Nguyen Duc Canh says he used to stay at Vietnam's only "1,000-star hotel." Translation: He grew up under a bridge. Abandoned by his parents in Hanoi, Canh sold chewing gum to tourists. Eventually, he ran into KOTO, or "Know One, Teach One." A 2-year program in Vietnam and Cambodia, KOTO trains former street kids to cook, wait tables and speak English. It "taught me life skills and gave me a house and family," he reflects. The menus at these highly successful training restaurants also reflect research and enterprise. Lister, the chef who designed KOTO's first menu, took a 2-month eating tour of Vietnam. Auer and his Phnom Penh staff scoured the Cambodian countryside on motorbikes for provincial recipes. And on top of that, eating at the training restaurant is an easy way to sample local dishes while supporting a good cause.
