By Thúy Hằng

Unexpected encounters can lead to unexpected surprises. And this is precisely how it was for my latest restaurant discovery.

A wall at La Vegarie is adorned by paintings. — VNS Photo Thúy Hằng

At a café where I and my friends gather during our lunchtime a few times a week, I often see a 50-something charming lady with nice style sitting at the next table. We sometimes talk to each other, mostly about topics related to health and diet.

About three months ago, she told me about her newly opened vegetarian restaurant located right on the second floor of ‘our’ café together with the claim, “There is no vegetarian restaurant in Việt Nam that is similar to your my restaurant."

It was my late birthday celebration last week, and my close friends let me decide where we would have our dinner. We have tried different restaurants over the past year, but none of them were vegetarian, so why not try a vegetarian outlet for my belated birthday?

‘Faux’ Gras. — VNS Photo Thúy Hằng

La Vegarie, the restaurant’s name, is the combination of two French words – ‘végétarienne’ and ‘gallerie’, according to the owner.

Nestled on the second floor of an old French-styled house at the corner of busy Tràng Thi Street, diners need to pay a little attention so they don’t miss its small entrance. However, thanks to a small wooden panel hung on the wall stating its name, it was easy to spot it. We then followed a small pathway – typical of Hà Nội’s Old Quarter houses – to meet a staircase leading to the restaurant.

La Vegarie Salad. — VNS Photo Thúy Hằng

All of us exclaimed in surprise when we pushed the door to step inside. The cosy venue was adorned with beautiful things – paintings on the wall and various fresh flowers. The inspiring ambience was more like an art exhibition than a restaurant.

We preferred a table on the balcony covered by the ‘natural curtain’ of green plants overlooking the bustling street below, but there was not a large table for all of us, so we decided to have a table inside where we were still able to look over the balcony.

‘Choux Farci’. — VNS Photo Thúy Hằng

I like the menu of La Vegarie as the list of dishes is just right for me – not so long that it requires me to ‘swim’ to decide what I will have, and not too short to make me feel that they don’t have many options.

We decided to try ‘Signature’ set menu (VNĐ1,499,000) featuring six courses.

My curiosity first arose about the first appetiser ‘Faux Gras,' a clever play on foie gras.

Tomatoes conchiglie. — VNS Photo Thúy Hằng

It had a smooth yet buttery texture of cashews and cognac, served with fruit jam and baked sourdough bread. It was a delightful overindulgence, and we didn’t leave anything on the plate.

Next, we have the second appetiser – La Vegarie Salad. Named after the restaurant itself, the nicely displayed salad presents the delicate taste of fresh fruits.

We were told by the waiter that the sesame-coated watermelon cubes, which look like pan-seared tuna cubes, go through a seven-hour cooking process to get the crunchy yet slightly chewy texture. It was wonderful, and we gave 5 stars to this salad.

The dessert ‘Deconstructed Apple Crumble’. — VNS Photo Thúy Hằng

We then tried ‘Choux Farci’ – a large piece of stuffed cabbage bathed in morel cream sauce. It reminded me of the meaty version with tomato sauce that my beloved mother sometimes cooks at home.

The version by La Vegarie was more sophisticated – all ingredients in harmony to present a delicate and rich flavoured dish.

The second main course – Tomatoes conchiglie – was also a very nicely presented dish. The conch shell-shaped conchiglie pasta lay on a bed of red tomato sauce, with an edible green ring placed atop.

The mushroom and cream cheese stuffing was good, and the pasta was cooked perfectly, but for me, the tomato sauce was a bit sour, despite that my friends saying it was fine.

Three main courses: ‘Choux Farci’, Tomatoes conchiglie, and Masala Curry. — VNS Photo Thúy Hằng

Our dinner continued with ‘Masala Curry,' which was kept in a small delicate-curving bronze pot placed on a bronze tray together with a small bowl of steamed rice.

The menu said it was “an iconic creation celebrating West Asia’s distinctive cuisine” which has been cooked with 10 spices to ensure the palate of every diner can enjoy the perfect yet balancing explosion of aroma and flavour.

However, my friend and I prefer the tender, mild and slightly spicy flavours of Thai curry over the stronger turmeric-flavoured curries of West Asia.

For dessert, we were served a ‘Deconstructed Apple Crumble’ – poached apple, granola (rolled oats, nuts, seeds) and chocolate glacé fruit.

Satisfied with the food, and the nice décor, we became engrossed in conversation and lost track of time until the waiter came to tell us that the restaurant would soon close.

We left the restaurant but will surely go back soon to try the other dishes. — VNS