Didier Corlou is one of the few special chef that has the ability to create new dishes by amalgamating French ingredients with Vietnamese tastes. Opened in 2007, La Verticale was ranked one of the top 100 world best new restaurants by Conde Nast magazine in 2008.
The former executive chef of Sofitel Metropole hotel has more than 35 years of culinary experiences. La Verticale, Madam Hien and DC Bistro Boutique are his notable cooking arena in Hanoi.
La Verticale was housed in a four story French villa located behind the French Embassy.
At the ground floor, you will be dazzled by all sorts of condiments, ranging from sea salt to bowls of loose star anise.
Located on the first floor, the dining room was tastefully decorated with less than 15 dining tables.
Didier Corlou's homemade condiments.
Amuse bouche - Scallop + vinegar fish drink + cucumber
Grilled scallop - The scallop was cooked to perfection with truffle vermouth adding depth and taste to the bivalve.
Chili Salt - Playfully briny with a spicy kick. These tiny red chili are sourced from Center Vietnam and you can bring it home for US$3.5 per 25g.
Clam soup infused with lemon grass (bottom) and watercress soup (above) layered with dry rice and some condiments. Both soups were creamy and yummy.
Flowery Clams - Artichoke pluck with venus clams, extra flat nem and halong curry. The clams were a tad overcooked, making it rather chewy.
Red Tuna - The red meat was acidulated with passion fruit and lemongrass before hitting the grilling pan. The finish product was rather interesting with sweet and sour notes.
Lobster - This sea giant was fresh, infused with vanilla and turmeric
Foie Gras with Dalat wine, accompanied by Hanoi 5 spices, pears and figs. The foie gras was absolutely gorgeous!
Muscovy Duck stuck between a succulent foie gras and baguette. Meaty, fatty and totally satisfying!
Chocolate cake topped with vanilla ice cream and grated cinnamon.
Puff pastry laced with heaps of chocolate sauce and roasted almonds.
I was totally smitten by this cheerful passion fruit in warm clafoutis. The Halong curry ice cream sung beautifully with the tutti fruity soup.
Smitten Dishes:
1. Foie Gras of duck with Dalat wine
2. Muscovy Duck
3. Passion Fruit in Warm Clafoutis
Verdict : TOTALLY SMITTEN
La Verticale
Address: No. 19 Ngo Van St. Hanoi
Telephone: 04 3944 6317
Opening hours: 11am to 2 pm, 6pm to 930pm.
Smitten Dishes:
1. Foie Gras of duck with
3. Passion Fruit in Warm Clafoutis
Verdict : TOTALLY SMITTEN
La Verticale
Address: No. 19 Ngo Van St. Hanoi
Telephone: 04 3944 6317
Opening hours: 11am to 2 pm, 6pm to 930pm.
Halong curry ice cream?!? wow! sounds like something exciting for the taste buds! :D love the exterior of the building too...
ReplyDeleteAnd is not spicy at all! It was sweet and delicious.
DeleteI am so impressed with the variety of food as well as the plating. I can understand why this restaurant is among the 100 top. All the ambience is very mesmerising and thats a very creative curry ice-cream.
ReplyDeleteThe food was really good, I really enjoyed it. I managed to catch a glimpse of the chef too!
Deletewahhh.. i c lobster ....
ReplyDeleteyummy.. u do eat around when u r in vietnam huh...
all the food so delicious...
I usually do a lot of research before my trip. Don't really like to waste time and precious calories. =D
DeleteI love how the dishes have a little local touch in them! I'd probably go crazy and buy all the condiments! :P
ReplyDeleteYes! I bought the chili salt!
DeleteI like the different serving dishes for each course.
ReplyDeleteMe too =)
Deletefirst time seeing a 4 storey restaurant here :) that must be really exquisite dining :)
ReplyDeleteLatest: Freshest Sashimi Ever
Most of the building there are tall and narrow =)
DeleteLooks appetizing! Home made condiments certainly made it stood out from other restaurants!
ReplyDeleteyes yes... they have a lot of very interesting condiments, wish i could bring them back.
DeleteWith so few dining tables, is booking essential before going??
ReplyDeleteYes.. pls book before you go =)
DeleteHanoi is such a haven of delicious food...I love Square On Resto too. I have to visit La Verticale very soon. Yum!
ReplyDeleteHope you will enjoy it as much as I did.
DeleteNice Nice Nice!!! Special! thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteLatest: 22 years old [Happy Birthday]
You are most welcome :)
Deletewow fine dining! the puffpastry looks good :)
ReplyDeleteLatest: Of Latest Hit: Sesame Ramen
The puff pasty was so so, but we still enjoyed it =)
DeleteLooks yummy! Just arrived in Hanoi and was googling about La Verticale and found your blog. Did you have the 7 course taster menu or did you order a la carte?
ReplyDeleteHello Derrick, sorry for the late reply, just got back from HK. I did the 7 course tasting menu with wine. The wine was so -so, nothing fantastic, you should just go for the tasting menu instead. =)
DeleteScrumptious, delicate meal, lovely room, wonderful understated service. Great recommendation from our travel service, Signatures of Asia. Wish there was a Didier Corlou restaurant in Washington DC. Wine was perfect as well. Where can I get the wine list.
ReplyDelete