Chef Thảo Na: “Cooking Preserves Memories and Gives People Something to Believe In”

Chef Thảo Na, co-founder of Maison Des Rêves Saigon, welcomed us with warmth on a cool autumn afternoon. Following a green-lined path, a bright yet gentle space gradually opened before us. Every detail in the kitchen and garden had clearly been tended with care.

The Serendipities That Opened the Way

From a young age, Thảo Na nurtured her love for food through the dishes her mother cooked for family gatherings. She never imagined she would one day become a chef specializing in European cuisine, because Vietnamese and Asian flavors were the paths she thought she would follow. Yet chance led her to France and to Western cooking. She became a chef at a major hotel in Paris, spending twelve years she still calls the happiest of her life.

During that time, she devoted herself entirely to her culinary career and never felt lonely, surrounded as she was by a close-knit group of fellow Vietnamese. They gathered often, sometimes staying up late to figure out how to recreate bánh tiêu, bột chiên, or bánh cuốn. It was tiring but comforting, because together they reclaimed familiar tastes and protected a small piece of Vietnamese spirit on French soil.

She found inspiration in Japanese chefs who combined Japanese flavors with French cuisine. Although she once disliked fusion, she gradually warmed to this creative approach. After returning to Vietnam, she began experimenting with Vietnamese-French fusion. She laughs as she admits that her initial motivation for creating fusion dishes was “to earn money,” but the opportunity only came because her talent had matured and her heart was ready to embrace new ideas.

From that spirit of experimentation came seared grouper with modern Lã Vọng sauce, clams, and green wheat noodles. Recalling her first successful fusion creation, her voice glows with happiness. She remembers a moment nearly twenty years ago, when she first tasted chả cá Lã Vọng not in Vietnam, but in France, cooked by a Hanoi friend. The images, flavors, and feelings of that meal remain vivid even today. Her modern Lã Vọng-style dish is her own way of honoring a beautiful memory.

Planting, Walking, Loving Life and Loving People

Away from the apron and the heat of the stove, Thảo Na is also a friend, a wife, and a daughter. She loves planting and dreams of having more time to grow new greens. Her garden, tended day by day, seems like a physical reflection of her inner world. Cooking, love, and any meaningful work feel very much like gardening—efforts that require time and dedication before they can bear fruit.

She walks often, not only because she enjoys it but because walking helps her slow down, feel deeply, and soften the knots of everyday life. In France, she used to walk alone to work. When she had free time, she wandered for hours, observing the nature along the roads and slipping into narrow streets to find pockets of quiet hidden behind the city’s rush.

After returning to Vietnam, she kept the habit, only now she shares it with her partner. These simple moments are a remedy that helps her restore her spirit and “keep passion from wearing down the soul.” Love nourishes her every day. To her, love is not only emotion but also the desire to care for another person and take responsibility for the people who matter to them.

She believes happiness is not something that decreases when shared. It can multiply. We could always feel her sincerity and vibrant kindness from the way she welcomes friends into her kitchen, to the meals she prepares for them, to the bags of homemade pastries she presses into everyone’s hands as they say goodbye. Perhaps that is why her dishes are not merely culinary experiences. They preserve memories, offer trust, and carry affection.

Seared Grouper with Modern Lã Vọng Sauce, Clams, and Green Wheat Noodles

Ingredients
• 1.5 kg grouper fillet
• 3 kg fresh clams
• 500 g onion
• 1 kg fennel
• 500 g celery
• 2 L white wine
• 2 L chicken stock
• 100 g turmeric powder
• 500 g unsalted butter
• 1 L olive oil
• 1 kg young dill
• 500 g green wheat noodles
• 1 teaspoon sautéed shrimp paste
• Garlic, thyme

Instructions
1. Clam base broth:
• Sauté clams with olive oil, thyme, garlic, onion, celery, and sliced fennel.
• Deglaze with white wine and cook for 5 minutes until the alcohol evaporates.
• Add chicken stock, simmer for 15 minutes, and strain to obtain a clear broth.
2. Modern Lã Vọng-style sauce:
• Sauté dill with butter and turmeric powder.
• Add one teaspoon of sautéed shrimp paste and stir gently.
• Pour in the strained clam broth and simmer until well combined.
• A little cream or cold butter may be added for a smoother texture.
3. Grouper:
• Cut the fish into even pieces and season lightly with salt and pepper.
• Sear with olive oil until golden on the outside while keeping the inside moist.
4. Plating:
• Place blanched green wheat noodles at the center of the plate.
• Arrange the seared grouper on top.
• Spoon the Lã Vọng sauce around and garnish with fresh dill.
• Finish with thin fennel slices or a light foam made from clam broth whisked with lecithin for a modern touch.