The second edition of the MICHELIN Guide in Vietnam features a Bib Gourmand selection for Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, comprising a total of 42 establishments: with 5 newcomers in Hanoi and 8 newcomers in Ho Chi Minh City.
Find out what our MICHELIN Guide Inspectors say about the dishes that impressed them the most during their year-round journeys.
A must-try dish at Phở Khôi Hói in Hanoi. (© Michelin)
Pho loi
Phở Khôi Hói, HanoiThe beef soup here is prepared with a generous amount of beef, ginger, cinnamon, dried shallots, and various other spices, all boiled together. Sliced white onions and shallots are also added, giving the soup base a richer, sweeter taste compared to other restaurants. Customers can freely choose their preferred beef parts, with the most distinctive recommendation being the pork belly slices. These are thinly sliced, offering a chewy texture and full of beef flavour. The shop also serves crispy deep-fried dough sticks, which are the perfect accompaniment to rice noodles.
Mien tron at Miến Lươn Đông Thịnh, a Bib Gourmand establishment in Hanoi. (© Michelin)
Mien tron
Miến Lươn Đông Thịnh, HanoiThis shop has been open for 40 years and is renowned for its fried eel shreds. The eel is thick and crispy, with a delightful aroma after frying. Their signature dish, vermicelli, is offered in two styles: dry vermicelli (mien tron) and soup vermicelli (mien nuoc). The dry vermicelli is cooked to a perfect elasticity and is accompanied by a generous amount of fresh bean sprouts, cucumbers, perilla, mint leaves, and other fragrant herbs. Topped with crispy peanuts, scallions, and thick strips of eel shreds, the dish boasts a rich and satisfying taste. Mixing in fish sauce enhances the freshness, and it pairs excellently with eel bone soup.
The crispy ban xeo at Mr Bảy Miền Tây. (© Michelin)
Banh xeo
Mr Bảy Miền Tây, HanoiThe restaurant offers a range of flavour options for banh xeo, all prepared to order and pan-fried. A mixture of rice paper, vegetables, and herbs is placed on top, followed by the banh xeo, which is then dipped in fish sauce before eating. The banh xeo is fried to a golden crisp, encasing shrimp or pork, along with bean sprouts. The fish sauce is both sour and sweet, enhancing its appeal. For an extra burst of flavour, try it with their homemade chilli sauce.
The Sapa pork belly at Luk Lak in Hanoi. (© Michelin)
Sapa's pork belly
Luk Lak, HanoiThis dish is one of the chef's signature creations, often described as "A gift from the ethnic minorities of Vietnam." It features Sapa's pork belly, dipped in herbal sauce, and then expertly grilled. The dish is served with mac mat leaves and whole-grain sticky rice. The pork belly is beautifully fatty and grilled to perfection. The mac mat leaves offer a unique flavour, reminiscent of tropical fruits, with a nutty, tea-like aftertaste. When deep-fried, their flavour becomes even more pronounced, not only cutting through the richness of the pork but also complementing its flavours excellently. The dish is served with black glutinous rice topped with deep-fried garlic, adding a delightful crunch to each bite.
Steamed stuffed snail with minced pork at Nhà Tú. (© Michelin)
Steamed stuffed snail with minced pork served with ginger sauce
Nhà Tú, Ho Chi Minh CityThis shop serves finely chopped snail meat with pork and ginger, then stuff the mixture into the shell and steam until cooked. The snail meat is refreshing and has a chewy texture, while the pork is juicy and delicious. What sets this dish apart is the lemongrass padding at the bottom of the snail, which imparts an herbal fragrance that effectively cuts through the richness and eliminates any fishy smell. The dish is served with basil leaf sauce for a delightful combination of flavours.
Try Hue beef noodle soup, a rice noodle dish with beef from Hue, at Bún Bò Huế 14B. (© Michelin)
Bun bo hue
Bún Bò Huế 14B, Ho Chi Minh CityAt Bún Bò Huế 14B, the rice noodles are lightly blanched in water and then placed in a plastic bag along with a pouch of soup made from beef and pork bones, onions, and simmered to perfection. The dish also includes sliced beef, beef tendons, and fish fillet strips. Toppings such as bean sprouts, chilli, lime, and fish sauce are individually packaged. The broth is rich and flavorful, with delicious fish balls and a fresh, sweet soup base. The rice noodles are cooked perfectly, resulting in a delicious bowl of noodles overall.
Visit Mặn Mòi for this exceptional dish that has left our MICHELIN Inspectors impressed. (© Michelin)
Stir-fried pork belly with lemongrass in shrimp paste
Mặn Mòi (Thu Duc City), Ho Chi Minh CityThis dish is packed with flavour, made with stir-fried fatty pork belly, shrimp paste, shredded pepper, and coriander, all cooked in a small clay pot. The shrimp paste adds a rich and fragrant flavour, making it excellent for mixing with rice. The pork belly has a good balance of fat and lean meat, adding to the dish's overall richness and depth of flavour.
RELEVANT: Discover the 2024 Bib Gourmand Selections for Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City
Illustration image: © Nhà Tú
