Fantasy Served with Local Flavors at Phú Quốc's Pink Pearl Restaurant

To flex their importance, the privileged flaunt what’s prohibited. When America banned the sale and consumption of alcohol in the 1920s, those rich and powerful enough to be beyond the law indulged in audacious parties celebrating not only illegal wines and spirits but the finest available foods, fashions, homes, and baubles. Picture Gatsby’s extravagant parties immortalized in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s canonical novel about the period.

This hyper-stylized scene has inspired the Pink Pearl Restaurant at JW Marriott Phu Quoc Emerald Bay Resort and Spa. The resort has fabricated an elaborate backstory involving its occupation of the former site of the fictitious Lamarck University. The fable continues that the Dean’s wife, Madame Collins once lived in a gorgeous pink mansion. Opulent furnishings, eclectic sculptures, and bold decorations beset by eye-catching patterns surrounded by bright pink walls; the vibe is said to reflect Madame Collin’s free-spirited, fun-wheeling lifestyle and the parties she frequently hosted. 

The Bill Bensley-designed restaurant opened for guests in 2018 to capture this illusory, fun-loving environment. 36 seats in the high-ceiling main dining hall and al fresco dining in the outdoor garden with views of placid ocean waters are complimented by five private rooms for eight to ten guests and an intimate wine-tasting room. Entering any of them feels like gaining entrance to a Hollywood fantasy given gaudy permanence. 

Danny Minh Do, the fine dining restaurant’s head chef explains that he creates menus with a simple principle: "specific food for the specific season." Thus, his familiar French dishes incorporate Vietnamese ingredients as frequently as possible. “Recently, to promote Phú Quốc Island more widely, I prioritized choosing locally available ingredients and focusing on sustainable development,” Danny told Saigoneer in an interview.

Crate-free Iberico jowl with Vietnamese northern herbs, tamarind sauce, Phú Quốc pepper jam, and seasonal vegetables with beurre noisette.

The emphasis on local meat, seafood, and produce is seen across the frequently revised set menus. For example, herbs from northern Vietnam, tamarind sauce, seasonal vegetables, and Phú Quốc pepper jam join the crate-free Iberioc jowl. Meanwhile, ambarella fruit (cóc) is used for a classic French sorbet alongside star fruit, honey gel, and ginger candy. This reliance on local ingredients paired with the finest imported ingredients not only offers diners a more sustainable meal but highlights French cuisine’s aptitude for creativity and the splendor of Vietnam’s native flavors. “By applying French culinary techniques to abundant Vietnamese ingredients, I aim to provide my diners with unique experiences. Moreover, I continually explore and learn about new trends in today's culinary world,” Danny shared.

Pâté en croûte featuring black truffle, crate-free Iberico pork, foie gras, prunes, pistachio, and pickled seasonal vegetables.

Pink Pearl Restaurant’s culinary philosophy is best understood via its recently introduced autumn menu. Highlighting the fresh, transient flavors of fall here and abroad, the eight-course set meal takes diners on an odyssey across land and sea. Highlights include local razor clams complimenting Hokkaido scallops on a plate lavished with smoked potato espuma, wild seasonal mushrooms, and white asparagus. Truffles are perhaps Europe’s most prized autumn item and thus appear frequently on the menu, including alongside Japanese A5 Wagyu striploin, and the pâté en croûte which features fois gras accented by pistachio, prunes, and pickled seasonal vegetables. 

The mishmash of pastel chairs and couches atop classic Saigon ceramic floor tiles and pink wallpaper behind an expansive array of local bird species identification cards creates an utterly unique environment. It’s only right that Danny’s set dinner menus aspire to similar novelty. Families on vacation at the JW Marriot, couples taking a romantic trip to Phú Quốc or groups of revelries are all welcome to the Pink Pearl Restaurant because fantasies embrace everyone.