Vietnamese Herb Plate: Fresh Herbs as Condiment

The Vietnamese herb plate — a platter of fresh herbs, lettuce, bean sprouts, and sliced chilli served alongside cooked dishes — is a service technique that allows the diner to construct their own flavour balance at the table. It represents a fundamentally different approach to seasoning from Western cuisine: the cook provides the base, the diner completes the dish.

A plate of whole fresh herb sprigs (Vietnamese mint, perilla, Thai basil, bean sprouts, sliced chilli, lime wedges) served alongside the main dish, to be torn and added according to individual preference. Each herb performs a different flavour function: Vietnamese mint brings cool menthol; perilla brings a slight anise-pepperiness; Thai basil brings warm clove-like anise.

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