Perfect dining experiences
are all in the moment
When does the moment comes that you know you are dining somewhere really special, out of the ordinary?
For true gourmands, the lovers of the theatre of a restaurant experience, it is in the spaces in between. The few seconds after you are seated by elegantly attired waitstaff, ensconced in a plush chair in front of crisp linen and precisely arranged cutlery. It is that moment when you, ever so briefly, close your eyes and inhale, and give yourself over to what is to come.
This may seem somewhat florid or overstated, but for those who know, you know what I mean.
The Reverie Saigon has over several years deliberately, and with great dedication, built a temple to all of those small moments that make up an extraordinary dining experience.
It is a kind of alchemy, a drawing together elements to make the result something greater than the sum of its parts. By definition, it is a power or process that changes or transforms something in a mysterious or impressive way.
The flagship restaurants of The Reverie Saigon: Da Vittorio Saigon, Cafe Cardinal, and The Royal Pavilion, have drawn together all of these elements. But each starts with a person with a unique vision and talent, to make the preparation and presentation of food something sublime.
The flagship restaurants of The Reverie Saigon: Da Vittorio Saigon, Cafe Cardinal, and The Royal Pavilion, have drawn together all of these elements.
But each starts with a person with a unique vision and talent, to make the preparation and presentation of food something sublime.
Da Vittorio Saigon Executive Chef Matteo Fontana, who himself has a long history of working in Michelin-starred Italian restaurants including the last two years at the flagship Bergamo restaurant, said the care, attention and exploration of culinary themes are kept wide-ranging to please all palates.
“The Da Vittorio approach has developed an impeccable, in-depth knowledge of raw ingredients, and the sophisticated, rigorous techniques used to prepare them,” he said, “and they are combined to result in Italian cuisine that is beautifully presented, simple yet sophisticated, but above all lead to a perceptible crescendo of harmonious flavours.”
At the Royal Pavilion, Chef Lau Yam Chuen was born and raised in Hong Kong, and the city’s culinary culture is part of his DNA.
For more than 30 years he honed his craft in the city’s finest restaurants, including at the Ying Jee Club when it received 2 Michelin stars. Chef Lau’s deep knowledge of Cantonese cuisine and refined style has found the perfect home at The Royal Pavilion.
A celebration of authentic Cantonese fare, the menu at The Royal Pavilion raises the bar with its masterful preparation and exquisite presentations of delicacies such as abalone, sea cucumber and bird’s nest alongside must-haves such as suckling pig, Peking duck, honey-glazed barbeque pork and Hong Kong-style grouper.
Meanwhile, Cafe Cardinal’s Che Paul Pettini is a true student of the culinary arts.
Previously, he was head chef at Jardin Des Sens, a French restaurant by three-star Michelin chefs Jacques and Laurent Pourcel. Over the course of his career Pettini also spent time at Hotel Marinca & Spa by Chef Meilleurs Ouvriers de France (MOF) Jean Luc L’Hourre, and at Michelin-starred restaurant La Bouitte by Chef Rene.
Café Cardinal’s à la carte menu is a tribute to classical French cuisine, albeit with artful, contemporary aesthetics. At breakfast, its marble counters are laden with first-course and dessert selections that are both visually appealing and sumptuous. The restaurant embodies the spirit of an all-day dining menu, with as many as a dozen main courses on offer and made-to-order.
So, what is the denouement of all this? What is our raison d’être? If classic Chinese fine dining is what you desire, then The Royal Pavilion is the epitome of Chinese fine dining, for the Francophile Cafe Cardinal is French fine dining at its most extravagant, and Da Vitorrio Saigon is simply the best restaurant in Vietnam, Italian fine dining in its purest expression.
