David Gallienne - The career story of a Michelin-starred chef

The trade promotion delegation led by Business France in conjunction with the Normandy Chamber of Commerce and Industry visited Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City at the end of April 2025, including three representatives of three important fields, typical of the Normandy region today: Devan Ahmed (General Director of ARCHIE apple cider vinegar production company), Fabrice de Lachaise (Director of HAFA - industrial lubricant company), and David Gallienne (Michelin-star chef).

For David Gallienne, his culinary art is famous not only in Normandy but also in all of France (Champion of French Chef 2020). In 2022, David came to Vietnam to introduce French culinary art combined with Vietnamese ingredients, creating culinary masterpieces at Le Beaulieu restaurant (Metropole Hanoi Hotel). This time back, David shared with Thanh Nien reporters interesting stories about his career, especially the story of spreading culinary inspiration to chefs at high-end hotels and restaurants in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi.

Hello David, can you share the purpose of your return to Vietnam this time?

I have 1 week to participate in culinary activities in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and Ha Long. The main purpose is to meet Vietnamese partners who are looking to build culinary content with European influences. I take on the role of consultant, sharing my personal creative ways in two models including small, stylish restaurants; and luxury, banquet-style restaurants for everyone to apply.

Back to the profession, behind the success of every chef is often associated with childhood memories, is that true for you ?

That's right, I was born and raised in Normandy, my love of food came to me at the age of 14, influenced by my grandparents. My grandfather was a gardener, growing vegetables, that hobby greatly influenced my creative style later on. Moreover, Normandy has 5 provinces, 3 of which have coastlines, so seafood and mainland specialties are very rich to create many delicious dishes associated with the Normandy mark.

Chef David Gallienne and Ms. Delphine Walh, Director of the Normandy Chamber of Commerce and Industry, in Hanoi

How was the journey from passion to Michelin star story for you?

I studied hotel management and then started my career as a chef at L'Escargot Doré in Alençon. I then joined Le Manoir du Lys in Bagnoles-de-l'Orne, which is also a Michelin-starred restaurant. In 2007, I won second prize in Les Olympiades des Métiers - a professional competition for young people - and was selected to represent France in Japan. After 10 years at Le Manoir du Lys, I was invited to work at Le Jardin des Plumes and received a Michelin star there.

It sounds very smooth, but behind the Michelin halo must be relentless efforts . Is X's origin from Normandy an advantage that brings him such success?

Yes, I am a bit of a chauvinist (extreme nationalist) and not very objective, so for me Normandy has always been the most beautiful region in France. Throughout my career and culinary creation, I have always had one thing in mind: how to promote and enhance the quintessence of the specialties of my hometown Normandy. In 2020, I won the title of French Chef Champion. This victory created conditions for advancement in my career and the passion I pursue.

What do you think about the concept of "local specialties" in culinary arts?

Local specialties, when created by the chef, are not only a source of pride and a story that helps promote the beauty of the region, but also a source of benefit for farmers. I believe that a dish is considered the most delicious, special, and precious right in the field where the ingredients are grown. Therefore, local specialties are always the focus that I love to talk about.

Having had experiences with Vietnamese cuisine, if compared to Normandie, in short, what would you say?

The closest impression is the way of cooking. I use many kinds of vegetables, like Vietnamese people, and combine them with meat and fish to create diversity.

You once commented: "Vietnamese food is the most delicious and impressive in Asia", it sounds really proud but is it a bit exaggerated, and why?

Not at all! Because you have so many local specialties, from spices, farming areas, production areas, long coastlines, rivers, lakes and mountains, very diverse. The ingredients available in Vietnam remind me a lot of my childhood, I like and am impressed by that. Vietnamese cuisine is very special, different from other cuisines when it focuses on balance and authenticity. The abundance of raw materials from meat, fish, to vegetables, fruits, spices, etc. is the advantage that brings delicious and impressive factors.

At Le Jardin des Plumes , the Michelin-starred restaurant you own, in your culinary creations, besides the concepts of deliciousness, beauty, and uniqueness, are there any other elements you aim for diners to enjoy?

