Famous Vietnamese restaurant in Australia closes after 23 years, many diners regret it

Launched in 2002 on Crown Street (Surry Hills, Australia), Red Lantern was co-founded by brothers Luke and Pauline Nguyen and chef Mark Jensen.

759ilyptuk,hj..jpg — The three founding members of Red Lantern (from left to right): brothers Luke and Pauline Nguyen and chef Mark Jensen. Photo: The Sydney Morning Herald.

The restaurant is considered a pioneering symbol in bringing Vietnamese cuisine to a new generation of diners, completely different from the familiar image of "plastic tables and chairs, cheap food" in Australia at that time.

"We thought, let's bring this dish to a new group of customers, combining world-class service with high-quality ingredients," Ms. Pauline Nguyen shared on The Sydney Morning Herald.

Red Lantern's dishes such as spring rolls, fried spring rolls, meat sandwiches, shrimp and pork pancakes, salted and chilli squid, chicken rolls with rice paper... quickly became popular, receiving critical acclaim as well as attracting a large number of loyal diners.

Many of the restaurant's Vietnamese dishes have made a mark in the hearts of diners and critics alike. Photo: Red Lantern

Red Lantern has also become one of the famous Vietnamese restaurants in the world , receiving many awards from prestigious organizations such as the Restaurant and Catering Association (R&CA) or Good Food Guide.

After his tireless efforts with Red Lantern, Luke Nguyen also rose to the ranks of international star chefs with many TV shows and culinary projects.

Luke Nguyen is considered one of the most influential chefs in the culinary field. Not only has he been honored at the Sydney Morning Herald's Food Hall of Fame, he is also the author of many best-selling cookbooks in the world. Photo: The Latch

Meanwhile, Pauline Nguyen has also found success as a culinary author and speaker. Chef Mark Jensen, who started out in fine dining, quickly adapted and created unique creations for Vietnamese cuisine.

The decision to close Red Lantern was made by the three founders after a harsh winter for the Sydney restaurant industry.

"The significant decline in customers, combined with the rising cost of living, the constant rainy weather and the trend of diners flocking to new restaurants, led us to decide not to renew our lease," said Chef Jensen.

Australian media commented that after 23 years, the way Red Lantern restaurant recreates Vietnamese flavors is still very modern. Photo: Red Lantern

During its 23 years of operation, Red Lantern has overcome many difficulties by constantly innovating to maintain its appeal, focusing on clean ingredients, changing the interior or increasing promotion on social networks.

Under the post announcing the restaurant's permanent closure on November 22 on its official Fanpage, many diners expressed their regret at having to say goodbye to one of the "icons" of Vietnamese cuisine in Australia.