The lobby at the entrance of Long Trieu restaurant.
The features of Chinese cuisine, particularly Cantonese delicacies, play a pivotal role in Saigon's culinary tapestry.
Known for its Cantonese dishes, Long Trieu, also known as The Royal Pavilion in English, was honored at the June 27 Michelin awards as the only restaurant promoted from Michelin Selected to one star, maintaining its spot on Michelin's prestigious list for two consecutive years.
Abalone (pictured) remains a regular favorite at the restaurant.
It is prepared with three-headed abalone in a unique sauce featuring Yunnan ham finely diced into squares to preserve its natural flavor and saltiness.
The dishes at Long Trieu adhere to a consistent principle of preserving tradition while innovatively exploring new culinary avenues without losing touch with cultural roots.
The coral-sauced sea prawn (pictured) stands out as one of Wong's signature dishes, earning him international acclaim.
The chef said that the tiger prawn is meticulously shaped to resemble coral reefs requiring “skilled knife techniques to carve the prawn meat into a solid, cohesive structure.”
Originally featuring a crab roe sauce with high cholesterol content, Wong replaced it with a blend of pureed carrots and egg whites.
Barbecued pork (pictured) is another restaurant favorite.
For Long Trieu's popular barbecued pork dish, the meat is marinated in large, thick slices, and enveloped in a fragrant, reddish-brown barbecue sauce. The dish features pork neck, balanced with layers of fat and lean meat. After marinating overnight with natural spices and no preservatives, the meat is roasted for 45 minutes and then grilled over charcoal for a crisp finish.
Traditionally paired with soybeans, this Cantonese dish is rarely found in contemporary restaurants.
This har gow (Cantonese dumpling) is made of fresh minced shrimp encased in a delicate, thin skin, garnished with a 24k gold leaf.
For the shark fin mixed with crab meat, the restaurant's chef emphasized the use of locally sourced ingredients and specialties, with crab from the Mekong Delta's Ca Mau Province, home of Vietnam's southernmost point.
Served with a broth simmered from chicken, beef, and Yunnan ham, it offers a naturally sweet flavor profile.
The crab meat is steamed and finely shredded, while the shark fin is soaked in broth before being pan-fried on both sides. To prevent burning, the chef continuously ladles broth over the shark fin during cooking. Notably, the dish retains its freshness even when served chilled.
Dessert features almond tofu paired with glassy red beans.
Almond tofu is a traditional staple in Chinese dessert shops. At Long Trieu, the dish incorporates molecular gastronomy techniques (see below), with glassy red beans cooked to a tender consistency and enveloped in a shiny, glass-like coating that contrasts with the soft red beans inside. The almond tofu is cubed, offering a distinctive almond fragrance.
Wong explained that molecular gastronomy, although recently highlighted in upscale dining establishments, has long been practiced by Chinese chefs. The essence of this culinary technique lies in transforming the texture of dishes, converting liquids into solids while retaining their original flavors. Tofu exemplifies this approach, with soybean milk crafted into tender or firm tofu.
