The Monkey Gallery Dining
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
When Duy Phan, Thanh Tung and Thanh Liem opened The Monkey Gallery, their vision was to bring fine dining to Ho Chi Minh City. Instead of eschewing the existing – and excellent – street food scene, head chef Hau Tran – who joined the restaurant in 2020 – found inspiration in it, drawing on the local dishes and home-cooked meals that he and his colleagues grew up on, then finessing them with French culinary techniques and Japanese reverence for ingredients. The restaurant’s name – which comes from its owners being born in the year of the monkey – also nods to the idea that serving elegant, edible art provides diners with a unique experience, not just a meal. Tran can be found scooping sauteed shrimp with Nha Trang octopus, salmon roe and chilli sauce into provincial earthenware pots: he is at once a chef, performance artist, alchemist and entertainer. Meanwhile, the gallery-like restaurant design plays on the theme of taste - the subjective way we form preferences and the perception of flavour. Don’t skip the sweet course served in the Dessert Bar downstairs: the mango ice cream with semolina and coconut juice is a best-seller.
Key Information
- Tasting menu from $130
- Lunch and dinner: Mon – Tue, Thu – Sun
- 84793991992
- Visit The Monkey Gallery Dining's Website
Location
91 Mạc Thị Bưởi, Bến Nghé, Ho Chi Minh City,
