Michelin is pleased to announce Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City as the latest destinations joining the international selection of the MICHELIN Guide. For the first time in the Guide's history, the MICHELIN inspectors will evaluate quality restaurants in Vietnam's two largest cities. They will present their first selection of restaurants in June 2023.
“We have been looking at Vietnam’s gastronomic scene for quite a long time and we are delighted to finally announce the MICHELIN Guide’s arrival in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City,” said Gwendal Poullennec, International Director of the MICHELIN Guide. “With a fascinating food heritage and history, distinctive and unique flavours, iconic recipes and well-known delicacies, Vietnamese cuisine has carved its way to popularity around the world. Supported by locals where eating out has always been a true way a life, as well as by talented restaurateurs, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are two gourmet gems that deserve to be fully celebrated. We can’t wait to present our first Vietnamese restaurant selection, which our famously anonymous inspectors have already started to realize in the field”.
As the country’s capital, Hanoi has centuries-old architecture and a rich food heritage due to its links to the sea and historical trade connections. The city’s cultural charms and culinary traditions are everywhere – on the streets and in small shops – and gourmets can enjoy in Hanoi an abundance of Vietnamese dishes, using fresh local ingredients and aromatic herbs made from traditional recipes and techniques.
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam’s economic hub dotted with high-rise buildings is shaping to be another Asian destination for dining. Local chefs, whom many have gained experience in kitchens abroad, are very often adding their own interpretations to Vietnamese cuisine. Mixed with European influences and local traditions, the food scene in Ho Chi Minh City is lively and vivid with an array of offerings ranging from small shops to high-end restaurants.
The arrival of the MICHELIN Guide in Vietnam is supported by the Sun Group conglomerate whose Chairman Mr. Dang Minh Truong shared: “Since its creation in 2007, and through its different activities, Sun Group has always been dedicated to preserving and promoting the character and beauty of Vietnam to the world. With the arrival of the MICHELIN Guide, the most trusted gastronomic ranking system in the world, in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, we are delighted that the Vietnamese food scene as well as local culinary wonders will finally be celebrated among local and international foodies.”
The MICHELIN Guide Methodology
The MICHELIN Guide was created in 1900 by the Michelin tire company to support the growth of automobile mobility. Since then, it has remained loyal to its original mission: to settle in mature gastronomic destinations to guide international travellers and local foodies to the best restaurants, highlight world culinary scenes and promote travel culture.
The restaurant selection of the MICHELIN Guide Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City will be independently made by the famous anonymous MICHELIN inspectors following the Guide's historical and global methodology.
Only quality of the cuisine offered by restaurants will be assessed by the inspectors according to MICHELIN Guide's 5 international criteria:
- The personality of the chef represented in the cuisine
- The harmony of flavours
- The mastery of cooking techniques
- The quality of the products
- The consistency both over time and across the entire menu
The MICHELIN Guide conveys its restaurant reviews through an extensive system of distinctions, the most famous of which are its globally renowned MICHELIN Stars awarded to the best culinary experiences within the Guide’s restaurant selection. One MICHELIN Star is awarded to restaurants for “high-quality cooking that is worth a stop,” two MICHELIN Stars for “excellent cooking that is worth a detour,” and three MICHELIN Stars for “exceptional cuisine that is worth a special journey.”
Alongside the coveted Star ratings, the selection will also include the popular Bib Gourmand category, a distinction awarded to restaurants that provide value-for-money meals.
The full restaurant selection of the MICHELIN Guide Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City 2023 will be unveiled at a special event to be held in June 2023. It will be available exclusively in digital format on all the Guide's interfaces: website, mobile applications, and social networks.
