CieL Dining

"Food & Wine’ #3 Best Restaurant 2026 Chef Việt Hồng studied in France before returning to his hometown to open CieL Dining in early 2024, where he serves dinner-only tasting menus inside a small, purpose-built villa in quiet Thao Dien, earning the restaurant its first Michelin star not much more than a year after its debut. In his well-trained hands, simple market produce can form the base of a sublime dish: kailaan (or Chinese broccoli) with foie gras, for example, or cóc (ambarella fruit) with housemade muối tôm, the sweet-spicy-savory-salty seasoning salt. Most of Hồng’s cooking is rooted in Vietnam and its culinary exchange with the surrounding countries: Huế-style chao (fermented tofu) and dry-aged Vietnamese mallard; a deconstructed “drunken chicken” served with organ meats; a signature dish of fish maw, soaked, sautéed, and served in custard. But the chef’s French foundations peek through with the occasional nod to Europe, as in a dish of squab served with miso hollandaise or a petite tart of seasonal morels. The wine list, overseen by co-owner Thanh Liêm, includes plenty of natural wine."