2022 Wrapped: Top ten food and drink stories in Vietnam

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Dec 24

The ten most significant food and drink events that shaped Vietnam’s food and drink scene in 2022.

*Photo courtesy of The MICHELIN Guide (Source: Website)*

The Michelin announces its arrival in Vietnam

On the 30th of November, Michelin announced Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City as the latest destinations joining the international selection of the MICHELIN Guide. For the first time ever, MICHELIN will be sending down MICHELIN inspectors to evaluate the quality of restaurants in Vietnam’s two largest cities and present the first selection of restaurants in June 2023. The announcement comes just a year after Vietnam’s very own Anan Saigon claimed a winning spot (#39) on the highly acclaimed Asia’s 50 Best list - a feat last seen more than a decade ago as well as the opening of three-star Da Vittorio’s first ever Southeast Asian outpost in the Reverie.

*Photo courtesy of Diageo (Source: Facebook)*

Celebrating 10 years of Diageo World Class Vietnam with an incredible win

This year marked the 10th anniversary of Diageo World Class Vietnam, the prestigious bartending competition that saw industry tastemakers, pioneering bartenders and previous champions gather in Danang to celebrate and crown this year’s winner - Vang Hieu Trung from The Dot Bar. After an intense final showdown, Vang Hieu Trung from Dot Bar emerged as the winner delivering not only speed (6 minutes and 11 seconds) but also quality flavour, top-notch showmanship as well as accurate presentation. A true mark of a well-deserved bartending champion, Vang joined over 60 country champions in Sydney this August to compete for the coveted title of ‘Global World Class champion 2022’.

*Photo courtesy of Saigon Sommelier Association (Source: Facebook)*

First Vietnamese bartender to compete for the title of “World Best Sommelier” in France

This year, Lê Hoàng Khánh Vi, vice-president of the Saigon Sommelier Association announced that he will be representing Vietnam for the coveted title “World Best Sommelier” at the Association de la Sommellerie Internationale (A.S.I) Sommelier Competition held in France next February. Although Vietnamese bartenders have competed in the ASI Sommelier Competition in the past in a bid to win “Asia and Oceania’s Best Sommelier”, this is the first time a Vietnamese bartender will be competing on a global stage. Coincidentally, this year also marked the start of an official partnership between the Saigon Sommelier Association (SSA) and A.S.I to bring more education and sommelier career guidelines to Vietnam.

The Association de la Sommellerie Internationale is a non-profit organization founded in 1969 by Reims to develop and promote the sommelier profession globally. Every three years, the A.S.I holds a Sommelier Competition where sommeliers from around the world compete for the title of “Best Sommelier in the world”.

*Photo courtesy of Vietnam Whisky & Cocktail Festival (Source: Facebook)*

Vietnam launches inaugural Whiskey Festival

Held in the Intercontinental Saigon, the inaugural two-day event showcased the finest whiskies and spirits on offer in Vietnam including Macallan, Dewar’s True Scotch, Remy Martin, Alfred Giraud, Kamiki, Highland Park and Michters amongst many others. With a collection of over sixty different whiskies on display in a grand tasting hall, guests were also invited to check out various Whisky Masterclasses hosted by industry experts from Singapore, Thailand and Scotland.
But that’s not at all. The event also played host to a retail boutique, a VIP tasting room with luxury brands such as Alfred Giraud on display and an intense two-day cocktail competition joined by seven bartenders from some of the best bars in the city. Ultimately, Phan Thanh Nam from Drinking and Healing bar emerged as the grand winner with his winning cocktail inspired by uniquely Vietnamese flavours such as rice.

*Photo courtesy of Vietcetera (Source: Website)*

Vietnam launches first restaurant and bar week

To celebrate Vietnam’s vibrant culinary scene and its artisans, Vietctera teamed up with Mastercard to kickstart Vietnam’s first-ever restaurant and bar week. From “new-age” Vietnamese restaurants featuring fresh takes on traditional recipes to up-and-coming bars, the delicious affair was held in both Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi and included popular crowd favourites such as Anan, Madam Kew and P’ti Saigon. The initiative is part of “Flavours Vietnam 2022”, an annual program organised by Vietcetera and Mastercard that offers a series of gastronomic activities to boost the local food and beverage industry and spotlight Vietnamese food and beverage players.

*Photo courtesy of STIR (Source: Facebook)*

STIR Modern Cocktail Bar claims the 84th spot in this year’s Asia’s 50 Best Bars

Ranked 84th on the highly acclaimed Asia’s 50 Best Bars list, STIR is the only Vietnamese representative in this year’s A50B Bars list. Founded by Lam Duc Anh, STIR is a hidden speakeasy bar tucked away in an alley along one of Saigon’s most prominent roads - Le Thanh Tong street situated across the famous Ben Thanh Market. While naked to the invisible eye, STIR is perhaps Vietnam’s most well-known bar and for good reason.

