From Boston to Ho Chi Minh City: A 7-year love story and the dream of elevating Vietnamese cuisine

Choosing to return to their homeland after studying and living in the US, Duong and Nga not only found love, but also together created a culinary space with a strong Vietnamese flavor but raised to international standards right in Ho Chi Minh City.

Từ Boston về TP.HCM: Chuyện tình 7 năm và giấc mơ nâng tầm ẩm thực Việt- Ảnh 1. — Duong Do and Nga - two young Vietnamese people with a desire to elevate Vietnamese cuisine

Jon's real name is Duong Do, born in 1997 in Hanoi . Having had a passion for food since childhood, Duong decided to study Hotel and Restaurant Management in the US while Jen (real name is Nga), born in 1998, majored in Business. They met in their senior year of college in Boston - a city that is both bright and harsh for young people living far from home. "At first, we just helped each other with homework, then cooked together. Home-cooked Vietnamese meals in a foreign country brought us closer together without us even realizing it," Jen recounted.

After several years in the US, the two decided to return to Vietnam to start a business, bringing with them not only their love but also their dream of opening a Vietnamese restaurant with a modern spirit, attractive enough to both locals and international friends.

From Ngo Duc Ke apartment to Michelin Selected

Bom - the childhood name of the Gen Z Hanoi boss was born in a small apartment in Ngo Duc Ke apartment building (old District 1) 7 years ago. "In the past, I honestly didn't like being called Bom at all, it sounded a bit silly; but after studying far away, I found it a part of my childhood."

A cozy space with only a few dining tables, Duong's early restaurant followed the "chef's table" model, where the chef and guests chat directly, creating an intimate, close experience.

"At that time, there was still an epidemic, so customers only came in small amounts. But we persevered because we believed in the quality of the food and the sophistication in every detail," Duong recalled.

Từ Boston về TP.HCM: Chuyện tình 7 năm và giấc mơ nâng tầm ẩm thực Việt- Ảnh 2. — Duong and Nga recount their childhood stories and always think about Vietnamese food during their time studying in Boston.

After a difficult period, Bom transformed into a real restaurant, located on Nguyen Thi Nghia Street, opposite the New World Hotel (HCMC) - a place with a lot of tourists. The space is carefully designed from the lighting, dishes to the scent, music , all contributing to telling a story of Vietnamese cuisine with depth, but not at all cliché.

In 2024, Duong's kitchen was honored as Michelin Selected, becoming one of the few restaurants in Ho Chi Minh City to be recognized by Michelin. "When I reopened, I didn't dare think about being honored. I just try every day to make the food better than yesterday. Being listed by Michelin is a milestone, but also a huge responsibility. I hope that in the future, not only my restaurant but also many more Vietnamese restaurants will appear on the world culinary map," the young owner respectfully said.

Cozy on a rainy night

One Monday evening, when it was drizzling, I went to dine at the restaurant at the invitation of the two young owners. Inside the cozy space, which felt like a miniature Hanoi house, I enjoyed the dishes prepared by Duong and Nga. The appetizers included shrimp cakes, snail cakes and fish cakes to start the dinner.

Từ Boston về TP.HCM: Chuyện tình 7 năm và giấc mơ nâng tầm ẩm thực Việt- Ảnh 3. — Duong always finds a way to blend Vietnamese soul into each dish, while still maintaining international standards.

Among them, the snail sausage is the bright star with its rich flavor, the minced pork mixed with chewy snails, served with a skillfully mixed sweet and sour dipping sauce. In particular, the fish sausage is drizzled with a light cream sauce, which, according to him, has... shrimp paste inside. "This is a secret, I don't tell everyone," Duong joked, while Jen added: "Western guests who know there is shrimp paste will probably be a bit startled, but in small amounts it becomes interesting!"

Not only traditional dishes, Duong also introduced a creative dish: Grilled lean pork wrapped in lolot leaves, served with pickled mushrooms and fried green rice. "We were inspired by pork spring rolls, but made in a new way," Jon explained. The skillful arrangement of the dish, the tight texture, the sweet, sour, salty and crunchy flavors intertwined create a very attractive feeling.

Meanwhile, the beef stew tart is a creative variation that combines the rich Vietnamese beef stew with the crispy French tart crust. The light fatty taste of the tart blends with the soft beef stew, with the strong aroma of cinnamon, star anise and lemongrass, creating a culinary experience that is both strange and familiar. This is Jon's way of telling the story of his Vietnamese childhood in a modern and sophisticated culinary language.

Từ Boston về TP.HCM: Chuyện tình 7 năm và giấc mơ nâng tầm ẩm thực Việt- Ảnh 4.

Từ Boston về TP.HCM: Chuyện tình 7 năm và giấc mơ nâng tầm ẩm thực Việt- Ảnh 5.

Từ Boston về TP.HCM: Chuyện tình 7 năm và giấc mơ nâng tầm ẩm thực Việt- Ảnh 6.

Some outstanding dishes at the restaurant of two young people

PHOTO: LE NAM

Even though it was still raining heavily outside, the atmosphere inside was still warm, bustling with the laughter of groups of friends, couples on dates, or a table of ten Western guests raising their glasses together in the heart of Ho Chi Minh City.

"We want this to be a place where people can enjoy Vietnamese food in a different way, more refined, more civilized but still not losing the roots. And most importantly, we want to preserve the emotions when eating, because cuisine is first and foremost to connect people." Perhaps, that is also what makes diners come back here not only because of the delicious food, but also because of the feeling of coming home.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/tu-boston-ve-tphcm-chuyen-tinh-7-nam-va-giac-mo-nang-tam-am-thuc-viet-185250826130732863.htm