Spices: Restaurant Bobby Chinn (Vietnam)

To regular viewers of TLC or travel living channel like I am, you might have come across the series Restaurant Bobby Chinn. I didn't get to watch the whole series but I did catch a couple of episodes. The TV series featured how Bobby Chinn, a celebrity chef, went through the process in opening up a restaurant. I really didn't take note of where his restaurant was until I saw the restaurant while walking on the streets of Saigon, Vietnam. Right then and there, I wanted to go back the next day to taste and experience his restaurant.

Restaurant Bobby Chinn's Duck Confit

The restaurant is divided into two areas, the dining area and bar area.The whole place had a simple but chic look at the same time.

Bar Area

Dining Area

Initially I wanted to try out his Set Lunch Menu but when we got there, they didn't offer it anymore. What they had was a buffet spread of Appetizers and Starters. One can choose to go buffet or you can order a main dish then add a specific amount to try out the buffet spread. We decided to skip the buffet and pick out items from the menu to share among us.

Menu

A complimentary plate of warm toasted buttered bread and smooth creamy hummus was served.

Complimentary Bread and Hummus

We each had a glass of wine to accompany our meal, an Italian brand that I've tried and liked. A Banfi Col di Sasso,  a blend of Cab Sauvignon and Sangiovese wine.

Banfi Col di Sasso 

To start, we ordered the Salad of the Day. For that day, they were serving Som Tam or Papaya Salad. The salad was divine, everything on the plate was perfect. The slivers of green papaya, herbs and vegetables were fresh and crunchy, shrimps were plump and juicy and the flavor of the vinaigrette was spot on.

Som Tam - 100,000 VND (around 200php)

The Crispy Duck Confit Leg was superb. The duck leg was cooked to perfection, the skin was brown and crispy and the meat was super moist and tender. I didn't even have to use a knife to tear off the meat from the bone. Served with lemongrass scented lentils, chipotle sauce with lemon oil and topped with potato fritters.

Crispy Duck Confit Leg - 300,000 VND (around 600php)

Moist and Tender Duck Meat

When the Crispy  Skinned Norwegian Salmon was served I was surprised to see how thick the salmon was, it was almost if not an inch thick. With salmon this thick, it would be kind of tricky to cook this.

Crispy Skinned Norwegian Salmon - 430,000 VND (around  880php)

But as soon as I cut through it, a yellowish-pinkish center greeted me. As I cut off a piece and took a bite, bliss! The skin was crunchy and the flesh was so moist and flaky. Perfection! The salmon was served on top of Wasabi Mashed Potato with Ginger Demi Glace then topped with potato fritters. The Wasabi mashed potatoes tasted interesting, it had the flavor of Wasabi and it just had a tinge of spiciness. I enjoyed the mashed potatoes so much, I just loved how it tasted of Wasabi. The whole salmon dish has to be one of the most memorable fish dish I've tried.

We didn't even have to order dessert because the head chef send us complimentary Chocolate and White Chocolate mini muffins.

Chocolate and White Chocolate Mini Muffins

I've watched a lot of Bobby Chin's TV shows, he is a person that I find who's really passionate about his craft. I admire him for being tactless at times, if he doesn't like something , he is not afraid of saying what he really thinks. On this note, I'll also be blunt to say that this is one awesome lunch. Service was exemplary and food was excellent, it's a resto that's worth visiting  again.

Restaurant Bobby Chinn
Address: The Link at Khumo Asiana Plaza Saigon, 39 Le Duan Street, Ben Nghe
Tel No.: +84 86291 7788
Website: www.bonbonrestaurant.vn

**update: the resto has change its name to Bonbon Restaurant.