7 Vietnamese restaurants achieve global spotlight in 2023

2023 witnessed a booming year for local cuisine as four Vietnamese restaurants were awarded Michelin star ratings while three others were honored by international media.

Anan Saigon Restaurant in downtown Ho Chi Minh City has recorded outstanding achievements this year.

In June, it was one of the first four Vietnamese restaurants to be awarded with one Michelin star rating before bagging another honor: Asia's best restaurant at this year's World Culinary Awards.

“Whether you order the fresh tuna tartare, a roasted duck-mozzarella-herb mini pizza, shrimp and pork tacos, or bone marrow Wagyu beef pho, every dish is a masterclass of well-balanced flavors and textures,” the Michelin Guide wrote of the restaurant.

After opening its doors in 2017, the restaurant inside a six-storey house on Ton That Dam Street in District 1 has quickly catapulted to global fame thanks to serving street food-inspired dishes created by its owner and chef, Peter Cuong Franklin.

The restaurant captured diners’ loves for signature dishes such as a $100 banh mi that is topped off with French foie gras, truffle, a traditional garnish of sliced cucumbers, cilantro and mint and served with a side of fried sweet potatoes and caviar, or banh xeo taco, a dish consisting of a central Vietnamese region-style banh xeo (Vietnamese pancake) folded into the shape of a Mexican taco and filled with shrimp and pork, Hanoi-style grilled catfish or beef stew.

Due to its location inside a small traditional market, the restaurant is only able to serve 40 diners at a time.

The restaurant's prices start from VND185,000 ($8).

Photo by Tung Truong

Hibana by Koki, located inside the Capella Hotel on Le Phung Hieu Street in Hanoi's Old Quarter, is one of Vietnam’s best fine dining restaurants where a meal costs up to VND8.5 million per person.

In June, it also received one Michelin star rating.

Chef Hiroshi Yamaguchi told VnExpress that ingredients are the most important factor that helped his restaurant to receive Michelin recognition.

What he was concerned most is how to ensure the best quality of all dishes so that guests realize the restaurant is worth the Michelin star.

The restaurant uses premium ingredients flown in twice weekly from Japan, such as abalone, spiny lobster, sea urchin, YaeyamaKyori beef and Hokkaido hairy crab.

The restaurant has several secluded dining spaces including four private dining rooms that accommodate up to eight guests and five others for up to 16.

CNN last July listed the restaurant among the world's 20 finest restaurants and three months later it was voted Asia's best hotel restaurant at the World Culinary Awards based on votes by industry experts and globetrotters.

Photo by Giang Huy

Located on Van Mieu Street in Dong Da District, Tam Vi Restaurant famous for serving northern Vietnam-style family meals rose its fame on global cuisine map in June after bagging one Michelin star rating.

Its design takes inspiration from the Tonkin period with a touch of northern Vietnamese architecture that features nostalgic collection of Chinese furniture, hand-written signs and an antique gramophone and telephone.

It specializes in serving northern Vietnamese dishes. Its signature dishes include Vietnamese ham with periwinkle (snails) that comes with fresh herbs, vegetables and rice vermicelli with fish sauce.

After receiving Michelin star recognition, Mai Anh, the founder, said she suffered from more pressure when the restaurant was always fully booked and could not serve all guests properly.

But she is confident that the restaurant will always serve customers with "impartiality and sincerity."

The restaurant is open from Tuesday until Saturday.

A meal here costs from VND200,000-500,000.

Photo by Giang Huy

Gia Restaurant also earned one Michelin star this year.

The restaurant at 61 Pho Van Mieu in Hanoi's Dong Da District opened its doors for business in 2020 and its decor draws inspiration from Hanoi's Temple of Literature.

The restaurant’s name means "family" in Vietnamese that derives from the family love of head chef Sam Tran and CEO Long Tran, who have been working abroad for years.

The restaurant has two floors with a total of 14 tables.

Its menu includes dried black apricot, Hmong chicken served with rice, crab with beetroot, scallops with lime, and lamb with black garlic.

Photo by Giang Huy

In September, The Rhythms Restaurant in Hanoi was voted among the 25 best fine dining restaurants in Asia after an analysis of reader reviews on travel site Tripadvisor.

Located on the 7th floor of La Sinfonía del Rey Hotel & Spa, the restaurant provides a captivating view of central Hanoi's Sword Lake and the Old Quarter.

"The restaurant concept is formed in harmony with the rhythms of the King's Symphony, showcasing an orchestra of Vietnamese authentic cuisine embellished with the grandeur of royal ambiance," a Tripadvisor reader wrote.

The restaurant highlights traditional Vietnamese cuisine with signature dishes including roasted chicken north-west Vietnam style, spring rolls, and banana rolls and ice cream.

A set menu costs VND600,000 per person.

Photo courtesy of the restaurant

Cloud Nine Restaurant on the 9th floor within La Siesta Premium Hotel on Hang Be Street in Hanoi’s Old Quarter entered the list of 25 best fine dining restaurants in Asia as voted by Tripadvisor readers.

Thanks to its convenient location near the backpacker precinct Ta Hien beer hub and other night-time tourist attractions, the restaurant has become a favored choice among foreigners during weekends or national holidays with views of Hoan Kiem Lake.

Its classical architecture is reminiscent of the French colonial Indochina era, with black, white, blue-gray, and cream colors.

The restaurant features iconic dishes from Vietnam's northern, central, and southern regions, such as fragrant beef noodles, grilled beef, and bun cha, a signature Hanoi dish that features rice vermicelli, grilled pork and a mixture of fish sauce, sugar, lime juice, garlic, and chili.

A lunch set costs VND595,000 while a dinner set costs VND895,000.

Photo courtesy of the restaurant

In October, Hum Restaurant in HCMC was the only Vietnamese representative to be named among the world's top 25 vegetarian restaurants at the Traveler's Choice Best of the Best Restaurants list by readers on Tripadvisor.

Hum Vegetarian has three outlets at 32 Vo Van Tan, 2 Thi Sach, and 32 D10 streets.

Its highlights include wooden and eco-friendly furnishings.

The restaurant has both indoor and outdoor seating and can serve 100 customers at once.

Brown rice in lotus leaf, pineapple fried rice, and square deep-fried spring rolls are signature dishes at Hum, with prices ranging from VND100,000 to 300,000 a dish.

“The restaurant offers a cozy atmosphere with elegant design. The food is prepared on-site from fresh beans, nuts, vegetables, flowers, and fruits sourced from reputable suppliers and qualified farmers. The menu offers a variety of Vietnamese and Asian healthy cuisine dishes and is a must-visit for vegetarians and vegans,” said the Tripadvisor website.

Photo courtesy of the restaurant