Ho Chi Minh City's Michelin one-star restaurant "Pot Au Pho 2.0" in District 1 was the only selection from Vietnam on the U.S. magazine Condé Nast Traveler's "29 Best New Restaurants in the World." The 12-course pho tasting menu, served at a 14-seat-only counter crafted by Vietnamese-American chef Peter Cuong Franklin, is impressing gourmets around the world.
What are Condé Nast Traveler's "29 in the world"
Every year, Condé Nast Traveler carefully selects especially noteworthy restaurants from newly opened establishments around the world and announces them as the "Best New Restaurants in the World." On the 2024 edition list, amid famous names from Tokyo, Paris, and New York, Pot Au Pho 2.0 was the sole entry from Vietnam. The magazine especially praised three dishes: the "$100 pho (about 15,000 yen)," the pho cocktail "Phojito," and the "molecular pho ball."
Pot Au Pho 2.0 opened on December 21, 2025. Within a colonial building at 91 Ton That Dam Street in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, it has just a 14-seat counter and open kitchen, plus a 4-seat cocktail bar. The design was handled by Dix design+architecture, and the entire space is a device for immersing you in the "world of pho," with brass door handles shaped like beef bones and handmade ceramic tiles depicting a pho spoon.
Chef Peter Cuong Franklin — a decade-long quest for pho
Peter Cuong Franklin (61) is a Vietnamese-American born in Da Lat, Vietnam. He studied at Le Cordon Bleu and gained experience at famous restaurants such as Chicago's "Alinea," Bangkok's "Nahm," and Hong Kong's "Caprice." Returning to Ho Chi Minh City, he opened the Michelin one-star restaurant "ANAN Saigon," also in District 1, and is known for the achievement of elevating Vietnamese street food to fine dining.
Franklin told VnExpress, "The broth is the soul of pho. Even if pho is no longer just a bowl of soup, its soul doesn't change." Pot Au Pho 2.0's broth applies the French consommé technique, repeating filtering and reduction over two days to finish a clear yet rich bowl.
The full picture of the 12-course tasting menu
The tasting menu, served over about two hours, is an attempt to once deconstruct the elements composing pho (noodles, broth, toppings, herbs) and reconstruct them into 12 plates.
| Course | Dish | Overview |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Caviar egg pho | An onsen-egg-style egg topped with pho jelly and Da Lat caviar |
| 2 | Molecular pho | Jelly spheres enclosing the flavor of pho |
| 3 | Pho tartare tart | A tart layering Angus beef and spices on a noodle base |
| 4-6 | Pho tasting, 3 kinds | Hanoi, Hue, Saigon — a tasting comparison of pho from three regions |
| 7-11 | Main course group | Creative pho dishes using wagyu, foie gras, and more |
| 12 | Le Pot Au Pho | A signature wrapping wagyu and foie gras in French-style pastry. Inspired by Paul Bocuse's "VGE truffle soup" |
Price and business hours
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Tasting menu | 3.5 million VND (about 21,000 yen)/person |
| Wine or cocktail pairing | 2.2 million VND (about 13,200 yen)/person |
| Total (with pairing) | 5.7 million VND (about 34,200 yen)/person |
| Open days | Wednesday–Sunday (closed Monday and Tuesday) |
| Hours | 17:00〜 |
| Tasting start times | 17:30 / 20:30, two seatings |
| Time required | About 2 hours |
| Seats | 14 counter seats + 4 bar seats |
| Reservations | Fully reservation-only |
Local reaction — for and against "30,000 yen for pho"
Since Pot Au Pho 2.0 opened, fierce debate has erupted on Vietnamese social media.
A Ho Chi Minh City-based food blogger rated it: "Pho at a street stall is 30,000 VND (about 180 yen). Pot Au Pho is 3.5 million VND. What justifies a price gap of over 100 times is precisely Franklin's technique and philosophy." On the other hand, from local food-industry figures there's also a voice: "The essence of pho lies in its approachability as street food. Does it need to be converted into molecular gastronomy?"
On TripAdvisor reviews it records 4.8 out of 5, with impressions lining up such as "the most memorable dining experience of my life" and "not just pho, but a journey through Vietnamese food culture." Reservations remain booked out 2–3 weeks ahead.
For Japanese travelers to visit Pot Au Pho 2.0
Pot Au Pho 2.0 is located in central District 1, about a 20-minute drive from Tan Son Nhat International Airport, where direct flights from Japan to Ho Chi Minh City arrive. If you work it into dinner on a Ho Chi Minh City trip, booking the 17:30 seating lets you also enjoy a stroll along Bui Vien Street or Nguyen Hue Street after the meal.
Reservations are accepted via Instagram (@potaupho2.0) DM or by phone. English-speaking staff are on hand, and prior notice of food allergies is accommodated too. Payment in Japanese yen isn't possible, but credit cards (Visa/Mastercard) can be used.
In Ho Chi Minh City's gourmet scene,new-generation street-food brands featured at Cafe Show Vietnam in April 2026andthe Banh Mi Festivalthe new-generation street gourmet that drew attention there is also gaining popularity. Experiencing both fine dining and street food is the real thrill of Ho Chi Minh City food-crawling.
Trends in Vietnamese fine dining — the Michelin Guide's expansion and the "pho revolution"
Vietnam's Michelin Guide was first introduced in 2023, and in the 2025 edition it expanded to list a record 181 restaurants — 9 one-star, 2 Green Star, 63 Bib Gourmand, and 109 Selected. The target cities are three — Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Da Nang — with rumors of expansion from the next edition onward to Hue, Nha Trang, and Phu Quoc.
Pot Au Pho's success is also proof that pho, Vietnam's national dish, has gained international recognition as a material for fine dining. As a similar move, Hanoi's Lamai Garden earned Vietnam's first Michelin Green Star (Hanoi), offering a sustainable dining experience with the concept of farm-to-table and zero waste.Noong Oi in the Thu Duc area, which recently reopened,and other casual Vietnamese restaurants show no signs of losing momentum either.
Practical info summary
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Shop name | Pot Au Pho 2.0 |
| Address | 91 Ton That Dam, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City |
| Nearest landmark | About a 10-minute walk from Ben Thanh Market |
| Open days | Wednesday–Sunday (closed Monday and Tuesday) |
| Hours | 17:00〜 |
| Reservations | Instagram @potaupho2.0 or phone |
| Tasting menu | 3.5 million VND (about 21,000 yen) |
| Pairing add-on | 2.2 million VND (about 13,200 yen) |
| Payment | VND cash / Visa / Mastercard |
| Language | English and Vietnamese supported |
| Dress code | Smart casual recommended |
| Recommended booking timing | 2 to 3 weeks before |
Summary — experience "the pho the world recognized" on your next Ho Chi Minh City trip
Pot Au Pho 2.0 is a restaurant without parallel in the world, reinterpreting pho, Vietnam's national dish, with French cooking technique and molecular gastronomy. Being named to Condé Nast Traveler's "Best New Restaurants in the World" means Vietnamese fine dining's international evaluation has entered a new stage.
The 14-seat counter remains hard to book. If you're planning a Ho Chi Minh City trip, we recommend first making a reservation via Instagram 2–3 weeks ahead and securing the 17:30 seating. At about 34,200 yen including pairing, it's a price range within reach even compared with fine dining in Japan, so it's well worth investing in a night experiencing the frontier of Vietnamese food culture.
