OUR CHEF STORY

​We would like to share with you the story of Yu Masuda, the owner and chef of Pépé la Poule. 

8 years ago, while he was working as cook at the Conrad Hotel of Tokyo, Yu decided to start a new adventure at 3665km of distance to his home. Destination Hanoi, Vietnam! His project: to bring his cooking knowledge to help people. During 1 year, he shared his tasty cuisine to disadvantaged kids living in floating houses along the Red River with the objective of giving them a little bit of happiness with the food.


Cook at heart, Yu Masuda had more projects in his mind… 
“How could I do what I love the most, and in the same time, continue to help these families to get a decent job in order to raise their children in reasonable conditions?”


After 2 hard-working years in Ho Chi Minh City to get more experience, Yu came back in Hanoi, determined to make his idea real. A project mixing his passion of creating marvelous savors and a solution to have an impact on the life of these families. In 2014, the restaurant Pépé la Poule was created with the support of Perrine Corgié (alias Pépé), its current general manager. 


Between 2014 and 2018, no less than 20 people living in this area of Hanoi had the opportunity to join Pépé la Poule’s team, to learn, evolve and give a chance to their family to live in better conditions. 
Today, Pépé la Poule gathers 10 cookers, 12 waitresses and waiters, 3 chefs, 4 managers, 2 security guys and a looooot of stories with these amazing people and unique personalities. Everyday, the restaurant propose also more than 80 delicious dishes, tapas & desserts, and 3 special dishes every week to make you discover new tastes with the creations of Yu Masuda.


On the other hand, to continue to help the kids of these family, Yu Masuda decided to contribute to the support School on the Boat NGO by a financial help of their tutoring program.


Still today, hard-working and "thinking" mindset is one of Yu Masuda and Pépé la Poule’s motto. With his team, he tries everyday to give you satisfaction by the fusion cuisine they imagined and the experience you can have when you spend a moment at the restaurant. We hope you will enjoy your time here! Because it’s also thanks to you that we find the motivation and the energy to propose you delightful dishes. 🙏