Vietnamese cuisine is a treasure trove of flavors, textures, and colors that has undeniably captured the hearts and palates of food lovers worldwide. With its unique blend of herbs, spices, and fresh ingredients, it is no wonder that Vietnam has become a culinary destination and one of the top foodie hotspots in Asia.
From the iconic “Phở” and “Bánh Mì” to lesser-known delicacies like “Bánh Xèo” and “Cơm Tấm”, Vietnamese cuisine offers a diverse range of dishes that are simply irresistible. In your culinary exploration journey in Vietnam, if you are looking for high-standard establishments internationally recognized, now you can refer to the list of 4 recently awarded Michelin-star restaurants in Vietnam.
Event Background
During the event held on the evening of June 6, 2023, in Vietnam, Michelin honored 103 restaurants in two cities of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh in three different categories:
– 70 restaurants meet the 5 criteria set by Michelin and are listed in the Michelin Selected restaurant guide;
– 29 restaurants are listed in the Bib Gourmand guide for offering delicious food at affordable prices.
– And especially four restaurants awarded Michelin stars, including one Michelin star restaurant in Saigon and three Michelin star restaurants in Hanoi.
Three individuals have received special awards from the Michelin Guide, including:
– The Sommelier Award for Mr. Yu Yamamoto of Lửa Restaurant.
– The Service Award for Ms. Nguyen Thi Nu of Vietnam House Restaurant.
– The Young Chef Award for Sam Tran of Gia Restaurant.
The Michelin Guide, with a history of over 120 years from 1900 to the present, has traveled through more than 40 countries, always maintaining a completely separate, independent, meticulous, and detailed process when evaluating restaurants.
To evaluate the quality of Vietnamese restaurants, these reviewers are trained in Vietnamese cuisine knowledge and have enough experience to understand and review Vietnamese food clearly. Michelin Guide culinary experts will secretly visit restaurants to taste their food. Their work is kept confidential, even from close friends and family, to ensure the most objective and fair assessment of the restaurants’ Vietnamese cuisine.
Four Michelin-starred Restaurants In Vietnam.
The Michelin Guide rates restaurants on a system of 3 stars, with detailed criteria that are not disclosed. However, each level is determined as follows:
- One star is awarded to a restaurant with “good quality food, worth stopping for a meal”.
- Two stars are given to a restaurant with “excellent quality food, worth a detour to visit again”.
- The highest level, three stars, is awarded to a restaurant with “exceptional quality food, worth making a special trip to experience”.
In the award ceremony, Michelin Guide recognized 4 restaurants that have been awarded Michelin star restaurants in Vietnam, including Gia, Hibana by Koki, and Tam Vi in Hanoi, along with Anan Saigon in Ho Chi Minh City.
Ănăn Saigon
- Location: 89 Ton That Dam, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City. Near Bitexco Tower and Nguyen Hue Walking Street.
- Opening hours: 5 PM – 11 PM (Tue-Sun)
- Restaurant’s Main Chef and Owner: Mr. Peter Cuong Franklin.
- Capacity: 50 – 60 guests.
This is currently the only Michelin-star restaurant in Saigon. The restaurant offers a unique dining experience with its fusion of traditional Vietnamese flavors and modern cooking techniques.
The dishes here are made from fresh, local ingredients and presented beautifully. Some of the signature dishes at Ănăn Saigon include the Pomelo Salad with Grilled Tiger Prawns, Wagyu Beef Pho, and the Black Angus Beef Short Ribs. The restaurant also offers a selection of craft cocktails inspired by Vietnamese flavors and ingredients.
The atmosphere at Ănăn Saigon is elegant and refined, with a chic and contemporary design. The restaurant has both indoor and outdoor seating, with a rooftop bar that offers a view of the city. The price of an 8 – 12 course menu here ranges from 880,000 to 2,400,000 VND (37 – 101 USD).
The space of the restaurant is not spacious, however, the plus point is the thoughtful and well-invested decoration in both seating and dishes. In addition to earning one Michelin star, Ănăn Saigon is also Vietnam’s Best Restaurant on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants List 2023.
Gia Restaurant
- Location: 61 Van Mieu, Dong Da, Ha Noi.
- Opening hours: 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM (Fri – Sun), 6 PM – 9 PM (Tue – Sun).
- Restaurant’s Main Chef: Ms. Sam Tran.
Located across from the Temple of Literature, Gia Restaurant was built on the foundation of an over 100-year-old traditional house. The space still retains the distinctive architectural features of the ancient Hanoi capital, with a two-story building and a skylight for natural light. Every detail carved on the wall, painting, or decorative block draws inspiration from the lotus and patterns at the Temple of Literature.
