Luke Nguyen laughs remembering the reaction from diners to his first Vietnamese restaurant.
"When I opened Red Lantern in Sydney 16 years ago you had to go out to the diners and say 'This is cooked this way but please try it, don't be afraid', that's how it should be done," says Nguyen. 
The 37-year old celebrity chef has played a big part in the transformation of the Australian palate with his take on pork banh mi and pho noodle soup gaining legions of fans over the years.
Nguyen, who combines Vietnamese, Chinese, Thai and Malay influences at his Fat Noodle outlets, says Australians are passionate and plugged into the plethora of Asian cuisines.
"Now no-one blinks an eye," he says.
"Australians no longer just go out for Chinese: they says let's do Sichuan, let's do Hainan. Everyone loves to try the regional flavours of Asian food."
With Sydney now hosting the largest Lunar New Year event outside Asia, the food experience is right at the heart of the party.
While the Lunar celebrations are intertwined with Chinese New Year, Nguyen says it's an equally big party in many parts of Asia including his home town of Saigon, which will celebrate Tet on Monday.
Australia's sparkling food reputation is also a big attraction for tourists including the fast-growing Asia segment, which is forecast to grow to 3.5 million visitors annually by 2020.
The number of Chinese visitors to Australia in a 12-month period surpassed 1 million for the first time in   January, and capturing a slice of the market is becoming essential for retailers and those operating hotel, casinos and tourist attractions.
Nguyen runs two of his Fat Noodle outlets at The Star's casinos in Sydney and Brisbane, and intends to open a third restaurant as part of the $345 million revamp of its Jupiters casino on the Gold Coast.
And he says Australia's first-class reputation for some of the best produce in the world, such as its seafood and beef, will continue to attract tourists.