Some dishes begin to tempt you before they reach the table. At Tales, this happens whenever a fresh batch of brioche leaves the oven. The bread is golden, warm and soft enough to tear apart by hand. This season, Chef Quốc Hùng serves it with a rich black garlic pâté, mushroom floss and beetroot balsamic sauce. The pairing brings together ingredients with very different personalities: mellow black garlic, creamy cashew, aromatic peppercorn wine and handmade vegan brioche. Read on to discover how each element is prepared and why this bread course has become one of the most memorable moments on Tales’ seasonal tasting menu.

A plant-based brioche guests still remember

Brioche has appeared on previous Tales by Chapter menus, and guests often remember it for its soft crumb and gently sweet flavour. The kitchen makes it entirely from plant-based ingredients, replacing the eggs and dairy butter traditionally used in French brioche.

Tales by Chapter prepares its plant-based brioche with flour, vegan butter, purple sweet potato and coconut nectar syrup. The result is tender and lightly rich without feeling heavy.

There are two moments in the kitchen that always make people slow down. The first comes when the chefs carefully roll each portion of dough into a smooth ball and place it into its mould. The second arrives when the bread leaves the oven, golden across the top and filling the room with the smell of warm butter and freshly baked dough.

Black Garlic Takes the Spotlight on Tales’ Menu

With its deep colour, soft texture and layered flavour, black garlic gives this bread course its most distinctive character. Controlled heat and humidity gradually develop notes of molasses, dried fruit, balsamic vinegar and umami.

At Tales, black garlic is far more than a decorative ingredient. Chef Quốc Hùng uses it as the foundation of a creamy pâté, bringing together cashews, Cognac and aromatic peppercorn wine. Spread over warm vegan brioche, the pâté adds savoury depth and a lingering sweetness that makes black garlic one of the highlights of Tales’ seasonal menu..

How Tales by Chapter makes its black garlic pâté

Chef Quốc Hùng combines black garlic with cashews, Cognac and peppercorn wine to create the pâté. Each ingredient contributes something different. Cashews produce the smooth, creamy base and a gentle nuttiness. Black garlic brings sweetness and a dark savoury flavour. Cognac adds warmth, while the peppercorn wine introduces a more aromatic finish.

The cooking wine is infused with peppercorn, cinnamon, star anise and clove. These spices do not make the vegan pâté taste hot. Instead, they appear gradually, leaving a warm fragrance after the first richness has faded.

The kitchen sometimes jokes that this is one of the most generously built dishes on the menu because so many distinctive ingredients meet in one small serving. Yet the pâté never feels crowded. Black garlic holds the flavours together, while the cashew softens the alcohol and spice. As the result, Tales by Chapter creates a plant-based spread with its own texture and identity—creamy, aromatic and deeply savoury.

From shiitake stems to savoury mushroom floss 

Alongside the pâté, Tales serves mushroom floss made from shiitake stems. This detail may appear small, but it reflects how the restaurant approaches ingredients throughout its tasting menu.

The stems are cleaned and blanched in a seasoned broth made with vegetarian fish sauce, mushroom garum and vegan oyster sauce. The chefs then pound them by hand, separate the fibres and stir-fry them until they develop a dry, floss-like texture.

The process turns a firm part of the mushroom that kitchens often overlook into a useful component of the dish. Its texture sits between soft pâté and fluffy bread, while its concentrated mushroom flavour strengthens the savoury notes of the black garlic.

This approach follows Tales’ wider commitment to using as much of each ingredient as possible. The restaurant’s sustainability philosophy also explains how trimmings, peels and other overlooked parts become broths, sauces, garums and ferments rather than waste.

The best way to enjoy every flavor of Black Garlic Pâté and Brioche

To savour the dish in full, begin by tearing open the brioche while it is still warm. The inside should feel soft and airy, with a mild sweetness from purple sweet potato and coconut nectar syrup. Then, spread a small amount of black garlic pâté across the bread. Its creamy texture settles into the crumb, bringing cashew richness, gentle sweetness and a lingering fragrance from the spiced wine. The mushroom floss follows with a drier texture and a deeper savoury taste. Finally, the balsamic and beetroot sauce provides enough acidity and earthy sweetness to refresh the palate. 

Why black garlic pâté works so well with brioche

Bread and pâté already form a familiar pairing. Tales keeps that sense of comfort while changing what each component is made from.

The slight sweetness of the brioche complements the molasses-like character of black garlic. Its airy crumb also softens the denser texture of the pâté. Meanwhile, cashew and vegan butter provide richness without covering the aromatic notes of peppercorn, cinnamon, star anise and clove.

Most importantly, the black garlic pâté does not overpower the bread. It acts as a savoury accent, allowing guests to adjust each bite according to their preference. A thin layer keeps the flavour gentle; a more generous spread reveals the full warmth of the Cognac and peppercorn wine. That flexibility makes the course feel relaxed despite the work behind it.

Try black garlic pâté and vegan brioche at Tales

Black Garlic Pâté and Brioche appears as part of Tales’ seasonal tasting experience. Because the menu follows changing produce and the kitchen’s ongoing experiments, each season gives guests something new to discover. 

At Tales by Chapter, the experience begins before the first course arrives. Guests at the open chef’s counter can watch the kitchen team work closely with each ingredient, while the dining room offers a quieter setting for an intimate evening. The service team guides the meal at a relaxed pace, explaining where ingredients come from, why certain techniques are used and how each course is best enjoyed.

These conversations turn dinner into something distinctly Tales by Chapter. Sustainability is not presented as an abstract idea; guests can see it in details such as shiitake stems becoming mushroom floss or overlooked ingredients being transformed into garums, sauces and ferments. Every course offers a glimpse into the restaurant’s zero-waste philosophy and the relationship between plants, people and the seasons.

More than a bread course, Black Garlic Pâté and Brioche brings together the warmth of handmade baking, the depth of black garlic and a story of thoughtful plant-based cooking. Reserve your table at Tales by Chapter to experience the dish.

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Tales by Chapter

The first zero waste plant-based dining in Vietnam

Add: 10 Nguyen Thanh Y, Tan Dinh, Ho Chi Minh City

Hotline: +84 368 150 125

E-mail: reservation@talessgn.com – Reservation

Are you ready to taste the future? Visit us at talessgn.com to book your sustainable dining experience today.