Michelin is pleased to present the very first restaurant selection of the MICHELIN Guide Hanoi & Ho Chi Minh City. Among the 103 recommended restaurants (48 in Hanoi and 55 in Ho Chi Minh City), 4 are recognised with one MICHELIN Star for their high-quality cooking (3 in Hanoi and 1 in Ho Chi Minh City), and 29 establishments – the inspectors’ best value-for-money - receive a Bib Gourmand for offering good food at moderate prices.
“We’re very proud to finally present the first restaurant selection in Vietnam, with a total of 103 restaurants in the Guide, highlighting 4 restaurants awarded with one MICHELIN Star.” said Gwendal Poullennec, International Director of the MICHELIN Guide. “The first selection in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City highlights the differences and variety in what these two cities have to offer. Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, offers a very laid back and relax vibe with small shops and restaurants found mostly in the old quarter. Traditional Vietnamese cuisine with Northern flavour is prevalent in this city, with a clear presentation of natural flavour, enhanced with different types of spices and herbs for complexity. Ho Chi Minh City on the other hand, is a bustling and rapid-growing city that offers a unique energy to all travelers and has a diverse variety of cuisine. Both modern and traditional cooking techniques are well seen, and there is also a great mix of talents and young local chefs eager to present their ideas and creations on the plate. This is just the beginning of the MICHELIN Guide’s journey in Vietnam, and our inspectors have been more than pleased to have discovered many gastronomic spots in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, and I am sure, many more in the coming years.”
4 Restaurants Awarded One MICHELIN Star
Amongst the 103 restaurants in the selection, one MICHELIN Star is awarded to 3 restaurants in Hanoi, and 1 restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City, for offering high quality cooking and outstanding culinary experience that is worth a stop when travelling to Vietnam.
Anăn Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City), a Vietnamese contemporary restaurant, whose Chef Peter Cuong Franklin applies modern cooking techniques to street food recipes to create enticing flavours, earned the one MICHELIN Star recognition. Whether you order the fresh tuna tartare, a roasted duck-mozzarella-herb mini pizza, shrimp and pork tacos, or bone marrow wagyu beef phở, every dish is a masterclass of well-balanced flavours and textures.
Gia (Hanoi) is a Vietnamese contemporary restaurant, run by Chef Sam Tran, receiving one MICHELIN Star recognition for its menu that changes with the seasons and is inspired by Vietnamese culinary heritage. Deceptively complex, the beautifully crafted dishes showcase well-judged combinations of subtle flavours, with acidity and texture playing prominent roles.
Hibana by Koki (Hanoi) presents a theatrical experience at a 14-seat counter in the basement of Capella Hotel, with Chef Hiroshi Yamaguchi skillfully and precisely cooked teppanyaki dishes rich in complex flavour. The menu features a distinctly decadent edge, epitomized by the premium ingredients flown in twice a week from Japan, such as abalone, spiny lobster, sea urchin, Yaeyama Kyori beef and Hokkaido hairy crab.
Tầm Vị (Hanoi) a vintage tea house that feels distinctly northern Vietnamese with its nostalgic collection of Chinese furniture and hand-written signs. They serve northern Vietnamese dishes with some central and southern options. The Vietnamese ham with periwinkle Chả Ốc (snails) comes with fresh herbs, vegetables and rice vermicelli with fish sauce. The crab soup with Canh Cua Mồng Tơi (malabar spinach) has a subtle crab flavour in a clear broth.
29 Establishments Awarded a Bib Gourmand (Inspectors’ Favourites for Quality Cooking at Moderate Prices)
The Bib Gourmand distinction highlights the restaurants within the MICHELIN Guide restaurant selection that stand out for value-for-money offers. Often considered as the “top tips” from the MICHELIN Guide Inspectors, the Bib Gourmand restaurants are much followed and highly appreciated by users of the Guide seeking affordable establishments, without compromising on the quality of the cuisine and the products offered.
