The rich, flavorful grilled tuna melts in your mouth, the jazz music drifts amidst the lively chatter and laughter, the clinking of wine glasses... it feels like the bustling atmosphere of a restaurant somewhere in Paris. In reality, we're enjoying our weekend at home, savoring a dinner ordered from the 5-Star Catering at Home service.Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi.

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Built in 1901 by two French investors, the Metropole Hanoi is the first and oldest five-star hotel in Hanoi. Despite its historic history spanning over 120 years, amidst the capital's lockdown regulations, the Metropole Hanoi quickly demonstrated its fresh and unique spirit by launching its "From Our Kitchen To Yours" five-star dining service.

Preparing and transporting a normal meal during lockdown was already difficult, but now it's even harder to deliver a "five-star" quality meal, adhering to strict food safety standards. What prompted a hotel like Metropole Hanoi, a symbol of tradition, classic style, and professional service, to create such a challenging service? How feasible is it? Let's find out through a conversation with Ms. Pham Minh Khanh, Food and Beverage Manager at Metropole Hanoi.

Where did Metropole Hanoi get the idea to create its 5-Star Dining at Home service, and how is the "5-star" aspect reflected in this service?

In fact, guests at Metropole Hanoi have always been able to order takeout, however, during the recent pandemic outbreak in Hanoi, people – including our customers – easily became bored when they couldn't visit the hotel, so we decided to bring a true "Metropole" experience right to their doorstep.

The difference between 5-Star Catering at Home and previous takeaway services lies in the aesthetics and the meticulous attention to detail in packaging and transportation to ensure that the food meets 5-star quality standards upon arrival; as well as providing a lavish experience like in a restaurant, not just an "ordinary" delicious meal at home.

What specific factors does Metropole Hanoi rely on to ensure that takeout meals provide diners with a "restaurant-like, lavish dining experience"?

While in-restaurant meals are served immediately after preparation to ensure quality and nutritional value, this is more challenging with home delivery. The chefs at Metropole Hanoi need experience and skills to ensure that the food remains fresh and delicious even after transportation from the hotel to the delivery location. For example, when a customer orders a beef dish at a certain level...medium rareOur chefs need to calculate the perfect doneness so that after a 15- to 20-minute journey, the beef still meets the same standards as when enjoyed at the restaurant.

Furthermore, decorating dishes at restaurants is often easy using flowers, leaves, sauces, etc. However, these ingredients can easily become mixed up during packaging and transportation, so chefs will separate the ingredients and attach clear notes so that diners can recreate the dish themselves at home. In addition, the preparation and transportation process always adheres to food safety standards, and we especially use hotel limousines to ensure the best quality reaches our customers.

The inability to directly assist customers with food presentation is a real challenge for our service, but that's why every Metropole Hanoi order includes a card called a greeting card.Chef tipsThe menu includes instructions for diners on how to best enjoy and present the dishes in the most appealing way. Furthermore, the culinary team at Metropole Hanoi is always available online via hotline and email to provide direct support to diners – from presentation and decoration advice to guidance on setting up a table at home, ensuring a complete and satisfying dining experience wherever you are.

If the quality of the 5-Star Catering at Home service is meticulously cared for and requires more steps, will the price change?

The dishes on our 5-Star Dining at Home menu are carefully selected and priced the same as when diners dine in at the restaurant, featuring a harmonious blend of French, Vietnamese, and New World culinary styles without losing the distinctive character of Metropole Hanoi.

In fact, we offer free delivery within a 5km radius for orders of 1,500,000 VND or an additional 100,000 VND for orders 5km or more, as well as a 20% discount for Accor Plus members. With a message of sharing and providing more options for home meals, we want our customers to fully enjoy a "Metropole" standard culinary experience without being affected by the pandemic.

How has the "5-Star Dining at Home" program been received by diners recently?

Metropole Hanoi has received positive feedback on its service since its early days. Most orders come from regular customers, but we also have new diners. Weekends are when we receive the most orders, as people see a "5-star" meal as a way to treat themselves after a long week of work.

With restaurants and hotels now reopening, will the "5-Star Catering at Home" service revert to its previous take-away format?

Metropole Hanoi's 5-Star Catering at Home service maintains its current standards and quality. When we launched this service, we had a long-term development plan for the post-lockdown period. At that time, with increased demand for picnics and outdoor activities, customers will have an ideal option: Metropole Hanoi's high-quality meal boxes to take along on their trips. Above all, we hope that the 5-Star Catering at Home service will continue to be loved by diners even when things return to normal, as a way to add a special touch to family meals.

With signs of the domestic tourism and service industry gradually reopening, what are the hotel's plans for the future?

Metropole Hanoi will introduce various hotel stay packages with special offers such as the Metropole Luxury Getaway, or a 6-hour hotel service package so that guests can experience the professional 5-star service they missed during the lockdown. In addition, we hope to bring new culinary delights to Hanoi's food connoisseurs in the near future, and become the first choice for guests seeking cozy family and loved ones gatherings.

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Had it not been for periods of social distancing, the "5-star" in-home dining service would likely have remained a long way from Hanoi, offering a novel experience for family meals. The Metropole Hanoi Hotel, like many other brands in Vietnam's tourism and service industry, has demonstrated its efforts and resilience in adapting to the challenges of the pandemic, continuing to deliver valuable and practical services to its customers.

In the "5-star" boxes of Metropole Hanoi, diners can find not only visually appealing and delicious dishes, but also the attentiveness, dedication, and professionalism of the entire hotel staff.As William Haandrikman, the General Manager of the hotel we happened to meet at the end of our conversation, shared:What I love most about Metropole is the people. The staff here are like a family.