VietNam Breaking News

Chef Nguyễn Ngọc Quyên

One of the best sellers in the Mövenpick Hotel Hanoi’s Coffee Cuisine menu in March 2020 is now available again for a limited time, until the end of May. The highlight of the dish is the signature taste of espresso beautifully heightening the fatty flavour of the tuna fillet.

Ingredients:

– Tuna fillet: 320 gr, cut into 8 cubes weighing 10 gr each

– Soy sauce: 8 cl

– Sesame oil: 4 cl

– White sesame oil: 1 tsp.

– Avocados: 2

– Fresh ginger: 20 gr

– Limes: 2

– Small pepper: 1

– Fresh coriander: 1 bunch

– Thai spring onions: 2

– Cream quark: 200 gr

– Chilli peppers: 4

Sweet potato cakes

– Sweet potato: 400 gr

– Egg yolk: 4 gr

– Cream: 8 cl

– Salt: ½ tsp.

– Black pepper and rapeseed oil

– Movenpick Ristretto syrup: 4 cups

– Sugar: 20 gr

Tuna poke with sweet espresso reduction

Method:

1. Remove the flesh from the avocados, drizzle with lime juice and cut into fine cubes.

2. Dice the pepper and add to the avocado with the chopped coriander, season with salt and pepper.

3. Marinate the tuna fillet with soy sauce, sesame oil, fresh grated ginger, and lime zest, sprinkle with the white sesame oil and finely chopped Thai spring onions.

4. Stir the cream quark to ensure it is smooth and fills a glass, add the avocado tartare, top with the tuna poke, decorate with a red chilli pepper, and drizzle with the ristretto syrup.

5. For the cakes, peel and finely grate the sweet potatoes, squeeze out any moisture and combine the potatoes with egg yolk and cream, season with sea salt and pepper.

6. Form small cakes and fry in hot rapeseed oil until crispy.

7. The dish goes well with a mixed leaf salad with cherry tomatoes, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, and freshly ground black pepper.

Tuna poke with sweet espresso reduction is available as part of the “Best of the best” special menu at Mangosteen Restaurant, Mövenpick Hotel Hanoi, 83A Ly Thuong Kiet.

For reservations, please call +84 (24) 3822 2800, ext. 2.

Hà Thị Phượng is one of only two female Vietnamese referees to have passed the rigorous physical and rules tests to officiate games in V.League 2 2021, which kicked off last month. It was a history-making achievement, and the first time professional Vietnamese football featured female assistant referees. She spoke with Thanh Nga.

RUNNING THE LINE: Referee Hà Thị Phượng. Photo vietnamnet.vn

Inner Sanctum : You made history by being one of the first two women to be assistant referees in professional football in Việt Nam. How does it feel?

I’m happy to be one of the first two female assistant referees in the men’s league. All referees need to stay updated with the rules and be ready when the time comes. I’d like to thank the referees board at the Việt Nam Football Federation (VFF) and the Việt Nam Professional Football Joint Stock Company (VPF) for placing their trust in female referees and creating the conditions for us to officiate in the men’s league.

As one of the pioneers, I want to say to all aspiring female referees — we can do more than we think if we have discipline, effort, and passion. I believe you can do it.

Inner Sanctum : Can you tell us about yourself?

I was born in 1986, and graduated from the football department at the Bắc Ninh University of Physical Education and Sports.

I currently work at the Hải Phòng Football Club and referee for the VFF. I became a FIFA referee in 2015 and a FIFA elite referee in 2017.

Inner Sanctum : Obviously you love football. Why did you choose to pursue a career in the game?

You might say that becoming a referee was preordained. While I was still at the Bắc Ninh University, in 2006, the VFF organised an elementary class for aspiring referees. At first, it felt like a fun thing to do, but then I fell in love with it. I’ve now been a referee for more than 10 years.

Inner Sanctum : You almost became the first female referee to officiate a men’s game in Việt Nam last year. Do you regret it didn’t happen?

