Anan Saigon crowned Vietnam’s best restaurant, claims 39th spot on Asia's 50 Best Restaurants

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Mar 27

Anan Saigon claims the 39th spot on Asia's 50 Best Restaurants, a sight not seen in the past 8 years since Don’s Tay Ho (now defunct), a Canadian restaurant in Hanoi helmed by Chef Donald Berger claimed its spot back in 2013.

The results are in: Anan Saigon is Vietnam’s best restaurant following the announcement of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants on Thursday, 25th of March. Safe to say Vietnam’s culinary scene has had quite the historic year so far from placing 4 restaurants in the inaugural “Essence in Asia” collection to two Vietnamese restaurants claiming spot #89 (T.U.N.G Dining) and #39 (Anan Saigon) in the prestigious Asia’s 50 Best list of restaurants. Not too bad for a country last represented in the list in 2013.

Anan Saigon’s Asia’s 50 Best #InviteOnly celebratory event on Thursday, 25th March with fellow industry friends and fans including celebrity chef Luke Nguyen, Hao Tran from Vietcetera, Matt Cowan from The Bureau Asia, David Kaye from Wink Hotels/The Dot Magazine, Chris Thompson from Harper’s Bazaar and Uyen Dang.

Anan Saigon

Helmed by chef Peter Cuong Franklin, Anan was opened in 2017 with the mission to reimagine, redefine and elevate Vietnamese cuisine. The name of the restaurant is ănăn, which means ‘eat eat’ and is located in Chợ Cũ along Tôn Thất Đạm Street, an unassuming location in the middle of a bustling wet market.

Dishing out what is dubbed as Cuisine Mới, or New Vietnamese Cuisine, Peter Cuong Franklin marries traditional Vietnamese cuisine with modern presentation and techniques, elevating the cuisine through his own interpretations inspired from the country’s vibrant food culture as well as his culinary sojourns in foodie capitals such as New York, Bangkok and Hong Kong. Anan’s take on traditional Vietnamese cuisine is a testament to Chef Peter’s vision of a country that respects the history, traditions and sanctity of its food culture while stirring a sense of progressiveness, internationalism and modernity in its outlook.

Ever since its opening, Chef Peter Cuong Franklin and Anan have been flying the Vietnam flag high beyond the country’s borders with international press mentions and TV appearances in the likes of The New York Times, CNN and the Michelin Guide. Chef Peter also actively collaborates with world-renowned chefs such as Chef Ton from Le Du (#8 on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2020, Michelin; 1-Michelin star, 2021) and David Lai from Neighbourhood in Hong Kong (#32 on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurant's 2019), all of which result in exposure that is magnified beyond Vietnam.

Chef-owner, Peter Cuong Franklin

An investment banker turned chef, Peter Cuong Franklin is a Vietnamese-American Yale graduate who left the corporate grind to pursue his passion in the field of culinary arts after a successful career in investment banking. Having trained at Le Cordon Bleu in Bangkok and received his Master’s degree in gastronomy from the University of Adelaide’s School of History and Politics, he set out to cut his teeth in prestigious kitchens around the world including Hong Kong (Caprice at Four Seasons Hotel), Chicago (Alinea & Next), Bangkok (Nahm) and Vietnam (La Vertical & Madame Hien).

Adding more feathers in his cap are Chef Peter Cuong Franklin’s two Vietnamese restaurants in Hong Kong, Viet Kitchen and Chôm Chôm, which he founded and helmed from 2012 to 2016 before returning to Vietnam. The lauded restaurants, Viet Kitchen and Chôm Chôm, have both been recognised with multiple awards and citations, including: CNN International for Hong Kong’s Best New Restaurants (2016), Foodie Forks Award for Best Casual Restaurant (2016) and Chef of the Year (2014), beating out some of the city’s best restaurants in the contest for Best Fried Chicken in Hong Kong (2016).

Today, Peter Cuong Franklin is regarded as one of the pioneers of modern Vietnamese and Asian cuisine and is also a restaurant consultant, cuisine and pastry cooking instructor as well as a frequent contributor at conferences on food and culture. Peter also serves on the chef advisory board of STREETS International, a charity based in Hoi An, Vietnam training disadvantaged youths for a career and future in F&B.

Here's the full list of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2021:

1. The Chairman, Hong Kong (Best Restaurant in Hong Kong and Asia)

2. Odette, Singapore (Best Restaurant in Singapore)

3. Den, Tokyo, Japan (Best Restaurant in Japan)

4. Le Du, Bangkok, Thailand (Best Restaurant in Thailand)

5. Gaggan Anand, Bangkok, Thailand (Highest New Entry Award)

6. Sühring, Bangkok

7. Florilège, Tokyo

8. La Cime, Osaka, Japan

9. Narisawa, Tokyo, Japan

10. Mingles, Seoul, South Korea (Best Restaurant in Korea)

11. Sorn, Bangkok, Thailand

12. Sazenka, Tokyo, Japan

13. Les Amis, Singapore

14. Burnt Ends, Singapore

15. Mume, Taipei, Taiwan (Best Restaurant in Taiwan)

16. VEA, Hong Kong (Art of Hospitality Award)

17. Neighborhood, Hong Kong

18. Indian Accent, New Delhi, India (Best Restaurant in India)

19. L’Effervescence, Tokyo, Japan (Highest Climber award – up 20 places)

20. Nusara, Bangkok

21. Raw, Taipei, Taiwan

22. Fu He Hui, Shanghai

23. Zen, Singapore

24. Logy, Taipei

25. Belon, Hong Kong

26. JL Studio, Taichung

27. Ode, Tokyo

28. Caprice, Hong Kong

29. Ministry of Crab (Best Restaurant in Sri Lanka)

30. Maison de La Nature Goh, Fukuoka

31. Cloudstreet, Singapore

32. Masque, Mumbai, India

33. 8 ½ Otto e Mezzo Bombana, Hong Kong

34. Seventh Door, Seoul, South Korea

35. Nihonryori RyuGin, Tokyo, Japan

36. Born & Bred, Seoul, South Korea

37. Amber, Hong Kong

38. Ta Vie, Hong Kong

39. Anan Saigon (Best restaurant in Vietnam)

40. Labyrinth, Singapore

41. Euphoria, Singapore

42. Jaan by Kirk Westaway, Singapore

43. Hansikgonggan, Seoul, South Korea

44. Mono, Hong Kong

45. Shoun Ryugin, Taipei, Taiwan

46. Gaa, Bangkok, Thailand

47. Lung King Heen, Hong Kong

48. Seventh Son, Hong Kong

49. Toyo Eatery, Makati, Philippines

50. Wing Lei Palace, Macau

How the voting works

The list is created by the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants Academy, an influential group of more than 300 leaders in the restaurant industry across Asia, each selected for their expert opinion of Asia’s restaurant scene and divided into six regions: India & Subcontinent; South-East Asia – South; South-East Asia – North; Hong Kong, Taiwan & Macau; mainland China & Korea; Japan. The divisions are designed to represent the Asian restaurant scene as fairly as possible at the current time and are agreed with the Academy Chairs. Each region has its own panel of 53 members including a chairperson to head it up. The panel is made up of food writers and critics, chefs, restaurateurs and highly regarded 'foodies'.

Deloitte is the official independent adjudicator of Asia's 50 Best Restaurants and performs certain procedures to confirm the integrity and authenticity of the voting process and the resulting list. In order to guarantee a fair relationship between the percentage of votes a region receives and their proportionate representation in the Asia's 50 Best Restaurants list, in the event of a significant variance, Deloitte will apply a normalisation process to the voting data.