Logan Thomas Hester

After a decade cooking in the US, Logan embarked on a one-way journey to Vietnam, drawn by the vibrant flavors and fresh ingredients. In Vietnam, Logan served as Head Chef at AnAn Saigon and led R&D at AnAn Lab. He later brought the energy of late-night Vietnam to Hong Kong as Head Chef at Chôm Chôm.

A common mistake that home cooks make?

Specialize and identify a handful of dishes you want to execute well instead of trying to do everything just so-so. invest in tools that get used frequently and only keep equipment on the counter that get used for 80% of projects.

What's a pro kitchen cooking hack that works just as well at home?

Add a couple of dashes of fish sauce into your scrambled eggs! Pure Magic 👌

How does your cooking in pro kitchens differ from how you cook at home?

Cooking at home reminds me a lot of camping... its a lot harder to shoot from the hip at home when you have limited space and equipment. When for home cooking, I have to keep things very simple and/or write out a plan of attack.

If you could bring one aspect of the pro kitchen to your home kitchen, what would it be?

I would kill for a chamber vacuum sealer at home! Game changer for meal prep!

Tips for maintaining a clean and organized workspace?

Give yourself an extra 5 minutes in between projects to re-set your station and put things back where they belong. If your storage is organized then its easier to keep everything clan and moving along.

A common ingredient you think is overrated?

OLIVE OIL!!! Unless its super high end and fresh, just skip it for a neutral oil. try making your own crispy garlic or shallots to keep in your larder, and use the infused oils to add an extra layer of flavor to your cooking.

AN INGREDIENT YOU'LL ALWAYS SPLURGE ON?

Aged Tamari - both professionally and personally, I rarely use regular soy sauce anymore.

Any advice to give home cooks about ingredient sourcing?

Everyone should have a bottle of Fish sauce on their counter. Try either Son Fish Sauce or Red Boat Fish Sauce, and use it in EVERYTHING.

How do you approach balancing flavors in a dish?

Just like in color theory, you have complementary colors and contrast colors... the same goes for flavors. Salt, Sweet and Umamai are all complementary where Acids, Herbs, and Spices provide me with contrast.

An unconventional tool in your kitchen that you can't live without?

My meat grinder is the most used appliance I have! Aside form mince and sausage, I use it for pressing garlic, juicing ginger, making seed oils, and making curry pastes!

Tips for applying restaurant-level organization at home?

Ditch the Tupperware and pick up deli containers. You will have much better organized in your fridge and that mystery drawer can be used for more useful things.

What can home cooks learn from professional kitchen cleaning routines?

Take everything off your counters to scrub down. It may seem like more work but in the long run I feel like it just makes me feel better about cooking at home.

Which food trend do you hope will disappear?

Cutting nasturtium into perfect circles is going to age like chefs sticking a sprig of rosemary into a pile of mashed potatoes.

Your most memorable cooking disaster?

My roommate Phil was REALLY into making kombucha... one day he went to burp a hibiscus 'bucha he was fermenting and the stopper shot a hole into the ceiling. The geyser that followed forever ruined "Purple Rain" for me.

Tips for being a more efficient home cook?

Work backwards. Visualize exactly what you want to achieve and when, then go step by step in reverse. 5 minutes of planning can easily save you an hour.

Where can we follow your cooking?

@spicy_chef

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