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If you’ve ever wanted to be wined and dined by a wild masterchef, indulging in elevated Vietnamese dishes while admiring the evening majesty of Sydney harbour under lights, here’s your chance.
The new dining on a ‘superyacht’ experience, , will soon take place as part of . On Saturday 3 June, the former MasterChef and host of on SBS will front the Vivid food event on Sydney harbour and cook a bespoke Vietnamese menu for guests aboard – a new super yacht-styled $15 million vessel.
The one-off event, running for three-and-a-half hours, will be set against a glowing Vivid Sydney backdrop and kaleidoscope of colour. A Night with Khanh promises to be filled with delicious food, flare and fun.
"This event will be an amazing way to treat yourself, your family or friends to a great view of Sydney harbour during vivid surround by like-minded people enjoying good Vietnamese food," Ong tells SBS.
Khanh Ong will cook guests a special Vietnamese and South East Asian dinner as part of the Chefs on The Harbour series happening as part of Vivid Sydney 2023. Source: Nicky Ryan
A menu to challenge your understanding of Vietnamese food
Ong - an enigmatic cook, MasterChef Australia and Australian Survivor fan-favourite - recently hosted his first cooking series on SBS. Khanh Ong’s Wild Food is a 10-episode cooking show that explores the wild side of Australia’s off-the-beaten-track food scene.
During the show, Ong takes viewers on a high-energy culinary adventure, hitting the road less travelled to remote corners of Australia. The series combines regional produce, adventure and a hint of glamour.
Of course, the luxury promised by the Chefs on the Harbour series as part of Vivid 2023 is a far cry from Ong’s experiences in the wild. But given his expertise in cooking delectable meals across some of the most Australia’s most iconic natural settings and fine dining venues, his upcoming bespoke Sydney harbour menu aboard The Jackson will be sure to wow diners.
Ong says the Vietnamese and South East Asian menu he's creating for the special event is quite exciting and culturally uplifting. It will introduce diners to a new way of eating and challenge the way they think about the region's cuisine.
"It’s elevated," he says. "It’s modern but not so much that we lose the core of the dishes. Most importantly it will be delicious.
"I’m really excited to share my version of bo kho, which is a Vietnamese beef stew. It’s a dish that I love but have never really served to anyone because it’s peasant-style home cooking. But I’ve been able to reimagine it so the taste and the textures are the same but the dish is super sexy and refined.”
The Chefs on the Harbour series will feature dining experiences from famous chefs (L to R) Nelly Robinson, Mark Olive and Khanh Ong aboard a superyacht. Source: Nicky Ryan
Lights, music, ideas and FOOD!
The Chefs on the Harbour series will also feature dining experiences from famous chefs, (Saturday 17 June) and (Saturday 27 May) in addition to Ong’s special event. Each chef has a specially designed degustation dinner crafted to showcase their style, creativity, and the premium quality of NSW produce.
“These cultural culinary experiences are a celebration of all that is Vivid Sydney – light, music, ideas and now food and will be truly 'vivid' like never before,” says The Jackson’s director of sales and marketing, Holly Vaughan. "Guests will be mesmerised from the moment they board as they enter."