A little. I was prepared physically but not mentally. It was the first time I had participated in a major refereeing test, and I was the only woman. My nerves got the better of me in the final part of the test.

IN SHAPE: Phượng (left) taking part in a physical strength test. Photo anhp.vn

Inner Sanctum : Which women’s football tournaments have you refereed at?

I have refereed at national women’s football tournaments such as the U16, U19, National Cup, and National Championship.

Regionally, I’ve officiated at the AFF U15 Women’s Championships, the AFF U16 Women’s Championships, the AFF U19 Women’s Championships, and AFF Cup. I also took part in the AFC U16 Championships, the AFC U19 Championships, Asian Cup qualifiers, Olympic qualifiers, and Asian Games 18.

Inner Sanctum: What is the difference between refereeing a women’s match and a men’s match?

Men’s matches are more difficult. I have to be in good physical shape and be assertive for the whole 90 minutes.

OUT & ABOUT: Phượng away from the football pitch. Photo courtesy of Hà Thị Phượng

Inner Sanctum : The men were apparently excited to have a female referee. How did you feel?

Everything feels new the first time. But I actually felt quite comfortable and didn’t feel much pressure. Now it seems normal.

Inner Sanctum : What do you think about female referees in particular and women’s sports in general?

Women referees and women’s sports are both at a disadvantage compared to their male counterparts. In addition to maintaining fitness and performance, it is also about life. Married men still play professionally, but it can be a problem for women. But if we are really passionate, it can be done.

Inner Sanctum : Women generally want to be beautiful. Are you afraid that being a referee will affect your beauty?

No. Whatever field you work in, you need to take care of yourself. Many women in the sports industry are modern and stylish. VNS

IN PREPARATION: Dr Nguyễn Lý Thịnh Trường goes through Quốc Thiên’s medical records. VNA/VNS Photo Minh Sơn

By Minh Sơn

The hardest time in the lives of the young couple may never have ended if their infant child didn’t survive that afternoon.

At about 3pm one day last February, Đỗ Văn Lượng, 35, from the northern province of Bắc Giang, clung tightly to his four-day-old son for the final time before leaving him with the medical staff.

In just a few minutes, his son, Quốc Thiên, would enter into a life and death struggle at the National Children’s Hospital (NCH).

He was ready for Transposition of the Great Arteries (TGA) surgery, one of the most complicated heart operations, especially for new-borns.

The infant had a heart deformity related to the arterial stem, a particularly dangerous condition for infants when not treated in time.

HOLDING TIGHT: Đỗ Văn Lượng and his four-day-old son Quốc Thiên just before the surgery. VNA/VNS Photo Minh Sơn

Dr Nguyễn Lý Thịnh Trường, director of the Heart Centre (CHC) at the NCH, and his colleagues carefully prepared for the surgery and were ready to do everything to save the little boy.

The father said that although he was upset and anxious, he felt relieved after being told that the operation would be conducted by a team headed by one of the leading doctors in children’s heart surgery.

He learned that Dr Trường is an expert in handling rare cases like his son.

Little Thiên was diagnosed with TGA disease when he was still in his mother’s womb, and Lượng had come down to Hà Nội from Bắc Giang with his wife to the National Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

His wife was yet to see their child, as he had been immediately taken to the NCH.

WATCHFUL EYE: A nurse cares for Thiên just before he enters the operating room. VNA/VNS Photo Minh Sơn

Although he had handled many such cases, this was only perhaps the second time he had seen such a condition.

“This case was especially difficult,” he said. “A deviation of only one-third or half a millimetre will affect his life, because the coronary artery’s job is to supply almost all of the heart’s blood.”

According to the doctor, the diameter of a coronary artery in a new-born is only about 1-1.5mm, which is not even visible to the naked eye, so doctors use a magnifying glass to perform the surgery. The permissible deviation is only about 0.2-0.5mm.

