Le Colonial, the new French-Vietnamese restaurant in downtown Delray Beach, is celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in May by recognizing Delray Executive Chef Huy Hoàng and Nicole Routhier, who serves as brand ambassador.
Delray resident Chef Huy Hoàng says his earliest memories are those of the vibrant flavors found in his homeland of Vietnam, where he was born and raised in a family restaurant business. His love of Vietnamese food runs deep, and according to Hoang, this career chose him at an early age.
Hoàng began his career in Vietnam as a kitchen manager at Turtle Lake. That experience helped him realize that he wanted to pursue a career as a chef.
In 2020, while attending Rowan University in Pennsylvania and earning a Culinary Art degree, Chef Hoàng worked a Chef de Partie at the renowned 1862 restaurant in the ultra-private club, Union League of Philadelphia. In 2021, he took on a Sous Chef role at notable Japanese staple, Teikoku Restaurant where he was able to sharpen his sushi skills and develop omakase menus. Following Teikoku, Hoang became executive chef at Mei Mei, an upscale restaurant specializing in Pan Asian cuisine.
After that, Hoàng, in need of a change of pace, left Philadelphia for New Jersey, where he was part of the leadership team for The Farmhouse, Woodstone Tavern and Oriental Pearl Restaurant.
Most recently, Hoàng led the kitchen in South Beach, Miami at the famed Katsuya restaurant in the SLS South Beach hotel, and was a top 10 America Regional Finalist for S. Pellegrino Young Chef 2022, a worldwide competition that originated in Milan, Italy.
The menu was developed under the leadership of acclaimed Vietnamese chef and cookbook author, Nicole Routhier. Born in Vietnam to a Vietnamese restaurateur mother and a French father, Routhier began cooking at a young age and moved to New York City in 1979 to attend the Culinary Institute of America. Routhier developed the menu for the original Le Colonial in New York City more than 30 years ago. She went on to join Rick Wahlstedt and Joe King as a partner during the opening of their Houston location in 2016.
“Inspired by my childhood in Vietnam, I first developed the original menu for Le Colonial in New York in 1993 and have helped refine the menu which reflects the fresh Florida seafood for the Delray location,” said Chef Routhier, who currently resides in Houston and is the author of three cookbooks, including the Foods of Vietnam, which received a Julia Child Award for best American cookbook by the International Association of Culinary Professionals in 1990.
Le Colonial is located at 601 East Atlantic Avenue. Dinner in main dining room is available Monday and Tuesday from 5-9 p.m., Wednesday and Thursday 5-10 p.m., and Friday 5-11 p.m. Saturday lunch is 11-3 p.m. with dinner from 5-11 p.m. and Sunday lunch is 11-3 with dinner from 5-9 p.m.
The lounge is open Sunday from 3 p.m. – 10 p.m. with the full lounge menu available from 5 p.m. – 9 p.m., Monday and Tuesday from 3 p.m. – 10 p.m., Wednesday and Thursday from 3 p.m. – 11 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 3 p.m. to midnight. The lounge is walk-in only, offering full lounge menu until an hour before it closes, with dining from 5-9 p.m. on Mondays and Tuesdays and Wednesday and Thursday from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Le Colonial has a dress code, stated as follows: With the goal of creating an unforgettably stylish and elegant experience for our guests, Le Colonial celebrates the elegance of a bygone era – a time when ball caps, jerseys, sweats, hoodies and sneakers, plus flip flops, slides and sports sandals could only be found on the court, the field or the beach. Given the love and effort we put into our décor, service, food and drinks, we politely ask that our guests return the favor by joining us sans any of the before mentioned athleisure attire. We reserve the right to deny a reservation if any party does not adhere to these rules, and we thank you in advance for your understanding.
For more information, visit www.lecolonial.com or call 561-566-1800.
