August 19, 2025
We caught up with Melbourne based Chef, Henry Le of Third Culture Cuisine, this Father’s Day to pick his brain on the best ‘brekky in bed’ dish to make for Dad. Henry runs the pop-up restaurant Third Culture Cuisine which showcases delicious food from a Vietnamese-Australian perspective.
Follow Henry over on Instagram (@third_culture_melb) to see when and where his next pop-up event will take place!
THE INTERVIEW
What is your go-to brekky in bed dish?
Flatbread with hummus (and eggs)!
Why this dish?
With a very simple list of relatively common pantry staples, you can make a delicious and comforting meal – who doesn’t love some hot, fresh (flat) bread in the morning with very little skill required?
Notes/Backstory/Tips:
My current housemate/sous chef and I met when he was a chef at a wine bar and I had a cocktail bar nearby. At the time, everyone at the bar was obsessed with their flatbread, to the point where we would trade cocktails for a serve or two.
Since meeting over 6 years ago, we have gone on to run a series of restaurant pop-ups and supper clubs under the “Third Culture” brand, which celebrates the evolution of cuisine from the ethno-Australian perspective. The flatbread, which was the cornerstone of our initial friendship, is now a staple at our weekly supper clubs, which we host in our apartment.
Like a blank canvas, flatbread and hummus is just the backdrop for an infinite number of variations. Here, I’ve added sunny-side up eggs, some chive oil leftover from the last supper club, and my highly addictive Vietnamese sate chilli oil.
However, I highly encourage you all to add whatever condiments make your heart sing! Pickles, vinegar based hot sauces or fresh veg for crudites are just a couple of options.
THE RECIPE
Homemade Hummus
Prep time: 5 minutes
Ingredients
1 can Chickpeas, drained
100ml Reserved chickpea liquid
1 Lemon, zested and juiced
1 tbsp Tahini
2 tbsp Olive oil
Salt to season
Garnish (optional)
Smoked Paprika
Method – Hummus
1) Combine the drained chickpeas, olive oil, tahini, half of the lemon juice and all of the lemon zest in a food processor, blender, or nutribullet, and blend on high until the mix appears to be smooth.
2) Check consistency and adjust. When checking the consistency, what you are looking for is similar to that of soft peaks for egg whites. When dolloped on a plate, you want it to spread but be able to maintain a gentle peak. If the mix is smooth but too thick, add some more chickpea liquid or oil, depending on how rich of a mouthfeel you prefer.
3) Check for salt and acid balance. This all comes down to personal preference. Depending on the brand of chickpeas used, more or less salt will be required. You want the flavour of lemon to come through, but the hummus shouldn’t be sour. I prefer to balance it with honey if it’s too sour.
4) Plate and garnish. Any rimmed plate or wide based bowl is perfect. I like to garnish with a drizzle of high quality olive oil and a light dusting of smoked paprika or sumac. If you make this dip the day before, the lemon zest will integrate better and really come to life as the essential oils permeate the mix. You can also avoid waking everyone up with the sound of the blender!
Homemade Flatbread
Prep time: 1 hour 15 minutes.
Cook time: 10 minutes
Serving: makes 8 pieces of flatbread
Ingredients
445g Plain flour
285g Lukewarm water
5g Dry yeast
2g Salt
2g Sugar
Canola spray oil
50g Softened butter
1 Clove of garlic, grated
Flaky salt to season
Method
1) Combine dry yeast, sugar and lukewarm water (roughly 37⁰C) in a mixing jug and stir until dissolved. Let stand for 10 minutes and check if the yeast is active – the mixture should be foamy and lightly bubbling.
2) Sift flour into a large mixing bowl and form a well in the centre. Add salt and the water-yeast mixture. Stir until a shaggy dough forms.
3) Turn dough out onto a work surface and knead until the dough forms a smooth ball.
4) Spray a clean large mixing bowl with canola oil and set the smooth dough inside. Spray the top of the dough with canola oil, cover the bowl with clingfilm or a damp tea towel and set aside in a warm area to proof for 1 hour.
5) Line a sheet tray or baking dish with baking paper. Portion the dough into 80g balls. Cover and rest for 5 minutes.
6) Finely grate (microplane preferred) one clove of garlic until the softened butter and mix to combine.
7) Flatten each ball into a disk, roughly 15cm in diameter. The best method for this is to spray your hands with some of the canola oil. Press down on the balls and work your way from the centre to the edges to get the desired shape. Store these on baking paper until you’re ready to cook.
8) Heat a stainless steel, carbon steel or cast-iron pan on medium heat. Spray with canola oil and lay the flatbreads in the pan, one or two at a time depending on the size of your pan. Cook for 1-2 minutes, or until one side is golden brown, then flip and repeat.
9) Turn your cooked flatbreads onto a chopping board and brush with garlic butter and season with salt. At this point you can cut them into halves, quarters or soldiers.