TOGETHER AS ONE: A 10-member surgical team – including five doctors and five nurses – perform the surgery. VNA/VNS Photo Minh Sơn

There are hundreds of patients needing TGA surgery as soon as possible, but Dr Trường said Thiên’s case was difficult since the position of the coronary artery was abnormal.

Most babies in this condition undergo TGA surgery within their first month of life, but there are some who need it within two weeks.

“If the surgery is successful, the baby will go on to lead a normal life,” the doctor said.

However, he added, it was important to take special care of such children and attend periodic examinations, as patients with other congenital heart diseases must do. A few patients will need a second operation at some point in their lives.

UNDERWAY: A moment during the operation. VNA/VNS Photo Minh Sơn

TGA is a serious heart defect that occurs before birth. It causes a change in the blood circulation throughout the body, resulting in a lack of oxygen in the blood when it leaves the heart. The little patients may face severe complications or even death if not diagnosed and treated quickly.

“Arterial transfer disease may be found before birth or from the first hours to weeks after birth,” Dr Trường said, adding that this was the 581st TGA surgery performed at the NCH. “It is a complicated and serious congenital heart disease that often requires surgery in the first month after birth.”

“If not detected in time, 80-90 per cent of babies will die in the first year. And they cannot undergo surgery after they are two or three months old.”

SUCCESS: The operation concludes after more than five hours. VNA/VNS Photo Minh Sơn.

The doctor has made a significant contribution to the success of the CHC in treating children’s heart conditions.

Since 2016, when he became director of the centre, the number of heart surgeries has nearly tripled, from about 500 to 1,453 a year. More than 30 per cent of those are performed by Dr Trường.

At times he may perform four such surgeries in a single day, with him finally putting the scalpel down well into the evening.

A report from the NCH put its success rate for surgery on complicated congenital heart disease at over 93 per cent. Doctors performed 60 surgeries last year on patients suffering these types of heart defects, with a success rate of 96.7 per cent.

It is an encouraging rate for Việt Nam and even outpaces the figure of 90 per cent in other Southeast Asian countries like Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand.

The CHC performed surgery on about 1,660 patients last year, of which 1,650 had complex heart defects.

Prior to 2010, a majority of paediatric patients with such defects died, as surgery in Việt Nam was impossible and heading overseas wasn’t an option for most people.

Recent figures show that the rate of children with cardiovascular disease in Việt Nam is about 1-1.5 per cent. Of these, 60 per cent need surgical intervention, and 80 per cent of those go on to lead a healthy life. Surgery is the only treatment for complicated congenital heart disease, because without direct intervention the risk of death within the first week of life is about 30 per cent and almost 100 per cent within a year.

The surgical process is divided into several stages and include the administration of anaesthesia, stopping the heartbeat, running an artificial heart machine, the actual surgery, and then active resuscitation.

Dr Trường said making the heart stop beating is the most difficult, as even the smallest of mistakes can have terrible consequences.

To ensure the heart functions as normal post-operation, doctors must relocate both the aorta and the pulmonary artery. The most complex part is repositioning the coronary arteries, which are only about 0.5mm in diameter, meaning absolute precision is needed.

Other heart defects are also addressed during the surgery.

About a decade ago, TGA struck fear into the parents of new-borns diagnosed with the condition.

Now, though, at the CHC, the disease can be treated effectively thanks to talented surgeons, advancements in diagnosis and treatment, and, especially, the centre’s post-surgery care.

A complex operation such as TGA now takes four or five hours, whereas in the past it was anywhere between half a day or even more than a day.

Not only little Thiên but also hundreds or even thousands of other new-borns suffering from congenital heart diseases will survive in the future, thanks to advancements in medicine and healthcare in Việt Nam.

The TGA surgeries performed at the CHC affirm that the professionalism of Vietnamese doctors and medical staff is at least the equal of those in the region and the world, filling people with confidence that even the most severe condition can now be treated right here at home. VNS

UNIQUE SUBJECT: A scene from ‘Yêu Hơn Cả Bầu Trời’ – a rare work depicting Việt Nam’s Air Force. Photo vnreview.vn

While cinemas are facing problems attracting audiences due to the impact of COVID-19, TV series have started to dominate, with the return of many well-known actors and with a large number of viewers sitting down in front of their TV screens.

