The U.S. food specialty magazineFood & Wineannounced on April 22, 2026 the "2026 Tastemakers Awards," in which Ho Chi Minh City'sAn Khanh Ward (former District 2 area / present Thu Duc City)15-seat fine dining "CieL Dining"ranked No.3 among the world's best restaurants. Chef Le Viet Hong is a young talent who won theMichelin Guide Vietnam Young Chef Awardin 2025. In an interior fusing Nordic aesthetics with Japanese minimalism, a 10-course menu combining French technique with Asian ingredients is served.VnExpress InternationalandThe official Michelin Guide articleis the main basis for organizing the details.
10 courses served in a 15-seat open kitchen
CieL Dining is a small-scale fine dining located at6/3, Street 50, An Khanh Ward, Thu Duc City(former District 2 area) in Ho Chi Minh City, with only15 seats. Tables are arranged to surround the central open kitchen, structured so you can watch live the process of dishes being assembled. What's served is a10-coursetasting menu, whose contents are updated by season.
The signature is, paired with an egg custard,a dish of fish maw. The composition of reworking fish maw, traditionally used as a Chinese ingredient, with French custard technique is praised as "a bridge between East and West." In Food & Wine's selection, such"cuisine born from cultural exchange"and the commitment to locally produced ingredients were highly rated.
Chef Le Viet Hong: 2025 Michelin Young Chef Award winner
Le Viet Hong, who leads the shop, is a young talent who won the2025In the Michelin Guide Vietnam edition announced inYoung Chef Award (Michelin Young Chef Award). That same year CieL Dining also earnedone Michelin star, growing into a shop with one of the leading reputations within Ho Chi Minh City.
The interior design championsNordic aesthetics x Japanese minimalism. Soft lighting with a woody feel, a counter stripped of waste, and a flow line with an unobstructed view: these function as devices that bring out the presence of the food.
What is Food & Wine's "2026 Tastemakers Awards"
This award is an annual award chosen by over400 chefs, food writers, and travel journalistsfrom around the world, announced each year by Food & Wine magazine. In the 2026 "World's 10 Best Restaurants," CieL Dining was selected for3rd. An emerging Asian shop entering the world top 3 is itself unusual, becoming a symbolic event for Vietnam's restaurant industry.
The award features suppressing commercial coloring and emphasizingin-industry evaluation. Alongside awards where Japan's three-star shops are regulars, it is known as an indicator that global gourmands reference.
CieL Dining overview data (yen conversion 1 JPY = 170 VND)
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Shop name | CieL Dining |
| Address | 6/3 Street No. 50, An Khanh Ward, Ho Chi Minh City |
| Number of seats | 15 seats (counter-centered) |
| Chef | Le Viet Hong (2025 Michelin Young Chef Award) |
| Number of courses | 10-course tasting menu |
| Signature | Fish maw and egg custard (French technique) |
| Michelin | One star (2025) |
| Tripadvisor rating | 5/5 |
| Google rating | 4.8/5 |
| Awards | Food & Wine 2026 Tastemakers Awards, world's 3rd best restaurant |
* The course price is a non-disclosed system announced individually at the time of reservation. Generally, the tasting menu at a Michelin one-star shop in Ho Chi Minh City falls in the price range of around 3 to 5 million VND (about 18,000 to 29,000 yen).
Reactions from the industry and local media
"The dish of fish maw and egg custard is an ambitious work reconstructing a traditional Chinese ingredient with French custard technique. That a young Ho Chi Minh City chef put out such a bold composition is a major turning point." (paraphrased Facebook post by a Ho Chi Minh City-based food critic)
"The dish using fish maw is a symbolic item sublimating a traditional Chinese ingredient into a French treatment. It presents a new grammar of Asia x Europe." (paraphrased comment by a Michelin Guide Vietnam edition inspector)
"I didn't think a small shop in a residential area of An Khanh Ward, Thu Duc City would be No.3 in the world. Reservations look like they'll fill up several weeks ahead." (paraphrased Threads post by a Ho Chi Minh City-based travel blogger in his 40s)
On social media, voices such as "I want to go while I can still get a reservation" and "reservations by Japanese tourists will probably increase too" lined up. Within Vietnam, as"the moment Vietnam's cuisine stood on the world stage,"the number of article shares is surging.
Impact on Japanese tourists and practical information
CieL Dining is located inAn Khanh Ward (within Thu Duc City, former District 2 area),about 15 to 20 minutes by car from central District 1 of Ho Chi Minh City. It's not a touristified area but a hideaway-like location standing in an alley of a residential district.Since the Saigontourist and Michelin partnership,Japanese tourists coming for Vietnam's fine dining have increased, and CieL Dining is also expected to become even harder to reserve going forward.
Reservations are generally madeYou need to reservevia the form on the official site, and the day's dress code is recommended to be smart casual or above. Given the scale of 15 seats, at peak times reservations often fill up several weeks to a month ahead.
Ripple effects on the industry and society
Entering Food & Wine magazine's world top 3 becomes, for Vietnam's restaurant industry, a step toward"a city where tourists come seeking the world's gastronomy."Since the Michelin Guide Vietnam edition arrived in 2023, the fine dining of Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi has rapidly raised its level, and CieL Dining is a symbolic presence of that.
With a local young chef being recognized on the world stage, a flow has been created where international attention tends to gather on shops making use ofHanoi's specialty coffeeand regionally produced ingredients too. Vietnam's Ministry of Tourism is also showing moves to position 2026 as the "first year of gastronomy tourism," and CieL Dining looks set to become a presence remembered as its starting point.
Practical information to grasp before visiting
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Location | An Khanh Ward, Thu Duc City, Ho Chi Minh City (former District 2 area) |
| Access | About 15 to 20 minutes by car from central District 1 |
| How to book | Reservation form on the official site (recommended: one month in advance) |
| Dress code | Smart casual or above |
| Time required | About 2.5 to 3 hours for the 10 courses |
| Payment | Credit cards accepted |
| Language | English supported |
| A companion is recommended | Travelers for anniversaries, business entertaining, and fine-dining purposes |
Summary: the meaning of a back-alley 15-seat shop standing at No.3 in the world
That a small shop in a residential area joined the ranks of the world top 3 symbolizes the"next stage"of Vietnam's restaurant scene. The technique of combining French methods with Asian ingredients is the very direction that Ho Chi Minh City's young chefs have pursued. CieL Dining, as its culmination, made the world's gourmands recognize the new category of "Vietnamese fine dining."
If a traveler from Japan is to spend a luxurious night in Ho Chi Minh City, it's a shop you'll want to secure a reservation for first. The size of 15 seats guarantees both "hard to get into" and "specialness," and the more its worldwide reputation takes hold, the harder reservations will become.
