In addition to the impressive souvenirs and special tourist attractions of Da Nang, the city’s cuisine is one of the key factors which encourage visitors stay in the city. 

Chef Coi (left) making ice cream with liquid nitrogen

Many local young people are now opting to register for cook training courses at local vocational schools, and as a result there has been a dramatic increase in the number of cooking staff in local restaurants and hotels over recent years.

Mr Ho Thanh Phuong, Chef at the Grand Mercure Danang Hotel and Chairman of the local Chefs’ Club, said that the city is now home to 545 accommodation establishments, 199 restaurants, and over 4,200 eating and drinking venues.  He added that local chefs and cooks have gradually demonstrated their professional skills and their progressive spirit.

Chef Tran Minh Coi is a typical example, with over 20 years’ experience of working in a kitchen.  Starting out as a kitchen assistant at the Furama Resort Danang, Mr Coi has constantly improved his professional skills and learned from the valuable experiences of his instructors and colleagues. 

His great efforts have paid off, and he is now chef at the À La Carte Da Nang Beach.  He is famous for his amazing demonstrations of making ice cream using liquid nitrogen, and for grilling food on natural stone pebbles which are heated to a temperature of 3000 degrees.    

Another typical example is Deputy Chef Do Van Chi who specialises in cooking European dishes at the Fusion Suites Da Nang.  He said that cooks are under a lot of pressure to prepare meals quickly without reducing their quality.  They are on their feet in the kitchen for most of the time and therefore, he noted, only dedicated and passionate people can meet the requirements of this job.

Mr Chi underlined that his hotel often offers internship opportunities for local students who have a strong passion for cooking.  He said that Da Nang has welcomed an increasing number of foreigners from China, South Korea, Japan and Thailand.  He hoped that local young cooks will create more multi-regional and multi-national dishes to serve them in the future.   

Chef Thanh Phuong remarked, “Nowadays, visitors want to experience not only delicious but also eye-catching dishes.  Local cooks, therefore, have to always enhance their skills and grasp the general global trend for cuisine, in order to satisfy the increasing demands from domestic and foreign gourmets”.