A variety of TV series projects have been launched already this year and many others continue to be aired, creating a playground for actors to show off their abilities and shine.

With just four episodes, Yêu Hơn Cả Bầu Trời (Love More Than the Sky) from the Việt Nam Television Film Centre (VFC) was broadcast during the first days of the Lunar New Year, a good start for a TV series to boom in 2021.

DIFFERENT PERFORMANCE: Phương Oanh in ‘Hương Vị Tình Thân’. Photo vnreview.vn

The series stirred the audience’s affections and emotions due to its beautiful shots. It was a rare work about the Vietnamese Air Force in modern times.

Director Nguyễn Khải Anh says that in addition to honouring the Air Force, the series emphasises familial love, love between a man and a woman, and love for teachers and comrades.

With many beautiful scenes shooting in the air about the sea, sky, and the flights with characters featuring the life of the young full of cheers but sometimes conflicts and pressures.

After 2020, viewers have the chance to admire the progress of series such as Hướng Dương Ngược Nắng (Sunflowers against Sunlight) and Trở Về Giữa Yêu Thương (Back to Love). The two films have won favour among viewers of different ages and interests, including young people.

FAMILY STUDY: The film ‘Hẹn Em Ngày Nắng’. Photo vtv.vn

According to the VFC, viewers will enjoy a number of attractive TV series this year, especially those about psychosocial issues.

The dominance of TV series about love and family in past times encouraged the VFC to continue pursuing such themes.

Director Nguyễn Danh Dũng, who had great success with the series Về Nhà Đi Con (Come Home, My Dear) during 2019-2020, again promises to bring surprises to the audience with his new project Hương Vị Tình Thân (The Savour of Friendship), which has more than 100 episodes.

With filming beginning last October, Hẹn Em Ngày Nắng (See You on a Sunny Day) also attracted the public’s attention when it revealed information about the cast and the features of some characters.

It depicts family issues and is from director Bùi Quốc Việt, with youthful and amazing young actors such as Hà Việt Dũng, Quỳnh Kool, Công Dương, Quang Anh, and Bảo Hân.

Besides young faces, veteran actors such as People’s Artist Trọng Trinh and Nguyệt Hằng also contributed lively performances.

COUNTRY SETTING: ‘Mùa Hoa Tìm Lại’ (Flower Season Regained) – a psychological film with a rural theme. Photo vnreview.vn

Though only a few trailers have been revealed, Mùa Hoa Tìm Lại (Flower Season Regained) — a psychological film directed by Vũ Minh Trí — also promises to heat up TV screens because of its rural theme, which is recognised as a strength of the VFC.

The series brings together a group of beloved young actors such as Thanh Hương, Mạnh Hưng, and Hương Giang.

Chance to shine

With many TV show projects already announced and many others on the way, viewers will have the opportunity to enjoy the acting of many young faces from the north.

In Hương Vị Tình Thân , they will see a completely different Phương Oanh from her previous roles in Quỳnh Búp Bê (Quỳnh the Doll) and Cô Gái Nhà Người Ta (Their Girl). Trailers reveal that Oanh’s character has a strong personality and a bit of manliness.

Another actor who has been playing different roles and is loved by audiences is Mạnh Trường. In 2020, Trường underwent a transformation, playing many different characters, from a serious and upright prosecutor in Sinh Tử (Life or Death), to a cunning businessman in Tình Yêu và Tham Vọng (Love and Ambition) and an engineer in Hồ Sơ Cá Sấu (The Crocodile File).

His roles in new series this year are being eagerly awaited by viewers.

RECURRING THEMES: Love and family have dominated TV series over the last two years. Photo thegioidienanh.vn

TV series have seen the impressive return of famous actors such as Quách Thu Phương and Võ Hoài Nam after a dozen years away from the small screen.

