HCM City (VNA) - In pursuit of the goal of implementing solutions for Ho Chi Minh City’s Tourism Development Strategy to 2030, the municipal Department of Tourism has worked alongside businesses to integrate culinary experiences into tourism products.
As a result, Ho Chi Minh City is becoming an attractive destination on Michelin’s culinary “map,” gradually affirming its position as an international culinary tourism hub.
Recently, Vinh Khanh Street in Khanh Hoi ward, Ho Chi Minh City, was ranked 10th on the list of the “31 Coolest Streets in the World 2025” published by UK-based Time Out magazine.
The kilometre-long street is lined with dozens of seafood grills on both sides. Here, several street performers also entertain visitors daily or on weekends, creating a vibrant atmosphere. Notably, some eateries, such as Oc Oanh, which is listed in the Michelin Guide 2024, have helped bring the street’s reputation to an international level.
Time Out magazine also describes Vinh Khanh as a lively, energetic street that embodies the very soul of Ho Chi Minh City’s street food culture.
In addition, for the first time, the “100 Flavours – Michelin-Starred Chefs” Culinary Week is being organised. It is a series of events showcasing the fusion of international gastronomic excellence with Vietnam’s culinary heritage. Taking place from November 23 to 28 in Ho Chi Minh City, Can Tho City, and Hue City, the event aims to position Vietnam as a leading culinary and tourism destination in Asia through a wide range of vibrant cultural and gastronomic activities.
This is also the first time in Vietnam that 13 Michelin-starred chefs come together to deliver world-class dining experiences, further reinforcing Vietnam’s standing as a premier culinary and tourism hotspot in the region. Accompanying the Culinary Week is Dinner Incredible, an international culinary project founded by Chef Giorgio Diana, which has captivated gourmets in Rome, Tokyo, Singapore, and New York. The project marks the proud return of a Vietnamese chef, chef Michael Bao Huynh, to the international stage.
Diana said at a press conference on November 23 that the 100 Flavours – Michelin Starred Chef experience would open a new chapter for fine dining in Vietnam, combining a sophisticated space with a blend of cuisine, music and emotions to create a unique symphony of taste.
Event director Kim Thanh Thao said the strategic partnership of 100 Flavours Week and Dinner Incredible Vietnam 2025 will realise its goal of making the country a leading destination for the most luxurious haute cuisine experiences in Asia.
Regarding the development of culinary tourism products, Bui Thi Ngoc Hieu, Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism, stated that in recent years the city’s tourism sector has focused on diversifying its offerings, including waterway tourism, cultural–historical tourism, ecotourism, and community-based tourism. Among these, the city’s culinary tourism products are highly regarded, with significant potential and advantages stemming from its position as a hub that gathers specialties from across Vietnam and around the world, especially after the administrative boundary expansion.
In 2025, the department has worked alongside businesses to design culinary tourism products based on the city’s extensive system of dining services, shopping venues, and tourist attractions, particularly following the city’s administrative merger. It has encouraged and facilitated travel agencies and service businesses associated with culinary tourism to introduce diverse and appealing programmes and projects that meet the full range of visitor needs, she added./.