It is emotion. For me, in addition to presentation techniques and culinary art, the dish when served must bring emotions to the diner. That emotion is based on the experience I want to share, it can be a trip, a memory, a childhood. More importantly, our service style helps diners easily touch that emotion. I do not say that my restaurant has the best service team in France, but I really have experience connecting from cooking, expressing the quintessence of culinary art to the dining table.

David Gallienne interacts with members of the Hanoi Professional Chefs Association

The element of fusion in cuisine from different cultures is often focused on by many chefs, are you one of them?

Like many people, I love to travel to explore new lands from all over the world ; and wherever I go, I always take the time to experience traditional dishes, discover local spices and ingredients. When I return to my homeland, I combine that knowledge, identity, and new ingredients into the local cuisine of Normandy to create a culinary style that is a combination. It will still be Normandy dishes but with foreign elements added, for example, I bring mustard seeds back to grow in my garden to make French-Japanese dishes, or grow Asian vegetable seeds to make French-Asian dishes. In short, the presentation will be in the Normandy style, but with the influence of imported ingredients. That is also a way to help me not forget the places I have been.

On this trip to Vietnam, have you "picked" any ingredients that will go to the garden of Le Jardin des Plumes in Normandy?

I found some coriander and basil seeds, because I like to grow seasonal vegetables right in the restaurant garden so that I can be self-sufficient for processing. During my days in Hanoi, I had a type of leaf with grilled meat that had a very strange flavor, never seen before (possibly doi leaves - PV ), such novelties always bring a lot of fun.

David Gallienne meets members of the Escoffier Chefs Association in Ho Chi Minh City

Having won a Michelin star in the culinary "capital" of Normandy, and more broadly France, the number of diners served is certainly limited. Do you have a way to spread the beauty of that cuisine to the masses?

The Covid-19 pandemic made me realize that it was necessary to find solutions to maintain working with partners and connect with customers. The initiative to open ready-made products, branded with my personal name to create interaction with consumers. Those products are local specialties, such as truffles, shiitake mushrooms... forming snacks; 16 types of seasonal jams made according to my mother's recipe... These are products that combine memories, memories, spirit, and are easy to supply in large quantities. A product that many Vietnamese people are familiar with is cashew nuts, which I process by using truffle oil, combining black truffles harvested in winter (December - January) mixed with cashew nuts. On this trip to Vietnam, I also brought those products to introduce and find partners. I think cuisine is the perfect bridge, erasing distances, borders, cultures, bringing people closer together. At the same time, I also want to bring about connection and sustainable development between the two culinary cultures of France and Vietnam.

Traveling through many regions in Vietnam, what is your impression?

As for the markets, I like to explore the markets and use local ingredients to make dishes. Vietnam has many unique and special products. For example, on the trip to Ha Long, I had the opportunity to use many ingredients bought at the seafood market to make dishes. Thanks to the rich ingredients, it gave me many creative ideas from those ingredients.

David Gallienne Black Truffle Cashews

Shiitake mushrooms, a familiar ingredient in Vietnam, are processed into an interesting snack.

Participating in the story of trade promotion for your hometown, can you share your experiences from the trips?

We participate in these activities, not only to do business, but also to bring pride in our homeland. When we arrive at a new place, we convey that message and pride to everyone, sharing our practical experiences through each specific person, with the aim that our partners and ourselves can also benefit from such trading activities.

Bringing your hometown specialties and personal experience to Vietnam, what do you expect ?

To share stories and inspiration for the profession, in addition to meetings with professional chef groups, I pay special attention to young people. What I always want to tell you is not to be afraid, not to be afraid to travel, not to be afraid to explore the world, because that is where we will grow. Cuisine anywhere in the world contains many interesting things to learn and explore.

What about your long-term career goals?

Will have to make more efforts in career development, participate in competitions for the most prestigious professionals in France and aim to achieve 2 or 3 Michelin stars, with the aim of creating a unique mark to have more opportunities to continue promoting the homeland's specialties to the world, bringing the quintessence of world cuisine into harmony with Normandy culinary art.

Thanks for the interesting sharing!

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/david-gallienne-chuyen-nghe-cua-dau-bep-sao-michelin-185250510225316671.htm