In the Michelin Guide Vietnam 2026, Ho Chi Minh City's "Tales by Chapter" earned a Green Star. Praised for its thoroughgoing zero-waste philosophy and a seasonal plant-based menu sourced from partner farms in Da Lat and a rooftop garden, it's drawing attention as Vietnam's first zero-waste plant-based fine dining.
A newcomer earns a Green Star
In the Michelin Guide Vietnam 2026, announced on June 4, 2026, Tales by Chapter newly joined the community of Green Star holders. The Green Star is awarded, on an axis separate from culinary evaluation, to restaurants excelling in sustainable practices. Vietnam now has three Green Stars in total, and the newest of them is Tales by Chapter.
A "closed loop" that turns cooking scraps into ferments
The restaurant bills itself as Vietnam's first zero-waste plant-based fine dining. Vegetable trimmings are transformed through fermentation into mushroom garum and corn koji, while organic byproducts are composted and returned to the soil. Ingredients come from partner eco-farms in Da Lat and the restaurant's rooftop garden. What sets it apart is that the whole path from sourcing to disposal is designed as a single loop.
Guests can "see and experience" this system. They can watch the cooking process at the chef's counter, and through interactive in-store displays and a seed-guessing game, they can feel the connection between the meal and the environment. In the calm space of a quiet villa, a tasting menu built around seasonal ingredients and fermentation is served.
Signature dishes
| Dish | Details |
|---|---|
| Corn pie tee | A cup filled with soybean and corn purée, charred corn, kimchi, and fermented chili |
| Reimagined bánh bột lọc | A chewy rice dumpling wrapping porcini, reinterpreting a traditional treat as plant-based |
From turning bánh bột lọc, a Vietnamese classic dim sum, plant-based and more, the stance of rethinking traditional dishes from the ingredients up shows in every plate.
Key reactions from the industry
- Apart from the culinary evaluation axis, sustainability itself is becoming a draw for customers
- The combination of local-for-local sourcing and fermentation technique has broadened the depth of plant-based cuisine
- The sourcing design linking Da Lat farms with the city restaurant drew attention
Impact for readers in Japan
Interest in sustainable food is high in Japan too. Tales by Chapter is a rare restaurant where you can experience the contexts of zero-waste and fermentation within the framework of Vietnamese cuisine. Its plant-forward composition that never leaves you feeling shortchanged is easy to approach for vegetarian-minded travelers and the merely curious alike.
Amid rising overall acclaim for Vietnamese fine dining,the Michelin-listed shellfish specialist "Ốc Đào"— from local favorites like that to concept-driven restaurants like this, the range of choices is wide.
Ripple effects on food culture
The spread of Green Stars shows that Vietnamese food has entered a phase where it's judged not only on "deliciousness" but on "how it's made."the selection of coffee capital Buon Ma Thuot on the world stageandthe rise of a world-champion taster— alongside these, storytelling that sells the journey from production to consumption is becoming the core of tourism.
Summary
Tales by Chapter has shown a new form of Vietnamese cuisine along two axes: zero-waste and plant-based. It's packed with devices that turn a meal into an experience, like a loop that puts cooking scraps to use through fermentation and a seed-guessing game. If you're interested in sustainable food, it's a restaurant to add to the shortlist for your next trip.
