Self-taught chef Sam Tran spent nearly a decade in Melbourne's restaurant scene before returning home to prove a point: that a Vietnamese restaurant can achieve fine-dining status without genuflecting to foie gras, caviar or other imported luxuries.
In 2023, Vietnam's first Michelin Guide handed Gia - meaning ‘home’ - a star, recognising not just culinary excellence but cultural reclamation.
The vibe: Golden alcoves depicting Vietnamese daily life illuminate a dimly lit dining room. Through a wall of windows, the open kitchen blazes bright, while the fermentation laboratory displays mason jars bubbling with tomorrow's umami bombs.
Everything feels considered: the evening starts in the lounge with chilled oolong tea and 'guess the ingredient'; handwritten cards describing each dish form the roof of a miniature model of the restaurant on every table; dessert is served in a separate space below, creating a physical journey that mirrors the tasting menu's emotional arc (and gives you a very brief chance to walk off your mains).
The food: The 12-course tasting menu at Gia changes with Hanoi's weather patterns, ever-shifting topography and lunar celebrations.
Dishes showcase remarkable purity, celebrating a single crop, grower, or even geographical feature. Key ingredients are brought to the table throughout the evening - whether that’s Tú Lệ rice that’s been cooked in pure Mường Lộ stream water, or prized H’mong chicken that forages all day before dutifully returning home (pure poetry, that).
The latter features in a signature take on the humble bún thang, here a picture-perfect puck of shredded chicken, thinly sliced egg crepe and accoutrements. It’s a fine showcase of chef Tran’s deft conceptual touch - the inherent beauty of traditional dishes organised into something almost sculptural.
The drinks: The wine flight favours bottles with herbal edges that echo the menu's botanical elements, and doesn’t shy away from bold choices (amontillado mid-meal, anyone?).
But it's the non-alcoholic pairings that truly hit the mark here - creative fermented drinks from the in-house lab that emphatically show you don't need alcohol to achieve profundity in a glass.
Time Out tip: Don’t pass on the complimentary vối tea - served warm in winter, chilled in summer.