Marlow chef 'proud' of his Vietnamese fine dining restaurant after revamp

A Marlow chef has received ‘great feedback’ following the refurbishment of his Vietnamese fine-dining restaurant.

After moving to the UK as a business student in 2001 and opting to forge a different path, Nhan Nguyen trained at Le Cordon Bleu London and specialises in authentic Vietnamese cuisine.

After meeting his wife Pham in 2009, the pair opened Suum Kitchen on Spittal Street in 2017.

Nham told the Advertiser that he always knew his first restaurant would be Vietnamese, and it surprises him that he still owns one of the only Vietnamese restaurants in Buckinghamshire.

“I’m very proud and very pleased,” he said about being a ‘flagship’ restaurant in the county.

“Even though we have a Vietnamese restaurant in Windsor, which in distance is very close, it’s a different county, and I’m surprised I’m the only one in Buckinghamshire for eight years now.

“Of course, it comes with hard work. But, for me, this is just the beginning.”

Nhan hails from Hai Phong, a port city in Vietnam, and said he and his wife share a passion for food and travel.

“Since we came over from Vietnam, we’re always craving for good Vietnamese food, and of course, at the time, there weren’t many choices around,” he said.

“We thought to ourselves, one day we’re going to have to open a Vietnamese restaurant to showcase our cuisine to all our Western friends.

“That’s the reason we had an idea of opening up in Marlow.”

Having lived in Marlow for 15 years, with children at local schools, Nham said the town was an ‘ideal’ location for his first and only restaurant.

“Marlow is a very vibrant and pretty little town. It’s also famous for the river, and it’s starting to become more of a foodie place now,” he added.

“People know our Vietnamese cuisine as quick food, but the concept behind opening Suum, my whole background and learning the trade, is that I want to elevate my cuisine to a different level.

“It can be more than street food. It’s more of a fine dining experience for our customers.”

However, Nhan only began changing his restaurant concept to fine dining in 2023 – six years after launch.

“It’s been difficult for our customers to accept the changes,” he said.

“A lot of people think of Vietnamese food as quick street food. This wasn’t, and they took it differently.

“That’s why I had to spend a lot of time and effort to make it where we are now.

“Customers started to realise and have accepted it for what it is now. I’m so glad – it’s just more me.

“It’s hard work, lots of effort and lots of time.

“I wasn’t happy with the concept before, even though we were busy, but now I’m happy with what I’m doing, which gives me more motivation.”

Suum Kitchen has undergone an internal refurbishment in recent months that ‘reflects the colourful food’.

“Where I come from is very different, and I want to bring this real authenticity to our customers in Marlow – they would see the real traditional Vietnamese decoration as well,” said Nhan.

He described the new look as ‘modern, contemporary meets tradition’ with more vibrant decorations and colours.

This includes lanterns, which are well-known in his region.

“There is a different vibe and a different feel in the restaurant,” he added.

“The customers absolutely love it. I’ve had some great feedback.

“I’m mainly focusing on my kitchen, my menu and my cuisine.”