Have you ever tried to have a dinner without even knowing its name, until the dish presented in front of you still could not imagine how it smelled? For me, dinner at Å by TUNG, restaurant located on Dang Dung street, was such an experience. There is only one menu of 20 dishes ranging from appetizers to main desserts. The only information I have is the two main ingredients that make up the dish – over. It’s a curious 3-hour tasting journey called the Tasting menu. Tasting menu has been a mainstream culinary trend, receiving the attention of European gourmets since the 1990s. Today, this style of menu appears in most luxury culinary addresses and is used as a way introduce new dishes to customers. As its name implies, “Tasting” means “tasting”, each dish consists of only a small amount of food but elaborate, making diners feel the full flavor and texture of crunchy, soft or melt in the back mouth. 3-4 chewing times. This type of menu offers the opportunity to a creative, skillful chef. They have to carefully calculate and detail each person’s diet. How do customers leave with the most comfortable mood? “The service time is too fast, users easily overeat their taste buds. On the contrary, the dishes that rise slowly make the feeling of eagerly waiting for the food to disappear, instead of being bored, depressed”, Hoang Tung said the chef and the owner. Compared to Fine dining, À la carte or Bistro, Tasting menu is not known by many Vietnamese people. So what makes young chefs confident in building a culinary brand that only focuses on this new type of menu in Ho Chi Minh City? According to Hoang Tung, the chance to work at a Michelin star restaurant such as Ask, Demo (Helsinki, Finland) or Kiin Kiin (Denmark) helps him get in touch with the Nordic cuisine and cherish his intention to bring style. Tasting menu about water. “The quality of life of Vietnamese people is being improved significantly. Not only ‘eat well, drink enough’, diners also aim for artistic and emotional elements in the culinary experience. High-class restaurants also gradually take over. get affection, “the chef shared. With about 200 ingredients, young chefs start their daily work from 10am, pre-process, cook to meet guests at 6pm. According to the chef, high-end cuisine is the experience trip of all senses. Customers expect 3 hours to enjoy a meal with a variety of emotions from taste, color to space and service, so everything needs to be thoughtful. To maintain the values ​​that mà by TUNG 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. Hoang Tung invited us to visit the open kitchen located on the ground floor, where he and his associates were busy preparing food for 6 guests who booked a table in the evening. When asked about his favorite flavor on the menu, the chef hesitated, finally, he chose cod with apple sauce and Chinese aroma. Perhaps, this is the dish that shows the best intention of combining European ingredients and processing methods with the familiar Vietnamese spices. Cod fish living in the deep, cold waters in the Atlantic becomes fragrant, delicious and strange when served with apple sauce, Chinese aroma. It is also cod, but the ingredients of this restaurant are wrapped in seaweed leaves to absorb water, helping the meat firm. People “activate” seaweed leaves by spraying rice wine sake on, partly, fish dish absorbing natural salty taste, partly reducing fishy smell. First, the fish is taken from seaweed wrap, sprinkled with salt and pepper on the surface and then fried with butter, rosemary until fragrant. The smaller the dish, the higher the accuracy must be. Chefs do not cook for long, avoid overcooking the fish, becoming dry, chewy and no longer succulent. The secret to fish having a characteristic smoky smell is to bake it over charcoal before pouring the sauce. The most important ingredient is cod, but the element that creates the soul of the dish lies in the mixture of apple sauce and the smell of the Chinese restaurant that the restaurant representative loves: “The processing takes a long time, in return for most greasy dishes: Blending green apple juice with sugar, cook until caramel color changes, then add Chinese flavored juice.Original apple flavor, Chinese aroma blends to create a fragrant and chewy sauce. like candy “. Green apple sauce with a sour taste eaten with cod follows the rule of combining ingredients in the cuisine. The sour taste of the sauce pulls the fat down, and a little sweetness of the caramel keeps the dish from getting too bad. Soak the fish in the sauce and enjoy, I can feel the tender meat but not easily. The fresh apple flavor in the sauce is kept to 80%. In 3 hours, from 19h, I started the culinary discovery that Hoang Tung introduced earlier. The ingredients used or the order of service are in compliance with the rule of going up, the taste is stronger. First, diners test three snacks first, followed by snails, mussels, seafood with vegetables. Strength increases gradually from the white meat of