Com Tam with Rau Vien

Three days before gourmands gather for a feast straight from Vietnam at her home this Sunday afternoon, Aparna Surte, a food stylist and founder of Peckish (a home-based food consultancy venture), recalls the challenges she faced scooping out an all-vegetarian menu from the meat and seafood-heavy cuisine that the country is known for. "I once sent my vegan guests some vegetarian Vietnamese dishes, and they returned them; they were sceptical that the country could actually have vegetarian dishes. It took some good convincing," chuckles Surte, referring to a previous workshop.