Jérôme & Phương

Jérôme Buzenet graduated in Law from Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University (France) and the University of Oxford (United Kingdom). He left France for Vietnam more than twenty years ago and is now a full-time lawyer and a part-time baker. We arranged to meet him at 10 a.m. at his home. He told us he would be back on time, though he had already been busy in the restaurant kitchen since 7 a.m., baking experimental loaves for an upcoming charity fundraiser. True to his word, when we arrived, he was there, enthusiastically opening the door to welcome us. Phương, his wife, was more composed, yet beneath that calm exterior was a playful streak. As they chatted with us, they also teased one another, creating an atmosphere of warmth and ease.

The Lawyer Who Loves Baking Bread

There is always a joyful energy about Jérôme. He seems to have an endless repertoire of ways to make people laugh: a naturally humorous face with a prominent nose that slightly tilts forward, large expressive eyes, a readiness to deliver a witty remark at any moment, and a speaking voice that carries the rhythm of jazz-funk music. Yet whenever he commits himself to a task, he approaches it with seriousness and dedication, giving others a reassuring sense of confidence.

Every year, he and his friends organize charitable initiatives by combining each person’s strengths. For Jérôme, whose expertise lies in breadmaking, the most meaningful contribution is baking as many loaves as possible and inventing special varieties that can be sold at higher prices to raise funds. This time, he was experimenting with dragon fruit bread. He devised a way to shape the loaf so that it resembled an actual dragon fruit: layering thin sheets of differently colored dough over the main dough, then making delicate cuts so that the bread would expand into petal-like shapes during baking. He also mixed black sesame seeds into the dough so the crumb would resemble the flesh of a dragon fruit. On another occasion, he created phở-flavored bread, one of the culinary inventions he remains most proud of.

Jérôme shared that he was born in Paris and lived there for about three years before moving to southern France, to a small village near the Italian border called Tende. The first bakery he ever entered was Boulangerie Molinari, named after its owner. At the age of eleven, he stood before a recruitment notice posted outside the bakery, excited by the prospect of a part-time job that would both entertain him and provide a little pocket money. At the time, he had no idea that bread would later become such an important part of his life.

During the roughly two years he spent helping at the bakery, he mainly worked on viennoiseries and pâtisseries, since by the time he arrived at 6 a.m., the bread had already been prepared and was entering the ovens. He recalled: “I have always loved being in a bakery workshop, both as a child and as an adult. It is a magical place where ingredients that cannot be eaten on their own are transformed into nourishing and delicious breads and pastries.” Phương added: “Jérôme loves making naturally leavened breads. There was a period when work at the law office was less demanding, and he spent so much time at home baking batch after batch, day after day. Our house was overflowing with bread. I became completely tired of it and finally told him to sell the bread at Tartine, our bistro restaurant, so that other people could help us eat it.” At the memory, both of them burst into laughter.

Marriage as a Community of Emotions

Jérôme explained that he quickly fell in love with Vietnam because of its dynamism, practicality, occasional disorder, yet remarkable efficiency in the way people navigate life, along with the easy smiles he encountered everywhere. He even met and fell in love with Phương, a Vietnamese woman, then married her and started a family. Since then, his affection for Vietnam has only deepened, and he treasures the fact that each day here still brings him something unexpected. “I truly cannot fully describe how much my life has changed, but it is clear that life here gradually became completely different from anything I could ever have imagined while living in Europe,” Jérôme said.

The couple jokes that they share one love story but tell it in two different ways. Jérôme remembers first meeting Phương in Hanoi at an event seven or eight years ago and being captivated at first sight. Phương, on the other hand, insists that she remembers nothing about that encounter. For her, the love story began when they met a second time, which she considers their true first meeting. They quickly began dating. Jérôme was living in Hanoi while Phương was based in Saigon. When they decided to build a life together, Jérôme loaded all of his belongings onto a motorcycle and rode straight to Saigon.

The home they have built together, which we had the opportunity to visit, is a neatly proportioned apartment with a balcony overlooking the Saigon River. The décor is simple, highlighted by sky-blue walls. A large dining table occupies the center of the apartment, visible immediately upon entering, as though it were the heart of the home. The kitchen, designed according to their own preferences, features clean-lined counters and an island tucked into a recessed alcove, creating the feeling of a peaceful refuge amid the busyness of life. Phương mentioned that they rarely take photographs together. A modest collection of family pictures featuring their two young children is displayed on the refrigerator door. Looking out from the kitchen island, one sees a sofa facing a sunlit window. The overall space feels balanced and grounded, yet also thoughtful and meticulous. One can clearly sense that this is a home nurtured by both a man and a woman.

