If you've sampled Vietnamese cuisine, chances are you've sampled the famous Southern Vietnamese Beef or seafood Bóp Thau salad. So, when chefs Ngo Thu Nguyet and Le Duy Thanh from Sofitel Legend Metropole, Hanoi, came down to introduce the city to authentic Vietnamese flavours at Pondichery Café, BKC, we asked them the secret behind the dish. Turns out, it's the method of marinade that makes all the difference.

Bóp thau is a cooking technique that originated in southern Vietnam where the meat is marinated in fish sauce with garlic, shallots and pepper, while other ingredients such as banana, banana flower and star fruit are separately marinated in sugar and vinegar. The meat is slightly sautéed to get a rare finish and then tossed with the other marinated ingredients to make a salad.