Oceania Cruises Chef of the Year: Thi Le

Anchovy and Ca Com, Richmond

Chefs like Thi Le come along once, maybe twice in a generation. In the 10 years since she opened Anchovy in Richmond – her partner Jia-Yen Lee by her side – she’s recast it multiple times, taking risks others would baulk at to unspool the story of her culture.

Born into a Vietnamese family en route to Australia, Le has become a strident voice for the children of migrants who feel caught between their family’s heritage and their own identity. Her book Viet Kieu, published this year, encapsulates this experience through recipes but also unflinching, often raw narratives written in collaboration with Lee.

Seemingly never at rest, Le pursues knowledge like it’s oxygen, making her own all-Victorian fish sauce and curing charcuterie for her sandwich bar Ca Com. She has defended the pricing of banh mi and other Asian dishes, spoken out against racist Google reviews and confronted people with their own biases.

In the process, she’s inspired a younger generation of chefs to live out their values and cook what they know, even if that cuisine defies easy categorisation.

Underscoring everything she touches is an impeccable palate and a freshness of viewpoint that make eating Le’s food – in whichever setting she’s currently cooking – a truly memorable experience.