Azerai La Residence, Hue’s Executive Chef Named ‘Master Culinary Artisan of Vietnam’

Azerai La Residence, Hue’s Executive Chef Nguyen Dong Hai was named a “Master Culinary Artisan of Vietnam” for his craftsmanship, cultural contributions, and dedication to preserving and elevating Vietnamese and local Hue gastronomy.

Photo credits: Azerai La Residence, Hue

The official national honor, bestowed at a ceremony in Hanoi last month, recognizes Chef Hai’s decades-long culinary journey and achievements in which he has prepared memorable meals for an extraordinary array of royalty, dignitaries, world leaders, celebrities and more.

“Chef Hai embodies the essence of Hue’s culinary heritage while infusing it with a global perspective. His unwavering dedication, humility and creativity have earned him this well-deserved recognition, and the admiration of peers and guests alike,” Azerai La Residence, Hue’s General Manager Minh Phan Trong said.

“It has been a privilege to support his journey and watch him rise to become one of Vietnam’s most respected culinary leaders,” Minh added.

The title was awarded to Chef Hai by the Vietnam Handicraft Villages Association, which typically gives them out every two or three years. The requirements for nominees are stringent and in recent years only a small number of master chefs have been honored – often fewer than 10 nationwide in the culinary category.

Photo credits: Azerai La Residence, Hue

Chef Hai’s talents over the years have captured the attention of numerous high-profile global guests, including the late TV host and author Anthony Bourdain, who stayed at La Residence in 2014 and praised Chef Hai’s cuisine, particularly his inventive rendition of the Vietnamese banh mi, now famously known as the “La Residence Banh Mi.”

Chef Hai, who joined La Residence Hotel in 2005, has also been the visionary behind several of the hotel’s most iconic dining experiences, including “The Colonial Life,” a signature dining concept that blends Nguyen Dynasty imperial cuisine with refined French gastronomy, served in a nostalgic riverside setting evoking the charm of Indochina.

In 2017, he designed a “Majestic Menu” to honor the state visit of Their Majesties Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko of Japan, hosted by then-Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc. This exceptional menu – an elegant fusion of Hue’s imperial cuisine and global flavors – has since become one of Azerai La Residence, Hue’s most celebrated and best-selling culinary offerings.

Over the course of his career, Chef Hai has worked alongside celebrated chefs from France, Germany, Australia, South Africa and the UK. He is also a dedicated mentor and educator who has trained hundreds of aspiring chefs through his partnership with Hue Tourism College and has served as a judge and curriculum advisor for national culinary competitions.

With 122 elegantly furnished rooms and suites, Azerai La Residence, Hue is centered on a colonial mansion that was built in 1930 as part of the residence of the French Resident Superieur. The mansion’s distinctive façade, including its long horizontal lines and nautical flourishes, are hallmarks of the streamline moderne school of art deco architecture.

Azerai La Residence, Hue was recently recognized as one of Vietnam’s top 16 hotels for 2025 by The Times, one of the UK’s oldest daily newspapers.

The hotel is part of legendary hotelier Adrian Zecha’s latest portfolio, which also includes the beachfront Azerai Ke Ga Bay in southern Vietnam.