In Hanoi, Chef and owner Truong Quang Dung’s culinary opus ‘Chapter Dining and Grill’ is setting the city abuzz with its innovative menu. Since 2021, he has steered Chapter Dining and Grill into culinary heights, earning the restaurant spots in the prestigious Michelin Guide Hanoi in 2023 and 2024. This achievement showcases Chef Dung's unwavering commitment to making his mark in Vietnam's increasingly dynamic culinary landscape.

From banker to chef: Remarkably, Chef Dung was at one point gearing up for a banking career. During his A-levels in Cambridge, he experienced working in a kitchen which ignited his culinary passion. After earning a finance degree from the University of Exeter in Devon, UK, he returned to Vietnam. He worked as a banker at Vietcom Bank during the day and as a commis chef for JW Marriot at night. However, the livewire atmosphere of a hot kitchen took over. He left finance for good and pivoted full-time to the culinary industry. “I've always been more an artist than a rational person," Chef Dung says.

Tales by the grill: The first of many chapters

With Chapter Dining and Grill, Chef Dung marks his seventh foray into the restaurant business. The name '’Chapter' translates to his last name in Vietnamese and it also symbolizes a new chapter in his life when he switched careers from banking to chef.

What inspired this unique fusion of charcoal grilling and storytelling into the dining experience at Chapter?

Chef Quang Dung (QD): I was always fascinated with charcoal. Vietnamese love charcoal grilling and to take it to another level is something that I've always wanted to do.

My original idea for the restaurant was to create a storytelling dining experience, inspired by the restaurant’s name “Chapter”. With every dish served, we present a small postcard to guests to tell the story behind it. These postcards collectively form a chapter. Each chapter, combined with the seasons, builds a story. Every year, we curate about three chapters, renewing them annually with a fresh theme.

Related: Vietnam's T.U.N.G Dining combines gustatory delights with storytelling for an immersive experience

The secret to a restaurant's triumph lies in the alchemy of its ingredients

Chef Dung says ingredients are the true essence of a restaurant's brand. The choice of ingredients reflects the establishment's core values and dedication to quality. With a focus on local sourcing, the restaurant seeks out the finest ingredients from the mystical mountains of Northern Vietnam, especially for its fall and winter menus.

Tell us more about your ingredient philosophy.  

QD: It's a wonderful feeling that a chef can have working with amazing ingredients. You don't have to do anything. You don't have to overcomplicate things. You just have to respect it and treat it simply.

A lot of people think that restaurant chefs are the real heroes - we are not. We stand at the end of the tunnel, we stand at the end of the supply chain. And who are the real heroes over here? They are the farmers – the ones who produce beautiful ingredients for our restaurant, and for chefs to have that inspiration so that we can execute the vision. Without good ingredients, there'll be no restaurants.

How do you plan your dishes?

QD: [Ingredients and seasons.] Summer is about traveling, and going outside to enjoy the outdoors, grilling, and camping.  One of the iconic desserts in Chapter Dining and Grill is the sour marshmallow. We made a sour marshmallow version using liquid nitrogen [served] to the table with a mini campfire. Then the guests would roast the marshmallow on the fire and then put it into a sort of homemade chocolate choux pastry.

After that are the Fall and Winter menus. That's when we venture to the remote parts of the North mountains of Vietnam. We only take ingredients and inspiration around the North of Vietnam to go as local and seasonal as possible – not the South or Middle to reduce our carbon footprint. But when it's Spring, New Year, and the Lunar New Year, it's when we go back home.

Aligning restaurant operations and technology with the brand vision

A concept-based restaurant demands a diligently crafted brand strategy. Harley Nga Nguyen, Chapter Dining and Grill's Chief Marketing Officer and also Chef Dung's fiancée, noted that while discussing the concept and strategy, they decided to transition from an à la carte menu to a tasting menu. The tasting menu resolved revenue issues and aligned well with the restaurant's storytelling concept, which resonated deeply with international guests.

What marketing challenges have you faced? How did TableCheck help you dissipate these challenges?

QD and Harley: We used Google sheet before [to list bookings] and it was really hard to manage the customer and track everything. With TableCheck, it's really easy to navigate and understand. We have our apps here to track everything.

At the end of the day, we do great things. For each dish, we share a postcard, but there's one final card we share with guests. And we hand them a pen to say whatever they think about the restaurant and the menu – their feedback, everything.

To drive repeat guests, we ask TableCheck to send guests a thank you email. If they are happy, they give us feedback and reviews on Google. Our Google Reviews has been taking off ever since we worked with TableCheck.

Related: Le Comptoir in Da Nang – Showcasing the very best of French hospitality

Sustainability matters: From fermentation practices to recycling

Since its inception, Chapter Dining and Grill has been making a bold and artistic leap toward sustainability. The vision isn't just to eliminate waste but to transform it into a net-zero haven of culinary excellence. The restaurant uses traditional techniques like fermentation and even recycles ingredients artistically.

Chapter Dining and Grill has started following sustainability practices.

QD: Optimizing ingredients is not just about sustainability or planet-saving. It also saves costs. And I think that's the more interesting quality of sustainability for restaurants.

One of the things that we learned and completely changed in Chapter Dining and Grill is the Michelin Green Star. It was so inspiring because it made restaurateurs and chefs think about the environment, thinking about our jobs and what we do, more than just producing good food. We have a responsibility to our planet with our children and their children to take care of it. You have to make a living, yes, but not at the expense of our planet.

We do techniques like fermentation. All our leftovers are used to make compost and then the compost will be sent back to our farm, which is about 20 kilometers away from our restaurants. That's Chapter's farm where we grow what we cook, but obviously, not everything we cook or use in our restaurants. For example: the ash from the charcoal was normally thrown away, we reuse that. We will match that with sea salt. And then we will use that to salt bake our abalone noodles. Something like that.

Teamwork and a positive work environment lead to creativity

Running a restaurant is like a relay race on the loop. Every member of the staff plays an important role and each move is in harmony with the other. Investing in people is also an extension of Chef Dung's sustainability philosophy.

Describe working as a team and creating collaboratively.

QD: Sustainability doesn't stop with ingredients. We also treat people sustainably and invest in [our] people. Through EXM, our Employee experience management system, we can come in and help our employees deeply understand the value of our business. And then they stay with us forever. We also have a promotion system and a benefit system, a higher salary than other restaurants, plus maternity and paternity leave.

When it comes to creativity, the answer is teamwork. If you create an inspiring atmosphere where team members can freely share their ideas without constantly looking over their shoulders, people will begin to open up, and they will be inspired to think about what they can do more. I want them to be the best [version] of themselves every day. I want people to be nurtured. I want ideas to be nurtured. And that can only be done with trust.

Chapter Dining and Grill

Address: 12C P. Chân Cầm, Hàng Trống, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội, Vietnam
Website: Chapter Dining and Grill
Reservations: TableCheck

Chapter Dining and Grill uses TableCheck as their reservation system. In Vietnam, we help restaurants and hotel F&B properties deliver memorable dining experiences and drive repeat business.