Lily Hoa Nguyen launches ‘Dining Duets’ series with Dubai’s culinary elite

  • October 1, 2024

Lily Hoa Nguyen, Founder and Executive Chef of Vietnamese Foodies joins forces with the UAE’s top chefs for an exclusive series of collaborative dining evenings around the city.

Dining Duets is a limited series crafted to showcase the talent of some of the region’s top chefs by offering guests a unique menu, collaboratively created by two culinary experts each night. The series will kick off on October 10th 2024 with a one-night-only collaboration between Chef Lily Hoa Nguyen of Vietnamese Foodies and Chef Reif Othman of Hoe Lee Kow. The first of the dining duet series will take place at licensed Hoe Lee Kow – followed by further dining experiences, each partnering with a different chef.

Chef Lily Hoa Nguyen and Chef Reif Othman bring a wealth of culinary expertise and innovation to the Dining Duets series. Lily founded Vietnamese Foodies in 2018, which has since expanded to eight locations across Dubai. Under her leadership, the restaurant has earned multiple awards including several Time Out Dubai Awards, and Lily was named on Caterer Middle East’s Women in F&B Power List in both 2022 and 2023. Her brain-child Vietnamese Foodies has become the go-to destination for authentic Vietnamese cuisine since its opening in 2018. Known for its vibrant, healthy dishes packed with fresh vegetables, lean meats, seafood, and aromatic herbs, they cater to a wide range of dietary preferences offering vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, sugar-free, dairy-free, and paleo options – all prepared without MSG.

Chef Reif Othman, a celebrated Singaporean chef, has significantly impacted Dubai’s dining scene over the past decade. He first made his mark as the head chef at Zuma before launching his own restaurant, Reif Japanese Kushiyaki, which was ranked No.16 in the Middle East & North Africa’s 50 Best Restaurants 2022. Voted as the winner of the Chefs’ Choice Award, Reif is renowned for his eye-catching Japanese-inspired creations and has recently showcased his mastery of Korean cuisine at Hoe Lee Kow. His innovative approach and dynamic culinary style have firmly established him as one of the region’s most influential chefs.

Together, Chef Lily and Chef Reif will merge their rich culinary backgrounds to create an extraordinary dining experience for guests. Guests will enjoy a menu of eight dishes with four appetisers (two crafted by Chef Lily Hoa Nguyen and two by Chef Reif Othman), two main courses (one from each chef), and two desserts (one from each chef).

Menu Highlights:

Welcome Drinks:
• Pineapple Kombucha Aperitif: Chef Lily Hoa Nguyen
A refreshing blend of apple juice, pineapple, fresh mint, and a slice of lemon.

Appetisers:
• Seafood Yukhoe + Fermented Chili Sweet Soy + Manchego Cheese: Chef Reif Othman
• Trio Rice Paper Rolls: Chef Lily Hoa Nguyen
Delicate rice paper rolls filled with prawns, grilled chicken, and tofu, served with a trio of dipping sauces.
• Duck tataki + Coriander pesto + Fish sauce garlic yuja oil: Chef Reif Othman
• Grilled duck sausages with lemongrass in chapo leaves, served with plum sauce + Chilli pepper lemon dipping: Exclusive creation for this event by Chef Lily Hoa Nguyen.

Mains:
• Baked Black Cod + Creamy Soy: Chef Reif Othman
• Wagyu Beef Pho Noodle Soup: Chef Lily Hoa Nguyen
A rich 14-hour slow-cooked bone broth served with tender Wagyu beef and rice noodles.

Desserts:
• Mango chili fondant with black glutinous rice ice cream: Chef Reif Othman
• Che Khuc Bach – Silky panna cotta, longan, mango, and pomelo in a light pandan syrup: Chef Lily Hoa Nguyen.

The Dining Duets series will take place bi-monthly, featuring a lineup of renowned chefs from various culinary backgrounds collaborating with Chef Lily Hoa Nguyen. Guests can look forward to unique flavour fusions in award-winning restaurants for a series of unforgettable evenings.

Chef Lily Hoa Nguyen x Chef Reif Othman Event Details
Date: 10th October 2024
Location: Hoe Lee Kow, Dubai Hills Business Park, Dubai
Seatings: 7pm – 9pm, 8-10pm, 9-11pm
Price: AED328 (food only) & AED168 for add-on alcoholic drinks packages with wine pairing option (includes 2 cocktails and 3 wines)
Bookings can be made online: Reservation link or by contacting Hoe Lee Kow at reservations@hoeleekow.com / 04 255 5142