(Photo: Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi Hotel)

Chi: Welcome to VOV24/7’s Food Delight. At this time of the year, Hanoi’s gourmets are looking forward to a culinary extravaganza called Culinary Stars, which is held annually in October at the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi Hotel.

Metropole’s Culinary Stars 2018 brings together nine amazing chefs - culinary maestros representing eight Michelin stars. Together with four Accor Hotels chefs, they will take diners on a gastronomic journey rarely experienced in Vietnam. On this occasion, we talked to Paul Mart, Executive Chef at the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi, to see what they’re offering at this year’s event.

Paul: Every year around this time, we invite a whole range of chefs from around the world and we do culinary events ranging from cooking classes and dinners to cheese and wine nights, and a chocolate buffet. We’re gonna do a big brunch, a caviar dinner, and a whisky dinner. So it has different events. 

Chi: This is the most spectacular culinary event held at Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi. What will you showcase from the guest chefs?

Paul: I want to showcase every outlet that we have. I want to showcase the Spices Garden restaurant, where the chefs will create a dish using spices. We want to showcase this beautiful restaurant where we can do magical things. We want to showcase Angelina. We have hints of Scotland in there. If you want a whisky, there’s little hints of Scotland in the bar as well. So we’re going to create a whisky dinner. All the dishes are gonna have hints of different whisky. Another one we want to showcase is the Club Bar. It’s really nice to do fashion shows there. And we’re gonna have our master chocolatier Stephane Bonnat do a nice chocolate selection. We’re gonna  have a fashion show happening at the same time. We want to showcase the ballroom as well, La Veranda. We’re going to do a nice cheese event. We’re going to have more than 30 different cheeses and we’re going to match that with different wines from around the world. We want to showcase the French restaurant, Le Beaulieu. We’re gonna do star food and art. We have a local Vietnamese designer, he will do some live art inside the restaurant during the dinner. On Sunday, we want to showcase a brunch. We have a beautiful area in Le Beaulieu. All the chefs will be doing a live station each. We will have tiger prawns, caviar, lobster, and champagne, as well.

Chi: Metropole Culinary Stars 2018 gathers renowned chefs from around the world. Will you showcase any of your signature dishes on this occasion?

Paul: We’re gonna have a dessert using Vietnamese chocolate with chili and cinnamon. I’m gonna infuse the chocolate with chili. The chocolate is very bitter, then we add chili, not too hot, not too spicy. The cinnamon is gonna combine beautifully with the chocolate and the chili. So, the dessert is chocolate and chili cube with cinnamon and passion fruit sorbet. It’s like festive flavors and smells.

Chi: I bet you have more dishes to offer?

Paul: The second dish that I have, I will do Wagyu Shortrib.  Because it’s for a whisky dinner, I’m gonna slow braise this, so the meat is gonna be really soft, and then I’m gonna smoke it. When you have a barrel of whisky, I’m gonna use the wood to smoke the meat, so you have the taste of whisky smoke and I’m also gonna use whisky in the sauce as well.

Chi: So, a wide range of culinary performances is going on right now at Metropole Culinary Stars 2018 at the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi. Don’t miss this chance or you’ll have to wait until next year. For now, goodbye.