Today, a new generation of restaurateurs is redefining Vietnamese food, incorporating innovative ingredients, techniques, and fresh perspectives. These chefs are bringing a modern twist to traditional flavors, offering diners an exciting and contemporary culinary experience. Here are five of the top modern Vietnamese restaurants to explore on your travels.
Mango Mango
Since opening in Hoi An in 2008, Mango Mango has earned a reputation among food enthusiasts for its inventive approach to Vietnamese and Asian cuisine. Situated with a view of the Thu Bon River, the restaurant’s vibrant and colorful interiors reflect Chef Duc Tran’s creative spirit—he personally designed the space. The starter menu features dishes like Geisha Fish (185,000 VND), which is red snapper tempura tossed with green pepper, garlic, and sesame seeds, and Lust In Translation (120,000 VND), offering tuna rolled in nori and rice paper, served crispy with a passion fruit-mint yogurt sauce. The main courses are just as imaginative, with Chef Duc using Hoi An’s abundant seafood, vegetables, and fruits to craft unique dishes that are full of flavor while maintaining the distinctive balance of Vietnamese cuisine.
Modern Vietnamese Restaurant Interior
The Whale Spirit Bar serves a refreshing selection of tropical cocktails (the Asian Invasion is a must-try). For a more relaxed setting, the third-floor lounge bar offers a piano and wrap-around balconies with views of Hoi An from three sides. Meanwhile, the second floor features an open kitchen, allowing diners to watch each dish being prepared.
An An Saigon
Anan, which translates to ‘eat eat’ in Vietnamese, is the first of two restaurants inspired by street food, crafted by the acclaimed chef Peter Cuong Franklin. Known globally for his innovative approach to traditional Vietnamese cuisine, Peter has gained a reputation for his unique culinary creations. Anan Saigon, nestled in one of Ho Chi Minh City’s oldest markets, offers a dining experience that stimulates all the senses. The menu draws inspiration from Vietnam’s rich and diverse culinary heritage, using fresh ingredients sourced directly from the nearby wet market, along with select ingredients from other regions. On the upper floor, NHAU NHAU — a contemporary Vietnamese phở bar — gets its name from the Vietnamese tradition of socializing over food and drinks.
Vietnamese Street Food Restaurant
Here, you can indulge in the inventive 100 USD bánh mì, taste a Da Lat-style margarita pizza priced at 125,000 VND, or enjoy the special pho dac biet (275,000 VND) made with premium ingredients like wagyu beef, marrow, tendon, and black truffle. The creativity extends to the dessert menu, offering treats such as the chocolate egg (125,000 VND), made with salted duck egg cream, chocolate, and passionfruit. For those looking for an extra adventurous experience, try the coconut worm shot (55,000 VND), a bold mix of rum, a live coconut worm, and coconut cream.
The T-Art
This serene and cozy spot offers a retreat from the bustling streets of Hanoi. The T-Art’s mission is straightforward: to provide delicious, artfully presented dishes made from fresh ingredients, paired perfectly with a fine bottle of wine. Conveniently situated near Hoan Kiem Lake in the Old Quarter, The T-Art welcomes guests for both lunch and dinner. Chef Hai Anh crafts innovative contemporary Vietnamese cuisine that blends tradition with modern flair. Standout dishes include the tamarind crab (119,000 VND) with tamarind mayo sauce, topped with Quang Tran prawn crackers, and the phở bọc tôm (119,000 VND), a unique pan-fried creation featuring phở-wrapped prawns garnished with shredded dried pork.
Artful Vietnamese Cuisine
Chef Hai Anh’s French culinary background shines through in the main courses, particularly in the roasted pigeon (269,000 VND) in pandan leaf, served with sticky rice and pickles. The dessert selection also reflects French influences with a Vietnamese twist, such as the yogurt and black sticky rice (79,000 VND), which combines Dien Bien fermented black sticky rice enveloped in a creamy dollop of yogurt.
Nen Restaurant
While Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi are at the forefront of modern Vietnamese cuisine, Danang’s emerging chefs are quietly carving their own path. Nen Restaurant, named after the small bulb resembling a cross between garlic and shallot, has garnered praise from both locals and visitors for its innovative take on contemporary Vietnamese dishes. Run by local chef and food blogger Summer Le, the garden restaurant showcases her passion for Vietnamese ingredients, incorporating homegrown produce into creative degustation menus.
Modern Vietnamese Degustation
Nén offers three tasting menus: New Vietnamese, Refined Vietnamese, and Green Vietnamese, each priced at 893,000 VND per person. Diners can expect inventive dishes like mì quảng with Vietnamese pesto, clams, kumquat foam, and crispy tofu skin; steamed squid served in ginger fish sauce with mango mousse and fresh coconut; and for those looking to explore, a young jackfruit curry. The dessert options on each menu are equally imaginative, featuring highlights such as house-made ginger ice cream with silken tofu pudding and ginger syrup. Every dish on the tasting menus is thoughtfully paired with a selection of Old and New World wines.
Vietnam House
Australian celebrity chef Luke Nguyen, known for his acclaimed cuisine, cookbooks, and TV series, brings his culinary expertise to Vietnam House, a contemporary Vietnamese restaurant on the historic Dong Khoi Street in Ho Chi Minh City. As the executive chef and founder, Luke offers a dining experience that showcases the richness of modern Vietnamese cuisine. While Vietnam House features set lunch and dinner menus, the true highlight is its extensive à la carte menu, which provides a full exploration of Luke’s creative take on Vietnamese flavors.
Noteworthy dishes include the shrimp mousse grilled on sugar cane (238,000 VND), the deep-fried chili lemongrass Iberico pork ribs (298,000 VND), and the Hue-style butterfly pea flower sticky rice dumpling with pork loin, tiger prawns, and sweet-and-sour fish sauce (238,000 VND). The menu also boasts six different salad options featuring both land and sea ingredients, as well as an array of soups and vegetarian dishes. For dessert, the coconut panna cotta with berry coulis (188,000 VND) is a must-try.
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