International education: a fusion of flavour
When Cristiana Tran arrived in Australia to work as an all-rounder at a remote roadhouse, she did not expect the experience to lead to a career as a chef and a new life in the Northern Territory!
Cristiana quickly found herself drawn to the kitchen, where she worked alongside an experienced Filipino chef and discovered a passion for modern Australian cuisine.
That passion took her to Alice Springs, where she completed a Certificate IV in Kitchen Management and Diploma of Hospitality Management at Charles Darwin University (CDU).
Cristiana said the Territory’s hospitality industry, supportive student community and practical learning opportunities made Alice Springs an ideal place to study and build her career.
“The community around our course felt like a big family,” Cristiana said.
“Our cookery class included international students from India, China and across Southeast Asia. We learned from each other, supported each other and had plenty of opportunities to gain experience in local kitchens.”
During her studies, Cristiana worked at Barra on Todd Restaurant at Mercure Alice Springs Resort, where she was part of the kitchen team that developed the NT Tasting Plate.
Featuring kangaroo, crocodile and buffalo paired with native ingredients including lemon myrtle, bush tomato chutney and saltbush, the dish gave visitors an opportunity to experience distinctly Territory flavours.
“The dish was very popular, and I found it exciting when visitors came to us after their meal to ask about the seasonings because they had never tried them before,” Cristiana said.
“For me, it’s not just about the food, it’s also about the culture and the story behind every dish. I loved talking to visitors about the native ingredients and seeing their interest in the flavours of the Territory.”
Cristiana said her Vietnamese background influenced the way she approached unfamiliar ingredients.
“In Vietnamese cooking, we use a lot of spices, so experimenting with native ingredients felt natural,” she said.
“Lemon myrtle reminds me of lemongrass because it has a strong aromatic citrus flavour. Trying new ingredients is one of the fun parts of cooking.”
Cristiana now works as a chef at Watertank Café, where she is helping bring Vietnamese cuisine to the Alice Springs community while continuing to develop her skills.
She and her family will soon move to Darwin, where she hopes to continue her career and show her 3 children more of the Territory.
“The Territory is a place that deserves to be discovered,” Cristiana said.
“I hope people come here, try something new and want to explore more.”
