Review: TRE Dining, tres bien or no?
TRE Dining, recently opened in Saigon’s famous Thao Dien neighbourhood and named after the ubiquitous bamboo trees of Vietnam, is quietly making its presence felt in the local dining scene. Flying somewhat under the radar so far without a big, loud online presence, one can still dine here quietly and comfortably on a weeknight without the beautiful restaurant being packed too full. Although, I don’t expect this to be the case for much longer.
Easy to miss if you don’t know where to look but definitely worth seeking out, TRE’s entrance is a slab and gravel pathway through a canopy of bamboo branches and greenery that follows into a sleek and dark stairwell with large mirrors and some small indication of the opulence of the area (and the meal!) that you are about to experience.
There are indoor and outdoor dining options, with the indoor options limited to seats at the bar, where you can watch the team prepare every dish with expert precision. The outdoors is a nice alfresco area but we opted for the bar seating as I personally enjoy watching chefs at work, especially in a high-end Vietnamese restaurant with hinges of Western influence such as Tre. Here, the focus is on meticulously-crafted appetizers and coal-fired main courses and the cocktail wine, and sake menus are extensive without being overlong.
I decided to start with a RỄ cocktail, which is a combination of Pistachio sous-vide Cognac, Coffee Liqueur, Cogon Root, Corn Beard sous-vide Triple Sec, and Tiramisu Cream. The server very helpfully suggested that this would make a better digestif than aperitif but I needed a bit of caffeine before eating so assured her that it would be okay. It was a delicate and silky delight and set the table perfectly for what I knew now would be a unique dining experience.
Amuse bouche
After getting our order in, we were served with an amuse bouche that looked great but contained sea urchin, which I have an allergy to. Once informed, the staff quickly whipped me up an alternative with smoked salmon instead of shellfish - great service and a very nice opener.
Homemade sourdough bread with two types of Vietnamese butter: basil and beetroot
We then received some complimentary homemade sourdough bread with two types of Vietnamese butter: basil and beetroot. The bread and butter can be ordered from the menu as well but was included in the meal. The sourdough was nicely crisp on the outside and both butters were interesting, if not overwhelmingly good. Perfectly acceptable place setters.
The main menu is divided into 4 sections, Appetizers, Starters, Mains, and of course Desserts. Appetizers range from 155 to 275K VND. Starters from 215 to 515K VND. And Mains from 385 to 1450K VND. We opted for one appetiser and one starter, a couple of mains, and a dessert.
Seedless Watermelon with Smoked Salmon and Ginger Nitrogen Sauce
To start, our appetiser - Seedless Watermelon with Smoked Salmon and Ginger Nitrogen Sauce - included beetroot, which struck me as an odd fit with the watermelon but the flavours did come together on the dish. I’m not usually a fan of ginger but the taste here was subtle enough to not overwhelm the dish and just give a nice bite to each taste. The salmon was somewhat fleeting but still very good.
Beef TarTar, Cold Noodle Soup w/ Basil Oil
Next up was the first big standout of the evening - Beef TarTar, Cold Noodle Soup w/ Basil Oil. Described on their Facebook page as “beef tartar with a pho-twist”, this is exactly how the dish was presented. Incredibly thin and tender slices of tartar in a bone, surrounded on top and bottom by a gelatinized base and topped with a helping of crisp pho noodles. The beef was nothing short of sublime. And the different textures of the gelatin and the crispy noodles worked around the beef to keep each bite interesting.
Pig Brain with Pigeon Pot, Chorizo Sauce & Brown Butter with Carrot Confit
Next up was our favourite dish of the night - Pig Brain with Pigeon Pot, Chorizo Sauce & Brown Butter with Carrot Confit. The pig brain was brought down to a fluffy cream-like sauce, dotting the top of the pigeon. The pigeon itself was succulent and delicate. The addition of the pig brain could be decried as gimmickry until you actually try the dish. Just magnificent. The carrot confit did not have to be as good as it was to justify its inclusion on this sure-to-be-famous dish.
15 Days Dry-aged Duck w/ Mắc Mật Sauce and a Lychee w/ Carrot Puree
The 15 Days Dry-aged Duck w/ Mắc Mật Sauce and a Lychee with Carrot Puree was a fitting final main course. The duck was cooked beautifully, with just the right level of crisp on the outer skin and the carrot puree was nicely served inside of two half lychees. This dish was not overly fancy but just high quality ingredients with a high quality recipe, wonderfully executed. We were worried after the starters that we would still be hungry after dinner - we were not.
Banana Rhum Cake w/ Fresh Coconut Foam and Banana Ice Cream
We had just enough left to try one of the desserts and went with the Banana Rhum Cake w/ Fresh Coconut Foam and Banana Ice Cream. It wasn’t quite as decadent as I had hoped in terms of sweetness and richness but still a very nice dessert and a not at all disappointing way to cap off an amazing dinner.
The level of customer service and ambiance of the restaurant itself are on par with what you would expect from a kitchen this good and prices this high. We can’t wait to go back and try the rest of the menu - the Dry Aged Lamb, in particular looks like another must-do!
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