This year, a total of 29 restaurants and food establishments are awarded a Bib Gourmand distinction, with 13 based in Hanoi and 16 in Ho Chi Minh City. Out of the 29 Bib Gourmand establishments, more than half are Vietnamese cuisine or street food, strongly reflecting the high popularity of street food being rooted in the local culture.
13 Bib Gourmand Establishments in Hanoi
- 1946 Cua Bac
- Bun Cha Ta (Nguyen Huu Huan Street)
- Chả Cá Thăng Long
- Chào Bạn
- Don Duck Old Quarter
- Habakuk
- Phở 10 Lý Quốc Sư
- Phở Bò Ấu Triệu
- Phở Gà Nguyệt
- Phở Gia Truyền
- The East
- Tuyết Bún Chả 34
- Xới Cơm
16 Bib Gourmand Establishments in Ho Chi Minh City
- Bếp Mẹ ỉn (Le Thanh Ton)
- Chay Garden
- Cơm Tấm Ba Ghiền
- Cuc Gach Quan
- Dim Tu Tac (Dong Du)
- Hum Garden
- Phở Chào
- Phở Hoà Pasteur
- Phở Hoàng
- Phở Hương Bình
- Phở Lệ (District 5)
- Phở Miến Gà Kỳ Đồng
- Phở Minh
- Phở Phượng
- Xôi Bát
70 Other Establishments Recommended in the MICHELIN Guide
A total of 70 other establishments (32 in Hanoi and 38 in Ho Chi Minh City) also joins the MICHELIN Guide Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City 2023 selection, known as the MICHELIN Selected restaurants.
If street food and local cuisine are here again widely represented in this selection, the traffic of international travelers to Vietnam allows the blossom of various cuisine types. A good mix of French, European, Japanese, Italian, Spanish, Latin American or Mediterranean restaurants are for example featured.
Some examples are La Badiane (Hanoi), a charming French restaurant with fusion cuisine; Truffle (Ho Chi Minh City), a French contemporary restaurant; T.U.N.G dining (Hanoi), The Monkey Gallery Dining (Ho Chi Minh City) both with European contemporary cuisine; Akira Back (Hanoi) serving Japanese cuisine, and Octo (Ho Chi Minh City) serving Spanish cuisine.
Three MICHELIN Special Awards
In addition to recommending quality restaurants, the MICHELIN Guide also aims to highlight talented individuals who contribute to enhancing the gastronomic dining experience. By doing so, it also acknowledges the diversity of jobs and know-hows involved in the restaurant industry.
For the inaugural edition of the MICHELIN Guide Hanoi & Ho Chi Minh City, the inspectors have found three worthy recipients.
MICHELIN Service Award
The MICHELIN Service Award aims to highlight and encourage skilled and talented front-of-house professional who dramatically adds to the customer experience. This award goes to Thi Nu Nguyen from MICHELIN Selected restaurant Vietnam House in Ho Chi Minh City. Ms Nguyen is very pleasant, she has good knowledge about food, wine and tea, with good recommendations for guests. With good understanding of the menu and the restaurant, she is happy to offer information during engagement with guest with a bright smile and the right service pace.
MICHELIN Sommelier Award
The MICHELIN Sommelier Award recognises the skills, knowledge, and passion of talented sommelier of the industry, and is given to Yu Yamamoto from MICHELIN Selected restaurant Lửa in Ho Chi Minh City.
Coming from Japan with great passion in wine, Mr Yamamoto is well equipped with excellent wine knowledge. Managing around 70-100 labels with regular updates on the wine list, he is always fascinated to share quality wine as a daily special with diners. Not only that he will make sake on his own way, but also a will to promote wine culture in Vietnam.
MICHELIN Young Chef Award
The MICHELIN Young Chef Award recognises a young chef working in a restaurant of the selection and whose exceptional talent and great potential have impressed the inspectors. This year’s award is given to Sam Tran from one MICHELIN Starred restaurant Gia in Hanoi.
Ms Tran is a talented chef, as a Vietnamese chef at the age of 33, possessing smart cooking where Vietnamese culture is well incorporated into Western cooking. Her cuisine is impressive and filled with personality with precise preparation and accurate execution.