As one of the most popular TV actors today, Hồng Đăng says there was a time when he wanted to quit acting. “That was back in the 2000s when drama series weren’t as developed as they are now,” he says.

According to director Nguyễn Mai Hiền, the topics of love, family, and crime have not “cooled down” this year. But to gain the same success as Về Nhà Đi Con , Hoa Hồng trên Ngực Trái and Sinh Tử , new series must have scripts with deep contents reflecting all angles of life and with great acting.

People’s Artist Thu Hà and two other famous female actors — Vân Dung and Quách Thu Phương — confide that they chose to return to TV series because of a desire to renew themselves and be more creative in roles that are different from what they’ve done previously.

Excellent Artist Minh Vượng says it is important to have new faces in TV series but they should understand each other and be united.

“The previous generation will be ready to offer strong support playing different roles,” she says.

Meanwhile, in the south, many production companies are making TV series with old themes. Senior elite artist Nguyễn Phương Điền says he is directing Lưới Trời (Sky Net), a series set in the south during 1940-1950. Director Nhâm Minh Hiền and the Mega GS Cinemas Co have invested in the series Vợ Quan (Mandarin’s Wife).

Taking advantage of the popularity of themes surrounding family, director Võ Thạch Thảo is presenting Cây Táo Nở Hoa (The Apple Tree in  Blossom), a series starring Nhã Phương, Thúy Ngân, Song Luân, and Trương Thế Vinh.

As a viewer loyal to soap operas, Nguyễn Thanh Hương in Hà Nôi’s Hoàng Mai District, says that TV series have become diverse and more appealing.

“In addition to the topics of love and family, TV series with characters like judges, doctors, pilots, and border guards are bringing a fresh perspective and excitement to viewers,” she says. VNS

Minh Phương & Vân Nguyễn

You’d be hard-pressed to find a child anywhere in the world who didn’t grow up playing with LEGO.

Coloured bricks of all shapes and sizes, neatly stacked together to create all kinds of models. Houses, cars, aeroplanes … you name it, you can probably build it.

One local man has taken his love of LEGO to a whole new level.

In a room in Đặng Huy Hoàng’s Hà Nội home are tiny bricks stacked from floor to ceiling, all neatly organised in hundreds of separate draws.

He estimates his collection at around 2 million pieces, and he has created many models with a Vietnamese twist.

“I first played with LEGO when I was young, after my family bought small LEGO models for me,” said Hoàng, an industrial designer by trade.

“I studied design, and LEGO is an outstanding product in the design sector. So I started to buy more and seriously create LEGO models.”

BEYOND A HOBBY: Đặng Huy Hoàng has more than 2 million LEGO bricks in his collection. VNS Photo Vân Nguyễn

“I have categorised all of the bricks based on their functionality.”

“Some are used to build walls, while others are used for added details. So they are sorted by what they can be used for.”

The first model Hoàng built about Việt Nam was a Vietnamese fishing boat. The model was featured in the book The Art of LEGO Scale Modelling” and received a lot of attention from the international LEGO community.

“I made it six or seven years ago,” he said. “At that time, there were a few incidents involving fishing boats at sea. So I decided to build this model to support the Vietnamese spirit.”

“It took me quite a lot of time to finish. The most time-consuming stage was searching for the right details.”

“For example, the clothes hangers, which are at the front of the boat, are in the Scala production line that was produced in the 1990s. It’s quite rare and really hard to find.”

Hoàng was recently inspired by Việt Nam’s architecture and has created a number of buildings from the bricks.

“I created the first architectural model of Hà Nội two years ago. It was the front of an old French villa,” he said.

“I now have four models in my Vietnamese architecture collection. I have captured scenes that people can spot everywhere in Hà Nội, such as vendor stalls or temples.”

