AN'S SAIGON || Unforgettable Dining in Hanoi Celebrating the Art of Hospitality
An's seeks to embody Vietnam's hospitable culture in its culinary journey for every guest.
At An's, Executive Chef Cuong Nguyen and his team have reimagined the dining experience to welcome each guest as a local would to a Vietnamese household. This unique flow of entertaining guests in the local customs is the reason behind the setup of the renovated French Villa: the lush terrace as a starting point, to the living room, and finally, to the dining table where the host prepares the dishes at the kitchen counter. The team places as much importance and attention to detail on human interactions as on the design and execution of the menu. It's a dining experience unlike any other, designed to intrigue and excite every guest.
The living room where guests can enjoy the a la carte menu or treat as a transition space to chat over drinks before heading into the dining room.
When you meet Chef Nguyen, his bright and welcoming smile immediately puts you at ease, yet this doesn't mean he takes it easy. Moments into our conversation, his passion for creating an immaculate dining experience for every guest became apparent, from how he recruits each staff member to the training to ensure the staff understand the importance of adequately handling every customer touchpoint. For example, when I arrived at the restaurant, there was a doorman to welcome me who knew my name and walked me to my seat. The front-door team members have mics to let the back-of-house team know when their guests for a dinner party have arrived. They are quick to refill glasses yet are mindful not to interrupt guest conversations. Simply put, you will feel cared for at every step of your visit without feeling overdone.
I enjoyed the new monsoon-inspired seasonal menu during my visit to Hanoi, and it was nothing short of my expectations, from the service to the meticulous and thoughtful execution of the menu.
A beautifully plated appetizer platter with a uni cream meringue.
You can savour the menu's appetizer course amidst the outdoor terrace's vibrant greenery and gentle breeze. The beautiful platter, crafted with the freshest local ingredients of the season and plated to perfection, is a medley of crisp and refreshing flavours to kickstart your appetite. As the server set down the platter, they also set down a brown manila envelope. Open the envelope to reveal the visual story behind the menu, where the platter's raw ingredients are beautifully arranged in the portrait, with the names of the ingredients and their origins listed on the back and a brief description of the inspiration behind the medley of flavours. You can select alcoholic or non-alcoholic drink pairings to go with your menu; I opted for their homemade kombucha drink pairing.
Squid noodles in an earthy broth.
Fragrant ST25 rice infused with vegetables and finished with flower petals.
Dusk fell as I finished the appetizer platter, and the team readied the dining room for the evening's menu. And what a feast it was--for the eyes and the palate. Bursts of umami from the creamy, fatty, marinated beef; delicate aroma and a firm texture from the World's Best Rice--ST25--infused with vegetables and finished with florals. Chewy squid noodles in a light, earthy broth and sesame gelato covered in a cracker mimicking the look of moist moss on the forest floor. A portrait of the raw ingredients accompanies each course, telling the visual story to piece together the culinary journey. Chef Nguyen and his team introduced the story behind each dish, detailing why they chose each ingredient and how it illustrates the flavour, texture, and mood characteristic of the monsoon season. Heavy rains poured sporadically throughout the week, yet the clouds seemed to have exhausted their wells that evening, and Chef Nguyen lamented that the perfect touch would have been a rainy evening.
Marinated beef slices bursting with umami.
Sesame gelato topped with a cracker mimicking the look and feel of the forest floor.
Chef Nguyen seeks input from his team and customers on every seasonal menu to ensure that every element aligns with the theme. It's clear that his team is just as vested in the customer experience as their leader is, inquiring with each guest at the end of the evening about their favourite dishes and what we would change; they aren't afraid of criticism, the team's focus is on refining the experience to make it better with every iteration. The team's energy is contagious, and you subconsciously want them to succeed. The team at An's Saigon will continue to attain new culinary heights with their dedication, and I'm already looking forward to their innovations on my next visit.
Executive Chef Cuong Nguyen preparing the dishes at the kitchen counter.
Visit
5A Tống Hữu Định, Thảo Điền, Thủ Đức, Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam
Photography by Florence Leung
