The Gourmet Vietnam Awards 2025 celebrates the nation’s finest chefs, restaurants, and hospitality leaders. Guided by a distinguished advisory board of international hoteliers, sommeliers, entrepreneurs, and tastemakers, the awards ensure credibility and vision. These judges bring unmatched expertise, guaranteeing winners truly embody excellence, creativity, and authenticity in Vietnam’s gastronomy.
Vietnam’s culinary landscape is flourishing, weaving together centuries-old traditions with contemporary innovation. The Gourmet Vietnam Awards 2025 celebrates this vibrant evolution, honouring chefs, restaurants, mixologists, and hospitality leaders who define excellence across the country. More than a competition, it is a platform that recognises talent, fosters innovation, and connects Vietnam’s gastronomic achievements to the world stage.
Award Categories
The awards encompass six major pillars designed to reflect the full spectrum of Vietnam’s dining and hospitality excellence:
- Culinary Excellence: From fine dining and steakhouse experiences to authentic Vietnamese, Japanese, Thai, Indian, French, Italian, and Spanish cuisines, alongside vegetarian, dessert, and omakase dining.
- Beverage & Mixology: Recognising the artistry of Vietnam’s best wine bars, rooftop lounges, coffee and tea houses, and craft beer destinations.
- Hospitality Excellence: Honouring hotels, resorts, and service teams that elevate the guest experience.
- Sustainability & Innovation: Celebrating forward-thinking practices in sourcing, operations, and eco-conscious creativity.
- People’s Choice Awards: Where the public voice highlights their most beloved dining and drinking destinations.
- Special Recognition Awards: Reserved for exceptional achievements and contributions to Vietnam’s hospitality and culinary culture.
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Judging Process
To ensure fairness and credibility, each entry undergoes a multi-layered judging process. Evaluation criteria include food quality and consistency, creativity and innovation, service excellence, ambience, and sustainability practices. A combination of expert assessment and consumer feedback ensures the winners embody true excellence: balancing flavour, vision, and experience.
Meet the Judges & Advisory Board
At the heart of the awards is a distinguished panel of judges and advisors, bringing together international expertise and local insight.
- Eric A. Baumgartner: Hospitality strategist and Founder of Dôme Hospitality, with senior leadership roles at Raffles, Relais & Châteaux, and The Leading Hotels of the World. His global experience spans luxury hotels, restaurants, and collaborations with culinary legends.
- James Young: Hotelier and strategic advisor with senior roles at IHG and WMC Group. Currently leading Sparren Consulting in Ho Chi Minh City, James brings decades of leadership and academic engagement across Europe, Asia, and Australasia.
- Peter Chong: Publisher of Deployant.com and passionate gastronome, celebrated for chronicling both street food culture and fine dining in Vietnam and beyond. His perspective bridges craftsmanship across watches, wine, and gastronomy.
- Alfredo De La Casa: Sommelier and co-founder of So Sexy Wines, he has shaped Vietnam’s wine scene for over a decade. Author of the country’s first book on wine pairings with local cuisine, he champions accessibility and education.
- Tracie May: Award-winning American communications executive, event producer, and lifestyle influencer with over 25 years of international experience. Based in Vietnam, she is known for her role as host of Chat.Travel and as a guest judge on national culinary television, bridging hospitality, media, and culture with authority and style.
- Jovel Chan – Singaporean entrepreneur, food blogger, and founder of Saigon Supperclub and Saigon Social, she champions diversity and women’s representation in Vietnam’s evolving F&B landscape.
A New Benchmark for Excellence
The Gourmet Vietnam Awards 2025 is more than recognition; it is a celebration of Vietnam’s cultural richness, culinary artistry, and the visionaries who bring these experiences to life. With international credibility and local authenticity, the awards set a new benchmark for the country’s hospitality industry.