15 Unique Dining Experiences in Ho Chi Minh City
While delicious street food stalls and fine dining eateries seem to be the norm in Ho Chi Minh City, sometimes it’s worth venturing off the beaten path for that one-of-a-kind culinary experience. Here’s a list of 15 unique dining experiences in Saigon to satisfy even the most adventurous eater.
Saigon Supper Club
Founded in 2023, Saigon Supper Club is an experience unlike any other in Vietnam. There’s no permanent location, chef or menu so you never know what to expect. In the past, off-the-beaten-path locations like an organic farm grocery store, building rooftop, wine cellar and vintage record store alongside menus have debuted alongside menus curated by talented chefs like MasterChef Vietnam runner-up Chef Tri paired with made-in-Vietnam artisanal spirits.
Guests comprise a mix of expats, tourists and locals who all share a love for food and unique experiences so if you’re looking for dinner with a side of social - this is it. There’s no fixed theme and different dinners feature throughout the month so don’t get too upset if you don’t manage to snag one. Dinners typically range from 1,5 to 2 mil vnd (60 to 85 usd) per person including drinks.
Check out Saigon Supper Club’s website for the latest updates
Farm-to-table dinner inside a rustic farmhouse paired with local organic fruit liquors
This one-of-a-kind experience happens by reservation only, and for good reason. During the day, this farmhouse hidden in a residential area is a go-to for fresh goods and produce straight from the ever-lovely chi Trang’s farm on the outskirts of Ho Chi Minh City. In the evening, it turns into a stunning dinner space serving up delicious farm-to-table homecooked dishes featuring seasonal ingredients straight from chi Trang’s farm. And, to pair, think 5-year-old dragonfruit and apricot liquors made purely from fruits as well as made-in-house kombuchas. Trust us, this experience is not to be missed.
Minimum 4 people, by reservation only
Get in touch: experiences@jovelchan.com
Dine inside a wine cellar helmed by one of Vietnam’s leading bartender
Get up close and personal with one of Vietnam’s leading tastemakers inside his private bar for an intimate experience about all things Vietnamese spirits and cocktails. Afterward, enjoy a modern Vietnamese supper club experience within a hidden wine cellar that’s located amidst the bustling streets, open only to those who know. The evening unfolds with a curated menu that celebrates Vietnam's vibrant flavors, meticulously crafted by expert chefs (ex-Executive Chefs of leading hotels in Vietnam).
Minimum 6 people, by reservation only
Get in touch: experiences@jovelchan.com
Photo courtesy of Noir - Dining In The Dark
Noir - Dining In The Dark
Perhaps one of the more well known dining experiences in Saigon, some might consider Noir a staple in the city’s culinary scene and as such, not an altogether unique location for a meal. However, putting aside its reputation, it’s hard to argue with the playful concept which is why it kicks off this list. On paper, the idea’s deceptively simple: how is dining affected in a setting where sight is removed? Using this as their starting off point, Noir crafts an experience that allows customers to transfer their trust to their four other senses.
Upon arrival, guests will be guided to a pitch-black dining room by a trained staff of blind and visually impaired peoples. From there, a three-course menu of 11 tasting dishes (690k/person) or a four-course menu of 14 tasting dishes (980k/person) will be brought to your table. The meal is framed around the concept of When The East Meets The West, with a combination of Vietnamese, Asian, and Western ingredients for you to feast on. How will something taste when you can’t actually see what you’re tasting?
Address: Lane 178 - 180D Hai Ba Trung . Da Kao . District 1 . Ho Chi Minh City . Vietnam
Opening Hours: Dinner: 530 pm to 11pm (last seating at 930pm)
Photo courtesy of Blanc
Blanc: Dine and wine while learning sign
Located right next to Noir, Blanc takes a step away from the idea of dining in the dark to instead focus on a communication-centric culinary experience. Employing a team of deaf and hearing-impaired staff, the focus here is to see how dining can be altered when noise is kept to a minimum. Does this mean guests aren’t allowed to talk and laugh while eating? Of course not! However, visitors are encouraged to use Ho Chi Minh City Sign Language (one of three Vietnamese sign languages) to communicate with the service team.
The menu, which comes with visual aids for how to sign each dish, features starters like Octopus Confit with a mango dressing (180k) to mains like Sea Bass with a truffle anchovy sauce (320k).
Address: Lane 178 - 180D Hai Ba Trung . Da Kao . District 1 . Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Opening hours: Dinner: 530 pm to 11 pm (last seating at 10pm)
Photo courtesy of Nén Light Restaurant
Nén Light: Where food meets storytelling
Run by executive chef, Summer Le, Nén Light Restaurant weaves storytelling into their dining experience by delivering what they call Conscious Vietnamese Cuisine (Ẩm Thực Nhìn). Stories are at the heart of what the restaurant brings to diners, with their changing menu, known as, “Sto:ry Menu”, the flagship product that allows them to share Vietnamese cuisine, culture, and history to diners.
Currently on offer is Sto:ry Menu #4: Origins – Về nhà. The primary theme on this 7 course (1990k+) or 9 course meal (2570k+) is the notion of home (namely, Danang, where most of the team hails, but also, Vietnam, where all of them were born). Using this idea as a driving point, diners are taken on a storytelling experience that features dishes like K’nia: a K’nia seed curry chicken and The Paper: edible “giay do” paper with a peanut pate. Wine and sake alcohol pairings are also available (7 course: 1400k, 9 course: 1600k), as well as an a la carte or vegetarian menu.