For them, building a life together mattered more than marriage itself. They lived together, had children, and only later got married. They do not talk much about their children, yet every time the children come up in conversation, both of them smile with unmistakable happiness. Phương says that partnership sometimes allows each person the opportunity to rest. There are periods when she is under tremendous pressure at work, or when both of them are. Yet there are also moments, like now, when Jérôme carries more of the family responsibilities, allowing her to relax a little. Jérôme, however, offers a different perspective: “I’m not sure about resting. To me, marriage is a community of emotions and a journey of discovering how to enjoy the other person’s differences.”

From an outsider’s perspective, they seem both similar and very different at the same time. Together, they often look more like close friends than lovers or spouses—a friendship that grew from the seed of love into deep companionship, ready to support one another and share laughter. It is the kind of friendship every enduring relationship needs, one that ultimately transcends romantic love. The dishes prepared that day were all designed to accompany bread or incorporated bread made from natural leaven. Every dish appeared simple, yet was in fact remarkably intricate. The way they nurture their dreams and allow them to ferment into a shared life is perhaps just as intricate.

Duck Breast & Fennel Purée

Ingredients:

Duck Breast

2 Magret duck breasts (~300g each)

Salt

Black pepper

Thyme

Garlic

Charred Broccoli

Broccoli

Olive oil

Salt

Lemon zest

Pickled Grapes (Quick Version)

Red grapes (halved and seeded)

Red wine vinegar

Sugar

Herbs, fennel fronds

Fennel Purée

Purée is a culinary term referring to fruits, vegetables, legumes, or other ingredients that are cooked or blended and strained into a smooth, thick, homogeneous mixture while retaining their natural flavors.

3 fennel bulbs

Olive oil

Salt

A little cream (optional)

Lemon juice

Method:

Blanch the broccoli for 1–2 minutes, then immediately transfer it to ice water. Drain well. Pan-sear or roast until lightly charred. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with lemon zest.

Mix the grapes with red wine vinegar, sugar, herbs, and fennel fronds.

For the purée: Cut the fennel into thick pieces. Roast at 220°C until deeply caramelized and slightly charred at the edges. Blend with olive oil, salt, and a little cream (optional). Add lemon juice. Pass through a fine sieve.

Score the duck skin lightly without cutting into the meat. Season with salt one hour before cooking.

Place skin-side down in a cold pan. Cook slowly over medium heat (52–54°C) for 8–10 minutes until the skin is deeply golden and most of the fat has rendered, while the interior remains medium-rare.

Add thyme and garlic.

Turn the duck over and cook for another 2–3 minutes. Rest for at least 5–7 minutes.

Arrange the duck breast, broccoli, pickled grapes, and fennel purée on a plate and serve.

Botanic Sun Bliss

Sourdough bread, basil ricotta, semi-dried confit tomatoes, basil oil, balsamic reduction, rocket leaves, and herbs.

Ingredients:

Sourdough bread

Vegetarian ricotta cheese

Pesto sauce

Cherry tomatoes

Olive oil

Basil oil

Lemon zest

Salt

Pepper

Garlic

Thyme

Balsamic vinegar

Rocket leaves

Fresh herbs (optional)

Method:

Slice the sourdough bread into 2–3 cm thick pieces. Toast in the oven or a pan until crisp on the outside and soft inside. Brush lightly with olive oil.

Combine fresh vegetarian ricotta with pesto, olive oil, lemon zest, salt, and white pepper. Blend until light and airy.

For the confit tomatoes: Halve the tomatoes and toss with olive oil, garlic, thyme, and salt. Roast at 120–130°C for 1.5–2 hours until soft, concentrated in flavor, and lightly caramelized.

For the balsamic reduction: Simmer balsamic vinegar gently until thickened. Allow it to cool so it becomes more viscous while retaining its sharp acidity without excessive sweetness.

Toss the rocket leaves with fresh herbs, basil leaves, olive oil, lemon juice, and salt.

Spread the ricotta mixture onto the bread. Arrange the confit tomatoes on top. Add the dressed greens. Drizzle with basil oil and balsamic reduction. Finish with a little pepper.

Eggs Benedict

English muffin, sautéed spinach, Parma ham, poached egg, and truffle Hollandaise sauce.

Ingredients:

English muffin

Spinach

Garlic

Olive oil

Butter

Salt

Nutmeg

Ham

Eggs

Lemon

Truffle sauce

Method:

Toast the English muffin until crisp on the outside and soft inside.

Quickly sauté fresh spinach with garlic, olive oil or butter, salt, and nutmeg over high heat for 30–60 seconds. Season to taste and drain thoroughly.

Prepare the poached eggs by bringing water with a little vinegar to a gentle simmer and cooking the eggs for 2.5–3 minutes. Transfer to ice water and reheat briefly in warm water before serving.

For the truffle Hollandaise: Gently heat the egg yolks. Slowly emulsify the butter into the yolks. Add lemon juice and salt. Incorporate the truffle sauce. Hold at 55°C (not hotter, to prevent the sauce from splitting).

Arrange the spinach, ham, poached egg, and Hollandaise sauce on the muffin base and serve.