Å by Tung Saigon – elegant Scandinavian restaurant with a tasting menu
When visiting Saigon, you may run into lots of thematic restaurants from Japanese to Chinese to Spanish. However, at Å by Tung Saigon, you will have a chance to enjoy the unique flavors of Nordic countries.
Interestingly, this restaurant has an elegant Scandi design and a colourful tasting menu that is renewed every three months.
You can have dinner in a relaxing Nordic space
The minimalist front of Å by Tung Saigon
Image credit: Å by TUNG
The first impression you’ll get when entering Å by Tung Saigon is its chic design. The space is cleverly designed with big blank walls of mild colors such as white, cream, or navy.
Also, the minimalist furniture combines with moderate light to give you a pleasant feeling when having meals.
In the middle of the ceiling is an aura-inspired light reminiscent of the Nordic night sky
Image credit: Khoi Nguyen
Å by Tung Saigon takes pride in its sensational eating experience. To that end, two large open kitchens are put near the tables so that you can watch the chefs preparing your dishes.
It is the first resto in Saigon with a seasonal tasting menu
The restaurant follows the tasting menu style, meaning food is served in small portions
Image credit: Uyen Dang
At this restaurant, you will take an extensive tasting menu featuring 20 tidbit dishes. Going beyond conventional dishes, the team applies new approaches and techniques to create new forms and flavors for their dishes. For example, in 2021, they introduced phở jelly combining the essence of northern-style phở broth with exquisite Wagyu A5 beef in a cold jelly cube melting in your mouth. They also apply 3D printing to particular dishes.
In the tasting menus, you’ll only know the ingredients of your dishes. So when they are served, you will be given cards introducing what exact dishes you are having.
Image credit: Minkyong Kim
Every three months, the cuisine team will get together to prepare a new tasting menu. Currently, the tasting menu is named Spark A Dream paying tribute to the local seasonal produces. The prices depend on the menus, but you can expect them to start at VND2,000,000 (~USD87.11) per diner.
The head chef was trained in Finland
Chef Hoàng Tùng (center) and his team preparing dishes
Image credit: Å by TUNG
Beyond a beautiful space and unique tasting menus, the food at his restaurant is cooked by a well-trained chef named Hoàng Tùng. Tùng studied at Kymenlaakso University of Applied Sciences in Finland. During this time, he worked part-time or voluntarily for many restaurants, especially those with Michelin stars, to enrich his experience.
The whole staff of Å by Tung Saigon
Image credit: Å by TUNG
Returning to Vietnam in 2018, he collaborated with his friends to venture into the concept of a tasting menu by establishing T.U.N.G Dining restaurant in Hanoi. After that, in 2021, he opened Å by Tung in Saigon. Both of them are designed as a tribute to the Nordic region that he fell in love with. For his dedication to cuisine, Hoàng Tùng has been included in Forbes Vietnam’s 30 Under 30 List early this year.
Å by Tung Saigon
Å by Tung Saigon is a classy restaurant with a comforting minimalist Scandinavian space. It is also the first restaurant in town where you can enjoy a tasting menu featuring state-of-the-art cooking techniques and exquisite ingredients.
What’s more, the staff will renew this menu every three months, so you will have brand new sensational eating experiences whenever you come here.
Å by Tung Saigon
Address: 31-33 Đặng Dung Street, Tân Định Ward, District 1, Hồ Chí Minh City
Opening hours: 6PM-11.30PM, Tuesday to Sunday (closed on Mondays)
Last seating at 9PM.
Telephone: 098 280 85 33
Å by Tung’s website | Facebook page
Also check out:
- Ănăn: Saigon luxurious street food-inspired restaurant
- Cà phê Đỗ Phủ: Espionage hideout cafe on the same street as Å by Tung
- CCCP Saigon: Soviet-themed resto established by a Ukrainian
Cover image adapted from Khoi Nguyen, Uyen Dang, and Å by TUNG
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