Think vintage interiors reminiscent of Vietnam in the 60’s and 70’s married with contemporary and modern takes on cocktail classics with a Vietnamese touch and that’s STIR. The cocktails draw inspiration from the streets of Vietnam and pay tribute to local drinking rituals and ingredients while exhibiting refined bartending finesse and flair. Think reimagined favourites such as “Nuoc Mia Highball”, which uses fresh-pressed sugarcane juice with a Zacapa 12 Rum, fresh calamansi juice, pandan cordial and soda water.

Vietnamese Chef claims first runner-up spot in "Disciples of Escoffier Asia” competition

On November 10th, eight young culinary talents from Asia Pacific competed for the title of “World Young Talents Escoffier” in Bali. In the finals after an intense showdown, Truong Gia Loc (winner of the 2022 Young Talents Competition Escoffier Vietnam) claimed his spot as first runner-up right behind Chef I Kadek Sumiarta from Indonesia who reigned supreme and won the coveted title of grand champion at the Asia Pacific Final of the Young Talents Escoffier.

In the Vietnam preliminary round, Truong Gia Loc beat out fifteen chefs from some of the best hotels and restaurants in the country - Tinto, The Brix, Nikko Hotel Saigon and Ngoc Suong Seafood - and impressed a stellar panel of judges including Chef Sakal Phoeung of Le Corto and P’ti, and also the President of Disciples d’Escoffier Vietnam, Peter Cuong Franklin, chef-founder of Anan Restaurant and Nhau Nhau, Hoang Tung of T.U.N.G Dining and Å by TUNG and Matteo Fontana, executive chef of Da Vittorio.

*Passion Week 2022 hosted by Park Hyatt Saigon (Source: Facebook)*

Top chefs, bartenders and tastemakers make their way to Vietnam

From Chef LG Han from Restaurant Labyrinth in Singapore (#40 on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2022) to Chef Thitid ‘Ton’ Tassanakajohn from the award-winning Le Du (#4 on Asia’s 50 Best) and Nusara (#10 on Asia’s 50 Best) in Thailand, this year saw the arrival of star-studded chefs and tastemakers from around the world arrive in Vietnam to delight foodies in four-hand collaborations across the city, upskill young and hungry bartenders as well as mingle with some of the city’s most prominent patrons.

In November, the Park Hyatt Saigon also held its most anticipated event of the year - Passion Week - a four-day event featuring a series of gastronomic experiences (gala dinners, master classes and workshops) by the likes of Celebrity Chefs Alan Taudon (One Michelin Star Chef from L’Orangerie Restaurant), Chef Sven Erik Renaa (Two Michelin Star Chef from RE-NAA Restaurant - Stavanger) and Chef Paolo Casagrande (Three Michelin Star Chef from Lasarte Restaurant -Barcelona).

While some were passing through, others stayed to establish more permanent roots in a bid to make their mark in Vietnam’s coming-of-age culinary scene. These include Chef David Green of Olivia Dining, Chef Matteo Fontana of Da Vittorio’s first Southeast Asian outpost and Chef Sam Aisbett.

Vietnam voted Asia's best culinary destination for the first time

For the first time, Vietnam beat out heavyweights - Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, Korea and Thailand - to claim the title of “Asia’s best culinary destination” at the third edition of the World Culinary Awards. The World Culinary Awards is the sister event of the World Travel Awards, which was launched in 1993 and is often regarded as the “Oscars of the travel industry”. According to Rina van Staden, Director of the annual World Culinary Awards, the results were based on a year-long process conducted by both culinary experts and public voting.

The announcement comes after a slew of international media spotlighting the popularity of Vietnamese cuisine globally as well as the nation’s up-and-coming culinary scene. Most recently, Vietnam was named by British celebrity chef and television personality Gordon Ramsay as one of the “world’s top food destinations”, calling it an “extraordinary melting pot of great food."

Photo courtesy of Irene Öhler (Source: LinkedIn)

KOTO and Lightpath Leadership launch first Women in Hospitality Leadership Program

Over the next 3 years, KOTO and Lightpath Leadership will be offering three innovative 6-month learning journeys with a vision to jumpstart a big change for women in the hospitality and tourism sector. Named “Her Turn”, the program is based on international research on women's leadership development and will be firmly grounded in the reality of the hospitality sector in Vietnam. Details of the program include twenty-six hours of contact hours with a group of future industry leaders, personalised coaching sessions as well as workshops by industry experts. Led by Irene Öhler, an experienced, certified global executive coach and international facilitator, with more than 20 years of international experience working with leaders from the corporate and government sectors.