What's inside the two Vietnamese restaurants that made it into the Top 100 best restaurants in Asia?

"The last time Vietnam had a representative in this top list was in 2013," the organizers emphasized.

It's not surprising that both Vietnamese representatives in the 2021 top list aren't luxurious restaurants in 5-star hotels, but rather creative dining establishments run by Vietnamese chefs. TUNG Dining in Hanoi ranked 98th and Anan Saigon ranked 39th. Let's explore what makes these two restaurants, the only ones in Vietnam, so special in the Top 100 best restaurants in Asia.

Anan Saigon

Anan Saigon was founded by Peter Cuong Franklin, a Vietnamese-born chef who received formal training at prestigious culinary schools around the world. He is a pioneering chef in modern Vietnamese and Asian cuisine. The chef shares that his greatest culinary inspiration comes from his mother, who used to sell pho and noodle soup in Da Lat.

Anan Saigon is named after the spelling of "eat eat". The restaurant serves Vietnamese cuisine but is prepared and presented in a style that blends international culinary influences, including dishes such as banh nhung (crispy fried dough cakes shaped like flowers for snacking), pho with wagyu beef, Da Lat pizza, taco pancakes, sandwiches with foie gras, chicken breast or truffle mushrooms...

Additionally, the restaurant offers a tasting menu (a menu featuring many dishes, but each dish is served in a small, meticulously decorated portion) with 8 dishes for diners who want to experience them. Anan Saigon is an ideal place to relax on the weekend with its open-air rooftop and airy atmosphere. Diners can order a few cocktails, wine, or beer to enjoy with the creative dishes.

The head chef shared his feelings upon learning that the restaurant made it into the Top 50 in Asia, calling it "a dream come true": "We have made history, and I am so proud to be ranked 39th out of 50 best restaurants in Asia. Four years ago, when I opened the restaurant, this was my dream. It is even more meaningful in a year full of challenges for the culinary industry and the world."

Tung Dining Hanoi

TUNG Dining is a European-style restaurant located in the heart of Hanoi, on Quang Trung Street, founded by young chef Hoang Tung, only 28 years old. He is a former overseas student who returned to Vietnam with a strong passion for culinary innovation.

The restaurant's modest size creates a cozy atmosphere, allowing diners to focus on the culinary experience. The chefs at TUNG Dining avoid dishes high in cream and fat, instead using vegetables and healthy ingredients, combined with wholesome cooking techniques to preserve the original flavors.

Positioned in the higher price range, TUNG Dining's menu features creative dishes combining various ingredients such as oysters, scallops, foie gras, eel, saffron, and amberjack. The restaurant is highly praised by many diners for the chef's creativity. The dishes are all elaborately decorated and presented, scoring points visually from the start.

The head chef of TUNG dining shared that achieving the 98th position in the top rankings exceeded expectations. This is a well-deserved result after two years of the restaurant's operation.

After nearly 10 years, Vietnam once again has a representative in the Top Restaurants in Asia, since Don's restaurant in Hanoi was ranked 47th out of 50 in the list published in 2013. The inclusion of Anan Saigon and TUNG Dining in the Asian top rankings is a source of pride and a testament to the development of high-end cuisine in Vietnam.

The list of 50 best restaurants in Asia is a branch of The World's 50 Best, selected and published annually since 2013, aiming to introduce reliable dining destinations to diners worldwide while celebrating regional cuisine. Despite a year of prolonged pandemic, the website continues to select outstanding names, with the goal of supporting restaurants in their recovery and promoting the talent and continuous creativity of their chefs.

Huyen Chau