After 8 years living and working in Northern Europe, Hoang Tung returned home and opened a high-class restaurant named TUNG Dining in Hanoi. The 20-course menu creates the restaurant’s own style.
Recently, TUNG Dining appeared in the top 100 most highly rated restaurants in Asia The World’s 50 Best Restaurants , the website about culinary reviews in the UK voted. The owner of the restaurant is chef Hoang Tung, who has worked at a Michelin star restaurant in Northern Europe. On the occasion of my business trip in Ho Chi Minh City, Hoang Tung made an appointment to meet me at his other “property” on Dang Dung Street, District 1. The young chef said his way to food was entirely accidental, originating from the public. the kitchen assistant during the study abroad period. Kitchen accessories in Finland At the age of 18, Hoang Tung left a reputable academy in Vietnam to apply for a Finnish scholarship. He said this remote Nordic country was the place where he found his passion and greatly influenced the culinary philosophy later. To have money to cover living expenses, Hoang Tung found a part-time job as a kitchen assistant. His first task was to wash dishes and cut vegetables. “Making a kitchen helps me experience things I have never tried before, which can be called a big turning point in my life. Before becoming a petty foot at a restaurant, I didn’t even know how to hold a knife. The kitchen was at home, she was all worried about everything, “he recalls when he first spent time in Finland. Over time, Tung was trusted with more tasks. His love for the kitchen has also grown since then, he developed the intention of serious study, becoming a true chef after graduation. The boy knocked on the door of a Michelin star restaurant with the desire to grow up at the hands of the masters in the culinary industry. “At that time, they had no reason to accept a newcomer like me. Without proper training, I was just an extravagant youth but eager to learn. In an expensive area like Northern Europe, I gave up. Working for 3-4 months without work, asking for nothing but two meals “, he confided. 
“Having the opportunity to cook at famous kitchens has taught me discipline and courage,” said Hoang Tung. Most of the restaurants in Northern Europe are quite small, the chefs can undertake many stages and try their best to make different dishes. Serving days at Michelin star restaurants such as Ask, Demo (Helsinki, Finland) or Kiin Kiin (Denmark), Tung gets used to working schedules in 16-18 hours, even 20 hours / day with events. important. Hoang Tung explained, the Michelin star is important in the culinary industry, as the Oscar of cinema or Grammy in music. Winning Michelin stars, the restaurant is known all over the world, but the restaurant must always be in the best state, ready to welcome anonymous inspectors to check at any time. That means the employees of these brands also have to fulfill their responsibilities under high pressure. “Leaving the kitchen past midnight is a specialty of a high-end restaurant.” Tung admits cooking opportunities at reputable brands teach him many things, including discipline and courage. “Bravely follow your own dream, become a good chef,” he said. But then one day, he thought “I am in the happiest country in the world, so am I really happy when life has only restaurants, no friends and privacy”. The boy decided to return to 2018. Nordic space in Hanoi From the kitchen of high-end European restaurants, Hoang Tung cherished his intention to bring the Tasting menu style (tasting menu) to Vietnam. Tasting menu has been a mainstream culinary trend that has received the attention of European gourmets since the 1990s but is too new to Vietnamese. Having just returned to Hanoi, Tung and his three associates embarked on building a new culinary brand. When I asked about the idea of building a Scandinavian restaurant with warm wood tones on Quang Trung street, the chef became more excited. He showed me pictures taken during 8 years living and working in Nordic countries: “The land is a part of my youth, associated with study, work and winter trekking, camping. by the lake or watch the aurora in the sky “. He soon considered that place as his second hometown and wanted to bring the wonderful atmosphere he used to enjoy to his customers. When entering the restaurant with only 80 m2, they can feel the warm but comfortable atmosphere of the typical cold country house. 
Nordic wooden house in Hanoi. To maintain the values that TUNG Dining aims to, the restaurant is not open at noon. The menu consists of 20 dishes, changed after about 3 months, using seasonal vegetables and cooking ingredients. Every time you visit, guests will have a completely new experience. Talking about his restaurant that has just reached the top 100 best in Asia, Tung confided: “Although there are only about 25 seats, we have to put in a lot of effort. The dish is prepared from 10am to 6pm, processing. Must take care of both taste and presentation “. I was fortunate to start a business at the right time when the young generation returned to the country, the quality of life was also improved, customers began to look to high-class restaurants. I came back about 4-5 years ago, surely the road is much more arduous, “Tung shared. Tasting menu with 20 dishes According to Hoang Tung, high-class cuisine is the experience trip of all senses. Customers spend money and expect 3 hours to enjoy a meal with a variety of emotions from taste, color to space and service. He excitedly described the 20-course menu divided into three parts including snacks, main dishes and dessert, which he loves. The ingredients used or the order in which the dishes are served are in compliance with the rule of going up, the taste is stronger. First, diners test three snacks first, followed by snails, mussels, seafood combined with vegetables. The strength of flavor gradually increased from the white meat of fish, chicken, duck to red meat like beef, lamb or pork. The menu ends in desert. 
Food is cared for both taste and presentation. Photo: Chi Hung. Unlike spicy Asian dishes, the sauce is considered the soul in Western cuisine, as the dress makes a woman more splendid. Good cooks are usually good fever makers. “Therefore, I always try to focus on how to prepare the sauce, combining local ingredients so that it is delicious and different.” Tung gives an example of the sauce served with cod in the menu. The sour taste of green apple, the sweetness of caramel combined with the characteristic aroma of cilantro – a very Vietnamese vegetable, not only reduces the fat and greasiness of cod but also creates its own flavor, only at home. this row. Just like how you love pho and try to change and bring it to the menu. The broth cook for 24 hours, served with foie gras, lemongrass oil, cinnamon instead of the usual beef, pho. The 28-year-old chef admits that Vietnamese cuisine is the strongest in the street segment. “In terms of high-end cuisine, we are still quite young. It has only really developed from about 2012 onwards. However, at present, Vietnamese cuisine is making great strides. Vietnamese restaurant in the top 100 in Asia is the first step towards many other awards “, he said.
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