During the announcement of this year's Michelin Guide, several restaurants that were originally on the 2024 list were unexpectedly removed from the list.
Don Duck Old Quarter Restaurant in Hanoi was ranked in the Bib Gourmand category for two consecutive years in 2023 and 2024. But this year's ceremony did not name it.
Mr. Do Van Kiem, 43 years old, restaurant owner and head chef of a duck restaurant, was very surprised by this. When he did not receive an invitation to this year's Michelin award ceremony, the business owner thought that the Organizing Committee might have forgotten him by mistake.
Looking back to the first period when the restaurant was honored by Michelin for the first time in 2023, for half a year, the business only maintained the same stable number of customers as before. Not much changed.
However, not long after, the number of customers suddenly increased sharply along with the number of regular customers. Especially in the summer or on weekends, many customers still patiently wait in line to enjoy the duck dishes on the menu.
The head chef affirmed that during the 2 years of being named by Michelin, the business always strictly controlled input materials, did not neglect the processing stage and maintained the quality of the dishes.
Every time a customer finishes their meal, the restaurant requires staff to ask questions to evaluate the quality in order to improve the service or promptly correct any errors if any.
"We don't know when the Michelin team visited the restaurant last year. Maybe our service quality did not meet the team's requirements in time. Regarding the food, I can confirm that everything is running well and the quality is unchanged from before. I don't know why the restaurant was removed from the list," the restaurant owner confided.
On Google and TripAdvisor review platforms, the restaurant received thousands of reviews with an average score of about 4.7/5 stars. Many foreign guests expressed satisfaction when dining here.
Peter G. from Sydney (Australia) said he liked the duck spring rolls and duck salad the most. He was also satisfied with the restaurant's service style.
Regarding this issue, the restaurant owner said that 90% of the customers are foreigners. He also expressed concern that the restaurant no longer appears in the Michelin Guide's recommendation position, affecting the number of customers in the future.
"Certainly after this incident, we must meet to review all operations with the determination that the restaurant can return to the Michelin list next year," the head of the establishment affirmed.
Similarly, Pho Hoa Pasteur was on the Bib Gourmand list (good restaurant, affordable price) for two consecutive years 2023 and 2024. Therefore, many diners were surprised when this famous pho restaurant was not named in Michelin's categories this year.
After noon on June 13, the pho restaurant's staff were still busy serving customers. The restaurant's representative shared that after Michelin announced the Michelin Guide Vietnam 2025 list on June 5, the restaurant's operations were still going on as usual. The restaurant still received support from many customers, including many foreigners.
“It’s okay if we’re not on the list this year, but if we are next year, that’s great. Whether we’re honored or not, we’ll still focus on serving our customers with the best quality,” he said.
Opened in 1968, Pho Hoa Pasteur has become a familiar address for Ho Chi Minh City residents and international tourists who want to enjoy a bowl of pho with a Southern flavor. In early 2023, Pho Hoa restaurant caused a stir on social networks, when members of the Korean music group Super Junior, upon arriving in Ho Chi Minh City, immediately went to this pho restaurant to enjoy it.
According to diners, the restaurant's broth has a natural sweetness, combined with the aroma of cinnamon, star anise and ginger... The restaurant serves a diverse menu with rare pho, flank, brisket, and special pho.
The restaurant's pho bowl even conquers many Northern diners, including those who are familiar with Hanoi pho or Nam Dinh pho. However, according to many people, Hoa Pasteur pho is quite expensive, much higher than the average price with prices ranging around 100,000 VND/bowl, and the space is simply decorated.
In Ho Chi Minh City, Xoi Bat was also eliminated after 2 years on the Bib Gourmand list. Previously, this restaurant made a strong impression on diners thanks to its unique combination of traditional sticky rice with high-quality ingredients such as lobster and European-style grilled meat.
Many diners appreciate the creativity of Xoi Bat, but in reality, the model is picky about customers because it has a price of about 65,000 VND/serving - higher than the mid-range segment.
According to the representative, the restaurant has been temporarily closed since the end of 2024 due to space issues. Until now, the restaurant has not reopened, so being removed from the list is inevitable.
Besides Bib Gourmand restaurants, another restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City that proudly achieved the Michelin Selected title (recommended by Michelin) for two consecutive years but was removed this year also attracted the attention of culinary enthusiasts.
Talking to Dan Tri reporter, the restaurant representative said that recently, the restaurant has been changing its concept, chef and focus on the plan to increase the culinary experience for customers.
“Our changes may not be in line with Michelin's criteria this year,” the representative shared.
Up to now, Michelin Guide has not given specific reasons for removing restaurant names from the guide.
Source: https://dantri.com.vn/du-lich/bi-michelin-gat-ten-chu-quan-o-ha-noi-soc-nang-toi-khong-ro-ly-do-20250613225111700.htm
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