From luxury experiences
In 2019, many diners coming to Pink Pearl restaurant at JW Marriott Phu Quoc Emerald Bay had the opportunity to enjoy the high-class menu of 2-star Michelin chef Ophelie Bares. The Landes white asparagus, Oscietre caviar, Japanese sea urchin, and premium Wagyu beef appeared here even more than many high-class restaurants in France.
In September 2022, the famous chef - Ukrainian culinary ambassador Kovryzhenko Yurii also brought to Hanoi the famous flavors of the "European bread basket", including borsch, a new beet soup recognized by UNESCO as a "world cultural heritage". The location chosen by this chef is at a luxurious restaurant worthy of its status at the Capella Hanoi hotel.
Also at Capella, when Sun Hospitality Group - the resort tourism brand of Sun Group - opened Koki restaurant at the end of July, diners had the opportunity to admire the talent of Junichi Yoshida - a Michelin-starred chef with a unique Teppanyaki culinary style.
Even the most discerning gourmets cannot miss the opportunity to experience the cuisine in the luxurious space of La Maison 1888 restaurant located in the InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula resort. Enjoying dishes prepared by chef Michel Roux - the only person in the world who owns a restaurant that has maintained the 3-star Michelin title for a record period of 27 years - is certainly not an ordinary experience. Since being invited to Vietnam, Michel Roux has made La Maison 1888 one of the 10 best restaurants in the world voted by CNN, and leading the list of Fine Dining restaurants in the world according to the World Travel Awards. It can be said that La Maison 1888 is the first milestone marking the presence of Michelin stars in Vietnam.
Vietnamese cuisine is becoming more and more sophisticated and classy. The emergence of big names in the culinary world with elaborate, high-quality menus, requiring high technology, and classy spaces shows that Vietnam does not lack spaces to enjoy high-class, even luxurious, cuisine.
To the story of elevating Vietnamese culinary brand
On December 1, 2022, with the support of Sun Group, Michelin Guide officially announced its presence in the two largest cities in Vietnam, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. With its proven reputation and influence, Michelin Guide has become the pride and desire of not only restaurants and chefs, but also of countries.
Chef Hoang Tung, owner of the high-end restaurant chain T.U.N.G dining, said: “For high-end cuisine, aiming for prestigious international awards and rankings such as Bocuse d’Or, Michelin stars, The World’s 50 Best list... is an essential requirement to establish value.”
With what we have: a rich culinary culture, a system of restaurants that are increasingly improving, a rich source of raw materials, it is a pity that Vietnam does not have a Michelin star. "It is not true to say that Vietnamese cuisine does not have enough Michelin standards. People have not had the opportunity to discover us yet," said artist Anh Tuyet. Looking at Singapore and Thailand, they have been quicker to own famous Michelin stars. They even have Michelin stars for street food stalls.
Honored to be invited by Sun Group to prepare dishes for 21 world leaders at APEC 2017 held at InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort, artisan Anh Tuyet shared that traditional Vietnamese cuisine can convince many diners, even the most demanding ones. She hopes that the contribution of corporations owning high-end hotel and resort systems will contribute to raising the status of traditional Vietnamese cuisine. "I participate in training for tourism products at many large corporations, I see that there are many opportunities to promote Vietnamese cuisine to foreign guests."
The unique culinary experiences of the three regions at the Sun Hospitality Group restaurant system or the high-class dishes at the restaurants of JW Marriott Phu Quoc Emerald Bay and InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort ... have brought Vietnamese cuisine to the quintessence while still maintaining tradition and diversity. Ms. Anh Tuyet believes that the special thing is that those spaces are both modern and preserve the quintessence of traditional cuisine: "It is very ordinary but it is very different. That is the Michelin level".
Mr. Hoang Tung said that “Vietnamese cuisine has been very famous for the past two decades and is highly appreciated for its diversity, flavor and local characteristics. However, Vietnamese cuisine has never had a global brand, and especially high-end cuisine has not yet spoken a common language with international cuisine”. Therefore, the presence of Michelin Guide in Vietnam is like an opportunity for the “bell” of Vietnamese cuisine to resonate further.
More than that, Mr. Tung commented: "High-end cuisine can become a "soft power" that contributes to positioning the value and influence of national culture, creating a strong attraction for cultural tourism and promoting the expansion of the food industry's consumption market."
A high-end meal, along with a night at a luxury resort, like JW Marriott Phu Quoc Emerald Bay did with 2 French Michelin chefs, is a clear example of how when cuisine is elevated, there will be more products to attract tourists.
