Women chefs in Vietnam to know about

For the fourth time, I’m writing about women in Vietnam’s food and drink industry though this time I’m focusing on the trailblazing women chefs behind the country's ever-vibrant dining scene.

Chef collaborations are all the rage these days with the industry heating up and becoming more competitive. Four, six and eight hand dinners featuring chefs across the country are no longer unheard of and award-winning pairings like Anan Saigon x Labyrinth - both MICHELIN-starred restaurants in the region, are also more frequent. Yet, despite the ubiquity of such collaborations, women chefs are often under or not represented at these events though they have played an active role in shaping our penchant for dining in the city. Perhaps its the shortsightedness of the event organizer or perhaps (i’m guilty of this too) women chefs are so quiet and unseen that you simply forget about them (and their restaurants) which was what encouraged me to write this article. 

Source: Vietcetera

Camilla Bailey - MAD House

Originally from Denmark, Camilla Bailey cut her teeth in the star-studded kitchens of two-star restaurant Henne Kirkeby Kro in Denmark, three-star Geranium and one-star restaurant A.O.C. before opening the now-defunct brunch institution - MAD House, which served as a go-to for diners looking to unwind, relax and have a casual cup of coffee, lunch or romantic dinner.

Though MAD House is now closed, you can still catch Camilla as well as fellow female operations maven and co-founder Mary Vu running the show at MAD Wine Bar in Thao Dien where a new tasting menu debuts every week alongside an impressive wine list of over 100 different labels. Talk about a MAD Wine Bar. 

• MAD Wine Bar: https://www.facebook.com/madwinebarsaigon

Source: Lavelle Library

Thao Na - Lavelle Library

Marrying her decade-long culinary experience working with the likes of Park Hyatt Paris, Vendôme, and her Vietnamese heritage, Chef Thao Na brings to the table light and modern French fare with a nod to Vietnamese cuisine. As one of the most celebrated female chefs in Vietnam, Chef Thao’s philosophy as a chef has always been to create dishes that balance the natural textures and tastes of top-rate ingredients with refreshing new flavours. 

• Lavelle Library: https://www.facebook.com/LavelleLibrary/

Source: Nage Eatery

Thao Le - Nage

When founder and Head Chef Thao Le is not at Nage - a chic yet cosy neighbourhood spot serving up fresh seafood with bold flavours in Saigon, - she’s busy running Nage in Phu Quoc, Saigon’s stunning coastal sister boasting impressive views of the sunset and sea. At both locations, Chef Thao dishes out all things seafood like its crowd favourite raw tiger prawns with spicy tomato sauce, uni pâté with brioche and pickled shallots as well as hand cut pasta with uni, flower crab with garlic and egg yolk. Best part: Nage’s new corkage policy allows guests to bring in their own special bottle of wine for every bottle ordered.

• Nage Eatery: https://www.facebook.com/nageeatery

Source: Maison Marou

Stéphanie Aubriot - Executive Chef of Maison Marou

At the helm of Vietnam’s award-winning artisan chocolate brand, Maison Marou, is none other than Stéphanie Aubriot. A chocolate savant who grew up working in her family’s bakery and sweet shop before working in some of France’s most cherished kitchens, Stéphanie has worked under world-renowned pastry chefs like Olivier Bajard and the legendary MOF Michel Roux Snr. In 2013, Roux sent Aubriot to Danang to create the most exquisite dessert menu Vietnam had ever seen for the Intercontinental Danang. It was also during her time in Danang that she made a visit to Maison Marou’s farms in Saigon and let’s just say the rest is history. Today, Stéphanie is not the only woman head chef at Maison Marou. Joining her are the equally talented Chef Ai and Chef Ngan who head up the kitchens at Thao Dien and Hanoi respectively. 

• Maison Marou: https://maisonmarou.com/

Source: Eater London

Anaïs Ca Dao van Manen

Anaïs Ca Dao van Manen is a chef and consultant, whose career has taken her all over the world from London and Paris, to Bogotá and Vietnam. Anaïs’s work in development - notably for Bao in London - as well as her work in social enterprise saw her picked out as an emerging talent in the Elle List 2020, as well as by the likes of Great British Chefs.

