The world according to Bobby Chinn
March 18, 2007 | 12:00am
In the early part of this year, the iconoclast Discovery Travel and Living channel invited a media group from all over the Asia-Pacific region to a three-day tour of Hanoi. Its main objective was to present a brand-new travel and food series titled World Café: Asia. Each episode of this 13-part, 30-minute series will feature the best street fare that Asia has to offer. Hanoi resident chef/restaurateur Bobby Chinn hosts the series and seeks to bring out what’s local and loved in every city he visits.
Starting 8 p.m. on March 20, and for the succeeding 12 Tuesday nights, viewers will get a chance to follow chef Bobby on his treks across the region and discover a new perspective about the local cuisine of each city  from the delicious and the interesting to the downright bizarre. Each episode starts with the history behind each city and its food and markets, followed by what locals would typically eat and drink. There is also a how-to segment where chef Bobby gives tips on how viewers can replicate their favorite street food recipes in their own kitchen.
Included in the World Café: Asia series are: bahn cuon in Hanoi, Vietnam; nasi campur in Bali, Indonesia; Penang laksa in Penang, Malaysia; Ramlee Burger in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Hainanese chicken rice in Singapore; tom yam goong in Bangkok, Thailand; tako in Tokyo, Japan; dim sum in Hong Kong, Peking duck in Beijing, China; xiao long pao in Shanghai, China; masala tandoori chicken in Amritsar, India; prawn curry in Goa, India; and ma la hot pot in Taiwan.
So, who the heck is this Bobby Chinn? His international reputation for cutting-edge cuisine in Vietnam created waves for his namesake restaurant. "Fusion" literally runs in his veins, for he’s the first one to admit he’s an ethnic mutt. He’s half-Egyptian, half-Chinese, born in New Zealand, educated primarily in England, with a sense that San Francisco is his home. Bobby’s flair and personality are reflected in every aspect of his restaurant, which is an interesting mix of tastes and styles, including an exquisite contemporary art collection and thousands of fresh roses a week.
Bobby Chinn’s story is as eclectic and colorful as his joint. He received a BA in finance and an economics degree in England where he confesses he had his first bad meal in the boarding school, having known only the food cooked by his Chinese and Egyptian grandmas all his life. He then worked at Wall Street in New York City, but was quickly disillusioned; it bored him to tears. He moved to San Francisco in search of himself, throwing away his expensive English schooling, which earned his father’s admonishment. He tried a bit of everything  from attempting to sell seafood to the mob, to stand-up comedy  and along the way, he discovered his love and talent for cooking. To make ends meet, Bobby worked as a runner, busboy and server in various restaurants. His culinary apprenticeship began in earnest when, while waiting tables, he began hanging out in the kitchen of a cutting-edge Franco-Japanese restaurant in San Francisco. He later moved to Fleur De Lys, where the renowned chef Hubert Keller took him in, enabling him to further develop his skills. More work with chefs Jeffery Inahara, Traci des Jardin, and Gary Danko came his way. He then went off to apprentice in Bordeaux and Paris. Chinn ran several highly acclaimed restaurants in Vietnam before opening Restaurant Bobby Chinn in Hanoi, including Camargue, Saigon Joe’s in Ho Chi Minh City, Miro, and the Red Onion Bistro in the Hanoi Towers.
Restaurant Bobby Chinn, 1 Ba Trieu St., Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi. Call (844)934-8577.
Minh’s Jazz Club, Luong Van Can St., Hanoi. Call (844)828-7890.
Ba Mien, second floor, Hilton Hanoi Opera Hotel Emperor, 18b Le Thanh Tong, Hanoi. Call (844)826-8801.
Wild Lotus, 55a Nguyen Du, Hanoi. Call (844)943-9342.
Vine, 1A Xuan Dieu, Tay Ho, Hanoi. Call (844)719-8000.
Hilton Hanoi Opera Hotel, 1 Le Thanh Tong Street, Hanoi, Vietnam. For details on the hotel’s facilities, location etc. log on to http://www1.hilton.com/en_US/hi/hotel/HANHITW-Hilton-Hanoi-Opera-hotel/index.do.
Starting 8 p.m. on March 20, and for the succeeding 12 Tuesday nights, viewers will get a chance to follow chef Bobby on his treks across the region and discover a new perspective about the local cuisine of each city  from the delicious and the interesting to the downright bizarre. Each episode starts with the history behind each city and its food and markets, followed by what locals would typically eat and drink. There is also a how-to segment where chef Bobby gives tips on how viewers can replicate their favorite street food recipes in their own kitchen.
Included in the World Café: Asia series are: bahn cuon in Hanoi, Vietnam; nasi campur in Bali, Indonesia; Penang laksa in Penang, Malaysia; Ramlee Burger in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Hainanese chicken rice in Singapore; tom yam goong in Bangkok, Thailand; tako in Tokyo, Japan; dim sum in Hong Kong, Peking duck in Beijing, China; xiao long pao in Shanghai, China; masala tandoori chicken in Amritsar, India; prawn curry in Goa, India; and ma la hot pot in Taiwan.
So, who the heck is this Bobby Chinn? His international reputation for cutting-edge cuisine in Vietnam created waves for his namesake restaurant. "Fusion" literally runs in his veins, for he’s the first one to admit he’s an ethnic mutt. He’s half-Egyptian, half-Chinese, born in New Zealand, educated primarily in England, with a sense that San Francisco is his home. Bobby’s flair and personality are reflected in every aspect of his restaurant, which is an interesting mix of tastes and styles, including an exquisite contemporary art collection and thousands of fresh roses a week.
Bobby Chinn’s story is as eclectic and colorful as his joint. He received a BA in finance and an economics degree in England where he confesses he had his first bad meal in the boarding school, having known only the food cooked by his Chinese and Egyptian grandmas all his life. He then worked at Wall Street in New York City, but was quickly disillusioned; it bored him to tears. He moved to San Francisco in search of himself, throwing away his expensive English schooling, which earned his father’s admonishment. He tried a bit of everything  from attempting to sell seafood to the mob, to stand-up comedy  and along the way, he discovered his love and talent for cooking. To make ends meet, Bobby worked as a runner, busboy and server in various restaurants. His culinary apprenticeship began in earnest when, while waiting tables, he began hanging out in the kitchen of a cutting-edge Franco-Japanese restaurant in San Francisco. He later moved to Fleur De Lys, where the renowned chef Hubert Keller took him in, enabling him to further develop his skills. More work with chefs Jeffery Inahara, Traci des Jardin, and Gary Danko came his way. He then went off to apprentice in Bordeaux and Paris. Chinn ran several highly acclaimed restaurants in Vietnam before opening Restaurant Bobby Chinn in Hanoi, including Camargue, Saigon Joe’s in Ho Chi Minh City, Miro, and the Red Onion Bistro in the Hanoi Towers.
Minh’s Jazz Club, Luong Van Can St., Hanoi. Call (844)828-7890.
Ba Mien, second floor, Hilton Hanoi Opera Hotel Emperor, 18b Le Thanh Tong, Hanoi. Call (844)826-8801.
Wild Lotus, 55a Nguyen Du, Hanoi. Call (844)943-9342.
Vine, 1A Xuan Dieu, Tay Ho, Hanoi. Call (844)719-8000.
Hilton Hanoi Opera Hotel, 1 Le Thanh Tong Street, Hanoi, Vietnam. For details on the hotel’s facilities, location etc. log on to http://www1.hilton.com/en_US/hi/hotel/HANHITW-Hilton-Hanoi-Opera-hotel/index.do.
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