Oi speaks with Robert Conte, Le Méridien Saigon’s Hotel Manager, about their new After-Work Series that’s designed for those that want to wind down their workday with great food, drink and music
Tell us about the Le Méridien AfterWork Series?
By offering something different on each night, such as our Wine and Cheese on Thursday, Craft Beer Bash on Friday and our Tapas@9 on Saturday, there is definitely an attraction here for anyone who is looking to get a head start on their weekend.
How did your team come up with the different food and drink pairings?
When conceptualizing these three distinct happenings, our food and beverage team went back to basics and considered natural pairings. Wine and cheese has been a classic pairing for decades while good beer, beef and chicken wings remains a definitive pairing in many restaurants around the world. Both of these happenings take place in our Latitude 10 Lounge + Bar. Tapas@9 takes place on the 9th floor, beside our swimming pool and adjacent to Bamboo Chic restaurant, and is a unique blend of modern Cantonese tapas, free flow beer, wine, 4 styles of mojitos set amongst a spectacular view of the Saigon River and emerging skyline of District 2. The pairings naturally pull basic flavors of food and beverage together while at the same time allow each individual event be its own unique experience as they are all so different from one another.
Describe the Wine & Cheese Buffet on Thursdays.
The selection of cheese generally does not vary from week to week as we have selected a minimum variety of 9 international varieties that are suitable with a broad collection of white and red wines. We do, however, play with the wine selection and will change some labels weekly depending on the feedback we get from our guests. We have a selection of 4 reds and 4 whites to choose from and most of our regular guests have their favorites so we tend not to rotate those labels. In addition to the wine and cheese, we offer a selection of sangria as well as cold cuts, house made terrines, bread and dips. Perhaps one of the best parts of the evening is that our guests have the opportunity to pour their own wine and help themselves to the selection of cheese throughout the night.
Are Fridays’ Craft Beer Bash inspired by craft beer’s recent popularity in Saigon? Everyone knows that beers and chicken wings go hand-in-hand, how has LM made this combo different? And at VND550,000 for free flow along with roasted Australian sirloin, house-made pretzels, and chicken wings, how did you manage to keep it affordable?
We decided to place craft beer in Latitude 10 as the first of 3 craft initiatives for the lounge. Yes, the craft beer movement is rapidly emerging in Saigon so it was only natural to support the local craft brewers as well as import a few alternative craft beer labels from overseas to give our guests several different styles of craft beer to choose from. Craft coffee, coffee roasting and mixology will soon be a part of the craft experience in Latitude 10, that will differentiate the lounge from others in the city and we will certainly be letting everyone know when we begin these exciting programs.
We wish to have all of our initiatives here at Le Méridien accessible to everyone. We price in such a way that it not only creates an initial interest to come and take part in one of our LM After-Work Series but also gives our returning guests an honest value and a sense that they are returning to their favorite neighborhood lounge.
What kind of tapas can we expect from Bamboo Chic? Is the swimming pool usage included?
Our Tapas@9 is truly sensational! Along with the view I mentioned earlier, our guests are most certainly welcomed to use the pool as they are treated to innovative Cantonese and Japanese tapas, such as smoked crispy pork belly and kim chi, Japanese oysters prepared several different ways, and a variety of pot stickers…just to name a few. These go great with our “drunken fruit” and cocktail infused misters that are passed around throughout the evening.
Tell us about the entertainment for the After-Work Series?
We have live music programing for each of the events: Thursday Wine and Cheese is complemented by a three-piece acoustic band that performs popular music hits; every Friday, our Craft Beer Bash features a rotation of bands that have a slightly bluesy approach to classic rock music; while our Tapas@9 features the music of our house DJ.800
Le Méridien After-Work Series
Thursdays: Wine + Cheese
Enjoy an endless flow of selected wine from around the world, accompanied by an assortment of artisan cheese, house-made bread, paté, terrine and imported charcuteries while taking in live acoustic music. Priced at VND500,000++ per person, from 6pm-9pm.
Fridays: Craft Beer Bash
Treat yourself to a free flow of Anderson Valley and Pasteur Street beers pairing with freshly carved roasted Australian sirloin, house-made pretzels and chicken wings while listening to acoustic music. Priced at VND550,000++ per person, from 6pm-9pm.
Wine + Cheese and Craft Beer Bash are held at Latitude 10 – G Floor
Saturdays: Tapas@9
Enjoy the creative Cantonese Tapas by Bamboo Chic Restaurant, sip and chill on an eclectic Cocktail selection by Le Méridien Saigon and sway the night away to deep house tunes. Priced at VND650,000++ per person, from 7:30pm-10:30pm.
Bamboo Chic – Level 9
Le Méridien Saigon
3C Ton Duc Thang, D1 / 6263 6688
www.lemeridiensaigon.com
IMAGES PROVIDED BY LE MÉRIDIEN SAIGON
