Bobby Chinn

The New Zealand-born, Egyptian-Chinese chef and TV cook has just opened his first restaurant in London, The House of Ho. He speaks to Alicia Miller about eating his way around the globe

I grew up at two ends of the world.

So my idea of comfort food is different to most people’s! I would visit my Chinese grandma, who lived in Hawaii, and she would make wonderful Shanghainese cuisine. When in Egypt with the other side of my family, I ate molokhia, a green soup with okra. There was nothing I wouldn’t try – I’d happily eat a fried brain sandwich.

Once or twice a year I go back to Egypt.

I visit restaurants such as Andrea, near the pyramids in an area of Giza called Maryoutia, for grilled quail. I go to Farahat by Cairo’s Khan al-Khalili market; the stuffed pigeon there is great. But some of the best food happens at home – vegetable dishes like the local version of dolma, mahshi wara’ inab.

I love Vietnamese food because it’s not fussy.

It’s all about combining incredible flavours, colours and textures to create something exciting but simple. You can’t get a bad meal on the street in Vietnam – and even if you do, what’s to complain about when you’re spending £1?

The street food in Hanoi is something else.

At Hang Da Market, there is a place that does incredible bun bo, a rice vermicelli and beef soup. On Ngu Xa street, you’ll find a woman making banh cuon (steamed stuffed rice rolls). And at Chuc Bac lake there’s a really good pho cuon (rice noodle rolls).

I’ve never met such as passionate chef

as when I was in Chengdu. We were filming a show at a local restaurant, and normally when people see cameras they act nice and sweet– not this chef. He was moving people with his hands, out of the way; every single dish out of that kitchen he was on top of. He made what looked like a calligraphy pen – you’d dip it in a sauce bowl like a palette and then bite it... then discover it’s a pastry wand stuffed with vegetables cut as thinly as horsehairs.

The Asian food in London is good.

Around the corner from my restaurant in Soho I like the udon noodles at Koya (koya. co.uk), and then there’s dim sum at Jade Garden (londonjadegarden.com). It’s not fancy but that’s what I like – casual places with great food. I’ve been to Hakkasan (hakkasan.com) but it’s not somewhere for every day.

When the French Laundry first opened,

I was working as a chef and pulled a favour to get a reservation. When we arrived, embarrassingly my girlfriend started complaining about the table. When asked by the maître d’ where she’d prefer, she said outside. Without a word they made us a table in the garden, and we watched the late afternoon merge into sunset and then the stars come out. It was an incredible meal.

Iran hasn’t been given enough credit

for its contribution to world cuisine. The Persians taught the Indians how to make biryani, after all. I’m dying to go and we’re hoping to film there later this year. There’s this one dish with eggplant and dried yoghurt – my idea of heaven.