The story behind Tầm Vị is a satisfying one: a mother-daughter duo without formal culinary training open their doors in 2019 to share family recipes, earning a Michelin star in 2023 simply by cooking “like a mother to their children.”
This translates into a seasonally changing menu of subtle, home-style Northern Vietnamese cuisine. That it’s one of the world's most affordable Michelin experiences seems beside the point; there's something more transcendent at work here. You leave Tam Vi feeling wholly nourished, like you’ve just finished a round of mantra meditation, only if the mantra was “ăn ngon nhé”.
The vibe: The wooden ancestral home transports guests away from the frenetic Nguyễn Thái Học thoroughfare into a quieter epoch. The atmosphere feels quite sacred, and voices rarely reach full pelt. Of course, there is the suave aroma of incense.
The food: The extensive menu focuses on Northern Vietnamese home cooking without fuss or frippery. Standout dishes include the deceptively simple fried tofu with spring onions, the clay pot fish braised in fish sauce with peppercorns, ginger, and lemongrass, and fried pork rinds with tomato sauce. No trendy techniques or architectural plating here. Just expertly seasoned, graceful cooking.
Seasonal sweets excel, too: summer brings iced longan and lotus iced ‘soup’, garnished with coconut ribbons. In winter, it’s warm ginger syrup with black sesame dumplings.
The drinks: They don't stock wine (you can BYO), but they’ll bring you a Hanoi beer and some ice if you ask nicely. Traditional Vietnamese soft drinks – fresh coconut water, corn-sugarcane juice, and jasmine and lotus seed drink – feel more appropriate.
Time Out tip: Reservations are essential, as the restaurant's popularity surged after it received its Michelin star. Weekends book out weeks in advance. You'll need to call or message on Facebook.