On June 15, 2025, amidst the inspiring coastal setting of Melia Vinpearl Cam Ranh Beach Resort, three acclaimed restaurants came together for a once-in-a-lifetime dining experience: Taste of Heritage. United by a shared culinary ethos, Chapter Dining, Tales by Chapter, and Muoi Restaurant created a symphony of flavors that paid tribute to Vietnam’s three vibrant culinary regions. Chapter Dining proudly took part in the Taste of Heritage, where salt — the most humble yet powerful of ingredients — became a symbol of connection, memory, and culture.
Table of Contents
- 1 Taste of Heritage – The harmonious connection through salt
- 2 Chapter Dining at the heart of Northern Vietnamese Cuisine
- 3 Tales by Chapter – A vibrant voice in Southern Vietnamese cuisine
- 4 “A Taste That Remains” – Special menu at The Taste of Heritage
- 5 Three restaurants – Two chefs – One unforgettable experience
Taste of Heritage – The harmonious connection through salt
At the heart of the Taste of Heritage lies a quiet, powerful symbol: salt. Humble, enduring, and essential in every Vietnamese kitchen, salt became the guiding flavor that brought together chefs from across the country to celebrate cultural identity through cuisine.
This special evening marked the meeting of Chef Quang Dung from Chapter Dining (from Hanoi – Northern Vietnam) & Tales by Chapter (the first zero waste plant-based dining from Ho Chi Minh City – Southern Vietnam), and Chef Takahisa Erikawa from Muoi Restaurant (at Meliá Vinpearl Cam Ranh – Central Vietnam).
Though each kitchen is shaped by its own geography and philosophy, all three share a commitment to honoring tradition while cooking with purpose. The result was more than just a collaboration. It was a culinary dialogue rooted in respect, sustainability, and storytelling. With every dish, salt is served not just as seasoning, but as a metaphor for unity, heritage, and the deep connections we form through food. That’s why all the chefs came up with the name for the dining menu – A Taste That Remains.
Chapter Dining at the heart of Northern Vietnamese Cuisine
At the Taste of Heritage, Chapter Dining proudly brought the rich culinary heritage of Northern Vietnam to the center stage. Represented by Head Chef Quang Dung and Head Chef Cong Trang, Chapter Dining showcased its signature style — one deeply rooted in Vietnamese tradition, yet expressed through refined contemporary techniques.
Chef Dung, who left his career in banking in 2015 to pursue his culinary dream, founded Chapter Dining in Hanoi to mark a new chapter in his life. Inspired by the comforting flavors of his mother’s home-cooked meals, he set out to elevate Northern Vietnamese cuisine, crafting dishes that speak both to memory and innovation.
Alongside him, Chef Cong Trang — the Northern Vietnamese Culinary Artist at Chapter Dining — brings years of experience from Michelin-starred kitchens around the world. His passion lies in preserving regional authenticity while introducing a modern, artistic flair to native ingredients.
Together, their vision aligned perfectly with the spirit of Taste of Heritage. Paired with salt—the central ingredient of the table — Chapter’s chefs brought in local ingredients from Northern Vietnam, such as Tuyen Quang fragrant water bug and fermented rice, to create a six-course menu that fully captured the culinary essence of Vietnam’s three regions.
Tales by Chapter – A vibrant voice in Southern Vietnamese cuisine
Bringing the richness of Southern Vietnam to the Taste of Heritage, Tales by Chapter added a bold, plant-powered dimension to the culinary experience. As Vietnam’s first zero-waste, plant-based fine dining restaurant, Tales is rooted in a philosophy where nothing goes to waste — from root to leaf, every ingredient is respected and reimagined.
Ingredients are carefully grown on Tales’ secluded farm in Da Lat and on the restaurant’s rooftop garden in Saigon, where chefs personally tend to each herb and vegetable. These elements — pure, seasonal, and thoughtfully cultivated — reflect the essence of daily Vietnamese meals.
At Taste of Heritage, the flavors of the Southwest were brought to life in dishes that embraced the region’s subtle sweetness, perfectly complementing the savory depth of the North and the elegance of Central cuisine presented by Chapter and Muoi Restaurant. Beyond just sustainability, Tales by Chapter stands for authenticity and innovation — preserving the soul of home-style Vietnamese food, while respecting the role of plants and animals in every dish.
Inspired by the rhythms of Vietnam’s coastal life, the special menu titled “A Taste That Remains” was a tribute to patience, craft, and memory, much like the salt crystals slowly forming under the golden sun.
At The Taste of Heritage, each dish told a quiet story from the fishing villages of Central Vietnam: the first light of morning as nets are drawn in, the warm salt fields under the midday sun, the laughter of shared meals at dusk. From humble ingredients — salt, vegetables, and seafood — came flavors full of depth and emotion. Whether it was a broth steeped in the sweetness of the sea or a simple dish elevated through balance and care, each creation honored the hands and heritage behind it.
Across the table, salt became more than a seasoning — it was the spirit of the land, the local people, and the connection that wove Muoi Restaurant, Chapter Dining, and Tales by Chapter into one unified culinary voice.
Three restaurants – Two chefs – One unforgettable experience
What truly set The Taste of Heritage apart was not just the culinary excellence, but the profound alignment in philosophy shared by the three restaurants. United by a deep respect for indigenous ingredients, the precious legacies of nature and local communities, Chapter Dining, Tales by Chapter, and Muoi came together to craft a narrative of Vietnamese cuisine rooted in tradition, yet reimagined for the future.
Each restaurant brought its own identity and flavor to the table. Muoi Restaurant offered a quiet, soulful experience inspired by the Central Coast, with salt as its symbolic core. Chapter Dining showcased the sophistication of Northern Vietnamese cuisine through contemporary techniques. Tales by Chapter introduced a vibrant, plant-based perspective that celebrates the freshness and depth of Southern flavors.
For The Taste of Heritage menu – “A Taste That Remains”, this collaboration between 2 chefs, Quang Dung and Takahisa Erikawa, symbolized a culinary dialogue between North, Central, and South Vietnam, where every region’s flavors were celebrated with equal reverence. Each course brought a fresh interpretation of local ingredients, executed with heritage techniques and a modern touch. The result was not only a feast of flavor but also a celebration of diversity, harmony, and the storytelling power of Vietnamese cuisine.
The Taste of Heritage was more than just a one-night celebration; it was a heartfelt tribute to Vietnam’s rich culinary identity. Through the collaboration between Chapter Dining, Tales by Chapter, and Muoi Restaurant, the event honored regional diversity while spotlighting a unified vision: respecting nature’s gifts. As Chapter Dining continues to explore new ways of expressing Vietnamese cuisine, events like Taste of Heritage remind us that food is not only about flavor — it’s about identity, memory, and the stories we share around the table.
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Chapter Dining
12C Chan Cam, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
Mon – Sat from 18:00 – 23:00
Tel: +84 333 201 221 – Reserve a table
Email: reservation@chapter.vn
