Sunday lunch at Lao Lane Xang recently was full of surprises. They included the sheer range of Vietnamese and Laotian dishes on the menu; the fact that our first courses arrived in less time than it had taken to find a parking space in the crowded streets; the size of the Asian supermarkets we had passed en route; the street vendors selling home-made desserts; and the sight of everyone carrying bags bulging with food.

But then Paris's Chinatown – a vast area located mainly in the 13th arrondissement that is bordered by two long avenues, d'Ivry and de Choisy – is a surprising place, as I found when I visited with someone whose own restaurant career has mirrored the growth of this area.

Robert Vifian arrived in Paris with his family in 1968, after Saigon had been attacked by the communists as part of the Tet Offensive. His parents decided that, with four mouths to feed and a son to educate, they would open a restaurant. The result was Tan Dinh which, under Vifian's guidance, combines Vietnamese food with a stunning French wine list. Vifian's father, a dapper 86-year-old, is still very much in evidence every night.