The story
Step into The Monkey Gallery Dining and you enter a gallery where the art is food. The restored Indochina colonial house on Mac Thi Buoi Street feels both intimate and expansive, with an ultra-high ceiling and a central open kitchen that serves as the heart of the room. On a Velacucina invisible induction countertop, the chefs – the "Monkeys" – work without barriers, turning preparation into performance.
Head Chef Hau Tran grew up in the coastal city of Da Nang, and that connection to the sea shapes every menu. His cooking is rooted in Vietnamese ingredients, reimagined with modern precision. The signature tasting menu, "Magical Ticket – Chi Mô Rứa," is an 11-course tribute to his hometown fishing village of Nam Ô, guiding diners through the flavors of Central Vietnam.
Opened in 2019, the restaurant was one of the first in Ho Chi Minh City to embrace a fine-dining concept with a Vietnamese soul. The design, inspired by contemporary Japanese and Australian materials, complements the culinary philosophy. Pastry Chef Hanh Le, trained at The French Pastry School in Chicago, adds a dessert program that blends French technique with Japanese and Vietnamese influences.
The Monkey Gallery Dining has earned a Michelin recommendation, alongside recognition from 50 Best Discovery and Tripadvisor Traveler’s Choice. But the real draw is the intimacy: just 12 seats in the main dining room, a Chef’s Table for seven, and a Private Gallery for up to eight. Here, you watch each dish take shape, hear the sizzle, and feel the quiet focus of a kitchen that treats every plate as a work of art.
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