SAVEUR has launched “The Tasting Menu: Saigon,” a four-part video series exploring Ho Chi Minh City’s culinary scene through the eyes of local chefs and food experts. The series moves between street-food stalls and contemporary restaurants, examining how the city became a world-class dining destination.
Episode one focuses on cơm tấm, the broken rice dish that began as an economical meal made from discarded grains and evolved into one of Saigon’s defining culinary traditions. The rice is topped with charcoal-grilled pork, pickled vegetables, scallion oil, and fish sauce, with optional additions like shredded pork skin or steamed egg-and-pork loaf.
Host Dan Q. Dao visited chef Lê Việt Hồng, whose CieL Dining earned a Michelin star before its first anniversary in early 2024. Hồng trained at international venues including Noma in Copenhagen, Disfrutar in Barcelona, and SÉZANNE in Tokyo before returning to Vietnam. Despite his global credentials, the chef regularly returns to a humble cơm tấm shop in his family’s Bình Thạnh neighborhood.
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“I’ve been eating here since I was six years old,” Hồng says. “It’s part of my childhood.” The episode follows him to Cơm Tấm Dũng 43, where he breaks down every element of the dish.
The series arrives as Saigon consolidates its reputation as Vietnam’s culinary capital, with fine-dining establishments drawing international attention while street food remains central to daily life. Whether this new wave of recognition fundamentally alters the city’s food culture or simply adds another layer to an already complex scene remains to be seen.
Episode two shifts to Saigon’s drinking culture, tracing Vietnamese coffee from generations-old traditions to a growing specialty movement. The segment visits four cafés with French Vietnamese creator Amandine Thùy-Trinh as host.
Cà Phê Vợt has brewed coffee through a cloth filter for more than 70 years. Owner Mrs. Tuyết, now the second generation running the shop, uses the same charcoal-heated method her parents employed. The dark, aromatic “sock coffee” continues attracting customers across age groups.
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Hue Cafe Roastery demonstrates two classic preparations: phin coffee brewed through a small metal filter, traditionally intense and concentrated, and cà phê muối, which originated in Huế and adds a lightly salty cream to balance sweetness and bitterness.
Cộng Cà Phê, a major homegrown chain, showcases cà phê cốt dừa, pairing strong Vietnamese coffee with frozen coconut cream, condensed milk, and ice. The drink has spread throughout Vietnam and gained popularity abroad.
Sipply Coffee represents the newer specialty side of Vietnamese coffee. The café features arabica from high-altitude growing regions including Măng Đen, Sơn La, and Cầu Đất, roasted to produce lighter, fruitier, and more floral profiles that contrast sharply with the bold robusta many international drinkers associate with Vietnamese coffee.
