The Man Bringing a Michelin Reputation to Phú Quốc’s Pink Pearl: Olivier Elzer

Just before reaching the sand, the sky awash in soft, late afternoon pastels, you’ll arrive at the Pink Pearl, which now bears a sign announcing it as the Pink Pearl by Olivier E. But who is Olivier E.?

Saigoneer first met Olivier Elzer via his food. A special tasting menu had been prepared as an introduction to his culinary style and the new gastronomic ethos that has arrived at JW Marriott Phú Quốc’s flagship restaurant.

Japanese Wagyu A5 Tenderloin with Pomerol Jus.

The meal began with a succulent lobster complemented by tandoori sauce and caviar, and transitioned to courses featuring premier ingredients, including Hokkaido scallops and Japanese A5 wagyu. Precise portions of carefully balanced sauces, as is a hallmark of French cuisine, combined with imaginative seasoning to embellish the flavors of the exceptional proteins, which were plated with an understated panache. Notably, Vietnam made its presence known in the final dish, a decadent Maraou chocolate dessert. The courses surpassed expectations of offering moments of surprise tucked within stupendous flavors. 

Who was the man behind the extravagant meal?

The Origins of Olivier

“I was super driven very early on and I was very ruthless,” Olivier told Saigoneer when we sat down for a series of conversations the next day. He shared how he first entered the kitchen of the restaurant his mom owned in France because the sous chef had called in sick that day.  That shift was the first step on a path that has involved decades of hard work. “For 15, 20 years, I was like a sponge. I had to learn, I had to get my craft. I had to work very hard to gain knowledge … I was 14 when I started work in the kitchen, and I understood that there was a level in any sport: you can play in the Champions League with the best, and you can play in the local leagues where no one knows you. With kitchens, it is the same.” 

Olivier in his early days with mentor Pierre Gagnaire. Photo courtesy of Olivier.

With this philosophy in mind, Olivier learned from many of France’s most accomplished and acclaimed chefs, including Pierre Gagnaire and Joël Robuchon, who was named Chef of the Century by Gault Millau. During these years in some of the world’s most prestigious kitchens, he experienced the oft-glorified rockstar-like atmosphere of the ‘90s and ‘00s culinary scene. “I saw some chefs throwing hot caramel pans in the face of people. I saw people taking a fish fillet and smashing it in a face,” he said. “I saw thousands of things in those days that now would never happen anymore because we have too much access with phones that can record, and it will be in the newspaper or whatever right away. But that's where I come from.”

While Olivier holds some nostalgia for the raucous era he came up in and the trials by fire he endured, he is proud to lead kitchens that are healthier and more supportive of their teams. He admitted that “When I took my first head chef position in Burgundy, I was a tyrant, too. I was screaming at people, I was throwing plates, and one night I had stomach pain, you know? I asked myself, ‘Is this what you want to become? You want to continue on this road for 20 years, screaming at everyone and being nuts because of a few sauce dots that aren’t right?’ And I thought, no, that's not the life I want to live. Lifting people up is the way; it's way more genuine than screaming at them.”

Olivier and the team at L'éclat 19, a Michelin-star restaurant in the Vallie Hotel in Hangzhou. Photo courtesy of Olivier.

This belief in lifting his culinary team up and mentoring their growth helped fuel Olivier’s success as he moved to Asia and transitioned from being the head chef at the Pierre Restaurant by Pierre Gagnaire in the Mandarin Oriental and L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon Hong Kong to founding his own namesake restaurants that include Seasons by Olivier E. in Hong Kong and a collaboration with Louis Vuitton on their first restaurant in Chengdu, China. In the process, Olivier has garnered numerous accolades, including Knight in the Order of Agricultural Merit of the French Republic, while a total of 30 Michelin Stars have been awarded to restaurants he has helmed. His newest venue, JW Marriott Phu Quoc’s Pink Pearl, reflects the totality of his skills as both a chef and a leader who nurtures the next generation of great chefs, as we would witness when meeting Danny Đỗ, Pink Pearl’s Chef de Cuisine.

The Pink Pearl Restaurant at JW Marriott Phu Quoc.

