Chef Oliver Mette, director of Culinary at Hotel de la Coupole Sapa.

In the pristine waters of northern Việt Nam, Sa Pa is making waves with high‑quality sturgeon, a product that mirrors the region’s natural purity and rising culinary potential. Surrounded by mountains and fresh local produce, the area provides a rich foundation for refined, contemporary cuisine.

For Oliver Mette, director of Culinary at Hotel de la Coupole Sapa, inspiration struck during a 2023 visit to a local fish farm. Seeing the sturgeon in its natural environment sparked the idea to elevate this exceptional ingredient into a signature dish that captures the essence of Sa Pa.

The sturgeon is gently grilled to preserve its delicate texture, marinated with aromatic mountain herbs, and served with crisp green rice chips and young seasonal vegetables for freshness and contrast. A smoked onion beurre blanc, brightened with lemon and leek oil, completes the dish, subtly highlighting the character of northern Vietnamese cuisine.

The creation embodies Sa Pa’s purity through a contemporary lens, uniting local ingredients, skilled technique and refined presentation in harmony.

Grilled Sapa Sturgeon

Ingredients:

• Five varieties of fresh herbs (for marinade) and five varieties of herbs (for salad), cleaned
• Lettuce and carrot
• Olive oil and lemon
• Sa Pa leek oil
• Lemongrass and fish sauce
• 200g sturgeon fillet
• Cream, milk, smoked onions, white wine, butter, lemon juice, bay leaves
• Three kinds of vegetables (peas, carrot, courgette)
• Green rice chips
• 200g cauliflower, brown butter, nutmeg
• Salt, sugar, butter

Preparations:

• Mix fish sauce, lemongrass, and five types of herbs into a paste. Marinate the fish for 8 hours.
• Cook the cauliflower until soft, then mash and mix with brown butter, nutmeg, and salt until smooth.
• Prepare the smoked onion beurre blanc: combine smoked onions, cream, white wine, butter, salt, and sugar. Reduce by 50%, then add bay leaves and simmer for 5 more minutes. Strain through a sieve, add lemon juice, and finish with fresh butter before serving.
• Use a Parisienne cutter to shape small vegetable pearls. Blanch them in salted water for 3 minutes, then transfer to ice water to cool.
• Clean and prepare the herbs, then mix with lettuce and carrot for the salad topping. Dress with olive oil and finish with shaved lemon zest.
• Deep-fry the green rice chips until crispy and lightly season with salt.
• Rinse the fish under cold water and pat dry. Grill, baste with butter, then finish cooking in the oven at 160°C for 5 minutes.
• Glaze the vegetable pearls in a mixture of water, butter, salt, and sugar, then place them at the center of the plate.
• Place the grilled fish on top, add cauliflower purée, and arrange the herb salad over the fish. Garnish with green rice chips.
• Combine 30% leek oil with 70% beurre blanc sauce, add a squeeze of lemon juice, and serve the sauce on the side.

Hotel de la Coupole Sapa – MGallery Collection is located at 1 Hoàng Liên Street, Sa Pa Ward, Lào Cai Province.

Tel: +84 214 3629 999.