(Updated 4/10 with opening date and menu details)
Bobby Chinn has two successful restaurants in Vietnam - Restaurant Bobby Chinn in Saigon and Hanoi - as well as a pretty successful broadcasting career (hosting the Living Channel’s World Cafe). Now he’s joining the ever-growing number of international chefs seeking to make it big in London.
Later this year, Chinn’s heading for Soho, opening the House of Ho in Old Compton Street. The Vietnamese food at House of Ho promises to be “fun, informal, sexy and moderately priced” and have a very specific “Bobby twist”.
Looking at Chinn's Vietnamese restaurants, and assuming he follows a similar route, we should expect seasonal menus with “exclusively organic produce”. There are plenty of banh-mis and a western feel to the Vietnamese restaurants and the odd Egyptian shisha pipe to reflect his Egyptian heritage – so we’ll have to see if some of those elements make it over to the UK too.
Described by Anthony Bourdain as “a true international man of mystery” he’s keeping full details of the menu close to his chest, but now we've had a sneak peek. Some that you can expect are -
- Smoked aubergine, scallion vinaigrette, shallot oil
- Lemongrass chicken wings
- 5 spiced quail, salt, pepper, chili, lime
- Vietnamese chicken curry, chopped peanuts, paddy herbs
- Sake, lemongrass steamed clams
- Lobster/crab pomelo salad
More will be revealed when House of Ho opens in December.
House of Ho opens at 55-59 Old Compton Street on December 16 – keep an eye on @HouseOfHo for more details.
