Fine Dining to Fine Delivery: An Interview with Chef Julien Perraudin on Staples by Quince

Julien Perraudin, Executive Chef of Quince Saigon (Photo courtesy of Vietcetera)

Ask any self-proclaimed foodie, culinarian or gourmand in Vietnam what they’re favourite restuarant in Saigon is and there’s a good chance they’ll tell you it’s Quince, Vietnam’s Best Restaurant (2020) and Asia’s 50 Best (2021) 97th spot on its top 100 list. Helmed by Chef Julien Perraudin, who single-handedly snagged the title of ‘Vietnam Chef of the Year’ two years running (2019 and 2020), Quince has made culinary waves magnified far beyond Vietnam’s border through press and media mentions as well as inclusions in internationally-acclaimed nosh lists such as Asia’s 50 Best and Discovery.

While Quince has become a household name amongst Vietnam foodies, little attention has been paid to its new(er) sub brand, Staples by Quince, a casual and fuss-free delivery-only concept by the award-winning fine dining establishment. As Saigon undergoes yet another lockdown extension tagged with an ‘indefinite deadline’ and more restaurants look for more inspiration to excite ‘delivery-fatigued’ consumers, I speak with Chef Julien Perraudin to get the insight into Staples, one of the city’s most buzzing delivery concepts whipping out inventive bento boxes, dangerously decadent burgers and fried chicken worthy enough to give the kernel a good run for his money.

INSPIRATION BEHIND STAPLES BY QUINCE

What were your priorities when Saigon first went into lockdown?

When the lockdown was announced, we felt a lot more prepared as we already went through it last year so we already had the problems, we knew what needed to be done. It was really just a matter of time before we had to do delivery.

Our main priority was our team and ensuring they got paid. This meant keeping our operations moving and sustainable. Fortunately, we knew how to do this from the last lockdown so we focused a lot more on the menu front and brainstorming ideas on how to make Staples better than before. We looked at what worked, what didn’t and how to improve things amid increasing competition as we noticed many others adopting a similar strategy as we did and launching delivery-only sub brands so it was imperative to innovate and stay ahead of the game.

Can you share with us more about Staples by Quince, why did you decide to launch a separate brand and menu as Quince?

Well, it’s simple. We had to launch a sub brand because it’s impossible to get the full Quince experience at home. Also we had to change the menu as some Quince dishes were not designed for takeaway or delivery so with Staples, all the dishes are designed for delivery and takeaway. Take the classic burger for example. At Quince, I would never serve a burger as it’s not aligned with our culinary offering and brand image. However, with Staples we do sell burgers and because it’s a sub brand, this offering does not compromise the Quince brand nor confuse consumers.

“At Quince, I would never serve a burger as it’s not aligned with the brand’s image and culinary offering. However, with Staples we do sell burgers and because it’s a sub brand, this does not compromise the Quince brand or confuse consumers.”

What were some things you had to consider when creating the Staples’s menu?

For Staples, I wanted to create something new, fun and unexpected. Something the market wouldn’t have expected from myself or Quince and leave my mark in Saigon’s highly competitive food delivery market. When we designed the menu for Staples, we wanted to maintain the same quality and standards of Quince and so we made the decision to use similar ingredients and not cut corners.

The first lockdown was trickier as we had very little time to adapt and create the Staples menu. Personally, it was also very difficult for me to translate my vision of what I wanted for Staples to my team remotely as we weren’t able to be together in the restaurant during this time. Believe it or not, much of Staple’s creation and experimentation during the first lockdown was done out of my own home! Fortunately after a lot of trial and error as well as blind tastings, we made it happen and this resulted in a lot of learning, which led us to do things differently this year.

This time round, my head chef Phong and I decided to do things in reverse and to choose the packaging we wanted to work with and get inspired to create the food to go with it. Other things that we also considered include what’s trending in the market, what can we do now and continue to do when the restaurant opens without jeopardising day-to-day operation.

Last but not least, we had to adjust our pricing to make it a lot more affordable and fitting for delivery and takeaway and while our margins for Staples are humble, like I mentioned the priorities were to make noise and make sure people don’t forget us during the lockdown and keep the operations moving so our team has something to bring home.

“This time, my head chef Phong and I did things in reverse. We chose the packaging first and then created food to go with it. We also made sure to create food that will not disrupt daily operations in the future.”

PIVOTING FROM FINE DINING TO FINE DELIVERY

What ethos has been brought forward from Quince to Staples?

The ethos for Staples is the same as Quince - delicious food, good products, great service and attention to detail.