French Food Suitable for Asian Tastes

“The French – we are very ego-centered; we think we are the best. We think we have the best cuisine,” Olivier said when asked what he has learned about food during his years cooking in Asia. “It humbles me a lot because you see some beautiful cuisine based on texture … which is super flavorful, super tasty, but much more humble in terms of the approach of sourcing products. You get humbled, and you realize French food is amazing, but there's some other amazing cooking [out there] too.”

Olivier’s appreciation for Asia’s dishes and ingredients has allowed him to widen his scope of understanding and, in the process, develop meals that he describes as “French food that Asians like.” This involves points of commonly appreciated flavors and textures, as well as an embrace of local ingredients. “The DNA of French cuisine is always to try to find the best ingredients. Most of the time, we really always want to bring it from France ... But buying fish in France or finding vegetables from France would be stupid, because we are in Vietnam.”

Relying on ingredients from Vietnam generally and Phú Quốc specifically involves searching for ethically-sourced, sustainable items. This mission is made possible, in part, because of JW Marriott's on-site garden. Having a garden just steps from the kitchen not only ensures maximum freshness and full oversight of growing techniques and methods, but allows Olivier to better acquaint himself with local varieties and flavors. We joined him in the garden as he pointed out items that he had only recently learned about and the creative ideas they unlocked for his approach to French cooking with local diners in mind.

Danny Đỗ, Pink Pearl’s Chef de Cuisine.

To succeed in using local ingredients requires the talents of an experienced local team led by Danny. The Hanoi native who studied marketing and worked in food sales before following his passion to create food has been at Pink Pearl since 2022. His years on the island and his previous stint at Saigon’s prestigious Noir allow him to provide Olivier with insights into how to discern locally available produce, meat, seafood, and spices. For example, during our visit, Danny had shown the chef a local variety of jumbo clams. Believing the true test of a chef is his or her ability to work with anything, however unfamiliar, it provided the Pink Pearl with a great challenge. “By slicing them differently, by seasoning them differently, all of a sudden they became an outstanding dish. That's my approach for everything. There's a solution for everything, for every ingredient,” said Olivier.

More than a mere source of ingredient knowledge, Danny also leaves an impression on the dinner. For example, our dinner featured a pan-seared toothfish with bouillabaisse sauce, and fennel orange sauce was his own concoction that offers a winking nod to Phú Quốc’s gỏi cá trích. While imparting his creativity, Danny is tasked with maintaining the lofty reputation of Olivier, who notes that whether he is physically present at Pink Pearl on any given night should have no impact on the dining experience, as the teamwork ensures standards are maintained. In service of that philosophy, members of Olivier’s team make frequent visits for training and oversight. For example, the week after our visit, Olivier’s head sommelier would be present, followed by his head pastry chef, and later the lead for service.

On our last morning at Pink Pearl, we had an opportunity to watch Olivier and Danny work together in the kitchen. Easy communication flowed as Olivier would request certain items or ask for support in creating dishes that were being photographed. While focused on achieving the task at hand, there was a clear comfort between the two as well as a conscious effort to make the time together resonate long after Olivier departed. Olivier would occasionally pause to hear what Danny was sharing about an item and its reception. As Danny once noted, “I’ve learned that leadership isn’t just about giving orders — it’s about listening, mentoring, and constantly learning.”

Danny Đỗ and Gin Nguyễn, Pink Pearl's Restaurant Manager cum Hotel Sommelier.

Exciting Times Ahead

Pink Pearl has only been an official Olivier E. restaurant since this past spring, and it is already earning an elevated reputation thanks to the concerted efforts of the entire team. Guests have been planning vacations to Phú Quốc for the sole purpose of enjoying a meal there, and such destination dining will only increase as more special menus and meals are announced. For example, Olivier described the newly launched brunch that pairs his cuisine with the casual atmosphere of a leisure hotel for a meal that makes people feel relaxed and comfortable. Meanwhile, he is working with Danny on a menu for Christmas that will map Vietnam, incorporating the best available items from all regions. 

While Olivier played coy when asked if Pink Pearl would receive a Michelin Star in the future, noting the guide has not arrived in Phú Quốc yet, he certainly is establishing the reputation of one such restaurant for when the time comes. Moreover, as he has matured, his views on awards have evolved. Fueled less by ego and fame, he admits that now “I don’t cook for myself, I cook for guests.” This is a blessing for all of us guests at the Pink Pearl.