There are dinners remembered for flavour, and there are those remembered for feeling. The Culinary Palette: A Four-Hands Dinner with Palate Busan at ONVIT Hanoi belonged unmistakably to the latter — an evening shaped not only by technique, but by quiet dialogue.
Hosted at ONVIT in Grand Plaza Hanoi, the collaboration brought Chef Kim Jae Hoon of Palate Busan, recipient of one Michelin star, into the kitchen alongside ONVIT’s Executive Chef, Chi Joon Hyuk. Rather than a spectacle of egos, the dinner unfolded as a composed exchange, two culinary voices speaking through precision, restraint, and mutual respect.
The atmosphere reflected ONVIT’s signature calm. Contemporary yet unobtrusive, the dining room allowed the experience to breathe. Service moved with thoughtful pacing, giving each course space to resonate. The menu’s subtitle, “A postcard from Busan, painted with flavors,” felt apt, each plate like a message carried across water, articulated through ingredient and memory.
Chef Kim’s cuisine is known for refining the comfort flavours of Busan into elegant expressions, and that sensibility revealed itself immediately. Familiar notes were reconstructed with clarity and discipline. Meanwhile, Chef Chi grounded the collaboration in Vietnam’s culinary identity, treating local produce not merely as supporting elements but as protagonists. Vietnamese ingredients were presented with quiet confidence, allowed to speak in their own language.
The seafood-led menu expressed this philosophy with assurance rather than excess. Nha Trang oyster arrived pristine and briny, softened by oyster cream and lifted by champagne jelly. A subtle interplay of salted longan and citrus brightness gave the dish a delicate sparkle. Ha Long shrimp followed, pairing sweetness and umami with kombu purée, stracciatella, and tomato consommé.
A dish inspired by Mulhwe, Korea’s chilled seafood soup, introduced squid alongside sea pineapple and a vegan kimbap element. A whisper of watermelon and pepper added intrigue, balanced and precise. At the symbolic heart of the menu stood Dwaeji Gukbap, Busan’s beloved pork soup and rice. Reimagined with dual broths — one clear, one clouded — the dish preserved nostalgia while refining its structure. Comfort was edited, not erased; tradition honored, not replicated.
Dessert concluded the narrative with brightness and clarity, cleansing the palate and gently closing the arc. By that point, the dinner had transcended individual courses. It became an exploration of connection between Busan and Hanoi, technique and terroir, humility and ambition.
Wine pairings, curated in collaboration with Red Apron Fine Wines & Spirits and highlighting selections from Bouchard Père & Fils, functioned as a subtle guide. Rather than dominate, they shaped the rhythm of the evening, moving from saline vibrancy to deeper, lingering notes.
The Culinary Palette revealed more than a momentary partnership. It signaled ONVIT’s broader vision: to position Korean fine dining in Vietnam not as a passing trend, but as a cultural conversation. In this exchange, Vietnamese ingredients required no justification, only careful handling and respect.
