Editorial: Khanh Ong
Client: CALIBRE.
Production: Rachel McKernan.
Talent: Khanh Ong.
Guest Talent: Sarah Davidson, Nic Davidson and Tim Kano.
Photography: Christopher Ferguson.
Filmmaker: Nathan Christoffel.
Stylist: Meggy Smith.
Grooming: Bradwyn Jones.
Graphic Design: Vicki Litsudis.
Creative Direction: Adam Hamilton.
Art Direction: Mei Kingwell.
Shot in Melbourne, Australia.
“I’m a massive feeder,” Khanh says, laughing, as plates are passed around the table. For him, cooking goes beyond the simple act of putting ingredients together. It’s the hosting, sharing and making sure everyone is looked after that give the meals meaning. “I absolutely love having people over for dinner”.
CALIBRE was lucky enough to join in on one of Khanh’s intimate dinner parties alongside a few of his closest friends. The Australian chef, author, content creator, and restaurateur treated us to dishes of cheese, charred meats, fresh fish and greens. Between mouthfuls of his bespoke menu, we talked about all things food, fashion, heritage, and ambition. Khanh's vivacious energy meant that laughter was shared just as easily as the dishes he prepared. His passion for good food follows that same instinct for great style.
Born in a refugee camp and brought to Australia when he was two, Khanh’s connection to his heritage was complicated. He learnt to cook from his Mum, but traditional Vietnamese foods were rarely made as his parents tried to assimilate into Australian culture. “Mum’s always been very proud of me. In the last couple of years, more so than ever”, Khanh told us. “She’s like ‘learn how to make this. Make the best version of this that you can, so that I can give it to my friends and be like look at my son, look at what he can do’”.
Teaching himself traditional Vietnamese dishes became a way of reconnecting, of holding onto something that could have easily faded. It wasn’t about perfection, but preservation. Learning by doing, to build a deeper understanding of his culture.
Khanh shows us that a dinner party begins at the market, not the kitchen. The chef took us through Prahran Market to source meats, cheeses, and produce for the night to come. Each vendor knows his name, and it feels like a collaboration rather than a transaction between customer and merchant. Sound boarding ideas and trusting their knowledge as much as his own, it is clear they are in pursuit of one thing: to eat well.
