Ha Noi 1988 Gác Manger: A Taste of Vietnamese Home Cooking in Paris

"Gác" is a small Vietnamese word with more than one meaning. It can describe a space inside a home.It can mean putting something aside, keeping it for later. And in gác-măng-rê, it becomes the Vietnamese adaptation of the French garde-manger: the cupboard where food was traditionally kept.

Three meanings, but one idea connects them all: home, food, and the things we keep close. This is where the story of Hanoi 1988 Gác Manger begins.

Source: Deliveroo

What Does “Gác” Mean in Vietnamese?

In Vietnamese, gác changes meaning depending on how it is used.

"Gác lửng" refers to a mezzanine or raised space inside a home — somewhere above the main living area that can be used for living, storing things or simply creating more room.

"Gác lại" (Pause) means to put something aside or save it for later.

Then there is gác-măng-rê, a Vietnamese word derived from the French garde-manger.

For generations, the gác-măng-rê was a familiar object in Vietnamese homes: a simple cupboard where food, bowls and everyday kitchen essentials could be kept. But for us, these meanings share something deeper. They are all about keeping something for later, making space for it and returning to it when we need it. And few things bring us back home as quickly as food.

From Gác-Măng-Rê to Gác Manger

Before refrigerators became part of everyday life, the gác-măng-rê had a practical place in many Vietnamese kitchens. Food prepared for the family could be kept there. A dish might be left for someone coming home later. Bowls, plates and the everyday objects of family meals lived nearby.

It was an ordinary object. And that is precisely why it matters. Because Vietnamese food culture is not only found in famous dishes or special celebrations. Much of it lives in these ordinary moments: preparing rice, putting several dishes in the middle of the table, saving a portion for someone else and asking the most familiar Vietnamese question of all:

“Ăn cơm chưa?” — Have you eaten yet?

Ha Noi 1988 Gác Manger takes inspiration from that everyday culture of eating at home.

What Is Cơm Nhà?

At the heart of Gác Manger is another simple Vietnamese expression: cơm nhà.

Literally, it means “home rice”. But culturally, it means much more. Cơm nhà is the everyday meal eaten at home. Rather than one single dish, a Vietnamese family meal is often built around rice accompanied by vegetables, protein, soup, herbs, pickles or sauces, depending on the family, season and region.

There is variety, but everything belongs together. And perhaps most importantly, cơm nhà is food made for everyday life. It doesn't need to be elaborate. It needs to feel like a meal.

Source: Deliveroo

Vietnamese Home Cooking for the Rhythm of Paris

Paris has a different rhythm. Lunch can happen between meetings. Dinner might come after a long métro ride. Some days there simply isn't time to cook a complete meal at home.

But eating quickly doesn't have to mean forgetting the feeling of a proper meal. This is the idea behind Hanoi 1988 Gác Manger.

We take inspiration from the structure and spirit of Vietnamese home cooking and bring it into contemporary Parisian life.

Rice, vegetables, proteins, herbs, sauces and Vietnamese flavours come together to create meals that are simple, generous and made for everyday eating. Not an imitation of someone's family kitchen. But food inspired by the same idea: a meal that makes you feel looked after.

More Than the Vietnamese Dishes You Already Know

For many people in Paris, Vietnamese food begins with phở, bánh mì, bò bún or spring rolls. They are all part of the story. But Vietnamese cuisine is much larger than its most internationally recognised dishes.

There is also the food Vietnamese people eat on ordinary days. A bowl of rice, some vegetables, a braised or grilled dish. Something fresh. Something pickled. A sauce on the side.

Different textures and flavours sharing the same table. With Ha Noi 1988 Gác Manger, Ha Noi1988 wants to open another door into Vietnamese cuisine: not only through its iconic dishes, but through the everyday culture of cơm nhà.

A Little Piece of Home in Paris

The story comes back to where it started.

Gác lửng — a space within the home.

Gác lại — something kept for later.

Gác-măng-rê — a place where food is kept.

Three meanings gathered around one idea.

At Hanoi 1988 Gác Manger, we keep that idea alive through food: the comfort of a Vietnamese family meal, reimagined for everyday life in Paris. A place to stop. A meal waiting for you. And perhaps, for a moment, a little taste of home.