The journey to bring Vietnamese cuisine to the world is not only told by familiar flavors, but also by how they are elevated, placed in new spaces, with new storytelling methods. From a steaming bowl of pho in a small alley by Hoan Kiem Lake to a fine dining dinner at a Michelin-starred restaurant, Vietnamese cuisine is silently taking a longer and deeper path to conquer global diners.
From a long-standing small shop in the Old Quarter...
Amidst the hurried pace of life in Hanoi's Old Quarter, Pho Thin Bo Ho still maintains its own rhythm. The small restaurant, without elaborate signs, is modestly located in an alley near Hoan Kiem Lake, but every day it still regularly welcomes a stream of people: Hanoians, visitors from distant provinces and even foreign tourists.
Pho Thin Bo Ho was born in 1955, went through many changes of time but almost did not change the recipe. The broth is clear, light, and naturally sweet from the bones, the pho noodles are soft but not mushy. The beef is thinly sliced, cooked in the moment the hot broth just poured into the bowl.
No fussy arrangement, and no trendy variations. The pho bowl here retains the rustic spirit and standards of traditional Northern pho.
Mr. Bui Chi Thanh - the 3rd generation successor of Thin Bo Ho pho - shared: "Many people consider this as part of the memory of the Old Quarter. They still return to the restaurant after decades, just to find the true flavor of old pho, the flavor associated with the morning of the Capital, with the slow pace of life of Hanoi land in the past".
A 70-year-old pho restaurant being included in the Michelin Selected list does not change the service or familiar flavor, but marks a new milestone. Michelin does not seek luxury, but recognizes the stable quality and cultural value of a dish that has lived with the city for decades.
In the early days of 2026, the original pho restaurant on Dinh Tien Hoang street moved to Hang Voi, with a more spacious and airy space to serve diners. The restaurant still keeps the name Pho Thin Bo Ho - a familiar name for more than 70 years to many diners who have been listed on the world culinary map.
... to international-class culinary experiences
If Pho Thin Bo Ho represents a deep traditional culinary experience, then CieL Dining in Ho Chi Minh City shows a different direction of Vietnamese cuisine in the new context: Cuisine is like an emotional language, not limited by school or nationality.
The restaurant was awarded 1 Michelin star after only 8 months of operation. This culinary address does not identify itself as a contemporary French, Japanese or Vietnamese restaurant. Right from the time the idea was formed, this space was built on the spirit of freedom and liberality. There, the dish is not a display of technique, but the result of memories, experiences and personal emotions transformed through ingredients and cooking methods.
Chef Le Viet Hong - the person behind the restaurant's success - has worked in the international culinary environment for many years. He shared: "The restaurant's menu reflects my way of looking at cuisine, open, flexible and always asking questions. Each dish is the result of observation, experience and emotion at a specific time, not the repetition of a fixed recipe".
The ingredients are not distinguished by "nationality", but are placed on the same ground: Quality, sustainability and storytelling ability. The technique of French cuisine plays a fundamental role, helping to connect these elements into a coherent, delicate but not distant whole.
In particular, the restaurant considers the culinary experience as an overall journey, where the space is designed to be minimalist to create a feeling of relaxation; the service is built in a close, natural, and unconstrained direction.
We focus on the way we tell stories at the table, just enough to be suggestive, but not imposing. The goal is to make diners feel welcomed, listened to and comfortable being themselves. We have never tried to look like a high-end restaurant. From the design of the space to the operating spirit, what we aim for is a sense of familiarity, a feeling that you can only name when you actually experience it," the head chef born in 1992 said.
Being awarded a Michelin star early does not become a pressure for the restaurant, but a reference system to help the team maintain discipline and consistency. Creativity here is not about constantly changing to impress, but about in-depth improvements, so that each experience becomes more and more complete. From a broader perspective, the restaurant is contributing to positioning Ho Chi Minh City and Vietnam as an emotional culinary destination.
In 2025, Vietnam has a total of 181 food establishments marked on the Michelin Guide culinary map, of which 9 restaurants achieved 1 Michelin star. Each restaurant plays a role as a personal voice, contributing to creating a colorful picture for Vietnamese cuisine.
As chef Le Viet Hong shared: "Instead of trying to represent everyone, each restaurant tells its own story, truthfully, deeply and with a clear identity. When those stories are placed side by side, Vietnam will gradually be seen as an emotional and unique culinary destination on the world map".