Born in Paris to a Vietnamese-Dutch family, Anaïs cut her teeth in kitchens like Bones, Auberge de Chassignoles, Trullo but in recent years she has moved out of the kitchen and into development, operations and consultancy. During her time in London, Anaïs was also involved with Kitchenette Karts - a social enterprise project that mentored young ex-offenders and showed them how to run their own self-sufficient food business. Alongside her work in development, Anaïs has also run many of her own supper clubs, and has had her own recipes published by the likes of Apartamento and Luncheon Magazine. She also publishes an informal video series with her brother on Instagram called Ăn Ngon, which showcases the diversity of Vietnamese cuisine and shines a light on lesser-known Vietnamese dishes.

• Anaïs Ca Dao van Manen: https://www.instagram.com/anaiscadao/

Source: Mendy Hu

Mendy Hu

Mendy Hu is a classically trained chef based most of her life between Shanghai and Los Angeles. After working for years in Shanghai F&B, she attended Le Cordon Bleu Paris, and then studied under two-star Michelin Chef, Pascal Barbot at the restaurant L'Astrance.
After that, she went on to work as Sous chef at one of the few contemporary restaurants at The Four Seasons Hotel, Limassol.

Now in Saigon, she has founded the pop-up series Pop Muoi alongside her partners and taken on a variety of new and exciting projects such as creating her own Chinese Bistrot menu concept at Que Kareem, and soon, an fresh Vietnamese market and wild roots menu with The Ho Tieu group - the first of many. Her cuisine is a mix of all of her experiences and travels with a special emphasis on local and seasonal ingredients, international techniques, and playful pairings.

• Mendy Hu: https://www.instagram.com/mengrykitchen

Source: Gia Hanoi

Sam Tran - Gia Hanoi

It’s impossible to have a list about women chefs in Vietnam without including Chef Sam Tran. Don’t be deceived by her petite size and shy demeanor, this top-rate chef armed with over a decade of international experience featuring world-renowned restaurants Bawa Cafe and Sunda Dining (2-hatted restaurant and a contender on World’s 50 Best Discovery List) will surprise you with accolades that shatter the glass ceiling. For one, Sam singlehandedly beat out hundreds if not thousands of chefs in Vietnam to become the country’s first ‘MICHELIN Young Chef’ - and that’s not all. Sam is also the chef-founder of Hanoi’s only one-star MICHELIN restaurant, Gia, and has become one of the most celebrated Vietnamese chefs. 

• Gia Hanoi: http://gia-hanoi.com/

Source: IVOIRE

Kasey Doan - IVOIRE

Starting out working in commercial kitchens at seventeen, Kasey’s childhood passion for pastry pushed her to pursue a culinary education and career in Melbourne. After working for a number of reputable establishments including Bibelot and Burch & Purchese, Kasey decided to return to Saigon to open IVOIRE - a destination for novel, unique and contemporary pastries with a distinctively Vietnamese twist - amidst a fledgling pastry scene in the city. Today, you can find seasonal entremets like ‘Jackfruit’ made from cempedak, burnt camembert, Crème Fraîche mousse and cashew dacquoise as well as Yuzu and almond croissants.

Chef Summer Le - Nen Light Danang and Saigon

From food blogger to award-winning Chef, Summer Le’s claim to fame in Vietnam’s food scene started with her desire to spotlight Danang cuisine to an international audience. This led her to launch her food blog, Youtube channel and food tours back in 2009. Since, her passion for culinary has evolved to one skewed more towards development and creation. These days, Summer can be found behind the kitchen at her award-winning (MICHELIN Select) restaurant - Nen Light Danang and Saigon, which has fast become a go-to destination for contemporary Vietnamese cuisine frequented by esteemed guests including the New Zealand Prime Minister.

• Nen Light Saigon: https://www.facebook.com/nenlightrestaurant

Want to be included in my next guide?

Email me your foodie happenings and restaurant openings and you just might be featured! In the meantime, check out my guide to restaurants open during Tet 2021. Happy Valentines Day everyone!

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