Takagi Kazuo Guests Shifts At Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi

Hanoi’s historic Sofitel Legend Metropole will host a rare gastronomic collaboration at its signature restaurant Le Beaulieu this October, welcoming Chef Takagi Kazuo, whose Kyoto restaurant has held two Michelin stars for 15 consecutive years.

The event is the latest instalment of Le Beaulieu’s ongoing Rendez-vous series, which brings internationally acclaimed chefs to Vietnam for unique culinary exchanges.

Chef Takagi is revered for his mastery of Kyo-ryori, the traditional cuisine of Kyoto. Known for its restraint, purity, and precision, Kyo-ryori balances flavour and form, with a deep respect for seasonality.

At Le Beaulieu, his refined approach will be paired with Chef Charles Degrendele’s modern French style, creating a dialogue between two distinct but equally meticulous culinary traditions.

The evening’s menu will include intricately composed dishes such as a sushi bonbon with tuna, salmon, and dill; a layered seafood dish combining Vietnamese crab and Hokkaido scallop; and a take on Wagyu beef tenderloin with bamboo shoot and Japanese pepper sauce. For dessert, a reimagined Îles flottantes—a French classic of custard and baked egg whites—is part of the offering.

While deeply rooted in tradition, the dinner reflects a forward-looking approach to fine dining, blending techniques and philosophies from two corners of the culinary world. The result is less a fusion and more a conversation—quiet, elegant, and deliberate—between Kyoto and Paris, Vietnam and Japan.

Now over a year into its run, Le Beaulieu’s Rendez-vous series has become a standout on Hanoi’s dining calendar, drawing attention for its thoughtful curation and high-calibre guest chefs. Its setting, within one of the city’s most storied hotels, adds to the atmosphere, offering diners not just a meal, but an experience layered with history and creativity.

The MICHELIN Guide recently recognised the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi as one of only 13 MICHELIN-Key hotels in Vietnam. In its words, the hotel “conveys the sense of travelling through time.” The same could be said of this upcoming dinner with Chef Takagi Kazuo, which serves as an intimate encounter with culinary traditions shaped over generations, and brought together for just two evenings in the heart of Hanoi.