Maître Cuisinier de France
Member of Culinary Academy France
5 Stars Diamond Award Chef
" Le CHEF "
Born at Hennebont, in the Morbihan region, Brittany, Didier Corlou is no armchair traveller. He finished his training when he was seventeen, put in three years in some French inns and restaurants then headed off to explore the world, and in the process became enchanted with the exotic spices
and fruits of Africa, Asia and distant islands.
His travels saw him cooking for presidents in Africa, show biz stars in Bora Bora, royalty in Malaysia, the king of Cambodia, and he has now worked across the globe, including though Africa, Polynesia, Indian ocean, the Caribbeans and Southeast Asia.
His pleasure resides in mixing French ingredients with Vietnamese taste for creating new tastes. Examples: grilled duck foie gras with lemongrass, spring roll with truffles, « banh cuon » with caviar and salmon roes, braised « calang » in papillote with turmeric, crab cannelloni with sea urchin nectar, rock lobster in fish bladder, pork nougat with caramel, caramelised cream with young rice… These creative dishes draw their inspiration from the tradition of French and Vietnamese cuisines, by combining with new ingredients: wild peppers and peppers from Phu Quoc, bees’ pollen, ambrette seeds, « nuoc mam » salt flower, essential oils of Hanoi ’s herbs. This new concept of Vietnamese cuisine has followed Didier Corlou’s steps to different culinary promotions held abroad (Singapore, France, United States, Thailand, Mexico and Australia).  " They are the driving force behind my interest in this cuisine, and a continuous point of reference, a constant incentive. My wife gives me a lot of advice regarding Vietnamese culture and traditions, the ways and customs, the intimate knowledge, the trifles, too. If I had not known her, I probably would not have developed this desire and urge to re-interpret Vietnamese cuisine, and I would not have written my books . And we would not have our children, for whom I mix ingredients and techniques so as to remind them their dual, French and Vietnamese, origin. " Didier Corlou 1956 Born in Hennebont, Brittany, France
1976 "Africa, the Big Start”: discovering of Ivory Coast and its lagoon from Abidjan.
1977 Entering to the ACCOR group: Caribbean, Bora Bora, the Comoros ... With the regions and countries, it’s the meeting with the green papaya, giant mussels, wild pig, ginger and vanilla...
1992 The cuisine simmers with Sultans in Malaysia, Fidel Castro or President Clinton, crowning of Prince Sihanouk...
Arriving in Vietnam as Chef at Sofitel Metropole where he manages two restaurants: French and Vietnamese
2005 Opening of L’Escale restaurant in Siem Reap, Cambodia
2006 The former Chef becomes consultant, he is advisor in gastronomy for Sofitel Metropole and for a lot of projects in Asia
Chef for President Bush at the APEC Summit
2007 Guest Chef at LeNôtre School, France
Opening of Verticale restaurant in Hanoi, Vietnam
Didier has recently received the “Star Diamond Award” from the American Academy of Hospitality Sciences.  This is a press realease from the Times Magazine of July 9th 2007 (Click the image to enlarge ) Bloomberg.com Hanoi Eateries Offer Burgers, Vanilla Lobster: Richard Vines
Review by Richard Vines "...The other fancy venue I tried was Verticale, in a narrow four-story colonial villa. This is the French-Vietnamese restaurant of Breton chef Didier Corlou, much respected in Hanoi for his years at the Metropole, where he is now a consultant. Corlou is an imaginative chef serving seasonal menus including starters such as mango in foie gras ravioli, lotus-tea sauce; and lamb prepared three ways, with spices from Morocco and Vietnam. There's lobster from Nha Trang served with palm heart with vanilla; and veal sweetbread with prawns, citrus and spices. If you're looking for a culinary adventure in Hanoi, this nine-month-old restaurant may be the place for you..." Click here
to read the entire article.
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