fish, chicken, duck to red meat such as beef, lamb or pig. The menu ends with dessert. Four appetizers were served at the same time, beautifully arranged on the table. The sour, sweet, and refreshing taste of custard-apple yogurt spreads in the mouth as the outer shell melts, and the “pop” of the secret candy ingredient is perfect to start the experience with. Oysters covered with fennel sour cream, green apple do a great job of balancing the flavor. I finished the appetizer with a piece of brown rice cake, glutinous rice, seaweed, dipped in a crisp tom yum sauce. In the second part, the pan-fried Hokkaido scallop with brown avocado hollandaise sauce and chicken eggs has the most striking flavor that impresses me. The dish scored in the crispy crust topped texture, chewy scallops, fresh pureed green zucchini blended with a fine sauce. Up to 3-4 layers, the complexity of the flavor of the dish is evident here. Enjoying all the main dishes, diners can somewhat feel the desire to find the connection between European cuisine with the chef’s Vietnamese tradition. For example, he loves Hanoi pho and tries 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. Famous Beef Tartare – The famous Steak Tartare of French cuisine can be enjoyed with sweet and sour Vietnamese fish sauce. Instead of being put in a cup, the fish sauce here is condensed with a sauce made from egg whites. Diners just need to apply fish sauce on the ground meat to enjoy. Just like drinking tea to eat green bean cakes, sipping rice noodles with a fresh cup of iced tea, Beer Pairing or Juice Pairing (non-alcoholic) is a drink you should try when using the Tasting menu. In the beverage menu, the chef brings many specialties of craft beer with Vietnamese brand, typical Northern European juice flavor … Throughout the dinner, the staff will suggest what to drink with the dish. that you are enjoying. After many complex techniques, diners experience a variety of tastes. In the end, the simple flan dessert was made to justify my expectations. Tropical dish with mango ice cream, crushed ice, mint leaves, lemon juice has a cool sour taste, cuts the fatness and rigidity of milk, eggs and cream … “Creativity is not just for artists” – I thought as the staff brought the last 3 desserts on the table. The hearty party closes with petit fours – a small, pretty sweet dessert consisting of blueberries – green lemon, peanuts – coriander and passion fruit – thyme. Diners enjoy with coffee or tea. The 3-hour meal is served in a liberal Scandinavian-style architectural space with arched windows, drop-ceiling stalactites or magical auroras … The founder of Nordic restaurant is His second hometown, he tried to bring that space closer to the diners of Ho Chi Minh City. After all, if you are a fan of fresh emotions, looking for exotic high-end culinary stories, the Tasting menu will delight you. The price of one-time enjoyment here is nearly 2 million VND / person, excluding wine and beer.

Two Vietnamese restaurants are in the list of 100 best restaurants in Asia. (Source: ngoisao.net) Webpage Theworlds50best Just announced the list of 100 best restaurants in Asia, including 2 Vietnamese representatives. The surprising thing is that both are not luxury restaurants in 5-star hotels but creative dining venues of Vietnamese chefs. Tung Dining in Hanoi is at 98 and Anan Saigon at 39. Anan Saigon (Saigon Dining) was created by chef Peter Cuong Franklin – a Vietnamese-born chef who was well trained in world-renowned culinary schools. The restaurant serves Vietnamese menu but is processed and presented with a blend of world cuisine such as Da Lat pizza, tacos pancakes, rolls, grilled rolls, Quang noodles, pho, Hanoi fish cakes. … In addition, the restaurant serves tasting menu for VND 680,000 with 8 dishes for diners who want to experience. Anan Saigon is an ideal place to chill on weekends with an open-air rooftop, open space. Diners can order a few cocktails, wine or beer to enjoy with creative dishes. Tung Dining is located in the center of Hanoi, located on Quang Trung Street, founded by young chef Hoang Tung, just 28 years old. The restaurant follows the rules, avoids cooking with fats and cream, uses healthy vegetables and cooking techniques, keeping original taste. In the high-price segment, Tung Dining’s menu serves creative dishes, combining many ingredients such as oysters, scallops, foie gras, eel, saffron, orange fish … The restaurant used to be appreciated by many food bloggers for the chef’s creativity. The dishes are decorated, elaborate, and score points from the view. In the ranking of Theworlds50best This time, Asia’s best restaurant belongs to The Chairman in Hong Kong (China). This is a traditional restaurant located in Trung Hoan area, which still serves seasonal dishes. The dishes have bold flavors of Port fragrant cuisine, served in a 2-storey old house, bringing many nostalgic experiences for diners. (According to ngoisao.net)

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.