Mandarin keeps it local – and luxurious

Old-world style and contemporary flair distinguish HCM City’s Mandarin Restaurant, a regular haunt of both international dignitaries and lovers of fine cuisine for more than a decade. Vo Le Hong unveils its mysterious charms.
It’s the dining hour at Mandarin, a 200-seat restaurant located in a beautiful villa on a peaceful street in the heart of HCM City.
In the reception area standing around a huge clay pot filled with hundreds of lotus flowers are diners waiting their turn for a seat in the packed restaurant. Nearby is an older man dressed in traditional Vietnamese clothing, practising the art of calligraphy.
Suddenly an operatic sound fills the air – students from the city’s Conservatory of Music are singing with instrumental accompaniment. Several of the guests are then led to the inner dining area as Schubert’s Serenade wafts through the restaurant’s three floors.
Befitting its name, the restaurant has attempted to recreate an imperial style on its three floors, and at its bar and two private rooms, which are all connected by a stylish circular staircase.
The distinctly are Vietnamese touches of silk and dark wood are visible throughout, including embroidered pictures depicting flowers and beautiful women.
‘What is the charm of the Mandarin? Like anything mysterious, a lot of things are hidden, only to be discovered later," said one foreigner who regularly dines at the restaurant.
The restaurant has hosted many VIPs, including US Secretary of State Condoleezaa Rice, former French President Francois Mitterand, the King and Queen of Sweden, and others.
Since opening in 1997, its award-winning chefs have carefully selected a menu with dishes from Ha Noi, Hue and HCM City.
Specialties include steamed rice in lotus leaf, which includes tiny cubes of shrimp, pork, lotus seeds and egg wrapped inside the leaves and petals of the lotus flower. The effect is a contrast in rusticity and royalty.
Other dishes include steamed duck with rice pancakes prepared at your table, grilled beef with coconut milk sauce, sauteed lobster "Emperor" style, and sauteed vegetables and rice in clay pot.
Crepes with candied ginger and hot tea often end one of the restaurant’s sumptuous meals. Set dinner menus cost US$55 each for a minimum of two persons.
The Mandarin belongs to the Oriental Stars Group, which runs and manages Vietnamese restaurants in Ha Noi and HCM City.
Pham Quang Minh, the founder of the group, said: "We are creating one of the most outstanding chains of authentic upscale Vietnamese dining in Indochina."
The current manager is Pierre Vo, who began his tourism and hospitality career in France.
Bich Huong, a physician and the restaurant’s owner, says she can now do what she loves. "I’m passionate about the restaurant and hunt for ideas to give meaningful names to each dish and create interesting arrangements." — VNS