With Restaurant & Bar Operations Manager of Pan Pacific Hanoi Nguyễn Hồng Kiên

Restaurant & Bar Operations Manager of Pan Pacific Hanoi Nguyễn Hồng Kiên

In Vietnamese cuisine, laksa leaves (Vietnamese coriander) are a vital ingredient of noodle soups and salads, with their lemony, spicy and tangy flavours. Using this exotic herb as a star element, the cocktail provides a great example of just how far the gin & tonic can stray from its standard recipe while still retaining a balanced taste.

It warms the throat with a base of ginger, chilli pepper and lime juice, then accentuates a fantastic pungent aroma of laksa leaves to tempt your palate

Laksa Gin & Tonic

Ingredients:

• Gin: 50ml
• Laksa leaves: 3
• Fresh ginger: 2 slices
• Fresh lime: a wedge
• Fresh chilli: 2 slices
• Tonic water (chilled): 100ml

Preparation:

• Gently press the laksa leaves to help release the oil and aroma, and add to the glass.
• Pour gin into the glass, add fresh ginger, a lime wedge, fresh chilli, then top up with chilled tonic water and some ice cubes.
• Garnish with some laksa leaves.

You can try this interesting cocktail at The Summit Bar, 20th Level, Pan Pacific Hanoi, 1 Thanh Niên Road, Ba Đình District, Hà Nội. Tel:  024 3823 8888.