There has never been a more consequential moment to be a fine dining lover in Ho Chi Minh City. While devoted diners have tracked the city’s ascent for years, it seemed like the rest of the world finally caught up in 2023 with the arrival of the Michelin Guide. The recognition did more than validate—it brought a new sense of ambition.
In 2026, a new group of restaurant openings marks a more confident stage in the city’s food scene. These restaurants aren’t trying to impress with flashy techniques or copy European fine dining. Instead, they explore ideas like perspective, discipline, memory, and the feeling of everyday Vietnamese life—creating dining experiences that feel thoughtful and, most importantly, Saigonese.
From the ingredient-first philosophy of Voyage, where restraint and seasonality guide each course, to Vore’s progressive lens on Vietnamese agriculture and seafood, and the emotionally driven tasting menu concept behind dining blogger Dancy Chun’s Archive, here are the most exciting restaurant openings to watch in 2026.
Vore
Vore takes its name from the linguistic root found in herbivore, omnivore, and carnivore—a reflection on the act of consumption itself. The restaurant was conceived in 2022 by Chef Long Cường (formerly of Esta) and emphasizes his deep connection to Vietnamese ingredients, amplified by his partner Thắng’s focus on shaping dining as narrative. According to the team, “the cuisine is explored through a progressive lens, grounded in the belief that Vietnam still holds vast and largely undiscovered potential in its ingredients, agriculture, seafood, and generational farming knowledge.
Expected opening: March 6, 2026.
Location: 25/61 Nguyễn Bỉnh Khiêm, Bến Nghé Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City.
Voyage
At Voyage, Singaporean-born chef-owner Jonathan Koh draws from classical European technique and Asian sensibility, but the guiding principle is clarity: the ingredient leads, and intervention is minimal. Each course unfolds as part of a larger journey, structured to move gradually rather than overwhelm. The team says: “A dish we are particularly excited about is one that highlights a single seasonal ingredient, prepared with minimal intervention — allowing its natural character to speak for itself”.
Expected opening: March 2026.
Location: 51 Lê Văn Miến, An Khánh Ward, Ho Chi Minh City.
Archive
The brainchild of food KOL and fine-dining enthusiast Dancy Chun, Archive will center on a tasting menu format that translates emotion into structure. Rather than asking what Vietnamese food looks like, the restaurant is interested in: “what Vietnamese life feels like—and how that feeling can be expressed on the plate.
Expected opening: June-September 2026 (subject to construction).
Location: TBD location in An Khanh Ward.
