Hong Le_portrait photo_credit Koi Nguyen
© Koi Nguyen

Viet Hong

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

1 knife
One knife
Excellent

Viet Hong, trained in Paris, co-founded The Monkey Gallery before refining his craft at leading global kitchens. In 2023, he returned to Vietnam, creating cuisine blending Eastern and Western influences.

Achievements

Restaurant

CieL

Location

6/3 Đ. Số 50, Thảo Điền, Thủ Đức, Hồ Chí Minh

Socials

Bio

Viet Hong began his culinary studies in Paris, France, in 2015. In 2019, he reached an important milestone when he co-founded The Monkey Gallery on Mạc Thị Bưởi, District 1, together with three friends, including Liêm, who would later become his partner at CieL. After that, Việt Hồng spent time working in some of the world’s leading kitchens, such as Noma Copenhagen, Sezanne 

Tokyo, and Disfrutar Barcelona. In 2023, he returned to Vietnam to build a kitchen of his own. Two key inspirations behind the culinary style of both CieL and Việt Hồng are the land and the ocean. When choosing ingredients, he seeks to explore the finest expressions from both earth and sea. CieL does not aim to confine itself within any single cuisine. Guests often ask whether a dish is 

Japanese, French, or something else. For us, this restaurant is a personal reflection of both Liem and Viet Hong, we cook what we love. The menu represents a meeting point between Eastern and Western culinary cultures, from France to Japan, from Vietnam to India, all reinterpreted through the foundation of French technique.

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