Pommes Soufflées – one of the three starters in the Flourish tasting menu leaves a long- lasting impression. This dish combines local Vietnamese ingredients with premium international touches, creating a harmonious fusion that delights the senses. Discover the full story behind this culinary journey and explore how Chapter Dining crafts an authentic tasting experience.
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Why Was Pommes Soufflées To Begin The Season?
Pommes soufflées, crafted from carefully selected potatoes, were chosen to begin the autumn-winter menu for their delicate texture. Each potato puff applies a precise double-frying technique, resulting in a crisp exterior and tender, airy interior. The filling features local oysters from Quang Ninh, Vietnam, celebrated for their fresh, briny flavor and regional authenticity. Topped with Osetra caviar, the most prized and expensive type, this dish combines elevated luxury with refined simplicity.
This starter highlights seasonal ingredients, creating contrasts in texture, temperature, and flavor for immediate sensory engagement. Served to be enjoyed by hand, the oysters puffed invite diners to interact directly with the dish’s thoughtful composition. Opening the menu with this creation emphasizes both local provenance and meticulous culinary craftsmanship from the very first bite.
The Art of Crafting Unique Pommes Soufflées’s Flavor
Pommes soufflées are a French fried potato, crafted with precision to achieve delicate puffed textures and golden color. Furthermore, thin potato slices, joined using potato starch to ensure even puffing during the cooking process. The slices are fried once at controlled temperature until they expand into light, airy pillows, creating a crisp exterior. This method differs from traditional double frying, highlighting Chapter’s technique that balances texture, flavor, and visual appeal.
Each puff captures subtle sweetness and natural potato flavor, demonstrating the importance of ingredient quality and precise execution. The controlled frying allows the interior to remain tender while the exterior crisps to perfection. By mastering these details, Chapter transforms simple potatoes into one of the first starters with unique, refined flavor and delicate presentation.
Pairing Choices Elevating Culinary Experience
Pommes soufflées alone would not create a complete opening course without pairing seasonal ingredients and luxurious accents. Combining with local oyster cream, prized caviar, and a refined welcome drink, the dish reaches its full sensory potential.
Paired With Local Oyster Cream And Luxury Caviar
Soufflées dominate the plate, presenting crisp exteriors and airy interiors that reveal meticulous craftsmanship and technique. Each delicate puff is crafted from wheat flour, joined with potato starch to ensure even rising and a perfectly consistent texture. The golden pillows offer a subtle, neutral base, allowing additional elements to enhance flavor without overpowering the dish’s essence.
Paired with a local oyster cream, sourced from northern Vietnam, the soufflées gain briny, savory undertones and aromatic complexity. Shallots, garlic, lemongrass, lime leaves, calamansi, cream, and milk turn into a smooth, velvety filling that highlights freshness. A touch of Ossetra caviar crowns the creation, introducing delicate bursts of umami and luxurious depth that contrast the airy pastry. The caviar, prized for its buttery richness and golden hue, complements the puffs while emphasizing precision and ingredient quality.
Refined Welcome Drinks
Our refined welcome drink features Shan Tuyet green tea from Hoang Su Phi, carefully cold-brewed to reduce caffeine naturally. This rare tea, harvested from high-altitude tea gardens, offers delicate vegetal notes and subtle floral undertones unique to the northern region. Additionally, fresh passion fruit puree and green apple juice add light acidity, balancing the tea’s gentle sweetness and enhancing overall refreshment.
The drink’s bright, crisp flavors prepare the palate, complementing and highlighting the textures of the upcoming soufflées. Served chilled, the green tea mimosa awakens taste buds without overwhelming, ensuring diners fully appreciate the delicate oyster cream filling.
The combination emphasizes seasonal freshness, regional provenance, and thoughtful balance between acidity, vegetal notes, and subtle sweetness. Enjoying this welcome drink first provides a gentle, uplifting introduction.
Pommes Soufflées Through Diners’ Eyes
From the moment I arrived, the staff welcomed me warmly, introducing the Flourish menu with thoughtful explanations. To be honest, they described the twelve small courses in detail, emphasizing seasonal ingredients and the chef’s inspiration behind each creation. The first course, golden pommes soufflées, arrived beautifully plated, crisp exterior gleaming and inviting immediate curiosity and anticipation. Local northern oysters blended into velvety cream and topped with luxurious Osetra caviar added delicate briny and umami layers to the puff.
The refined welcome drink, a green tea mimosa with Shan Snow tea, passion fruit, and green apple, is chilled and perfectly balanced. The server explained the techniques behind each dish, the story of the ingredients, and guidance on how to enjoy every bite and sip harmoniously.
The serving pace suited each diner, allowing us to savor textures, temperatures, and subtle flavors without feeling rushed or overwhelmed. I noticed how each dish and drink built upon the previous one, awakening the palate and highlighting contrasts in freshness, richness, and acidity. By the time I finished the twelve courses, I felt pleasantly satisfied and comfortably full, avoiding the lingering hunger often found in other fine dining experiences. I will definitely be returning, and the soufflées remains an absolute must-try that opens the menu exquisitely.
Pommes Soufflées opens the menu with a delicate balance of crisp texture, velvety oyster cream, and luxurious Osetra caviar. Every element of the service, from timing to staff guidance, enhances the tasting journey, making the experience unforgettable. Experience Chapter Dining yourself, where fine dining meets northern Vietnamese flavors in seasonal Flourish menu.
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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