Differing from the typical menu, Gia serves a Tasting Menu that takes customers on a journey of over 10 pre-determined dishes and accompanying drinks. The restaurant changes its menu every three months – 4 seasons a year in Northern Vietnam, and the dishes from the previous season are no longer available. The ingredients, long forgotten (such as “rau dớn” in the Northwest or the “giang leaf” in Thai cuisine), and traditional dishes like crab noodle soup, eel soup, or chicken noodle are now reimagined with a new and exciting perspective.
Through each dish, Gia evokes new emotions in customers about familiar ingredients, while also recounting stories about traditional Vietnamese culture, and how its culinary heritage ties together the past, present, and future. The price for a meal here ranges from 1,700,000 to 2,000,000 VND (71 – 84 USD) .
Hibana by Koki
- Location: 11 Le Phung Hieu, French Quarter, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi (Capella Hanoi 5-star Boutique Hotel).
- Opening hours: 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM and 6 PM – 8 PM (Fri – Sat).
- Restaurant’s Main Chef: Mr. Yamaguchi.
- Capacity: 14 guests.
This is a Japanese restaurant with a Teppanyaki cooking style located within the upscale Capella Hotel. Teppanyaki is a style of Japanese cuisine that involves cooking on a flat iron griddle, known as a Teppan. The word “teppanyaki” itself translates to “grilling on an iron plate.”
The restaurant only serves a maximum of 14 guests per meal, with an open kitchen allowing diners to watch the preparation of their food. Hibana serves Japanese cuisine such as sashimi, yakitori, grilled meats, seafood, salads, rice, and noodles. Ingredients are imported from Japan weekly, including abalone, spiny lobster, sea urchin, Yaeyama Kyori beef, and Hokkaido king crab. Vegetables are sourced from organic farms in Da Lat.
Hibana by Koki boasts a luxurious design with spacious interiors, natural lighting, and meticulously crafted furniture. The restaurant also has a Sake Library with unique bottles of sake, a royal tea collection, and a variety of cocktails that transport your senses to the forests and mountains of Japan.
To enjoy a dinner at Hibana by Koki, diners expect to spend around 6,000,000 to 9,000,000 VND per person (253 – 377 USD).
Tầm Vị
- Location: 4B Yen The, Van Mieu, Dong Da, Ha Noi.
- Opening hours: 11:00 AM – 2:30 PM and 5 PM – 9:30 PM (Fri – Sat).
- Restaurant Chefs: Mai Anh’s Family.
- Capacity: 100 guests.
Tầm Vị Restaurant has a traditional architectural style and cozy atmosphere, serving authentic Vietnamese meals like family-style rice dishes. The restaurant is a two-story wooden house, quiet, with about 20 tables, and can accommodate up to 100 guests at a time. From the walls, ceilings, floors, stairs, old tables and chairs, to bamboo straws, everything recreates the look of an ancient Vietnam house. The light and harmonious decorations blend perfectly with the vintage style. The restaurant has a small courtyard full of green trees, perfect for relaxing on cool days.
The menu focuses on family-style dishes, so the restaurant attracts many patrons who come with their families to enjoy a shared meal. The dishes start at VND 110,000 per dish. A set menu consisting of 4 dishes ranges from 700,000 to about one million VND (about 30 – 42 USD). The restaurant offers over 100 dishes, with the most popular ones being braised fish, fried eggs, fried tofu, boiled water spinach, shrimp soup with gourd, caramelized pork with eggs, pickled vegetables, and pork stuffed cabbage rolls. The menu varies with the seasons but never deviates from traditional Vietnamese dishes.
For young Vietnamese people, Tầm Vị is a place to create memories and share family meals. For the elderly, it is a place to evoke memories of the past.
29 Bib Gourmand Restaurants in Vietnam
Bib Gourmand’s title recognizes restaurants that offer high-quality food at reasonable prices. To be recognized with a Bib Gourmand distinction, a restaurant must offer a complete menu with at least two dishes (a main course and a starter or dessert) for a total price of no more than a certain amount set by the Michelin Guide.
70 Michelin Selected Restaurants in Vietnam
Michelin Selected is a distinction awarded by the Michelin Guide to restaurants that achieve high-quality standards but do not yet qualify for a Michelin Star. Restaurants that are “Michelin selected” are usually highly praised for their quality of food, excellent service, and impressive atmosphere. The “Michelin selected” title is a recognition and honor for notable restaurants that have the ability to create exceptional culinary experiences and satisfy their customers. This is a prestigious and globally recognized symbol of excellence and quality in the culinary industry.
Vietnamese cuisine is acclaimed for its quality and vibrant flavors. However, street-style traditional dining options remain easily accessible. This list of restaurants presented by Michelin this time is not only a testament to Vietnam’s culinary progress, emphasizing both exquisite culinary level and accompanying services, but also aimed at providing diners with refined options for experiencing the essence of Vietnamese cuisine.
