Vietnam’s third largest seat, Danang, gets three-Michelin-starred talent in the form of Michel Roux, OBE. Part of the power duo that brought a fine dining renaissance to Britain in the 1960s, the chef and his brother, Albert Roux, have both been credited for grooming a whole generation of haute cuisine bigs like Marco Pierre White and Gordon Ramsay, all while holding on to three Michelin stars at the Waterside Inn for 25 years.
Now armed with his own Vietnamese outpost, La Maison 1888 at the InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort on an isolated tip of the city’s Tho Quang peninsula, he plans to not only feed foodie devotees in the region with his classic French cuisine and spark a whole new culinary rebirth in Vietnam, but take the concept of gastronomic getaways in the region to all-new levels of greatness. The restaurant recently launched its special Chef’s Table and cooking class experiences at La Maison 1888, offering diners a chance to get up close with the esteemed chef’s handpicked team: Stephane Colliet, Bastien Lhabitant and Stephanie Aubriot – transplanted from The Waterside Inn in the UK – or if you arrive at the right time, Chef Roux himself, who pops by four times a year to maintain and improve standards. Dinners (from US$250) are an intimate eight course affair for up to eight diners, with a decent view of the kitchen and a quick explanation of the proffered dishes by his chefs, including Roux’s Waterside signatures lobster medallions and Grand Marnier soufflé with poached cranberries. The afternoon cooking classes (US$190) are a more hands-on deal with the chefs and Roux, as participants are given an elementary crash course on knife skills, sauce-making techniques, as well as dessert assembly in the making of dishes like duck à l’orange and passionfruit soufflés.
This experience is available to guests at the InterContinental Danang, as well as to walk-ins, though you might want to take advantage of the resort’s proximity to the handsome plantation-style bungalow restaurant, and front row views of the resort’s private beaches from any of the 197 rooms on offer. Natasha Hong
La Maison 1888 InterContinental Sun Peninsula Resort, Bai Bac, Son Tra Peninsula, Danang, Vietnam. (+84 511 393 8888, http:// danang.intercontinental.com). Rates from US$243.