• Hilton Colombo brings the flavours and traditions of Vietnamese cuisine to Graze Kitchen with guest chefs from Hilton Saigon

Hilton Colombo is bringing Vietnamese cuisine back to Graze Kitchen this August with the second edition of ‘Flavours of Việt Nam’, a 10-day showcase presented in collaboration with Hilton Saigon

Running from 20 to 29 August, the promotion sees guest chefs Nam and Van from Hilton Saigon take over part of Graze Kitchen’s dinner buffet, introducing diners to dishes from across Vietnam while retaining the restaurant’s wider international spread.

There is a lot to choose from, perhaps too much if, like me, you are determined to try as much of the Vietnamese selection as possible. The range moves comfortably between fresh, lighter dishes, stir-fries and grilled meats, alongside some of the staples most diners immediately associate with Vietnamese food.

Overall, the food was consistently good, and the breadth of the Vietnamese selection made the evening an enjoyable introduction to a cuisine that does not have as large a presence in Colombo as some other Asian cuisines.

The Vietnamese offering balances familiar favourites with dishes that offer a broader introduction to the country’s food. Bánh mì brings together crisp pickled vegetables, basil and coriander, while fresh spring rolls provide a lighter counterpoint to some of the richer dishes across the buffet. I did not make it to the bánh mì myself, largely because there was so much else competing for space on the plate.

The Vietnamese staple pho is inevitably one of the dishes to seek out. Available with either beef or chicken, the steaming bowls are served with fresh herbs, allowing diners to add freshness and texture to suit their tastes. As with many of the dishes here, the live stations add to the experience, particularly with food best eaten as soon as it is prepared.

There is also bánh xèo, the crisp Vietnamese pancake, as well as a good selection of stir-fries. The latter proved one of the strengths of the spread. There is enough variation in flavour, protein and texture to make this section worth returning to, particularly if you are trying to explore beyond the better-known Vietnamese staples.

The richer side of the buffet was where some of my personal favourites emerged. A Vietnamese lamb dish was easily my favourite of the evening. Rich, savoury and full of flavour, it was also the dish I found myself returning to despite the number of other options still left to try.

Another memorable dish was the prawns cooked in an egg yolk and cheese sauce. This is a richer combination, with the sauce bringing a pronounced creaminess to the prawns. It will not necessarily be for everyone, particularly those who prefer seafood prepared more simply, but it was distinctive enough to stand out in a buffet with plenty competing for attention.

The grilled meats were another highlight. The charcoal-grilled selection adds a different dimension to the buffet and is particularly good when eaten straight from the grill. The beef was the standout here, cooked so that it remained juicy and tender, with the grilling giving it plenty of flavour without overwhelming the meat itself.

This variety is one of the better aspects of ‘Flavours of Việt Nam’. There are lighter dishes and fresh herbs for those drawn to the fresher side of Vietnamese cuisine, but there are also plenty of richer, meatier options. It makes for a spread where exploring the cuisine does not mean eating variations of the same flavour profile throughout the evening.

‘Flavours of Việt Nam’ also sits alongside Graze Kitchen’s regular dinner buffet rather than replacing it. This works particularly well for groups. Those interested in making the Vietnamese dishes the focus of the meal have enough to explore, while the wider Graze Kitchen spread provides plenty of alternatives. The downside, if one wants to call it that, is simply having even more food to choose from.

Dessert was the one area where I found myself wanting a little more. The Vietnamese influence continues with options such as Vietnamese coffee jelly and mango sticky rice, alongside the broader Graze Kitchen dessert selection. The coffee jelly is an interesting use of one of Vietnam’s most recognisable flavours, while mango sticky rice provides something simpler and more familiar.

Still, compared with the savoury selection, which offered dish after dish worth investigating, I found the desserts less compelling. This comes with the caveat that I am particularly fussy when it comes to dessert. There was nothing particularly wrong with what was available, but after such an interesting savoury journey, I would have liked the final course to offer a few more surprises.

That said, dessert is a relatively minor quibble in what was otherwise a thoroughly enjoyable dinner. The strength of ‘Flavours of Việt Nam’ lies in the sheer range of food available and, more importantly, in the consistency across that range. With guest chefs Nam and Van leading the promotion, there is a clear effort to showcase more than the handful of dishes through which Vietnamese food is commonly represented internationally.

For diners unfamiliar with Vietnamese cuisine, there is enough here to provide an accessible introduction, from pho and fresh spring rolls to grilled meats, stir-fries and richer dishes. For those already familiar with the cuisine, the broader selection provides an opportunity to move past those staples and explore a little further.

And if, like me, you reach the end of dinner realising there were still things you meant to try, that is perhaps the strongest argument for going back.

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‘Flavours of Việt Nam’ runs nightly at Graze Kitchen, Hilton Colombo from 20 to 29 August, with seatings from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. and 9 p.m. to 11 p.m.

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