Drumroll please. The MICHELIN Guide Vietnam is back for the second year. So, here’s the announcement of the MICHELIN Guide Vietnam 2024, that welcomed Danang for the first time.

But first, before the MICHELIN Guide Vietnam 2024 announcement, a recap.

In early June, last year, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City made their debut in the MICHELIN Guide Vietnam 2023, with a lot of restaurants and eateries recommended across a wide range of cuisine types.

A Recap Of The MICHELIN Guide Vietnam 2023

In total, the MICHELIN Guide Vietnam named 103 venues in the capital and the southern city of Ho Chi Minh City, covering, according to the guide’s maths, 20 types of cuisine. As part of that, last year, 29 restaurants received the Bib Gourmand.

The guide also presented MICHELIN Special Awards in three categories: Service, Sommelier, and Young Chef. These awards recognized outstanding professionals in the hospitality industry.

Thi Nu Nguyen, from Ho Chi Minh City’s Vietnam House received the Service Award for her front-of-house excellence, Yu Yamamoto, a sommelier almost as effervescent as his some of his sparkling wines, from MICHELIN Selected restaurant Lửa in Ho Chi Minh City, took the Sommelier Award, and Sam Tran received the Young Chef Award, making it a very special night for the chef from Gia who also received a coveted MICHELIN Guide Vietnam star.

Beyond The Bibs At The MICHELIN Guide Vietnam

In fact, last year beyond the Bibs and the long-list of Selected restaurants, when the MICHELIN Guide Vietnam launched in Hanoi, only four restaurants received stars.

In Ho Chi Minh City, ANAN Saigon clinched a coveted star for its innovative take on Vietnamese street food. Chef Peter Cuong Franklin’s contemporary approach reimagines classic flavors with modern techniques, creating dishes that are both familiar and surprising.

Hanoi claimed three one-starred restaurants. Gia, led by Chef Sam Tran, earned its star with a seasonally-inspired menu that paid homage to Vietnamese culinary heritage through complex, beautifully crafted dishes.

Hibana by Koki, set in Capella Hotel, offered a theatrical dining experience at its 14-seat teppanyaki counter. The restaurant impressed with its skillful preparation of premium Japanese ingredients.

Rounding out Hanoi’s starred establishments, with a few raised eyebrows, was Tầm Vị, a vintage tea house serving authentic northern Vietnamese cuisine in a nostalgic setting. Its standout dishes like Chả Ốc and Canh Cua Mừng Tơi showcase the depth of traditional flavors.

This Year, The MICHELIN Guide Vietnam 2024’s Bibs For Hanoi And Ho Chi Minh City Were Pre-Announced

A week before the big announcement on 27 July, at the InterContinental Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City, of the main 2024 MICHELIN Guide for Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Danang event, the guide announced their expanded Bib Gourmand list for Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. 

The Bib Gourmand distinction, by the way, recognizes exceptional, but affordable dining.

Michelin’s 2024 Bib Gourmand list for Vietnam now features 42 establishments, up from 29 last year. Hanoi boasts 18 venues, while Ho Chi Minh City claims 24, with 13 new entries between them.Highlights in Hanoi include Luk Lak’s innovative Sapa pork belly and Phở Khôi Hói’s unique noodle soups. Ho Chi Minh City welcomes Bánh Xèo 46A’s crispy crepes, Vị Quê Kitchen, the modern vegan restaurant, and Sol Kitchen & Bar moved from the Selected list to the Bib Gourmand list.

The MICHELIN Guide Vietnam 2024 For Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City And Danang

Enough reminiscing, and on to this year’s announcement of The MICHELIN Guide Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Danang 2024 – an event that promised to reveal the Selected list for all three locations, as well as the Bib Gourmand recipients for Danang, and the coveted MICHELIN stars.

This time around, The MICHELIN Guide Vietnam 2024 featured a total of 164 places. And, handed out were 58 Bib Gourmands and 99 MICHELIN Selected. Of the 58 Bib Gourmand awards for Vietnam, there were 29 new additions to the list, with 5 new entries in Hanoi, 8 in Ho Chi Minh City, and 16 in Danang. And from the 99 MICHELIN Selected restaurants, 40 were new which included 33 in Hanoi, with 5 new awardees, 57 in Ho Chi Minh City, of which were appeared for the first time, and 19 all-new awardees in Danang.

In the Special Awards, the Young Chef Award went to Nhat Duy from Ho Chi Minh City’s Thao Dien Ward’s Little Bear — the hip new eatery over the river from District 1. The Sommelier Award went to La Maison 1888’s Toan Nguyen. And the Service Award, for a stand-out in the front-of-house this year, went to Si Dining Danang’s Anh Nguyen.

The MICHELIN Guide Vietnam 2024’s MICHELIN Stars For Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City And Danang

Finally, on to the coveted MICHELIN Stars. The first ever Green Star, awarded by the MICHELIN Guide Vietnam – a commendation for sustainable gastronomy – went to a restaurant in Danang. The winner of the first ever Green Ring in Vietnam was Nén Danang, whose Summer Le collected the award.

Following that ANAN Saigon, Gia, Hibana by Koki, and Tâm Vi all retained their 1 MICHELIN Star status at the MICHELIN Guide Vietnam 2024.

And finally, those four restaurants welcomed three new members to their exclusive club: AKUNA, whose Sam Aisbett collected a star, La Maison 1888, and Royal Pavilion, better known now as Long Trieu, which the MICHELIN Guide Vietnam described as having: “a lavish dining room [that] boasts jade stonework, traditional gold-leaf painted Chinese scenes and ornate seating” and “a wide range of à la carte and set menus that respect Canton’s culinary heritage.”