"Hoang Tung folds Nordic technique into Vietnamese produce under a painted aurora — Michelin-listed since 2023. Book it for a first date."
About Å by TUNG
Hoang Tung trained in Finland, came home to Saigon, and painted the Northern Lights across the ceiling. The restaurant opened in 2021 at 31-33 Dang Dung Street, in Tan Dinh, District 1, and runs one seasonal tasting menu of roughly eighteen courses, rebuilt every three months. The cooking is Nordic in method, Vietnamese in material; the scallop with warm almond foam is the dish that states the case. The menu starts at 2,000,000₫, about US$87. It has been in the MICHELIN Guide since the first Ho Chi Minh City selection in 2023, and Tung made Forbes 30 Under 30 in 2022.
The Kitchen
Hoang Tung learned Nordic cooking in Finland and brought home its grammar: fermentation, cold-smoking, preserving, acidity used as structure rather than garnish. He applies it to Vietnamese produce, and at its best the dialogue is real, not a costume. The scallop with almond foam is the test dish — warm, nutty, the bivalve barely set, the foam carrying the scent. Get that course right and the rest of the eighteen tends to follow. The menu turns over every three months with the seasons, so the specifics move; the method does not. At 2,000,000₫ for the full run, near US$87, it is honest value for this level of ambition, and the kitchen is open, so you watch the work. Tung was the youngest Vietnamese chef to land in Asia's 50 Best Top 100, and the rigour shows on the plate, not in the patter.
The Room
The draw is the ceiling: a hand-painted aurora over a Saigon dining room, the one flourish in an otherwise spare, airy space. Seating is small and the kitchen is open, so the noise level stays low and the pace deliberate. Lighting is dim and flattering; tables are generous, not packed. Dress is smart-elegant and most guests treat it as an evening out. The counter is the seat to request — it puts you in front of the cooking and turns a meal into something closer to a performance you are part of.
Best for a First Date
Book Å by TUNG for a first date for three reasons: the painted aurora gives the room something to talk about, the eighteen courses hand the evening its shape, and the kitchen pauses between dishes to explain, which keeps a new conversation from stalling. It runs close to four hours, so bring the appetite for it. Pair with our Ho Chi Minh City dining guide, the wider best first-date restaurants, and tables to impress clients in Saigon.
Not for
Skip it if you arrive hungry and impatient — the meal is eighteen courses across nearly four hours, with one set tasting menu, no à la carte, and no shortcut to the main event.
Frequently Asked
Is Å by TUNG worth it?
Yes, if you want the most distinctive cooking in Saigon. Hoang Tung trained in Finland and folds Nordic technique — fermentation, cold-smoking, careful acidity — into Vietnamese produce across an eighteen-course tasting from 2,000,000₫, roughly US$87. The scallop with almond foam shows the approach at its best. In the Michelin Guide since 2023, it is fair value for a menu this ambitious.
How hard is it to book Å by TUNG?
Moderately hard. The dining room is small and runs one seating built around a single tasting menu, so weekend tables go a week or two out. Book direct through the restaurant. Ask for the counter if you want to watch the open kitchen work. Weeknights are easier, and the menu changes every three months, so repeat visits are rewarded.
What should I order at Å by TUNG?
There is one menu, refreshed every three months, so the kitchen chooses. The scallop with warm almond foam is the signature to watch for, and the cooking leans on Vietnamese highland and coastal produce read through Nordic technique. Take the wine or non-alcoholic pairing — the acidity is calibrated to the dishes. Come hungry; eighteen courses run close to four hours.
Is Å by TUNG good for a first date?
Yes — the painted-aurora ceiling and the eighteen-course arc give a first evening its whole structure, and the kitchen pauses between courses to explain, which keeps the conversation moving. It runs long, near four hours, so it suits a date that already wants the time. Book a week ahead. See our Ho Chi Minh City dining guide for shorter options.
Reserve a Table
Reserve at Å by TUNG
Direct booking · one seating, single tasting menu
Affiliate disclosure: Restaurants for Kings may earn a commission when you book through our reservation links, at no cost to you. Our scores are editorial and never paid for.
Practical Information
Address31-33 Dang Dung St, Tan Dinh, District 1
NeighbourhoodTan Dinh, District 1
CuisineNordic-Vietnamese tasting
SignatureScallop with almond foam
Tasting menuFrom 2,000,000₫ (~US$87)
Dress codeSmart-elegant
ReservationDirect · 1–2 weeks ahead
RecognitionIn the MICHELIN Guide since 2023
