Chef Zach Truong (first from left) during a cooking demonstration at the 2025 French & Francophonie Gastronomy Festival. (Photo courtesy of Zach Truong)

40 booths offered visitors a chance to enjoy live cooking demonstrations and sample French cheeses, apples, bread, wine, chocolates, and more.

As tradition dictates, only one guest chef is featured at the annual French & Francophonie Gastronomy Festival—and this year, the spotlight was on Chef Zach Truong of the Pan Pacific Hotel.

(Photo courtesy of Zach Truong)

With extensive experience in French fine dining, Chef Zach brought refined techniques and bold creativity to the table. 

“Today, I'm cooking three dishes. The first is an appetizer featuring ham and cheese, of course served with wine. The second is fried spring rolls with French apples. The third is a potato-based dish. All three dishes use signature ingredients from France—Candine apples, ham, pâté, and sausages,” said Zach.

Let’s kick things off with Zach’s appetizer—a typical French light canapé salad.  A canapé is a small, thin, salty biscuit or piece of bread with cheese, fish, or meat on top that’s served with drinks at a party.

“The first dish is a salad featuring goat cheese, honey, and pistachios, served on a base of either toasted bread or crisp cracker. Take a cracker (or toasted bread slice), spread a layer of pâté on it, place a slice of Camembert cheese on top, then add small pieces of French ham or sausage. It's finished with a few fresh rocket leaves for a peppery touch. It’s best enjoyed with a glass of chilled white wine,” said Zach.

Goat cheese salad with honey and pistachios (Photo courtesy of Zach Truong)

A crisp slice of rustic bread or a delicate cracker, topped with creamy Camembert, savory French ham or dry-cured sausage, then drizzled with golden honey, and sprinkled with crushed pistachios for that perfect crunch. And when paired with a chilled glass of white wine? Well, you’re not just eating – you’re living. And that's not all. Let’s check out Zach’s crispy spring rolls, creatively paired with French apples. It’s a real fusion of Vietnamese and French cuisine.

“This is a fusion spring roll that brings together the traditional Vietnamese Hanoi-style fried spring rolls with sweet, crisp Candine apples from Toulouse, France. For the filling, we blend crab meat, minced shrimp, carrots, wood ear mushrooms, glass noodles, and diced French apples, all rolled in rice paper and fried to a golden crunch. These spring rolls can be served with traditional sweet and sour fish sauce or European-style mayonnaise,” said Zach.

Crispy spring rolls with crab meat, French apple, glass noodles, and wood ear mushrooms. (Photo courtesy of Zach Truong)

What a perfect blend of tradition and innovation! Home cooks everywhere can take a page from Chef Zach’s recipe and give their classic spring rolls a fresh twist. French apples add a playful crunch and helps balance the richness of the fried rolls. Whether you enjoy them with sweet and sour fish sauce or a creamy mayo dip, it’s a dish that’s sure to impress.

And now, we’ll wrap things up with a crowd-pleasing favorite that’s got a French flair. Think crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside — it’s Chef Zach Truong’s take on classic potato croquettes. The ingredients include French dry sausage, cheese, mashed potatoes, scallions, and a pinch of salt and pepper.

“First, mash the potatoes and mix them with chopped scallions, salt, pepper, and finely chopped French ham or dry sausage. Take a small cube of cheese (about 5 grams) and place it in the center of each potato portion. Shape into balls, then coat them in beaten egg and breadcrumbs. Fry at 180°C for 4–5 minutes until golden brown. When cut open, the melted cheese flows from the soft, creamy center, while the outside remains crispy,” Zach said.

Stuffed with French ham and a gooey cube of cheese, this is a perfect appetizer to enjoy with a glass of light wine.

So there you have it — a Goat Cheese, Honey, and Pistachio Salad; Vietnamese crispy spring rolls with French apples; and classic potato croquettes with a creamy surprise inside. Sounds like the perfect spread for a weekend gathering, doesn’t it?

We hope Chef Zach Truong’s recipes inspire you to try something new at home, using the finest ingredients from France. If you do, let us know how it went on our Facebook fan page: VOV5 English Service.