Costa paid an official visit to Vietnam from January 28 to 29 at the invitation of State President Luong Cuong.
According to Nguyen Hoang Yen, manager of Madame Hien restaurant on Hang Be Street, the European Union delegation selected a set menu titled “36 Streets”, featuring iconic Vietnamese dishes.
Under the original schedule, Costa was due to check into his hotel before dinner. However, after landing at Noi Bai International Airport, he went straight to the restaurant, arriving about 30 minutes earlier than planned.
Advance staff from the delegation requested that the dinner be held in a relaxed, shared space rather than a private room. The restaurant arranged seating for the president and his 16-member entourage on the ground floor, with four tables including one VIP table.
As the motorcade entered Hang Be Street with security escorts, residents and tourists quickly took notice.
“Some diners were surprised that the European Council president chose to dine in the Old Quarter during his visit. Many felt honoured to be seated near such a senior leader,” Yen said.
Costa walked calmly into the restaurant, greeting guests with a smile and a wave. After welcoming remarks from chef Didier Corlou, the restaurant owner, he and his delegation took their seats. Four staff members served the VIP table, and Costa personally selected his beer from the menu.
Madame Hien has previously hosted high-profile guests, including French President Emmanuel Macron and former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, which helped staff remain composed during the visit, Yen noted.
“During the dinner, we continued to serve other customers as usual, while maintaining the highest level of care and attentiveness,” she added.
The restaurant is housed in a two-storey building of about 200 square metres, built in 1928, featuring yellow-painted walls and a garden courtyard that evokes a nostalgic atmosphere.
The menu included starters such as salads, spring rolls and steamed rice rolls, followed by main dishes of bun rieu, grilled fish and bun cha, with frozen passion fruit served for dessert.
The bun rieu was enhanced with lemongrass-wrapped shrimp, while the grilled fish was charcoal-grilled and served with dill and spring onions. Fish sauce was used instead of shrimp paste to suit the delegation’s preferences.
Yen said Costa had no dietary restrictions, though one delegation member did not eat seafood and was served chicken instead.
Chopsticks were prepared alongside Western cutlery, allowing guests to choose freely. Yen said Costa showed clear interest and pleasant surprise as dishes were served, praising both their presentation and flavours.
“The president was polite and warm, thanking staff and comfortably using chopsticks,” she said.
The meal lasted around two hours, with all dishes finished. Before leaving, Costa posed for photographs with the restaurant owner and staff.
“His team told us he was very pleased,” Yen said. “We were proud to share Vietnamese culinary culture with our European guests from the moment they arrived in Hanoi’s Old Quarter.”