Address: 122/2 Tran Dinh Xu, District 1, HCMC
Opening Hours: Monday – Saturday: 18:00 – 23:00
Photo courtesy of Nous
Nous: Vietnam’s first capsule restaurant
Vietnam’s first capsule restaurant, Nous prides itself on building an environment in which customers can absorb every minute detail of their experience there. With a kitchen-side dining area that only seats eight, intimacy in an almost speakeasy vibe is as the forefront of what Nous offers. Guests can choose to mingle with one another or dazzle in the spectacle of their six-course meal being prepared right before their eyes. Local ingredients are at the heart of their prix fixe menus, with the choice of additional wine pairings keeping things simple so all you have to worry about is enjoying an expertly cooked meal!
Currently, the winter tasting menu is centered around the theme of a holiday movie marathon. Dishes include the Tri-Region Tartare (wagyu beef, Vietnamese fig, green mango inspired by Merry Christmas Mr. Bean) and the Vietnamese Roast Beast (Japanese A4 striploin, herbs, lemongrass inspired by How The Grinch Stole Christmas). The six-course meal starts at 1899k+ with the option for a curated wine pairing at an additional 1,299k+.
Address: 42 Lý Tự Trọng, Bến Nghé,Quận 1, Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam
Opening Hours: Dinner: Tuesday to Sunday from 19:00
Photo courtesy of Park Hyatt Saigon
Le Petit Chef: Dine with the smallest chef in the world
With more than 35 locations worldwide, Le Petit Chef is a global brand that strives to deliver the best in where entertainment and dining meet. The concept in the Park Hyatt Saigon branch follows Le Petit Chef, a six-cm-tall chef born in 2015 in Marseille, France as he shows you, “How to become the world’s greatest chef”. Using a technology called 3D Projection Mapping, your dining table transforms into a kind of movie screen that interacts with your food, plates, cutlery, and of course, you!
Diners have the option of choosing between two five-course meals. Kids, vegetarian, and vegan menus are also available. The business class menu (2950k) features dishes like Hokkaido Scallops (cauliflower purée, black garlic, port wine, golden raisins) and Iberico Pork Pluma (green asparagus, parmesan cheese, Taggiasca olive dressing, amaranth). A step above, the first class menu (4290k) delights with Roasted Duck Breast (potato purée, spring onions, wild mushroom sauce, red sorrel) and Wagyu Beef Striploin (green asparagus, parmesan cheese, Taggiasca olive dressing, amaranth). A wine pairing can be added on at a cost of 1500k for the business class menu and 2500k for the first class menu. Enjoy the two-hour experience in the company of friends, family, and Le Petit Chef!
Address: 2 Lam Son Square, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Opening Hours: Lunch: Monday to Saturday: 11:30 - 14:30; Sunday Brunch: 12:00- 15:00; Dinner: 18:00 pm to 22:00
Photo courtesy of Glam Saigon
Glam Saigon: Family-style glamping by the river
Located along the Saigon River in Ho Chi Minh City’s expat enclave, Thao Dien, Glam Saigon brings an outdoorsy camping experience to Vietnam’s bustling metropolis.
The restaurant gives you the opportunity to partake in what’s known as glamping, a term which merges “glamorous” with “camping”. Abiding by these guidelines, Glam Saigon serves Korean-style dishes such as their Fishcake Stew (200k) and Korean Assorted Pancake (240K), on top of Western-style dishes like their whole-roasted Beer-can Chicken (480k) and we can’t forget the show-stopping Don-mahawk, a massive charcoal-grilled Tomahawk steak (560k). Of course, drinks are also available with Korean staples like Soju (130k) and Mak-geoli (160k), a milky rice wine popular in Korea, good options to get the night started.
Bungalow-esque tents allow for family style camping all in the privacy of your own space so you and your friends can really enjoy the views of the city across the water. For those who are fine with outdoor seating, comfortable camping chairs are set up on the deck and turf grass so you can really immerse yourself in that glamping experience!
Address: 30 Nguyễn Văn Hưởng Thao Dien, District 2, Thành phố Thủ Đức, Vietnam
Opening Hours: Everyday: 16:00 - 23:30; Hours may differ on national holidays
Photo courtesy of Mùa Craft Sake
Mùa Craft Sake: Vietnam’s first and only craft sake taproom featuring Japanese-Vietnamese tapas
A trailblazer in Ho Chi Minh City’s culinary scene, Mùa Craft Sake is combining the best of Japanese tradition and knowledge and transforming it into a uniquely Vietnamese experience. At its core, Mùa is a craft sake brewery, and one of the first of its kind in the whole of the country! But really, there’s so much more to the spot than just that.
By partnering with an award-winning Japanese sake brewery called Heiwa Shuzou, Mùa Craft Sake seeks to merge Japanese excellence with Vietnamese flavours. For one, only Vietnamese rice is selected for the sake making process, with the resulting sake having fruity notes of apple, guava, and melon. Their sake is then paired with a menu crafted by Chef Tru, who lived and worked in Japan and holds a deep seated appreciation for the country and its cuisine. By once more mixing the two nations, this time in the form of the Japanese izakaya eatery and Vietnamese nhau culture, the restaurant introduces an altogether new experience to the city. With the food menu separated into a Raw & Vegetable section, Stir-fry & Fry section, and Grill & Skewers section, you’re sure to find the perfect dish to accompany your choice of sake!
Address: 7 Le Ngo Cat Street, Vo Thi Sau Ward, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam , Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Opening Hours: Sunday - Thursday: 17:00 – 23:00; Friday - Saturday: 17:00 - 24:00
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