Omakase is a Japanese dining concept that translates to "I'll leave it up to you," meaning diners entrust the entire meal to the culinary team.
This special menu is co-created by chefs Peter Cuong Franklin and Shozo, who decide every dish served throughout the night.
The dinner takes place in an open-kitchen setting at Pot Au Pho restaurant on Ton That Dam Street, Saigon Ward, with just 14 covers.
Guests can watch the entire preparation process, chat with the chefs, and observe live cooking right at their tables.
The 13-course menu is priced at VND2.9 million (US$110), with alcoholic beverage pairing for VND1.6 million.
Michelin-starred chef Peter Cuong Franklin (standing, left) and head chef Shozo (standing, 2nd left) introduce the menu to diners.
Each chef is in charge of dishes that represent their signature culinary style.
Franklin, founder of Pot Au Pho, takes a modern approach to Vietnamese cuisine, with pho being a central theme he has explored for over a decade.
Shozo, a Japanese chef who has lived and worked in Vietnam for nearly nine years, currently leads the kitchen at FUME, which specializes in modern Japanese cuisine made with local ingredients.
Both chefs said this marks the first time pho has been featured in an omakase menu in Ho Chi Minh City.
Pho appears throughout the menu in various forms, rather than just as a traditional bowl of noodle soup.
The essence of pho is incorporated right from the appetizer, beef tartare, a French-style minced raw beef dish (pictured), paired with uni sashimi (sea urchin reproductive glands). The flavor highlight of this dish comes from the classic herbs used in pho.
Franklin incorporated duck pho in the menu, which includes a duck-based broth served with grilled duck, duck kidney, bamboo shoots, and handmade pho noodles.
The duck meat is dry-aged for two weeks prior to cooking, concentrating the flavor and adding depth to both the meat and the broth.
Franklin serves dishes tableside for each diner.
Nhan Hien Nhi, a diner, said she enjoyed how the two chefs combined their cooking styles during the meal.
She thinks the true charm of gastronomy lies in the ability to adapt and connect, as demonstrated by pho taking on various forms throughout the menu.
"A price of nearly VND5 million is not high for an omakase-style dinner where you get to try such unique dishes."
Truffle pho soufflé is one of the final variations on the menu, combining the light, airy texture of baked pastry with the rich flavors of pho broth and truffles.
Franklin thinks incorporating the pho flavor into a variety of dishes is a way to expand a familiar dish rather than confining it to traditional boundaries.
While traditional omakase usually revolves around seasonal ingredients, this pho-themed menu tells a story of the harmony between Vietnamese and Japanese cuisines.
The influence of pho is reflected in an eel ramen created by Chef Shozo with artisanal soy sauce and seasonal eel from Lake Hamana in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan.
To enhance the umami flavor of the broth, he adds Ha Long peanut worms (sa sung), an ingredient traditionally used in northern-style pho.
The two chefs prepare dishes in an open kitchen directly facing the dining area, allowing guests to observe the entire cooking process.
To come up with the menu, the two chefs and their culinary team repeatedly tasted and refined each course. Shozo (right) says he and Franklin thoroughly understand each other's cooking styles.
"We tested each dish and beverage pairing multiple times to perfect the final flavors for our guests."
Living in Vietnam for nine years has greatly influenced his culinary approach.
He has made numerous trips to Hoi An, Da Lat, Sa Pa, and various fishing villages to connect with local farmers, fishermen, and chefs and gain a deeper understanding of local ingredients
