​

​HCM CITY – At the Michelin-selected Việt Nam House Restaurant in downtown HCM City, chefs have turned one of Japan’s most delicate seafood ingredients into a fine-dining interpretation of Vietnamese creativity.

Japanese scallops, known for their ivory-white, tender texture and natural sweetness, are given a local twist through the use of gac fruit, coconut cream and coriander oil – a combination that brings together the sea and the tropics in perfect harmony.

While scallops are often served raw as sashimi in Japan, at Việt Nam House, they are pan-seared until golden brown to preserve their juicy texture.

The chefs complement them with gac fruit sauce, known in Việt Nam for its festive colour and health benefits. “We wanted to honour both traditions,” said the head chef. “The purity of the sea and the richness of Việt Nam’s flavours.”

​Ingredients

Serves: two portions

Time: 30 minutes

Scallops:

Japanese scallops: 2 pcs (about 120g)

Salt: 1g

Pepper: 1g

Cooking oil: 5ml

Termite mushrooms: 10g

Garlic: 1g

Caviar roe: 2g

Gac fruit sauce:

Gac fruit pulp: 50g

Minced tiger shrimp: 10g

Coconut cream: 10g

Annatto oil: 5ml

Salt: 1g

Sugar: 2g

Coriander oil:

Cooking oil: 30ml

Fresh coriander: 30g

Milk foam:

Fresh milk: 5ml (heated to 50°C)

Soy lecithin: 2g

Instructions:

Season the scallops with salt and pepper, then pan-sear over medium heat for about four minutes until golden brown on both sides.

Sauté termite mushrooms with garlic until fragrant. These mushrooms, which appear only during the rainy season in the Mekong Delta, add a natural sweetness and earthy aroma to the dish.

To make the gac fruit sauce, sauté gac pulp and minced shrimp with annatto oil, salt, sugar, and coconut cream. Simmer briefly, then blend until smooth.

For the coriander oil, heat the oil, add coriander briefly to release its aroma, then strain to obtain a clear, green-tinted oil.

For the milk foam, blend warm milk with soy lecithin until light foam forms.

To assemble, place the scallops on a plate with sautéed mushrooms, spoon gac fruit sauce underneath, drizzle coriander oil, and top with milk foam and caviar. Serve hot.

Delicate yet flavourful, this dish celebrates Vietnamese ingenuity while showcasing a global flair – proof that fine dining can remain deeply rooted in local identity. – VNS