His grandfather’s stall, a temple in Hà Nội’s Old Quarter, or a 1990s living room during Tết (the Lunar New Year holiday), which are all part of his childhood, have been intricately built to make sure every minute detail is captured.

MEMORIES MADE: A 1990s living room during the Lunar New Year festival inspired by Hoàng’s own childhood home. VNS Photo Minh Phương

“One model was inspired by the living room in my home in the 1990s when I was small,” he explained. “All of the equipment in the house was assembled from very tiny pieces.”

“For example, a TV was not available, so was created from many other details, such as a window frame or even the rings of a character in the Lord of the Rings model.”

“The model that was the most time-consuming was a temple with a banyan tree sprouting from its walls.”

DEVIL IN THE DETAIL: A model of a temple with a banyan tree sprouting from its wall was the most time-consuming of Hoàng’s creations. VNS Photo Vân Nguyễn

“Trees are difficult to create with LEGO because the pieces are mostly square in shape.”

“It’s easy to make straight lines but hard to make curves.”

Almost all of his models are of ancient buildings. So to add to their historical value, he seeks out old items.

“To give a model some historical values, I try to find old pieces produced in the 1980s or 1990s and not currently available,” he said.

“Việt Nam’s LEGO creators are still few in number — maybe 10 nationwide — and little known around the world.”

“Creating our own LEGO models is a new hobby. Normally, people tend to buy models from a shop to assemble.”

“But LEGO really has the ability to create something beyond existing models, simply based on the creator’s imagination.”

Hoàng hopes his work can help spread Vietnamese culture and build a positive image of the country worldwide.

“At first, making LEGO models was just my hobby,” he said.

“But when international friends found out about my models, I was very happy, and I really hope that these models can contribute to spreading an image of Hà Nội and Việt Nam in general to the world.”

“And I hope that, in the future, international LEGO creators will have the chance to come here to visit and see the models for themselves.”  VNS

History of LEGO

LEGO was created in 1932 by a carpenter, Ole Kirk Christiansen, in Denmark. In 1949, LEGO produced its first plastic bricks — precursors to its signature interlocking bricks.

Five interesting facts about LEGO

1. The name “LEGO” comes from the first two letters of the Danish words LEG GODT, meaning “play well”.

2. The biggest and most expensive commercial LEGO set comes from the Star Wars universe — Star Wars Millennium Falcon .

3. The amount of LEGO bricks sold in a year would reach around the world more than five times.

4. You can make an actual house using LEGO bricks.

5. The tallest LEGO tower in the world was built in Milan in 2015 and is over 34.47 metres tall.

By Thúy Hằng

Designed by starchitect Bill Bensley and inspired by the capital’s iconic Hà Nội Opera House just nearby, the newly opened Capella Hanoi is sure to amaze all with its glamour. Like many other guests, during my first visit to its restaurant for brunch one recent Sunday, I was overwhelmed by the lavish theatrical design that transports people back to the 1920s and the “heyday” of opera and performance.

The restaurant, called Backstage, contributes a great deal to the “turning-back-time” feel, and we all had fun during the brunch, which on that day was called “Diva’s Brunch”.

Our arrival was announced by a camera flash from a cheeky mural portraying paparazzi on the hunt for celebrities. Needless to say, we felt quite excited by the idea of being VIPs as we walked down the hallway.

BACKSTAGE AT BACKSTAGE: Chefs cooking up a storm in the open kitchen. Photo courtesy of Capella Hanoi

Like everywhere else inside Capella Hanoi, every detail at Backstage, from the furniture to the lighting, was custom designed by Bill Bensley.

The brasserie is adorned with trunks, costumes, stage props, vintage gowns, and wooden shoe moulds that make it resemble a space where actors may gather before and after a show.

Backstage boasts black marble floors, lots of mirrors, and a cage-like structure of brass bars that lines the walls and behind which musical instruments and props are displayed.

ALL THAT’S FIT TO EAT: The menu resembles a vintage newspaper. VNS Photo Thúy Hằng

Designed like a vintage newspaper and stating “As the overture begins, you can start your culinary experience here in Backstage”, the menu features a host of dishes that guarantee a memorable experience for any connoisseur.

