Michelin Guide arrives in Vietnam

Michelin announces Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City as the latest destinations joining the international selection of the MICHELIN Guide at a ceremony in the capital city on December 1. (Photo: Sun Group)

For the first time in the Guide's history, the MICHELIN inspectors will evaluate quality restaurants in Vietnam's two largest cities. They will present their first selection of restaurants in June 2023.

Ahmad Faiez Mohamed Pisal, Managing Director of Michelin Vietnam, said at the launching ceremony of MICHELIN Guide Vietnam that the Southeast Asian nation has been known to the world for its history and interesting culinary traditions.

Locals in Hanoi and HCM City have taken street foods as a lifestyle, he said, praising owners of culinary establishments, whether local or foreign, as talents.  

As the country’s capital, Hanoi has centuries-old architecture and a rich food heritage due to its links to the sea and historical trade connections. The city’s cultural charms and culinary traditions are everywhere – on the streets and in small shops – and gourmets can enjoy in Hanoi an abundance of Vietnamese dishes, using fresh local ingredients and aromatic herbs made from traditional recipes and techniques, according to the website of MICHELIN Guide.

HCM City, Vietnam’s economic hub dotted with high-rise buildings, is shaping to be another Asian destination for dining. Local chefs, many of whom have gained experience in kitchens abroad, are very often adding their own interpretations to Vietnamese cuisine. Mixed with European influences and local traditions, the food scene in HCM City is lively and vivid with an array of offerings ranging from small shops to high-end restaurants.

The arrival of the Michelin Guide in Vietnam is supported by the Sun Group – a real estate developer specialising in luxurious resorts and world-class entertainment complexes. 

In his remarks, Sun Group's Chairman of the Board, Dang Minh Truong, said: "Over the past 15 years, to accompany the development of Vietnam’s tourism, Sun Group has always strived to bring the world's quintessence to Vietnam. Today, with the Michelin Guide to Vietnam launch, we want Vietnam to be known as a destination with beautiful nature, magnificent resorts and entertainment complexes and as a world-class culinary destination with Michelin-starred restaurants."

Sun Group's Chairman of the Board, Dang Minh Truong speaks at the ceremony (Photo: VNA)

"This is also an element to draw more high-spending tourists to the country. Besides, it will also help to improve the gastronomic and service quality, including skills of chefs and restaurant staffs to meet the international standards so that they can compete with other top culinary destinations in the world," he added.

The restaurant selection of the MICHELIN Guide Hanoi and HCM City will be independently made by the famous anonymous MICHELIN inspectors following the Guide's historical and global methodology.

Only quality of the cuisine offered by restaurants will be assessed by the inspectors according to MICHELIN Guide's 5 international criteria: the personality of the chef represented in the cuisine, the harmony of flavours, the mastery of cooking techniques, the quality of the products, and the consistency both over time and across the entire menu.

Vietnamese cuisines have been highly valued in prestigious competitions and by ranking organisations in the world.

Vietnam was honoured as Asia's Leading Culinary Destination at the prestigious World Travel Awards (WTA) 2020. The country Vietnam was ranked 5th among the top 10 countries in the world with the best food by readers of the Canadian magazine The Travel last October./.

VNA