Beef Wellington in Hanoi — Made with Vietnamese Buffalo

Beef Wellington is tenderloin coated in mushroom duxelles, wrapped in puff pastry and baked. At Maison Vie it is made with Vietnamese buffalo and served with Phú Quốc pepper jus, at 495,000đ à la carte, 28 Tăng Bạt Hổ, Hai Bà Trưng, Hanoi. It bakes for 25 minutes, so order it early.

A beef Wellington with no beef

The original uses beef tenderloin. Our kitchen uses Vietnamese buffalo tenderloin instead — a deliberate choice, not a cheaper substitute.

Buffalo is leaner than beef, darker, and more mineral in flavour. In a dish where the meat is sealed inside pastry and sits against a layer of damp mushroom, that leanness is an advantage: less fat rendering out during the bake means less risk to the pastry, and the deeper flavour can stand beside the duxelles and the pepper jus rather than disappearing under them.

Nor is the animal imported. Vietnamese water buffalo appears on the restaurant's published list of sourced origins, next to Phú Quốc black pepper — which is to say, the two things this plate is built on. A classic Anglo-French dish, assembled from local produce.

The enemy of a Wellington is WATER

It sounds odd, but the whole technique of this dish is about driving moisture out.

The duxelles — mushrooms chopped very fine — holds a great deal of water when it is first made. Wrap it straight around the meat and cover it with pastry, and that water turns to steam in the oven and cooks the pastry from the inside. The result is a Wellington that cuts to reveal a pale, soggy base, however golden the top looks.

So the duxelles is cooked until it is completely dry — the mushrooms must give up their water, and then keep cooking until they begin to smell nutty. It is a slow job, and it is what separates a Wellington made properly from one made in a hurry.

Here is the second difficulty: all that work to keep the pastry dry has to happen while the meat inside must not overcook. Pastry wants fierce heat to rise and colour; lean buffalo tenderloin dries out if pushed. Two opposite demands, in one oven, over one span of time.

Why you order it at the start of the meal

There is a line in our menu notes: "Soufflé: 12 min cooking time · Buffalo Wellington: 25 min — to be ordered at the start of the meal."

Those twenty-five minutes are not time you spend waiting. They are why the kitchen needs your decision early, so the Wellington leaves the oven as your starters are cleared. Like the soufflé at the other end of the meal, this is a dish that cannot be made ahead and reheated — pastry is only crisp once.

Where to order it

The Menu Dégustation runs from 855,000đ for three courses to 1,595,000đ for seven; choosing the Wellington does not raise the price, because it is the signature choice, not the supplemented one. Everything served by the plate is on the à la carte menu.

What to drink

The wine the restaurant lists against this dish is Château Haut-Rocher, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru — Merlot and Cabernet Franc from Bordeaux's right bank, supple and deep, and at home with mushrooms.

For something lighter, the Bourgogne Pinot Noir — "translucent, perfumed, silken", in our own list's words — goes very naturally with mushrooms and does not crowd the pepper. See the full wine list and our wine pairing guide.

Booking details

Vietnamese buffalo Wellington — 495,000đ as a main course. Prices exclude a 5% service charge and VAT (8% on food and non-alcoholic drinks, 10% on alcoholic drinks). The dish contains gluten, milk, eggs and sulphites — the pastry and the binding are what make it, so they cannot be left out; tell us about allergies in advance and the kitchen will suggest something else.

Maison Vie is open daily 11:00–14:00 and 17:30–22:00 at 28 Tăng Bạt Hổ, Hai Bà Trưng, Hanoi. The kitchen is led by Chef Joel F. Tisserand, with more than 40 years in French kitchens. Book on +84 904 150 383 or through our contact page; for larger groups or a room of your own, see private dining. For dessert, read our article on crème caramel.

Frequently asked questions

What is beef Wellington?

Tenderloin covered with a layer of finely chopped mushrooms (duxelles), wrapped in puff pastry and baked. A slice shows three distinct layers: crisp golden pastry, a dark mushroom layer, and a pink core of meat.

What meat does Maison Vie use?

Vietnamese buffalo tenderloin, not beef. Buffalo is leaner and more deeply flavoured, so it holds its own beside the duxelles and the Phú Quốc pepper jus. Vietnamese water buffalo is on the restaurant's published list of sourced origins.

Why order the Wellington at the start of the meal?

Because it is baked to order and spends 25 minutes in the oven. Ordering early means it leaves the oven as your starters are cleared, rather than leaving you waiting mid-meal.

Why does Wellington pastry go soggy?

Because of the water in the mushrooms. If the duxelles has not been cooked completely dry, that water turns to steam in the oven and cooks the pastry from the inside, leaving the base pale and soft however golden the top is.

What does it cost, and is it on a set menu?

495,000đ à la carte, excluding a 5% service charge and VAT (8% on food and non-alcoholic drinks, 10% on alcoholic drinks). In the Menu Dégustation it is the Signature Option of the main course with no supplement; in the Menu Signature it is the set main course.

Which wine goes with a Wellington?

The wine listed for this dish is Château Haut-Rocher, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru — Merlot and Cabernet Franc, at home with mushrooms. For something lighter, choose the Bourgogne Pinot Noir.