During his visit to Hanoi from May 25 - 27, President Emmanuel Macron and his wife dined at Madame Hien at 48 Hang Be Street, Hoan Kiem District in Hanoi on their final day.
The restaurant sits in a two-story French colonial-style villa, built in 1928, with yellow walls, green shutters, and a garden courtyard, covering 200 square meters.
It is run by Didier Corlou, a 72-year-old French chef who has cooked for over 60 heads of state and has more than a decade of experience at five-star hotels.
Restaurant manager Nguyen Hoang Yen, who has worked there since it opened over 15 years ago, said the restaurant is named after Didier’s wife’s grandmother, Madame Hien, a Hanoian known for her cooking and a bakery she once ran. She also supported Didier’s relationship with her granddaughter.
Upon entry, diners will see three portraits of Madame Hien (pictured) displayed on the wall.
The restaurant is narrow, about 3 meters wide and 60 meters long, with a garden, indoor seating, and a kitchen. Upstairs, there is additional seating, staff quarters, storage, and a smoking area.
When it first opened, Madame Hien served 50 dishes inspired by Vietnamese and French cuisine. The menu has now expanded to over 80 items, with highlights like papaya salad, stir-fried morning glory, and braised pork belly.
One recommended dish is three-style duck, featuring grilled duck, duck spring rolls, and duck breast with green tea and tamarind sauce. Other notable dishes include bun cha - grilled pork noodles and shrimp and mango rolls.
The restaurant has three locations, two in Vietnam (Hanoi and Hoi An) and one in France. All operate daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. It has also welcomed other guests such as Apple CEO Tim Cook, Spanish royalty, and the German Chancellor.
Didier is passionate about Vietnamese ingredients, often traveling to regions to source spices, like cinnamon from Yen Bai Province and cardamom from Lang Son. A spice counter behind the reception showcases the restaurant’s ingredients.
One of the dishes served to President Macron was bun rieu cua (crab noodle soup), prepared differently from the usual style. Instead of being pre-filled, noodles are served dry and broth is poured at the table from a kettle, with shrimp patties on the side.
The dish costs VND145,000 ($5.60).
Other dishes presented to Macron included stir-fried morning glory and grilled seafood wrapped in lotus leaves.
The leaves are cut open tableside, and a sauce is poured over the seafood. The meal is served with sour fish soup.
Most dishes range from VND200,000 ($7.70).
Sous-chef Tran Huong, a student of Didier, prepared the dishes for Macron. Having been with the restaurant since day one, she said cooking for VIP guests did not make her nervous, as she stays focused on precision.
The set served to Macron included three main dishes and a dessert. The appetizer platter featured spring rolls, mushroom rolls, pomelo salad, meat-filled rice rolls, crab rolls with butter, and shrimp rolls.
This set costs VND300,000 ($11.50) and includes double the portion shown in photos.
According to Yen, about 80% of the customers are foreigners, with the busiest hours in the evening.
“I’ve been eating at Madame Hien since its early days on Chan Cam Street. It’s one of my favorite dining spots,” said Mai Lan, a resident of Hanoi’s Old Quarter.
