Beef Tartare (Photo: Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi)

Chi: Welcome to VOV24/7’s Food Delight with recipes, cooking tips and food suggestions. If you have no idea what or where to eat, we’re here to help you. 

Chef: Hello, I’m Raphael Kinomo. We have decided to switch from our usual lunch buffet to a new a la carte lunch menu to better cater to the needs of the ever changing food scene in Hanoi and also in an effort to reduce food wastage from the buffet. Both the new menus feature uniquely innovative, light and refreshing dishes using fresh and seasonal ingredients. The special 5 course degustation dinner menu truly embodies who I am as a Chef and it’s a sneak peak of what’s to come for Le Beaulieu. For more than a century Le Beaulieu has dazzled diners in the Vietnamese capital with its authentic French cuisine and we are the most storied French restaurant in Hanoi – opened since 1901! I hope by incorporating traditional French gastronomy with a contemporary approach will further elevate Le Bealieu’s reputation in Hanoi.

Chi: Chef Raphael has more than two decades of experience working in some of the world’s top kitchens and hotels creating modern French dishes that are uniquely innovative, light, and refreshing. Raphael, what do you offer in this new menu?

Chef: We have what we think is suitable for the season, showcasing seasonal produce. Because that’s why we have better quality and better products. From the farm we have Le Boeuf Wagyu, features exceptionally tender beef with potato and truffle vegetables.

From the garden we have the Lyonnaise salad, I am originally from Lyon, France, therefore I will like to showcase a summer favourite from my city.

Chi: I see that the highlights of the menu are French-style dishes. Could you tell us more about the French ingredients you use in this menu?

Chef: Of course, I’m from Lyon. Therefore, I want to showcase some favorites from my city. We have Lyonnaise salad. We use lardon deglazed with raspberry vinegar. We add warm poached egg. This is one dish that I particularly like from Lyon. It’s so popular that you can see it in menus all around the world. We also have Le Bar, a pan-seared seabass elevated by innovative inclinations. The fish is paired with zucchini caviar, saffron, and a light and flavorful seafood sauce.

Chi: Could you please tell me more about the five-course degustation dinner menu?

Chef: We have one starter. It’s a small portion because there are 5 dishes and after that a surprise at the end of the meal. Something not inquired on this menu but I give as an extra. We start with the homard and caviar, then we have one soup, one fish under herb dust. After that, we go onto Wagyu beef tender loin, banana flambee as a dessert. And last but not least a surprise.

Cold soup (Photo: Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi)

Chi: What’s the reason you have introduced these dishes in Hanoi?

Chef: The idea is to combine different ingredients. We use the finest ingredients from Vietnam and France. The first time I arrived in Vietnam, I was amazed by the diversity and quality of the ingredients that you have and I wanted to showcase all that I discovered with the French method in my menu.

Chi: So, let me remind listeners of the menu again. Among the highlights in the à la carte lunch menu is Le Bar, a pan-seared seabass, fish with zucchini caviar, saffron, and succulent duck breast. Meanwhile, the five-course dinner menu showcases Raphael’s signature dishes, including Le Homard & Caviar, vanilla poached lobster with cauliflower chantilly and caviar, and Le Boeuf Wagyu, plus appetizers and salads.

Hey, listeners, what are you waiting for? Why not book a table at Le Beaulieu for authentic French cuisine in an elegant space. I’m sure they won’t disappoint you. Bye bye.