Michelin Guide and the power of stars

Michelin Star Light

Pho Ga Cham on the first day of business after the Michelin recommendation announcement, seemed to be more “lively” than usual when customers crowded to park along Yen Ninh street. The owner not only received the usual orders but also congratulations. A regular customer even came to hug Ms. Cham. The customers expressed their pride when their “favorite” restaurant was mentioned by the famous Michelin. In the first days of receiving the award, the owner was so busy that she did not have time to display the plaque that Michelin gave her.

Mr. Le Anh Duc, owner of Pho Viet Nam, also on the Michelin recommended list, said he was quite surprised when his restaurant was named. Since being recommended by Michelin, the number of customers coming to the restaurant has increased significantly. An American diner said that he had eaten pho at many restaurants. However, after Michelin announced the list of delicious restaurants in Vietnam, he researched and chose Pho Viet Nam to enjoy his favorite dish and wished he had known about the restaurant sooner because it is a dish that you should travel around the world to enjoy in person, according to the customer.

4 restaurants receive 1 Michelin star in Vietnam

Or Sam Tran - representative of Gia restaurant, which received 1 Michelin star, shared that after the award, her phone kept ringing with congratulations from friends, colleagues and requests for reservations. Chef Yamaguchi Hiroshi of Hibana by Koki, which received 1 Michelin star, located in Capella Hanoi hotel, also confirmed that the number of guests booking tables at the restaurant is always full. The restaurant only has a total of 14 seats, so the number of guests served is limited. As for the Anan Saigon restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnamese chef Peter Cuong Franklin said: "Right after the Michelin night, we received about 40-50 text messages booking tables at the restaurant."

The list of Michelin-recognized restaurants is a real boost for the development of Vietnamese cuisine. Mr. Nguyen Xuan Quynh, General Secretary of the Vietnam Chefs Association, shared that anyone who follows the restaurants receiving stars or being in the Michelin Guide's honor categories can see clear changes. "The number of customers is very stable, with long queues. The Michelin Guide's presence in Vietnam has truly made an official mark to position Vietnamese cuisine on the world map," said Mr. Nguyen Xuan Quynh.

Michelin has brought big changes to Vietnamese cuisine in just 6 short months.

Not committed to "raising the level of Vietnamese cuisine", but clearly, the Michelin stars after only 6 short months have brought about big changes to the culinary world in Vietnam, not only in the business situation of restaurants and eateries but also in the perception and thinking of cuisine. No need for specific statistics, very simply, just observing with the eyes is enough to see how big an impact the Michelin Guide has on the entire culinary industry and more broadly, culture, tourism ...

CEO TUNG Dining - Chef Hoang Tung is a famous name in the Vietnamese culinary world, who has worked at many Michelin-starred restaurants abroad. He shared: "Michelin Guide coming to Vietnam is really a very happy thing. Up to now, Vietnam has had very few prestigious awards and voting lists recognized by the world."

The presence of evaluation criteria such as Michelin Guide or The World's 50 Best has brought about important changes in the thinking and perspective of Vietnamese culinary professionals. From a vague view, many people gradually realized the power of stars, of categories such as Michelin Selected (Michelin recommended), Bib Gourmand (delicious restaurants with affordable prices) and Michelin Guide Special Awards (special awards).

Chef Hoang Tung believes that Vietnam needs titles like Michelin Guide or The World's 50 Best. Any restaurant that achieves this is a source of pride and a great contribution to the country's culinary scene.

Continuing to drive Michelin aspirations

The General Secretary of the Vietnam Chefs Association believes that the attention of public opinion, the media and, more importantly, the guidance for tourists when coming to Vietnam about famous Michelin restaurants has certainly made Vietnamese culinary professionals unable to remain indifferent. "I am sure that the light from the Michelin stars is the driving force that motivates the Vietnamese culinary community to raise their own aspirations. I myself also wish that one day I will have a restaurant with a Michelin star," Mr. Quynh confided.

Perceptions about cuisine are very diverse, and therefore, different views on a globally recognized ranking as soon as Michelin set foot in Vietnam are also natural. But the most important thing that this long-standing culinary system has done in Vietnam is to change the mindset of Vietnamese culinary professionals. As Mr. Nguyen Thuong Quan, Chairman of the Vietnam Chefs Association said: “Michelin Guide Vietnam will not stop at a red book recording quality and classy restaurants or dining establishments, but also open up a new approach so that Vietnamese culinary tourism can take off faster based on its own internal strength…”.

“For a long time, we have been proud that Vietnamese cuisine is delicious, unique and sophisticated, but let's ask why our cuisine has not yet been positioned on the global culinary map. Therefore, I see that the Michelin Guide journey on the S-shaped strip of land, although not long, has brought many special values”, General Secretary of the Vietnam Chefs Association Nguyen Xuan Quynh further emphasized.