Recently, on the evening of June 6th, Michelin officially made its debut in Vietnam and announced a list of culinary destinations featuring dishes from affordable to high-end. And Gia was honored to be one of the first restaurants to receive the prestigious 1 Michelin star.
The Michelin Guides
The Michelin tire company released its first Michelin Guide in 1900. At the time, it was a simple map with recommendations for hotels and Michelin tire change locations made for travelers on road trips. After a few decades, the Guide evolved to include restaurant listings.
More than a century later, the Michelin Guide now highlights and uplifts the finest international food establishments. It guides foodies to the world’s best restaurants and culinary destinations. The Michelin Guide is a highly esteemed award and is considered the gold standard in the culinary world. This title is on par with the Oscar in film or the Grammy in music.
Michelin star has surpassed its role as an award and has become a reliable standard for evaluating the quality of restaurants and the skills of chefs. Even having just one Michelin star can bring many benefits to a restaurant’s business. Achieving a Michelin star is difficult, but maintaining it is even harder. The number of Michelin stars for each restaurant will change annually and is not fixed. Therefore, if a restaurant cannot maintain the quality of its food, it will lose its stars.
The restaurant will be evaluated by anonymous judges according to the global standard, based on five criteria: the quality of the food, the chef’s culinary skills, the harmony of flavors, the chef’s personality reflected in the dish and the consistency of the dishes over time and across the menu. The judges are experienced experts in the culinary field, restaurant service, hotels, and highly skilled chefs from 15 countries. They will spend half a year experiencing and evaluating the restaurants.
There are 3 levels from 1 to 3 stars to evaluate Michelin-starred restaurants.
- One star is awarded to restaurants for “high-quality cooking that is worth a stop”
- Two-star is awarded for a restaurant “excellent cooking that is worth a detour”
- Three-star ranking is awarded to restaurants with “exceptional cuisine that is worth a special journey”
Besides the four Michelin star restaurants, the others on the shortlist are also worthy to try, including Michelin Selected restaurants (recommended by Michelin); Michelin Special Awards restaurants; and Bib Gourmand restaurants (delicious food at affordable prices).
The Future of Vietnamese Food and Tourism
After Michelin officially announced its arrival in Vietnam in December last year, secret inspectors known for their expertise, sophisticated taste buds, and extensive knowledge of international cuisine, traveled throughout Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to search for “hidden gems.” This list not only marks the historic achievements of Vietnam’s culinary industry but also represents a turning point for the culinary tourism industry in the two largest cities in Vietnam. Through anonymous visits and rigorous evaluations, inspectors ensure that only the best and most unique culinary experiences are recognized and deserving of recognition in Michelin’s first-ever list in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
Recently, on the evening of June 6, Michelin officially made its debut in Vietnam and announced a list of culinary destinations with dishes ranging from affordable to high-end. The total number of honored names is 103 restaurants/canteens, mainly in the two major cities of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
Gia Restaurant – One of the first Michelin star for Vietnamese cuisine
Honored to be one of the first four Michelin-starred restaurants in Vietnam, we want to thank the Michelin Guide for this prestigious recognition. Gia has become the first restaurant to develop Vietnamese cuisine to receive a Michelin star, and our journey from today definitely won’t be the same.
However, there are two things that will never change. First, the meaning behind our name. Gia comes from the word gia đình, which means family in Vietnamese. It’ll always be our approach to create all the values at Gia. Second, our mission is to continue to develop and preserve Vietnamese cuisine. It has been our foundation to grow on, and it always will be.
We believe that this is not only a prestigious award for us but also for our Vietnamese cuisine. With a rich culinary history, unique cultural heritage, and exquisite dishes with distinct flavors, Vietnamese cuisine deserves recognition and continued exploration. As a restaurant that pursues high-end Vietnamese cuisine, we have been and will continue to bring the story of culture and the beauty of local ingredients as the foundation for every Tasting Menu experience at Gia.
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