Hailing from Hanoi, the head chef and owner of The Old Quarter, Tony Dong, moved to New Zealand almost 25 years ago. He started as a part-time cleaner, moved to the grill, and finally made his way up the ladder in the culinary world.
Previously, the head chef at Chow, Dong decided to take his passion for cooking up a notch by opening his restaurant.
At The Old Quarter, he serves traditional Vietnamese cuisine with a modern twist. He is also trying a new approach to combining Asian fusion with European style.
By continuing to open more restaurants across the country, Dong aims to bring his unique Asian fusion to as many people as possible.
He also advises upcoming chefs to believe in themselves and that their hard work will be rewarding, even though the industry might seem testing.
“The main challenge I see for the industry at the moment is the economic struggle within our country,” said Dong, pointing out that fewer people can afford to dine out due to the inflationary pressures and that delivering affordable food at a quality level is getting more complex.
