When was the last time a cocktail made you pause, reflect, or even grin a little? Welcome to Ômm — Vietnam’s first mixology concept bar — where artisanal craftsmanship meets an unwavering spirit of experimentation, and every sip feels like a well-timed punchline in an elegantly told story. Curated by celebrated Japanese mixologist Shuzo Nagumo, the menu is part poetry, part science experiment, part edible memory, with each creation seasoned with intention and garnished with a dash of curiosity.
Where Saigon Slows Down and the Senses Awaken
Tucked discreetly on the first floor of a building on one of Saigon’s busiest streets, Ômm offers a deliberate contrast to the city’s fast-paced nightlife. Time slows. Elegance whispers. The dim lighting, curated playlists, and locally inspired design invite quiet contemplation.
Guided by the mantra “We devote our craft to creating an experimental space – where gastronomy, mixology, and art connect, converse…”, Ômm approaches every element with intention. Here, cocktails are not assembled — they’re composed. Each creation begins with a deep understanding of the ingredients, as Ômm goes directly to the source, meeting growers, distillers, and roasters to uncover the stories behind every element. This process of discovery becomes a catalyst for creativity, blurring the lines between taste, emotion, and artistic expression.
Each plate is designed to enhance the cocktail experience, forming a seamless harmony between bar and kitchen. Every dish is artisanal and handcrafted, striking a perfect balance between instinct and technique. Highlights from Chef Hoàng Nam’s menu include grilled duck breast with mixed herbs, honey mustard, and pickles; fish ceviche with shiso vinegar, dried fish, tobiko, and chili jam – each component is created from scratch.
Art is woven seamlessly into the space, making every drink and bite a complete sensory journey. Works are accompanied by brief notes, not to be decoded, but felt, much like everything else at Ômm – because interpretation is personal, shifting with the viewer’s state of mind. One standout piece is “It Seems to Be,” a video installation by artist Đào Tùng that plays with viewers' empathies, leaving them to decide whether they associate more with the human or the ant, the stick or the hand, and feel out the edges of their own circle of darkness.
Shuzo Nagumo and the Math in Cocktail Design
The creative force behind Ômm’s cocktail menu is Shuzo Nagumo, a mixologist with over two decades steeped in the language of tea, cacao, coffee, wild yeast, and spirits. A technician by training but an artist at heart, he uses modern methods — vacuum distillation, centrifugation, infusion, clarification — not as gimmicks, but as instruments of revelation, coaxing out hidden dimensions in familiar ingredients. But technical mastery is only part of the equation. Regional preferences also shape his creative approach. In China, Taiwan, and South Korea, guests tend to lean toward classic cocktails. In Vietnam, however, he has noticed a stronger appetite for modern, layered creations. With this in mind, he crafts cocktails that align with these evolving tastes. Climate, he observes, also plays a defining role: warmer regions tend to inspire cocktails with bright acidity and refreshing sweetness, while cooler climates invite appreciation for more delicate, subtle flavors. That’s why Ômm’s menu draws on ingredients that only make sense here, in this climate, in this culture. From vibrant acidity to floral complexity, the cocktails speak fluent Saigon.
Liquid Art: From Lishan Peaks to Local Herbs
Cocktails at Ômm are a blend of local ingredients and foreign-grown treasures, all treated as brushstrokes, crafted to stir memory, mood, and meaning. Guests are invited to sip their way through distinct menus built around tea, cacao, and coffee — each one a chapter in Ômm’s multisensory journey.
And while no one category overshadows the others, the tea cocktails do carry a certain lyrical pull, crafted with the intention of evoking something deeper — composed with the same thoughtfulness as a poem.
Lishan Nectar — a cloud-shaped memory from 2,400 meters above sea level. It begins with high-mountain Taiwanese tea, slow-grown in a quiet, misty garden in the sky, then gently infused into Bacardi white rum. Pear and honey purée comes in with a soft whisper of sweetness, while elderflower liqueur adds a light, joyful note, and Ômm’s signature Rancio syrup anchors it all with a layered, lingering hum. Each flavor melts into the next like ethereal mist drifting across the mountaintops of Taiwan — leaving behind a finish that’s part floral sigh, part altitude daydream.
Roasted Newton Fizz is rooted in slow-roasted Japanese Hojicha, offering a warm, smoky aroma reminiscent of charred wood. Ripe apples are juiced, filtered, and clarified through centrifugation, preserving only the clearest essence. Then, using sous-vide techniques, their sweet, mellow aromas unfold slowly — like freshly baked apple pie from grandma’s kitchen. A delicate cloud of white chocolate espuma floats on top, rounding out the experience with a whisper of sweetness that lingers like a dream you almost remember.
White Fleur takes the stage with Chinese white tea as its leading lady. Born from mountaintop gardens, where tender young buds gather the season’s first mist, she opens the scene with her signature deep, sweet umami layers. Then enter the dancers: elderflower, Grey Goose pear vodka, lemon juice, lychee, and a flirt of muscat grape. Bound together by Ômm’s secret syrup, they twirl across the palate in a soft, juicy waltz. Each sip lands like sunlight through sheer curtains — bright, graceful, and with just the right amount of sparkle.
Primitive reinterprets the spirit of Vietnamese cuisine through the language of cocktails. At its core, artichoke tea murmurs with earthy depth, mingling with Ômm’s housemade amaro and lemongrass vodka to form a subtly tart, herbaceous profile. Infused with chili tincture, white vinegar, licorice, bitter melon, star anise, and cinnamon, each note evokes a fresh yet familiar taste; each ingredient carries the rustic soul of Vietnam. The result? A cocktail that feels like a folktale told in a new tongue — bold in experimentation, deeply rooted in place, and unmistakably Ômm.
Vietnam’s Cocktail Renaissance
Vietnam is fast becoming a rising force in global cocktail culture. From Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City, there is growing appreciation for multi-layered drinks, and the story behind the spirit. Consumers are not only seeking flavors—they’re craving experiences that reflect place and identity. In this landscape, bars rooted in storytelling and local nuance are not just succeeding—they’re setting the standard.
“Vietnam has significant potential for the mixology and cocktail industry,” says Shuzo Nagumo. “As people become more adventurous with their drinking preferences, bars that incorporate local ingredients and cultural influences will thrive.”
Ômm, in all its quietly theatrical, locally-inspired, and artisanal glory, proves he’s right — one poetic pour at a time.
