Leslie Gilliams, a standout contestant from season 5 of MasterChef US, shared photos of himself and his wife exploring Ho Chi Minh City during a business trip combined with leisure. The organizers who invited Gilliams to the event said he and his wife arrived at Tan Son Nhat Airport on 16/7 and stayed in Ho Chi Minh City for 5 days.
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Leslie Gilliams and his wife at the Central Post Office. |
The 67-year-old American chef rose to fame after appearing on season 5 of MasterChef US in 2014. His nicknames "Saint Liem", "Liem Leslie", and "Silver Fox" were given to him by Vietnamese audiences, stemming from an incident during the season 5 semifinals. Gilliams was accused of "mistaking salt for sugar" while making a dessert. Although the final product was praised for its appearance, he was eliminated. Gilliams has always maintained he made no such error. Some believe it may have been a tactic employed by the show's producers, but Gilliams accepted the outcome and took responsibility for the incident.
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Gilliams enjoying a plate of broken rice.
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The American chef visits a Koi cafe in Ho Chi Minh City.
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Gilliams tries egg coffee.
Before his trip to Vietnam, Gilliams shared a photo featuring his Vietnamese nickname and expressed his excitement about the visit. On their first day in Ho Chi Minh City, he and his wife visited famous landmarks and enjoyed the local cuisine. They had a "romantic" dinner at a high-end restaurant in the city center, trying broken rice, pho, and egg coffee.
In addition to culinary explorations, they visited popular destinations in Ho Chi Minh City, including a Koi cafe, the Central Post Office, Ben Thanh Market, and Tan Dinh Church.
"Ho Chi Minh City is full of food, fun, friends, and fans," Gilliams shared on his social media.
In his posts about his trip, many Vietnamese fans welcomed him to the city and expressed their hope that he would cook more Vietnamese dishes in the future. Some even suggested he try grilled pork vermicelli and visit Hanoi to try bun dau mam tom (vermicelli with fried tofu and shrimp paste) to further explore Vietnamese cuisine.
Nearly 10 years after appearing on MasterChef, Gilliams remains popular with Vietnamese audiences. He frequently shares posts and videos about the American cooking show, dubbed in Vietnamese, and interacts with his fans.
Mai Phuong
Photo: Leslie Gilliams
