What might a charcoal-grilled pork skewer from a Hanoi street stall bring to a fine-dining table? For Belgian Chef Sylvain Claes and Chapter Dining’s Chef Quang Dũng, the question became part of a wider culinary exchange, one that began among the street-side eateries of Hanoi’s Old Quarter and continued through days of experimentation in Chapter’s kitchen.
On October 28 and 29, 2026, their collaboration culminated in a nine-course tasting menu that drew on Vietnamese food traditions and the chefs’ different approaches to cooking. The two evenings marked the debut of Young Gun Series at Chapter Dining.
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The Young Gun Series Debut
Conceived by Chef Quang Dũng, Young Gun Series brings together young chefs from different culinary backgrounds, united by a curiosity for food and the cultures behind it.
Through each collaboration at Chapter Dining, the chefs explore Hanoi’s culinary traditions while sharing their own techniques, experiences and perspectives in the kitchen.
The first collaboration featured Chef Sylvain Claes, who previously worked as Sous Chef at L’Air du Temps (2 Michelin stars) and Datil (1 Michelin star). His French fine-dining background has shaped his techniques and creative approach, alongside a keen interest in exploring Asian cuisine.
For this collaboration, Chef Sylvain joined Chef Quang Dũng and the Chapter team to explore Northern Vietnamese ingredients through the lens of French culinary techniques. The tasting menu reflects an exploratory approach to cooking, a deep respect for local flavours, and thoughtful attention to every culinary expression.
Discovering Hanoi’s Flavours
Chef Sylvain Claes’s first visit to Vietnam last year left him with lasting impressions of Vietnamese cuisine and a desire to continue his culinary exploration.
Returning to Vietnam this time, Chef Sylvain joined Chef Quang Dũng to explore Hanoi’s street-side eateries, discovering how familiar local dishes are prepared and enjoyed.
Along the streets of Hanoi’s Old Quarter, each stop offered a different insight into the city’s culinary traditions. On Hàng Điếu Street, pork skewers sizzled over glowing charcoal. Chef Quang Dũng encouraged Sylvain to taste the meat before adding the dipping sauce. As they discussed the seasoning, the conversation turned to how this familiar street food might find its place in a tasting menu, perhaps as a starter or a small snack.
On Hàng Vải Street, the lively atmosphere of a local Bia Hơi spot introduced another side of Hanoi’s food culture. Chef Sylvain encountered boiled peanuts, a preparation unfamiliar to him compared with the dried, salted or roasted peanuts he knew in Europe. The conversation then turned to nem chua, fermented pork mixed with pork skin and wrapped in banana leaves, as Chef Quang Dũng explained how this traditional snack was prepared and enjoyed alongside beer.
The exploration also brought the chefs to Hàng Thiếc Street, where garlic-fried duck (ngan cháy tỏi) inspired a closer look at local seasoning and cooking methods. From its marinade of five-spice, garlic, shallot and fish sauce, the conversation moved towards different approaches to preparing the meat. Chef Quang Dũng considered grilling the marinated duck breast to prevent it from drying out, while Chef Sylvain suggested frying it on the crown before removing it from the bone, explaining how this approach could keep the meat tender.
For Chef Sylvain, exploring Hanoi’s street food offered a glimpse into “how Vietnamese people live and eat”, beyond the dishes themselves. The charcoal-grilled pork skewers and garlic-fried duck, in particular, became sources of inspiration for the tasting menu he would develop alongside Chef Quang Dũng and the Chapter team.
Inside Chapter’s Kitchen: Where Techniques Meet Perspectives
Back at Chapter, the flavours and cooking traditions encountered on Hanoi’s streets became part of the chefs’ work in developing the nine-course tasting menu. Chef Sylvain joined Chef Quang Dũng and the Chapter culinary team to test ideas, taste ingredients and refine preparations over the days leading up to the two dinners. Their approaches to cooking shared an affinity for charcoal grilling, smoking and fermentation, techniques Chef Sylvain also uses to bring “deep flavours” to his dishes, drawing on his experience in Michelin-starred kitchens.
The chefs’ shared interest in cooking over fire was reflected in Pork Skewers – Fermented Chilli, inspired by the charcoal-grilled pork skewers they had tasted on Hàng Điếu Street. The beef course offered another opportunity to explore this approach. They considered grilling the meat whole before slicing it, experimenting with a glaze of smoked butter, brown butter and fish sauce. Attention turned to the beef’s crust and moisture, as well as the preparation and presentation of the accompanying tomatoes. The exchange also extended to sauces, as Chef Quang Dũng shared his approach to preparing a brown butter Hollandaise incorporating kimchi juice.
Beyond these shared techniques, the collaboration also encouraged the chefs to reconsider their original ideas. “The menu changed quite a lot,” Chef Sylvain recalled. The fish course, initially conceived as an entirely different dish, was reimagined after he tasted Vietnamese sweet-and-sour fish soup. Chapter’s own menu provided another point of reference. For Cà Mau Crab – Herbs, Chef Sylvain took inspiration from the freshness of the sauce served with Chapter’s Grouper.
The exchange also extended to Chapter’s preparation of duck. Chef Quang Dũng shared the kitchen’s approach to developing crisp skin, explaining how the bird was brined and treated with a maltose-and-vinegar glaze before being hung to dry, briefly grilled and finished in the oven.
From the flavours encountered on Hanoi’s streets to the exchange of techniques and adjustments made in the kitchen, the nine-course tasting menu gradually took shape.
Two Nights of a Collaborative Tasting Menu
On October 28 and 29, the conversations and preparations of the preceding days came together in a nine-course tasting menu, inviting guests on a culinary journey through Vietnamese flavours and the chefs’ different perspectives on cooking.
The evening began with a playful take on daikon, shaped into a delicate cigar and filled with silky cashew cream. This was followed by delicate bouquets of fresh herbs and flowers, paired with a smoked oil emulsion that brought aromatic and smoky notes. The menu then turned to a familiar taste of Hanoi’s streets, with charcoal-grilled pork skewers reinterpreted through a fermented chilli twist.
Vietnam’s coastal flavours found their expression in Cà Mau crab, accompanied by aromatic herbs. Corn was paired with XO sauce and clams, while the catch of the day was gently confited in aromatic oil at 45°C.
Beef took centre stage, grilled over charcoal and finished with a smoked brown butter glaze. Alongside it was a tomato tatin prepared with confit tomatoes. Duck followed, served with eggplant and garlic, its crisp skin developed through brining, drying and roasting.
A dessert of mushrooms, white chocolate and yeast brought Chef Sylvain’s savoury culinary sensibilities to the final course, leaving a lingering sense of intrigue.
A Vision for Culinary Exchange
The nine-course tasting menu served at Chapter on October 28 and 29 took shape through days of exploration, conversation and experimentation. Working alongside one another, Chef Sylvain and the Chapter team brought their different culinary experiences into the kitchen, questioning, adjusting and refining ideas along the way.
The value of this first collaboration lay as much in the exchange itself as in the dishes it produced. Through shared discoveries and different approaches to cooking, the chefs found room to learn from one another and reconsider familiar ideas. In this spirit, Young Gun Series looks forward to becoming a meeting place for young chefs to explore, exchange and create together.
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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
