Quán Ăn Ngon representative Nguyễn Hồng Như (centre) receives a certificate for winning the Asia's Excellent Taste Awards' Special Casual Dining Restaurant. — Photos courtesy of Quán Ăn Ngon

HÀ NỘI — Quán Ăn Ngon has been honoured as one of seven restaurants offering the best cuisine and service from across Việt Nam, at the Asia's Excellent Taste Awards 2025 on March 19 in Hà Nội.

Asia’s Excellent Taste Awards honours creativity, quality and outstanding contributions in the culinary field all over Asia. The organisation creates opportunities for chefs, restaurants and food producers to affirm their brands, enhance their reputation and promote development in the industry.

Guests are delighted not only by Quán Ăn Ngon's Bún Chả, grilled pork and rice vermicelli noodles, a popular Vietnamese dish originating from Hà Nội, but also Ốc om chuối đâu (escargot stew with green banana and tofu) and Bún bò Nam Bô, southern beef noodle salad.

Asia's Excellent Taste Awards, established in 2024, and headquartered in Việt Nam, is designed to honour outstanding restaurants in three segments: Fine Dining, Special Casual Dining and Plant-based Dining.

"The award is a journey to find and honour the brightest stars within the inspiring culinary community across Asia," said representative of the organising committee, Trần Lê Thanh Thiện.

Bánh hỏi chạo tôm, fine rice vermicelli and  shrimp surimi grilled on a stick of sugar cane, is  a traditional Vietnamese dish that comes from Huế, the imperial city in central Việt Nam.

Among seven restaurants celebrated, two won in the Fine Dining category and five in the Casual Dining, including Quán Ăn Ngon, a notable eatery in Hà Nội.

To win the award, the restaurant was judged to have a stand out culinary style, along with offering quality food service.

In addition to holding a food safety certificate and being in operation for at least one year, earning an enhanced reputation among its culinary peers, Quán Ăn Ngon impressed judges with a diverse menu, providing a comfortable dining experience, but still ensuring high quality.

A lot of visitors, including foreign travellers to Hà Nội, say they visit Quán Ăn Ngon to enjoy its different scrumptious and fresh salads from the country's three regions.

Other award winners were Lion City (HCM City), The Gate (HCM City), Ngon Trường Thịnh Phú Quốc (Phú Quốc) and Tiệm cơm Việt Nam (Khánh Hòa).

The two winners in the Fine Dining class were Ngon Garden (Hà Nội) and the Rare Steakhouse (HCM City).

Phạm Thị Bích Hạnh, a representative of Quán Ăn Ngon and Ngon Garden, said chefs and managers of these two restaurants had worked hard to create the best dishes and dining experiences for customers, while promoting the restaurants' values.

"In both restaurants, staff share a common point of view that 'customers aren't kings but our relatives'. Only when we consider someone as a relative, can we take care of them with our hearts," Hạnh said.

Also at the awards ceremony, the organisers presented certificates to nine young chefs, 21 master chefs and five artisan cooks, as well as businesses in the culinary field offering breakthrough products, achieving one to three star quality.

The honoured chefs will have the opportunity to attend world culinary trend seminars, winning recognition for their tireless contributions to preserving and developing culinary heritages.

Artisan Nguyễn Thị Hiền of Hà Nội, one of the winners, said that she realised her mission is to honour, promote and preserve traditional cuisine, when receiving the prestigious award.

A feast for the eyes and the taste buds. Foodies say Quán Ăn Ngon's seafood dishes, including grilled half dried cuttle fish or mực một nắng, are so tasty and scrumptious that they are unforgettable.

"You can't just learn to offer Vietnamese cuisine in general and traditional cuisine, but you have to truly love and understand the history of the dish in order to create unique and delicious dishes," said Hiền.

Hiền hoped that Vietnamese cuisine would not only thrive as a vibrant contemporary business, but would also be preserved for future generations and promoted all over the world.

Chef Nguyễn Văn Thành, who works for a Japanese restaurant in Hà Nội was one of the Master Chef winners, said he welcomed being recognised for his great efforts, promising to create more Vietnamese dishes to attract international friends.

Three regions' cake specialties including Huế and southern cakes, Hà Nội's Hồ Tây shrimp cake and  bánh đúc nóng ( Vietnamese savoury rice flour pudding), topped with ground pork, mushrooms, crispy fried shallots, herbs and a tangy sauce. Photos courtesy of Quán Ăn Ngon

Asia's Execellent Awards 2025 is one of events in the framework of the Food & Hospitality Hà Nội 2025.

The event aims to promote trade and create a bridge for international brands to approach importers, distributors, retailers and traders of food and beverage (F&B) and accommodation services in Việt Nam.

It is the first time that Asia's Excellent Awards have been held here, with the evaluation and selection process carried out by a prestigious jury, including culinary experts, famous chefs and representatives from international culinary organisations.

They included Eric Olmedo, UNESCO Chair President, Simone Falcini, World Associazione Italiana Cuochi (World IAC) President, Arthur Lim, Global Chefs Union (GCU) President, Vietnamese Historian Dương Trung Quốc and Chairman of Vietnam Super Chef Association, Lê Nguyễn Hoàn Long. — VNS