Vietnamese cuisine is not just about noodles, bread and street food.

'Vietnam is magical and crazy. It opened my eyes to playing with the familiar and allowing me to try anything. I want the world to see the culinary possibilities I see in Vietnam,' chef Sam Aisbett told Hong Kong newspaper SCMP.

The turning point when Michelin appeared

In June this year, the first edition of the Michelin guide dedicated to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam was published. The guide includes 103 restaurants, including 4 restaurants with 1 Michelin star and 29 restaurants recommended by Bib Gourmand.

Previously, famous chef Anthony Bourdain put many restaurants in Vietnam on the world culinary map - the most famous being Bun Cha Huong Lien in Hanoi.

Super chef Anthony Bourdain ate bun cha with US President Barack Obama in 2016

This humble noodle shop became famous after Bourdain had dinner with Barack Obama - then US president - in 2016. The table where the two ate bun cha (grilled pork, vermicelli) and drank cold beer has been preserved in a glass cabinet like a museum piece.

However, the advent of the Michelin guide and the awarding of star restaurants marked a huge change in the Vietnamese dining scene, signaling that there was more to it than just noodles and meat sandwiches.

Vietnamese-born chef Peter Cuong Franklin, who worked in Hong Kong, setting up the restaurants Viet Kitchen and Chom Chom, returned to his homeland in 2017 to open Anan Saigon, one of the first four Michelin-starred restaurants in Vietnam. He said he has witnessed the change in culinary enjoyment in Ho Chi Minh City over the past few years.

“When I returned to Vietnam, the dining scene was still very much stuck in Bourdain’s worldview, with street food and local eateries being the main attractions. But I think the recognition from Michelin is starting to change the old dynamics and perceptions,” he said.

Chef Peter Cuong Franklin

Franklin feels that Vietnamese cuisine is at a historic turning point, moving towards a more exciting, sustainable future that can rival the culinary experiences of Asian destinations such as Thailand, Singapore and Hong Kong.

Given Vietnam's French colonial past, French cuisine tends to dominate when it comes to fine dining. But even that is something Franklin feels is changing.

“French cuisine is still important but the cuisine in Vietnam is becoming more global and diverse,” he added.

From popular to global

Da Vittorio opened its branch in October 2022 and is the second branch of this super restaurant outside of Italy, the other branch is in Shanghai.

"When we opened Da Vittorio Saigon eight months ago, we were the first true Italian restaurant in the city. With the exception of a few French restaurants and modern Vietnamese cuisine, the rest were basically casual," said Da Vittorio Saigon's executive chef Matteo Fontana.

Being the first restaurant of its kind in the city came with its challenges: it took Fontana four to five months to find reliable suppliers. “It’s easier to source ingredients if you’re a French restaurant, but products like tomatoes, anchovies, and some pasta I had to buy from Italy,” he says.

Da Vittorio Saigon serves classic Italian dishes in the style of the original restaurant in Brusaporto, northern Italy.

Matteo Fontana on the streets of Ho Chi Minh City

More recently, Sam Aisbett, the Australian chef who won a Michelin star at Whitegrass in Singapore, moved to Vietnam. In July, he launched Akuna, a modern restaurant showcasing Vietnamese ingredients, at Le Méridien Saigon.

“Vietnam is magical and crazy. It opened my eyes to playing with the familiar and allowing me to try anything. I want the world to see the culinary possibilities I see in Vietnam,” Aisbett said.

The menu at Akura includes Aisbett's creative experimentation with local ingredients, such as a saltwater crocodile tongue dish with signature ingredients.

Franklin sees the emergence of new chefs and interest in Vietnamese ingredients as just the beginning of a new movement in the country.

“I think international recognition will inspire a new generation of young chefs and local restaurateurs in Vietnam. I predict we will see strong growth and development in the Vietnamese hospitality industry, especially high-end restaurants and bars, in the coming years,” he stressed.

thanhnien.vn