These are three words written in italics on a small blue sign perched high up. La Rochelle Bistro. In Charente-Maritime, passers-by would not even pay attention to it, but in Vietnam, 10,000 kilometers from the Old Port, the sign is surprising. As you pass through the front door, a representation of the Chaîne and Saint-Nicolas towers welcomes the ten or so customers seated at the table this Saturday evening in October. “The painter created the painting in one afternoon, without a draft. I just showed him a picture on the Internet! », marvels Katy Loan again, replacing her sunglasses which she never takes off.
Originally from Saigon, in the south, the boss decided to open her first establishment in her country of origin at the beginning of the month. At 70 years old.
A life between Nieul-sur-Mer and Paris
Before that, she knew an adopted land, France, which she joined at 17 years old. Her husband's family comes from Saintes, her children were born there, but the couple chose to settle in Nieul-sur-Mer. Katy Loan will only sell the house when she leaves for Da Nang. In the 1980s, this workaholic set up “Kim Long”, rue Saint-Jean-du-Pérot, in La Rochelle, a way to showcase the know-how learned alongside his Vietnamese grandmothers.
At the entrance to the restaurant, the Saint-Nicolas and Chaîne towers immerse customers in the La Rochelle atmosphere.
Louis Seigneurin
Her love story with French cuisine was written between the Atlantic coast and the Paris region, where she opened her café-restaurant in Ivry-sur-Seine. “The beginning of the apprenticeship was hard!” she remembers. One of my employees, Marie-Thérèse, worked in roadside restaurants. She showed me how to make good traditional dishes. »
Imposing a French-style dish, a thorny challenge
Beef bourguignon, veal blanquette, but also bay leaf from her house in Nieul-sur-Mer, the Saigonnaise took everything to Vietnam. From now on, it is his responsibility to pass on his skills. “As much as the meat was very tender, the pepper sauce had no taste,” grimaces John Ribock, an American customer who came to dine with his wife. The mistress of the house runs everywhere, she listens, takes notes, and rails against her cooks: “I explained it to them twice. I told them that pepper sauce, in France, should not be black in color. That the grains must be crushed! » In addition, according to her, locals have difficulty breaking away from their habits. And finding coriander in Basque chicken is quite unfortunate.
Louis Seigneurin
The restorer installed the shells collected in Da Nang with her own hands.
Katy Loan would also like to develop its menu in the medium term. “For sauerkraut, it might be complicated to digest under 35°C,” smiles Cuong Vo, friend of the Franco-Vietnamese and architect of the place. The obstacles remain numerous. Especially since she would like to move towards Atlantic recipes: “It’s impossible to serve a seafood platter here! The mussels are horrible, the oysters are oily and don't taste like iodine. » For the moment, the only shells at La Rochelle Bistro are inlaid into the structure of the bar, as decoration. Riding her Japanese scooter, Katy Loan traveled to the city's restaurants to collect them. Thus, piece by piece, the La Rochelle ecosystem continues to form in Da Nang.
