Maison Lucien is not just a name. It is a dedication — to my grandfather Lucien Gallais, a man who spent his life devoted to food, family, and an unbreakable spirit.
"Good food, good stories, and the warmth to make everyone feel like family." — that is what Maison Lucien is built on.
A Norman charcutier from La Haye-Pesnel
Lucien was born on January 16, 1923, in La Haye-Pesnel, Normandy. In 1947 he became a charcutier — a master of cured meats, pâtés and terrines — the very craft whose DNA you taste in every Planche de Charcuterie we serve today.
In 1951 he married Bernadette, and together they opened their first charcuterie in Bouloire. A few years later they moved to the historic city of Bayeux, opening a new shop in 1955 that quickly became part of the fabric of local life. They raised four children: Jocelyne, Didier — my father — Maryse, and Franck.
Born
January 16, 1923 — La Haye-Pesnel, Normandy, France.
Charcutier
Becomes a master charcutier — pâtés, terrines, saucissons, cured meats.
Marriage & first shop
Marries Bernadette. Opens their first charcuterie together in Bouloire.
Bayeux
Opens a new charcuterie in Bayeux — the shop becomes a beloved local institution.
A life-changing accident
A serious road accident. More than a year in hospital. He loses a leg — but never his passion or his pride.
Retirement — and cycling
Retires from work, becomes president of the Bayeux Cycling Club. My father Didier and uncle Franck race under his leadership with pride.
The accident that changed everything — but not him
In 1968, a serious road accident put Lucien in hospital for over a year. He lost a leg. To most people, that would have been the end of a certain chapter. For Lucien, it was not. He returned to work as a food industry sales representative — still driven by the same passion and pride that had always defined him.
After retiring in 1979, his love of movement found a new outlet: cycling. He became president of the Bayeux Cycling Club. My father Didier and uncle Franck, guided by him, raced with pride. A man who had lost a leg leading a cycling club — that is exactly the kind of person Lucien was.
His spirit lives here
Lucien is no longer with us. But his spirit endures — in our family, in our values, and now in this restaurant.
If he knew that his grandson had opened a restaurant in his name on the other side of the world, in a Vietnamese city famous for its silk lanterns and ancient trading houses, I believe he would have been proud. And perhaps a little curious about how I ended up here.
The charcuterie of Bayeux. The cycling club of Normandy. The kitchens of Paris and London and Bangkok. A bicycle ride through Laos and Vietnam. And a yellow house in Hội An with ten tables.
These are the same story.
At Maison Lucien, we import his Norman cheeses — Camembert, Livarot, Pont-l'Évêque — from the region where he lived and worked. Every charcuterie board we serve carries his craft. Every glass of Calvados is a toast to Normandy.
Maison Lucien is a place for good food, good stories, and the kind of warmth that makes everyone feel like family. Just as Lucien would have wanted.
Come and feel at home
7/1 Phan Bội Châu, Hội An · Open for lunch & dinner · Closed Saturday