What to expect at Kuusi by TUNG, a first-of-its-kind modernist mixology experience in Vietnam

T.U.N.G Dining, a Nordic fine dining restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, and one of only two restaurants in Vietnam included in last year’s Asia’s top 50 Best (51-100) list, is welcoming a new addition this summer and it’s not what you think.

Say hello to Kuusi, an intimate 12-seat molecular mixology cocktail concept in Vietnam helmed by the renowned mixologist Richard McDonough aka the Mood Therapist. Here, thirsty drinkers are invited to a two-hour mixology experience of five ‘drinks’ paired with a series of gastronomic snacks created by none other than Chef Tung and his fabulous team. Together, this power duo is bringing a first-of-its-kind modernist mixology concept to Vietnam with a tentative soft launch date on the 12th of May.

I sit down with Richard McDonough aka the Mood Therapist to get the inside on what to expect from his new concept - Kuusi.

The name

Kuusi is a pan-Scandinavian word for spruce and is inspired by Chef Tung’s time in Finland, where he attended university and started his culinary career. It also means the number 6, which stands for finding the perfect balance between the material and spiritual aspects of our lives.

The origin

Having been a fan of T.U.N.G Dining and Å by Tung’s tasting menus, Richard started off as a diner who quickly turned into a fan Chef Tung’s creativity and innovation. However, the duo never hung out till the lockdown (ironically) when Tung visited Richard’s home to sample his homemade bottled cocktails. One cocktail led to another and Richard quickly found himself in talks with Chef Tung about doing a cocktail pairing session at T.U.N.G Dining. However, while the cocktail pairing session did not materialize due to the pandemic, the synergy of the duo coupled with an opportune availability next to T.U.N.G Dining gave birth to Kuusi.

The experience

Source: The Mood Therapist

“You can call it molecular gastronomy, but most people working with these techniques hate that term because all cooking is molecular. It doesn’t mean anything” says Richard. Instead, he describes what they do at Kuusi as ‘modernism’, an established term across art, architecture, design, and now food, based on innovation and breaking with what came before. 

At Kuusi, guests are invited to a magical two-hour cocktail experience. There are five ‘drinks’, each paired with a series of gastronomic snacks created by Chef Tung and his team. And for those who do want more, there are an additional five cocktails available on an à la carte basis but Richard does underscore that “the aim of Kuusi is not to get you thrashed but rather enhance your mood and experience”. Fret not though as Kuusi does offer a limited selection of fine spirits and half bottles of champagne for those who want to celebrate their Tuesday night.

Source: Kuusi

On the munch front, snacks are bite-sized and added to the experience to complement and highlight the intricacies and flavours of the cocktails. In a nutshell, they’re not meant to fill you up so Richard still highly recommends having dinner beforehand. Fortunately, T.U.N.G Dining is right next door.

Enhancing Flavours Through Modernist techniques

Source: Kuusi

To enhance the drinks’ flavours and profiles, Richard uses modernist mixology techniques like vacuum distillation, and concentration using an apparatus called the Rotovapor amongst many others. If this all sounds foreign to you (like it does to me), no fret as there will be cards explaining the techniques used.

The result as Richard mentions is “an array of flavours and surprises that many of our guests will probably never have encountered” and something that he is only able to achieve at Kuusi given full control of all the variables and being able to offer a full menu on a nightly basis. This gives him the opportunity to push the boat out even further - something he was not able to achieve through his years of mixology pop-ups.

Coupled with an exciting opportunity to further enhance the flavours of his cocktails through T.U.N.G Dining’s gastronomic pairing, Richard believes the sky is the limit.

Seasonal local ingredients

Similar to TUNG Dining, Kuusi’s menu will focus on seasonal local ingredients - the launch menu features mulberries for example - but will not be themed since the aim is to provide guests with an experiential journey using different spirits and textures to keep things exciting, surprising and of course, delicious.

Richard is also not shy to experiment with lesser-known ingredients in the bar industry such as lá quế vị, which is often eaten with fish and has a star anise cum tarragon-like-flavour. For the two ingredients, Richard utilizes modernist techniques that extract their essence to derive a familiar flavour yet tests the boundary of the drinker’s palate.

World class ingredients and exclusive Kuusi blends

Working with local companies and distillers, Richard is able to create products that are world-class. To start, Kuusi has its own barrel of an exclusive blend of aged rums from Sampan, a series of unreleased products from the award-winning Song Cai distillery s well as an extraordinary whiskey from Heart of Darkness prepared and served in an unprecedented way.

Kuusi will be soft opening its doors on the 12th of May in Hanoi.

• Soft opening promo: 20% off until 19th of May

• Price per person: 1,290,000 (drinks only) or VND 1,770,000 (drinks and food)

• Address: 2C Quang Trung, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội (right next to T.U.N.G Dining)

• Follow Kuusi on Facebook for the latest up-to-day updates

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