Thao's Food Adventures

La Verticale is set in a quaint French quarter, adorned with kumquat-colored silk drapes. Unlike its neighboring restaurant, "Le Tonkin," which serves traditional Vietnamese food, La Verticale offers a progressive menu of Vietnamese cuisine imbued with French techniques. The executive chef, Didier Corlou, a former executive chef at Sofitel Metropole in Hanoi, opened the restaurant with his wife to honor the traditional Vietnamese cuisine but with a French approach.

Amuse Bouche #1 - A trio of deep-fried squid egg, "fish sauce," and cucumber dipped in spiced salt.

The first amuse bouche was a creative and straightforward way of introducing Vietnamese flavors to set the tone for the night. Not much, if any, French technique applied here, but it surely conveys a sense of what the restaurant has to offer. I appreciate Chef Corlou's attempt to pay an hommage to the Vietnamese cuisine and to try and get his diners exposed to its flavor, especially with the infamous nuoc mam, or fish sauce. The most favorable one was the deep-fried squid egg. I had to beg the waiter to reiterate the name several times because I thought I heard "squid egg," but at the end of the day, it just tasted like quid. No egg-y flavor, no burst, or ooze. The sweet and sour sauce paired well with the squid, adding acidity and sweetness to the bite. The "fish sauce," which was basically sweetened diluted fish sauce in a shot glass, was light and tinted with the subtle flavor of an otherwise overbearing sauce that is not for the faint-hearted. Inside the toy-sized ceramic cup was salt that was incorporated with five spice to pair with the cucumber, which was a nice representation of Vietnamese street food. This was a clever way of easing into the meal.

Amuse Bouche #2 - Carrot Soup and Pumpkin Soup w/ tuna tartare

Even though both soups were served cold since summer invited itself to the seasonal frame, I would have preferred a juxtaposition of the two with a contrast in temperature. The tomato soup was one-dimensional. I found it to be under-seasoned, and the rice-krispies on the soup was soggy and chewy by the time I got to them. I would have preferred something with more substance like croutons to have a contrast of texture, or have the rice krispies served separately. The pumpkin soup was pleasant and robust. The paper tuile proved to be a nice addition to the soup, along with the surprise clams that added a chewy texture that the pumpkin soup would have lacked otherwise.

Appetizer #1 - Artichokes and Clams

The clams were well-cooked, nicely complimented by the bitterness and tartness of the wine sauce. The sauce itself was a touch too salty, but it was eventually balanced out by the slight acidity of the artichokes.

Appetizer #2 - Foie Gras w/ Green Tea sauce and parsnip

If clams and soups failed to tease your palate, an appetizer of foie gras should lighten your mood. Being in the presence of a nicely seared foie gras was comparable to drinking from the Holy Grail with the Hallelujah chorus in the background. Its telos in life: to corrupt the soul with ineffable bliss. The parsnip and green tea sauce, however, had no purpose on the dish, which was seriously lacking acidity. I would have rather gulped down the glorious piece of foie gras without the other components. The only other ingredient I enjoyed was the fried leaf, which exuded a faint fragrance and crunch.

Palette Cleanser - Tamarind Sorbet

I was perplexed by the crisp, bright, and refreshing taste that satiated my yearning for acidity. It was one of the best, if not the best sorbet I have ever placed in my mouth.

Mom's Entrée - Prawns w/ risotto

The biggest disappointment of the night was the risotto entrée. I craved for that creamy, rich, al dente, slightly resistant on the inside for every bite, but instead, I got a mushy, unevenly seasoned pile that was molded and plopped onto a plate to trick the diners that it had some sense of belonging on the dish. It resembled a three-day-old rice bowl soaked in water that was tossed into the microwave, except at least in that case, the rice would be hot as opposed to the cold, overly soft, and sticky green mound that I had to endure with my sight and taste. What salvaged the dish was the few tolerable sweet and sour prawns paired with the light vegetable purée.

Entrée #1 - Muscovy Duck in Mekong Delta Cacao, Merlot wine aciduate w/ foie gras, orange, and spices

The Muscovy duck that followed the risotto debacle revived my excitement for the meal. The duck itself was beautifully seared and seasoned with the sweet and sour Merlot sauce, and to elevate those flavors, the candied orange peel added extra sweetness to the duck, perfectly complimenting the dish. The cacao brought a very subtle bitter taste to the bite. Even though I believe that foie gras makes everything better on a plate, I was surprised that my belief was debunked when the foie gras, in this case, acted as a tag-on. My main criticism for the dish was it had way too many components. "Less is more," as I usually say. The dish would have been perfect without the addition of the superfluous duck wrapped in rice paper or the tough and dry piece of meat on a skewer that reminded me of dog meat.

Entrée #2 - Beef Filet Tenderloin w/ fig, foie gras, and epicurien sauce

The aria of "beef filet tenderloin with fig, foie gras, and epicurien sauce" sung itself to reach my high expectation of chef Corlou. The succulent tenderloin mingled innocently with the sweetness of the fig, the acidity of the sauce, and the guilt-inducing, fatty tenderness of the foie gras. I highly recommend people to try this dish, but before you do, tell the chef to re-toast the soggy strip of bread on top.

Cheese Course - "Le Corlou Cheese" fresh and curd

The cheese course, however, was not up to par with the standards raised by the beef course. I did not enjoy the cheese as much as I as I had expected. Even though the honey flavor and crunchy texture of the rice krispies added slightly more depth to the cheese, if I were to return, I would not re-order this dish.

Dessert Course - Crème Brulee w/ "voi" spice, tomato compote, and wild honey

The last opportunity for the chef to salvage my affinity for the meal presented itself as the last impression of the night, the dessert course. I was very skeptical when I saw "tomato compote" in a crème brulee, but in actuality, the tomato gave a slight acidic note that balances out the saccharine thick layer of burnt sugar and the wild honey in the custard. As I took my second bite of my dessert, I found that the custard was unusually watery from the tomato compote. It was an error of execution that blundered a flavorful dessert.

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2.5 out of 4 stars

In short, the food lived up to its fame, with the risotto as an exception. The price is 190,000++ VND for each main course, which is perfectly appropriate. It was a culinary journey that I would embark again, however, with a slight hesitation.

If I didn't mean to draw a cannabis on my previous matcha macarons, then I do now if I could with this matcha crème brûlée.

Above: Blow-torching

Of all my experiments with matcha in desserts, this is the most successful by a landslide. "It's like crack," my sister oh-so eloquently puts it. As soon as the silver spoon cracked open the crunchy caramelized top, the silky custard beneath peeked out to entice my palette. The slippery mounds of matcha custard slid their way down my throat, permeating my senses with inalienable pleasure. Every bite came with microscopic bubbles, over-saturated with matcha, imploding in my mouth.

Above: Matcha Crème Brûlée pre-torched

Above: Matcha Crème Brûlée innards. Don't worry, all of those matcha dusts were eventually licked away!

And the best part is, I didn't have to go all the way to Japan to enjoy it. I have France and Japan kneeling in front of me, kowtowing to serve my sweet-tooth.