinese cooking for thousands of years. A pinch goes into the pork mince along with soy, hoisin, ginger and garlic. The result is something that smells like every Chinese restaurant you've ever been in, made in a school kitchen in Saigon in under 20 minutes.
We serve it in lettuce cups because that's how it's eaten. The crunch of the lettuce against the soft, sticky pork is the whole point.
πŸ“ JuniorChef Saigon Β·

A taco seasoning blend is just pantry confidence in a cup.Salt, smoked paprika, cumin, garlic powder, oregano β€” measured...
23/05/2026

A taco seasoning blend is just pantry confidence in a cup.

Salt, smoked paprika, cumin, garlic powder, oregano β€” measured once, mixed together, and now you have a spice blend that works on beef, chicken, vegetables, eggs. You made it yourself. You know what's in it. You can adjust it next time.

We teach kids to build their own seasoning blends because it changes how they see a recipe. It stops being a set of instructions and starts being a conversation between cook and ingredients.

Also the tacos are very good.

πŸ“ JuniorChef Saigon Β·

The flip is the whole lesson.Pineapple ring caramelised in butter and sugar. Batter poured around and over it. Bubbles f...
22/05/2026

The flip is the whole lesson.

Pineapple ring caramelised in butter and sugar. Batter poured around and over it. Bubbles forming on the surface. And then β€” carefully, confidently β€” the flip. The pineapple is revealed underneath, golden and sticky, hidden until the last moment.
Kids do this themselves. The first one is nervous. By the fourth, they're showing off.

πŸ“ JuniorChef Saigon Β·

Chè chuối has been eaten in Vietnam for generations. Banana, coconut milk, tapioca pearls, a pinch of salt. Served warm ...
03/05/2026

Chè chuối has been eaten in Vietnam for generations. Banana, coconut milk, tapioca pearls, a pinch of salt. Served warm in the morning or cold in the afternoon from a cart on the street.

The salt is not a mistake. It sharpens the coconut, lifts the banana, and turns something sweet into something complex. It's one of the first flavour lessons we teach β€” that contrast makes everything better. We are proudly nut-free, so the textural contrast comes from sunflower seeds and coconut.

Simple ingredients. Careful technique. A dish that has fed children in this city for a very long time.

Now our students make it too.

πŸ“ JuniorChef Saigon Β·

In the American South, biscuits and gravy is what you eat at a diner at 7am before a long day. Traditionally it's made w...
02/05/2026

In the American South, biscuits and gravy is what you eat at a diner at 7am before a long day. Traditionally it's made with sausage meat β€” crumbled into a cream gravy, served over split biscuits that are somewhere between a scone and a bread roll.

We make ours without the sausage. Shiitake, chestnut and dried mushrooms, softened with sage and miso, finished with cream. The gravy is arguably better. The biscuits β€” made with just flour, cream and a little raising agent β€” are the real lesson. Fat cold, mixed fast, baked immediately. The same principle as shortcake, as scones, as any flaky dough.

Vegetarian food doesn't have to be virtuous. Sometimes it's just biscuits and gravy.

πŸ“ JuniorChef Saigon Β·

Trifle is a most democratic dessert.Every family has a version. Each one slightly different. The only rules are layers β€”...
02/05/2026

Trifle is a most democratic dessert.

Every family has a version. Each one slightly different. The only rules are layers β€” something cakey at the base, something fruity, something creamy, something to finish. Beyond that, you use what you have and what you love.

We start from scratch: a proper custard made on the hob, cooled fast, built up in layers with jam-soaked sponge, fresh strawberries and whipped cream. It teaches a little patience β€” each layer needs to set before the next goes on β€” and it teaches assembly, which is its own skill.

Also it looks extraordinary, which is part of the point.

πŸ“ JuniorChef Saigon Β·

King oyster mushrooms don't taste like meat. They taste better.Cut them into long strips and they go chewy and satisfyin...
01/05/2026

King oyster mushrooms don't taste like meat. They taste better.

Cut them into long strips and they go chewy and satisfying, like pork belly. Cut them into coins and they go silky, like fillet. Same mushroom, different texture β€” just by changing the direction of the knife.

Add doenjang, ginger, garlic, liquid smoke and a little brown sugar. Cook on a high heat until the edges catch and caramelise.

It's not a vegetarian compromise. It's just good cooking.

πŸ“ JuniorChef Saigon Β·

Four colours of pepper. Couscous, feta, courgette, cherry tomatoes. A yoghurt sauce with garlic and fresh mint on the si...
01/05/2026

Four colours of pepper. Couscous, feta, courgette, cherry tomatoes. A yoghurt sauce with garlic and fresh mint on the side.

Gemista are Greek stuffed peppers β€” baked until tender, the filling slightly charred at the edges, the yoghurt cold against the warm pepper when you cut in.

Simple enough for a Tuesday. Impressive enough that kids carry the recipe home.

πŸ“ JuniorChef Saigon Β·

Eggs poached in spiced tomato sauce. It sounds simple because it is.Shakshuka is eaten across North Africa and the Middl...
30/04/2026

Eggs poached in spiced tomato sauce. It sounds simple because it is.

Shakshuka is eaten across North Africa and the Middle East β€” Tunisia, Israel, Libya, Egypt all claim versions of it. The name likely comes from an Arabic word meaning "all mixed up." What makes it extraordinary is the technique: you build a deep, spiced sauce from scratch, make wells with a spoon, crack an egg into each one, and cover the pan. The eggs set in the steam, whites firm, yolks still running.

One pan. No oven. Ready in 40 minutes.

Our students make it and immediately understand why it's eaten for breakfast, lunch, and dinner - depending on where you are in the world.

πŸ“ JuniorChef Saigon Β·

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