VI
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A space of moderation and depth of taste.
Included in the Michelin Guide Selected 2024 and 2025, Mien Saigon pursues a minimalist approach. The space is designed in a minimalist style with a muted color palette of brown, gray, and black. The main materials are wood, stone, and matte-finished metal, creating a sense of solidity and security. Low, compact tables and chairs are arranged with spacing, and bamboo blinds maintain privacy for each group of guests.
Miên's ambiance offers a calm, warm, and tranquil atmosphere, allowing diners to focus on the flavors at their table.
Mien Saigon constructs the dining experience with a clear structure, guiding diners through carefully arranged layers of flavor. Mien's philosophy revolves around three core elements: local identity, understanding of ingredients, and mastery of techniques. These elements don't exist in isolation but blend together to create a sophisticated culinary style where balance is paramount. This approach has made Mien Saigon one of the most noteworthy destinations in contemporary Vietnamese fine dining.
"Opening Ceremony" - A cycle of flavors told through 14 dishes.
“Khai Canh” is structured as a clearly defined journey, inspired by the farming cycle. “Khai” means to open, “Canh” means to cultivate, suggesting the beginning of a nurturing process. For Mien, this is not just a name, but a way of shaping the entire experience.
The menu guides diners through four transitional chapters. Each chapter represents a stage in the development of flavor, from freshness to fullness and finally settling into a lingering aftertaste.
Mien introduces a new tasting menu - Khai Canh - which tells the story of the cultivation cycle and the natural development of flavors.
The "Seasonal Breeze" program begins with Nha Trang grouper fish marinated in salt overnight, resulting in firmer flesh and a richer flavor. When eaten, the sourness from the passion fruit and rambutan fish sauce emerges first, followed by the sweetness of the fish, blended with the subtle aroma of dill.
Next, the cassava is made into an ice cream, served with Oscietra caviar and choux pastry. The cassava has a sweet and chewy texture, while the caviar offers a slightly salty and umami flavor (a rich taste reminiscent of seafood broth or bone stock), creating a striking contrast with the sweetness of the cassava.
Nha Trang salted grouper and cassava cream with Oscietra caviar and hojicha choux pastry.
Seared Hokkaido scallops, cooked to perfection, are served alongside crispy fried rice and Da Lat cauliflower purée. The dish creates a contrast between soft and crispy, light and rich flavors.
Hokkaido scallops and Da Lat cauliflower purée
Moving on to the "Into the Rice" chapter, Ehime sea bream is served with a sauce made from tamarind juice, kombu oil, and ginger. The fish has a light and delicate flavor, while the sauce provides a mild sourness and adds richness. Spring shoots and cassava are placed inside, providing crispness and maintaining a balance between the fish and vegetables.
Ehime sea bream
Nha Trang spiny lobster is marinated in kombu to enhance its umami flavor, and served with tomatoes, dried strawberries, and toasted coconut foam. The subtle acidity from the fermented tomatoes balances the richness, while the coconut provides a smooth texture.
Nha Trang spiny lobster marinated in kombu
Phan Thiet squid is prepared delicately, combined with a broth made from dried seafood and shrimp paste foam.
A delightful highlight is the vegetable dish featuring lightly pickled Chinese cabbage, a green banana sauce cooked with fermented rice, and abalone. The aroma of betel leaves evokes a familiar, Vietnamese meal but is elevated by modern techniques.
Phan Thiet squid and shrimp paste foam
Pickled Chinese cabbage, green banana sauce cooked with fermented rice, and abalone.
Chapter Nine is where the flavors reach their peak. Lamb ribs are marinated in koji for 7 days, resulting in tender meat and a richer flavor compared to conventional processing. The meaty taste and richness are clearly discernible. The dish is served with yam, shallots, and salad to add freshness and a touch of sourness, balancing the lamb's richness.
Koji-marinated lamb ribs
The centerpiece of the entire menu is the pigeon rice dish. Tam Xoan rice is cooked with millet and saffron, creating a fragrant aroma and natural sweetness. French pigeons are dry-aged for 5 days before being roasted over charcoal, resulting in tender meat and a richer flavor. The skin is lightly crispy, while the meat inside retains its moisture. The dish is served in a shared meal style, bringing the experience back to the spirit of a traditional Vietnamese meal.
Pigeon rice with Tam Xoan rice and side dishes.
White radish consommé is made with white radish and free-range chicken, then strained to retain a light layer of fat for added aroma. It's served with chicken-stuffed goat's belly mushrooms and pickled mustard greens, which help maintain a light yet rich flavor. Following this, a sour sorbet made with giang leaves, along with aloe vera jelly and lightly salted cucumber juice, helps to balance the lingering taste before moving on to dessert.
White radish consommé is served with chicken-stuffed shiitake mushrooms and pickled mustard greens.
Sorbet with giang leaves, aloe vera jelly, and cucumber juice.
The "Chuong Du Huong" dessert concludes with slow-cooked Ha Giang pears and dried lychees, paired with white chocolate and Buddha's hand citron. The sweet, sour, and aromatic flavors blend together for a light and refreshing sensation. Finally, charcoal-grilled pumpkin ice cream is served with brown rice tea and winter truffle, leaving a lingering aftertaste.
Le Ha Giang cooked it with dried lychee, white chocolate, and Buddha's hand fruit.
Grilled pumpkin ice cream with brown rice tea and winter truffle.
The entire journey is supported by three pairing options: non-alcoholic local botanicals, wine, and rice wine, expanding the taste experience in various ways.
Behind this tasting menu is Chef Thùy Dung, born in Da Lat and raised in an environment closely connected to local agricultural products. After training and working in Saigon, she built a technical foundation before transitioning to fine dining. She focuses on developing the tasting menu and shaping an approach based on understanding the ingredients and how to process them to highlight their inherent flavors.
The highlight of "Khai Canh" lies in its menu structure, following a cultivation cycle, starting with fresh ingredients, progressing to more deeply processed dishes, and returning to lighter flavors at the end. Methods like salt curing or koji fermentation are used to alter the taste and texture at each step. The menu is therefore more than just a series of dishes; it clearly demonstrates how Mien Saigon builds the experience based on the development of the ingredients, rather than simply focusing on flavor combinations.
