The Duc Ngo has had enough of intense fragrances that detract from the culinary experience in his restaurants. The top Berlin chef is therefore now appealing to his guests to avoid strong perfumes.
Top Berlin chef The Duc Ngo has had enough of intense perfumes that detract from the enjoyment of his restaurants. On Instagram, he urged his guests to only use subtle fragrances so as not to spoil the culinary experience. "I like beautiful scents, but sometimes it's just too much of a good thing," explained The Duc Ngo on the platform. "Reduce your perfume when you come to us!" His plea, which he accompanied with a picture of himself with his arms crossed, triggered a media response.
His post received over 20,000 likes and numerous approving comments.
There are women and men who wrap themselves in clouds of heavy, sweet perfume, and this not only annoys the chefs and service, but also other guests.
The Hanoi-born chef runs several restaurants along Kantstrasse, including the fine dining restaurant 893 Ryōtei, the Vietnamese brasserie Madame Ngo and the fish restaurant Funky Fisch. The sushi chain "Kuchi" is also part of his portfolio. Known from TV shows such as Kitchen Impossible and Ready to Beef!, Duc Ngo is known as a self-confident restaurateur who has clear ideas about what is desirable in his restaurants. "There are women and men who wrap themselves in clouds of heavy, sweet perfume, and that annoys not only chefs and service, but also other guests", he told the Berliner Morgenpost.
In his restaurants, Duc Ngo places great importance on the natural fragrance of the fresh food.
He is guided by Japanese customs, where it is considered impolite to wear strong perfumes in upscale restaurants.
"I'm not banning perfumes in general, but strong fragrances should be avoided out of consideration," he said.
However, implementing this new rule remains a challenge. It remains to be seen exactly how he will handle over-perfumed guests. What is certain is that The Duc Ngo is setting an example in the restaurant industry with its measure and demanding more consideration for an unadulterated culinary experience.
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