How are you bringing the element of ‘fine dining’ and experience that people enjoy in Quince to Staples (customer experience, food etc.)?

On the food front, I would say not much as changed since we adopt the same ethos and approach to food preparation and plating with Staples as we do with Quince. As for the front-of-house team, they’re incredible focused on providing the best service even though you’re sitting at home. From personally calling all customers, printing menus ‘a la minute’, writing personal notes and wrapping all our delivery bags as it were Christmas! All orders are also personally delivered by our team. Honestly, it might not be ‘fine dining’ but it definitely is '‘fine delivery’!

What were some challenges that you faced when developing Staples?

• Receptiveness by our existing customers

• Creating food that is delivery-friendly - this is a huge challenge!

What are three things fine dining / experience restaurants should take into consideration when pivoting to delivery and takeaway?

• Change your mindset, its not fine dining anymore. It’s a whole new ball game dominated by a big corporation at the helm

• Do not sell yourself short, don't compromise your vision. In a nutshell, stand your ground but be extremely flexible!

Can you share some three key strategies (operations/labour/marketing/business development etc.) that your team implemented during this time that you feel were imperative to help your business tide through? 

• Product creation: How to offer a service and product that differentiates you in a highly competitive and cut throat market while also ensuring they’re sustainable in the long-term. This applies to products such as food and drink but also packaging, which is a big one and not many small businesses consider this. A burger, even if it’s spectacular, is still a burger unless you package it in a way that makes it special, unique and reflective of the effort and work that’s gone into making it. In a way, memorable and quality delivery packaging can be seen as equivalent to great service in a fine dining establishment.

• Marketing: We had to reevaluate our marketing strategy since we’re reaching out to a market that isn’t a ‘fine dining’ market. While this market is a lot bigger in size, it’s also a lot more competitive. So we had to change our approach, be a lot more fun and light as well as less serious in our communications and of course, a lot more aggressive!

• Labor: At the end of the day, nothing is possible without your team and this goes beyond training. This means being adaptable and resilient to change while keeping positive and enthusiastic. We also decided very early on that we’d use our own team to carry out the deliveries instead of opting for a delivery aggregator or third party logistics company.

Photo courtesy of Vietcetera

“Change your mindset, its not fine dining anymore. It’s a whole different ball game helmed by a large corporation who has got if all figured out. But don’t sell yourself short and never compromise on your vision.”

The Future of Vietnam’s Dining Industry 

What are your thoughts about the lockdown situation in Vietnam?

Needless to say, it’s not ideal and honestly quite upsetting to see Vietnam in such a state considering how well it was handling the virus at the beginning. On the flip side, I also don’t believe a lockdown is sustainable. Thankfully Vietnam is ramping up its vaccination efforts, which is promising as it would be a shame to see the country lose its economic advantage because of a slow vaccination roll-out.

What is your outlook on Vietnam’s food delivery market?

Food delivery is exploding during the lockdown (of course) but like last year I believe it’ll drop once restaurants are open for dine-in. However with the addition of food delivery options, people in Vietnam are literally spoilt for choice! From casual dining to fine dining, dine-in, street food (with many of them now available on food delivery platforms) as well as delivery-only virtual restaurants… the food and beverage market needs to evolve as it’s currently too crowded!

Will you still keep Staples after the lockdown?

Yes and no. Staples dishes that are similar to Quince will remain as they’re less disruptive to our dine-in operations. However, the prices of these dishes will have to change as they aren’t currently sustainable for the long run. As for other usual suspects such as the French Fried Chicken and burger, I don’t know yet… we will need to crush the numbers and assess if they’re worth remaining on the menu post lockdown.

With the advent of delivery-only restaurants and concepts becoming increasingly popular, do you think restaurants will become obsolete in the future?

I think that is a very sad and dystopian future and I hope not! To be honest, I don’t think restaurants will ever become obsolete as quality restaurants will always have a place in the market. It’s like saying live music and concerts will disappear in the future with all the ready to access and download music platforms available. I don’t think so.

What are some elements of dining in or a brick-and-mortar restaurant that cannot be replaced?

The atmosphere, service, and most importantly the culinary appreciation and enjoyment that one gets from seeing a chef prepare a dish and serve it to you fresh, hot and straight out of the kitchen. At the end of the day, the experience in a restaurant is irreplaceable and no delivery aggregator or food truck can even come close to mimicking what a restaurant can offer.

Read more: Serving up the future: Saigon restaurateurs discuss F&B tech opportunities and challenges

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