Anan Saigon

Anan Saigon is the best-known modern Vietnamese restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City's Michelin selection, and it holds one star in the 2026 Michelin Guide Vietnam. It occupies a tall, narrow tube house in Cho Cu, the Old Market, a working street market in District 1. The chef-owner, Peter Cuong Franklin, is a Vietnamese-American who grew up in Dalat, trained at Le Cordon Bleu and cooked at Caprice in Hong Kong, Alinea in Chicago and Nahm in Bangkok before coming home to develop what he calls New Vietnamese Cuisine.

The idea is to take familiar street food and rethink it with local ingredients and French and modern techniques. The Michelin inspectors single out the foie gras spring roll, the Hanoi-style turmeric fish and the Wagyu beef mini banh mi. There are two tasting menus, the Saigon Tasting Menu and the longer Chef Peter's Tasting Menu, with wine or zero-alcohol pairings, as well as an a la carte menu for those who prefer to pick and share.

The building is part of the experience. Above the restaurant, Nhau Nhau is a cocktail bar on the second floor, and there is a rooftop dining bar with views over the city centre that guests can visit before or after their meal. A sister restaurant, Pot au Pho 2.0, is a few doors away at 91 Ton That Dam in the same market.

Bookings are taken by email, and the restaurant asks for at least two weeks' notice, along with any dietary requirements. Tasting menus must be pre-booked for a 17:30 or 20:30 seating, and everyone at the table must order the same menu. Children under 12 are not accommodated, and because the building is a small walk-up in the market, it is not suitable for wheelchair users. There is no dress code. The restaurant serves dinner from 17:00, Tuesday to Sunday, and is closed on Mondays.

Anan suits food lovers, couples and anyone curious to see how Vietnamese cooking is evolving. The setting in a working market is unusual for a starred restaurant, so it is worth arriving a little early to walk through the street. Ben Thanh Market and Nguyen Hue Walking Street are both a short walk away.