Ănăn Saigon

The story

Ănăn Saigon: Michelin-Starred New Vietnamese Cuisine in Ho Chi Minh City

The Setting

Ănăn Saigon sits in the heart of Ho Chi Minh City’s oldest wet market, Chợ Cũ on Ton That Dam Street. The restaurant occupies a classic Vietnamese “tube house”—a tall, narrow building that rises above the market stalls. The ground and first floors house the main dining room, while upstairs you’ll find the cocktail bar Nhau Nhau and a rooftop dining bar with sweeping views of the city center. This location is no accident: Chef Peter Cuong Franklin wanted to connect the vibrant, raw energy of the market with refined cooking, using ingredients sourced from the very vendors below.

The Chef

Chef Peter Cuong Franklin is a Vietnamese-American chef born in Dalat and trained at Le Cordon Bleu. His résumé includes stages at Caprice in Hong Kong, Alinea in Chicago, and Nahm in Bangkok. His mother, who runs a small noodle shop in Dalat, remains his true culinary inspiration. Chef Peter calls his style “New Vietnamese Cuisine” or “Cuisine Mói”—a modern interpretation that respects tradition while embracing French techniques and global influences. He was named Chef of the Year 2024 by Vietcetera Flavors Awards and Tatler Asia’s Most Influential, and his work here earned Ănăn Saigon a Michelin 1 Star, the first in Ho Chi Minh City.

The Cuisine

The menu is built around Vietnamese street food and home cooking, elevated without losing its soul. Two tasting menus offer a curated introduction. The Saigon Tasting Menu presents modern takes on classics: Le Petite Bánh Mì, Bún Chả Bourdain, and Hà Nội Turmeric Fish. The Chef’s Tasting Menu is a longer journey through regional dishes from north to south. For those who prefer to choose, the à la carte list includes signatures like Bánh Xèo Taco, Đà Lạt Street Style Pizza, Mekong Delta Fish, Cơm Tấm Saigon, and Fish Sauce Ice Cream. Wine pairings and zero-alcohol pairings are available for both tasting menus.

The Experience

Dinner service runs from 5 PM, Tuesday through Sunday. The market setting means the restaurant is not wheelchair accessible, and children under 12 are not accommodated. Reservations are strongly recommended, especially for the tasting menus, which require pre-booking. Before or after your meal, the rooftop bar offers a relaxed spot to take in the city lights—a fitting end to a meal that bridges the old market with the new Saigon.