In the culinary world, where trends are always changing, where dishes are only attractive by appearance but not really in depth, restaurants that appreciate natural resources, appreciate local products, honor traditions... are the addresses that diners will remember for a long time.
In 2025, in Hanoi, such a restaurant was honored by Michelin Guide with the Green Star Award - a perfect demonstration of sustainable development in Vietnamese cuisine. That is Lamai Garden.
Careful from home garden, farm to dining table
chef Hieu Trung - a young talent trained at Le Cordon Bleu Paris - always believes: "The cuisine is really attractive when you know how to appreciate the products that the motherland gives you. The restaurant only uses fresh ingredients, purchased directly from the network of farms and producers in Phu Tho - where his family owns a separate garden, growing vegetables, spices, raising ducks, pigs... completely naturally.
With products from the family garden, Hieu Trung completed a closed circulation: Parts of the stewed trunks, shells, and waste from the kitchen were kept to turn into fertilizer, and the soil was greasy. From vegetable beds, ducks, and pigs that are carefully cared for, the chef turns them into dishes that fully contain traditional Vietnamese flavors, exuding luxury thanks to cooking techniques and sophisticated aesthetic taste in presentation.
Head Coach Hieu Trung shared: Finding local and seasonal ingredients is a core factor in our menu development process, based on what nature gives us, and what we can find around Hanoi during the time of caring for our home gardens and private farms in Phu Tho. We build a closed circular ecosystem based on the philosophy of no waste - all excess is nurtured as compost fertilizer, mainly nurturing the land that created them.
This small restaurant also scores points for its truly sustainable decisions of the chef in service style. Like a closed garden, the restaurant welcomes about 14 - 20 guests every evening from Tuesday to Saturday, only accepting guests who have booked in advance. This helps the kitchen always complete each dish neatly, avoiding food waste.
No matter what time of year you visit a restaurant, diners can only order from a seasonal menu that is updated periodically. The menu includes two options: Tasting menu or vegetarian menu.
The first green star
The restaurant not only attracts diners with its unique dishes but also with its efforts towards sustainable development. The Michelin Green Star Award is a clear testament to the restaurant's positive contributions to the Vietnamese culinary industry, encouraging food establishments to move towards a sustainable model in harmony with resources, cultural traditions, and community health.
Here diners will be completely immersed in a special experience: From meals to a dialogue about resources, about sustainable cuisine, about efforts towards a world in harmony with nature.
chef Tran Hieu Trung revealed that since winning the first international award, the restaurant has received more attention than before and the number of customers has also increased a lot.
"However, at present, the restaurant is still accepting the same number of customers as in previous days, to ensure service quality. I always pursue a working philosophy with available seasonal ingredients around me, cooking for customers like cooking for my family and always trying to do a little better every day, Trung shared.
The restaurant has no plans to expand or receive more customers. In the coming time, chef Hieu Trung will continue to focus on reviewing and perfecting each dish to ensure service quality. As the name suggests a garden, a restaurant with a cozy small kitchen in the garden does not wear a "upgraded" Vietnamese cuisine shirt but focuses on telling the story of pure Vietnamese dishes, from the garden, farm, to the dining table.
This address will be where traditions are breathed into, so modernity and resources are used effectively, from the kitchen team to diners are inspired by sustainable cuisine. The seasonal meal will tell very simple but unusual stories of Vietnamese cuisine.
