Two Michelin-starred Vietnamese restaurants win at World Culinary Awards

Anan Saigon was voted Asia's best restaurant.

After opening its doors in 2017, the restaurant inside a six-storey house on Ton That Dam Street in downtown HCMC has quickly gained international fame for serving street food-inspired dishes created by its owner and chef, Peter Cuong Franklin.

Due to its location inside a traditional market, Anan has limited space and can only serve 40 diners at a time.

Its popularity continued to grow after chef Franklin created the $100 banh mi that has French foie gras, truffle, sliced cucumbers, cilantro and mint; and is served with a side of fried sweet potatoes and caviar.

The restaurant's prices start from VND185,000 ($8).

Hibana by Koki, located inside the Capella Hotel on Le Phung Hieu Street in Hanoi's Old Quarter, was named Asia's best hotel restaurant.

The restaurant specializes in the art of Teppanyaki, a style of Japanese cuisine that uses an iron griddle to cook, and offers an array of signature dishes, including Yaeyama Kyori beef soup, spiny lobster and crispy roast beef.

A chef prepares spiny lobster dish for guests inside Hibana by Koki restaurant in Hanoi. Photo by VnExpress/Giang Huy

Due to limited space, guests are required to make reservations.

A meal costs up to VND8.5 million ($360).

Besides the two Michelin-starred representatives, the global awards also honored Hôtel des Arts Saigon on HCMC's Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street as Asia's best brunch venue.

Designed like an art museum in Indochina style, the hotel has 168 rooms and boasts the city's highest rooftop infinity pool.

The World Culinary Awards is the sister event of the World Travel Awards, which was launched in 1993 to acknowledge excellence in the travel and tourism industry. It has been described as the "travel industry's Oscars."

The results were based on votes by industry experts and globetrotters.