A STEP FORWARD IN

URBANIZATION

A short

documentary

Feat

SUMMER LE

Artist
Profile/
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Idea :

Quang Noodle
Fine-dining
Belong

About Artist

Summer Le is the founder and head chef of Nen Light, a fine-dining restaurant with a creative storytelling style that focuses on exploring Vietnamese ingredients.

The
Interview/
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10.2020

Quang noodle is a traditional dish for people whose hometown is Da Nang. It features familiar ingredients such as handmade Quang noodles, coriander, soy sauce and peanuts. In this artwork, I want to turn that rustic dish into fine-dining. Because to me, the effort to elevate a rustic delicacy is similar to the effort of transforming from countryside to the cities of Vietnam in the past 40 years.

I have changed the texture of the delicacy so that it can carry a new form, a new exhilarating taste and be more disruptive. But when looking closely, everyone can still see the basic indispensable ingredients that create a traditional bowl of Quang Noodles.

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The effort to elevate a rustic delicacy is like the effort to turn countryside to cities of Vietnam.

Progress
linkage/
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Inspiration/
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Thanks to the progress of urbanization in recent years, the infrastructure, transportation, accessibility and attraction of other resources are also better. People’s work life has also developed. Not only have big cities such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh, and Da Nang changed, but other cities are also evolving day by day. After the last epidemic, many of my friends decided to go back to their hometown and not return to the big city. I think one of the reasons could be because in their hometowns, those small cities have also been urbanized. It is no longer as essential as before to live in a large city. Now there are enough opportunities for people to develop their careers wherever they are.

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Getting to do what I love is a positive result of urbanization.

Born, raised and established my career in Da Nang, I am fortunate to witness the change of the city and also feel grateful that the process of urbanization has given me many valuable opportunities to realize my culinary dream.