Famous Vietnamese restaurant in Sydney closes after 23 years

First launched in 2002 on Crown Street, Surry Hills, Red Lantern was co-founded by celebrity chef Luke Nguyen, his sister Pauline Nguyen and chef Mark Jensen.

Since its inception, Red Lantern has revolutionised the way Australians perceive Vietnamese cuisine and has become one of the city's most influential dining establishments.

Nhà hàng Việt nổi tiếng tại Sydney đóng cửa sau 23 năm - Ảnh 1.

Red Lantern restaurant co-founders: Luke Nguyen, Pauline Nguyen and Mark Jensen (from left). Photo: Sydney Morning Herald

Instead of being associated with the image of ordinary plastic tables and chairs, the restaurant offers a new experience with professional service style, high-quality ingredients and classy culinary atmosphere.

At the time, the common perception of Vietnamese restaurants was “plastic tables and chairs and cheap ingredients,” Ms. Pauline Nguyen said. “We thought, let’s bring Vietnamese cuisine to a new group of diners, with world- class service and high-quality ingredients,” she recalled.

Mr. Jensen is a chef who worked in fine restaurants before opening the Red Lantern restaurant with sisters Pauline and Luke.

"Mark had never held a deep pan or a cleaver before. But as a quick learner, he soon grasped the essence of Vietnamese cuisine, applying his own skills and experimenting with Luke in the kitchen to create the restaurant's signature dishes such as braised pork in sugar water, shrimp and pork rice cakes and salty cotton candy…" - Ms. Pauline recalled.

Red Lantern has catapulted Luke Nguyen into the ranks of international star chefs, with a series of popular television shows and culinary projects, while Pauline Nguyen and Jensen have also achieved success as authors and presenters, while balancing their restaurant management jobs, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.

Nhà hàng Việt nổi tiếng tại Sydney đóng cửa sau 23 năm - Ảnh 2.

The restaurant will close on November 22. Photo: Instagram

Over the past 23 years, Red Lantern has faced many challenges, from the global financial crisis to relocation, but has always known how to maintain its position.

The founding trio has always been proactive in keeping Red Lantern relevant: They're active on social media, regularly upgrade the interior, and introduce groundbreaking ideas, like operating a barbershop in the restaurant outside of business hours.

This time, though, they decided to close the door on Riley Street, where the restaurant moved in 2017.

Co-founder Mark Jensen told the Sydney Morning Herald in September that a sharp drop in customer numbers over the past winter, coupled with rising living costs, prolonged rain and Sydney diners' preference for new destinations, had taken a toll on the restaurant's operations.

Nhà hàng Việt nổi tiếng tại Sydney đóng cửa sau 23 năm - Ảnh 4. — Famous dishes at Red Lantern restaurant. Photo: Sydney Morning Herald

Nhà hàng Việt nổi tiếng tại Sydney đóng cửa sau 23 năm - Ảnh 5. — Photo: Sydney Morning Herald

Red Lantern plans to host special events and chef collaborations in the final two months before officially closing.

Luke Nguyen then developed his own restaurant at the Sydney Fish Market and television projects, Mark Jensen focused on the Tiger Purrr Chai brand, and Pauline Nguyen continued her career as an author and speaker.

In the early days of Red Lantern, Mr. Jensen and Ms. Pauline were married, but they later split. They still run the business together, though. “If there’s one thing I’m really proud of,” Ms. Nguyen says, “it’s that between the three of us, we’ve built a real ecosystem that continues to grow.”

Source: https://nld.com.vn/nha-hang-viet-noi-tieng-tai-sydney-dong-cua-sau-23-nam-196251005221837306.htm