The brunch was in the concept of a semi-buffet, with some dishes on display and others served at your table.

We started by sampling a piece of the creative and freshly baked pickle bread, which bore a light scent of sour pickles – a popular part of Vietnamese meals.

For the “Overture”, we tasted the “Capella Garden” – a fresh assorted salad of grilled baby zucchini, heirloom carrots, asparagus, and compressed cucumbers with a tomato and basil consommé. The “Chef Salad”, featuring white chicken, banana blossom, smoked fish, trout roe, basil and lime leaves, and coconut cream sauce reminded me of dishes from Viêt Nam’s neighbour, Thailand.

OCEAN’S GIFT: The ‘Raw Bar’ counter features a large selection of premium seafood. Photo courtesy of Capella Hanoi

The “Raw Bar” seafood counter, meanwhile, displayed a large selection of premium gifts of the sea, from lobsters, oysters, and King prawns to green lip mussels and Alaska King crabs. All were as fresh as can be and retained the natural savour of shellfish.

The Diva’s Brunch also featured a “Charcuterie Board”, presenting Jamon Iberico Cebo, Camembert flavoured square sausage, chorizo, Milano & Napoli salami, natural ham, and mini salami sticks.

For those who prefer a liquid starter is a choice of Bouillabaisse Soup, Pumpkin Velouté, and Curried Cauliflower Soup.

I was full already when the “Main Act” arrived. Among several scrumptious offerings prepared from poultry, beef, fish, pork ribs, and lobsters, we went with the “Slow Cooked Wagyu Beef Cheek”.

The meat was super tender and melted in the mouth. The Phú Quốc green pepper and coconut sauce were the perfect accompaniment, adding to its wonderful flavour.

Among the choices for the “Main Act” are also vegetarian dishes such as Vegan Tortellini and Crispy Bean Curd Skin.

ON STAGE: A dancer presents a Moulin Rouge-style performance. VNS Photo Thúy Hằng

While we were enjoying the food, a dancer presented a Moulin Rouge-style performance nearby. The eyes of every guest at the restaurant fell upon her, as all chatting and eating ceased and photos and filming began.

In the middle of the meal, we were invited to try another cocktail inspired by Puccini’s opera Madame Butterfly . Just like the tragic tale of a young Japanese woman who falls in love with an American naval officer, the cocktail was bittersweet, and served in a small Japanese-style tea bowl.

TALE TOLD: The Sarah Bernhardt cookies and macarons on the dessert trolley. VNS Photo Thúy Hằng

The dessert, fittingly called “The Finale”, was brought to us by the pastry chef, pushing a small trolley carrying several types of sweet treats. Now well and truly full, we chose one of each from a selection of macarons, lemon meringue, Japanese matcha tart, chocolate mousse, and other delights.

We were all curious to taste the Sarah Bernhardt cookies – a truffle-like cookie with an almond macaroon base, chocolate buttercream filling, and a coating of melted chocolate. The pastry was created by a Copenhagen pastry chef as tribute to the French actress, Sarah Bernhardt, on her visit to Copenhagen in 1911 to mark the publication of her memoir in Danish. It’s always great to learn something new.

PLEASING PERFUME: A cocktail inspired by legendary couturière Coco Chanel. VNS Photo Thúy Hằng

Just as we were about to finish our sumptuous brunch, a waitress came to our table with cocktail glasses on her tray, together with … a bottle of Chanel No 5. While placing the glasses on the table, she revealed the drink’s artistry – inspired by the legendary couturière Coco Chanel. This is why the perfume is sprayed on the wrists of guests, to enhance their feeling about the drink and the tale behind it.

The glass was wrapped in a leather cover and accompanied by a small box of caviar. Though that may sound weird, it is in fact a perfect match as the caviar is processed into tiny ruby-coloured and rose-scented balls. VNS