Nom Dining Ho Chi Minh Review: Michelin Fine Dining

Ho Chi Minh City Michelin Selected Nom Dining: A Gourmet Journey & Restaurant Recommendation

Continuing our culinary adventure through Ho Chi Minh City's Michelin scene,

here is my wine pairing review of the Michelin-selected restaurant, Nom Dining!

Our second white wine pairing was the

Celeste Verdejo 2024 from Spain.

Unlike the first white wine, which had a mouth-watering,

sharp acidity,

this one was wonderfully smooth with a pleasant, gentle crispness,

making it an absolute match made in heaven for the fish-centric dishes.

Mì Quảng, the signature dry noodle dish of Central Vietnam.

While the classic yellow hue from turmeric-infused noodles is its hallmark,

this creative reimagining features squid "noodles", black tiger shrimp, and tender frog leg meat

for a uniquely elevated take on the traditional mixed noodle bowl.

A shrimp-stuffed quail egg served with

a crispy coconut rice paper crunch.

It’s a clever bite-sized homage to the classic elements of Mì Quảng!

To think there's slow-cooked frog meat hidden in here somewhere!

It's so wonderfully tender and savory that you'd never guess if they didn't tell you.

This dish is a modern reinterpretation of Bánh Canh Chả Cá, a traditional fish noodle soup.

Enjoying grilled cod, fish maw, and premium caviar

alongside chewy tapioca noodles,

and finishing with a side of crispy fried fish cake—

it was a delight to experience fish reimagined in so many textures and forms.

Bird's Nest Chrysanthemum Tea

The bird's nest is delicately placed on top of the tea, looking like soft foam.

Bird's nest is a highly prized delicacy in Vietnam, often used for its health-boosting properties.

Since it actually has a very neutral flavor,

there's absolutely nothing to worry about if you're trying it for the first time!

A refreshing combination of pear sorbet, chrysanthemum tea, and jujube syrup—

the perfect sweet, cool, and nourishing finish to this course.

As we leave the flavors of Central Vietnam on the second floor and head up to the third,

we're treated to a fascinating story about traditional Vietnamese ceramics.

Quick tip: the red door to the left of the ceramics display is the restroom!

Savoring the Flavors of Southern Vietnam on the 3rd Floor

The grand finale of our culinary journey

takes place on the 3rd floor, highlighting Southern Vietnam—where Ho Chi Minh City itself lies.

Four spectacular dishes and four exquisite desserts await us here.

Our third pairing is a lovely red wine from New Zealand:

Te Pā Marlborough Pinot Noir 2023.

Before the heavier main course arrives,

this Pinot Noir serves as a beautiful transition from white wine to a bolder red,

offering a light, smooth, and incredibly easy-drinking experience.

A brilliant reinterpretation of 'Bún Riêu Cua', the traditional Vietnamese crab and tomato noodle soup.

A delicate tomato dumpling featuring ultra-thin tomato slices as the wrapper stuffed with sweet crabmeat,

alongside a crispy crab and pork chả giò (spring roll).

The dish on the left is a savory steamed egg custard.

They condensed the crab meat to create a crispy tuile

and served it as a topping on the custard.

Honestly, I could have eaten ten of those crab tuiles alone! Haha.

Inside the silky egg custard, you'll find more crab meat, tomatoes,

crispy fried tofu, and rice noodles—

giving it the most perfect, satisfying texture!

A bottle from the premium lineup of Moldova, a powerhouse wine country in Eastern Europe:

Taraboste Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot blend.

I didn't even know Moldova existed as a country,

let alone that I'd find myself tasting such a rare European wine here.

Amazed by its full body and smooth tannins, I did a quick search:

it turns out to be a top-tier, limited-production wine made only from perfectly ripe grapes harvested from the region's finest vineyards.

It's even aged in oak barrels for 18 to 23 months. Wow!

The perfect pairing to wrap up the main courses! Highly recommended!

Served with a warm baguette,

this is 'Bánh Mì Bò Kho', a Vietnamese-style beef stew.

This was the absolute star of the show!

Brewed with a fresh coconut water base, five-spice powder, and lemongrass,

the rich, deeply concentrated Bò Kho sauce is paired with

a 14-day dry-aged A4 Wagyu short rib steak.

You enjoy it with the crispy fried baguette hidden beneath the onions!

It paired so beautifully with the red wine,

and the Wagyu literally melted in my mouth.

A creative take on 'Cơm Tấm'—a classic Southern Vietnamese broken rice dish with grilled pork—

reimagined with premium Spanish Iberico pork.

Even the plating of the tangy pickled vegetables was incredibly beautiful.

Steaming hot, freshly made rice.

Iberico pork belly, tenderloin, and sausage.

As I savored each cut of the aged Iberico with the rice,

I couldn't believe how impossibly tender Iberico pork could be...

After finishing the savory dishes, it was time for dessert!

A coconut shaved ice dessert featuring fresh star apple pieces,

alongside star apple ice cream, crème brûlée, jelly,

star apple poached in mango syrup, and a refreshing soursop sorbet.

Mix them together with a spoonful of the coconut shaved ice

for the ultimate star apple experience.

It was so much fun experiencing star apple in so many different textures and forms.

Accompanied by a soothing cup of tea to finish,

we were served a steamed banana cake drizzled with rich coconut milk.

Sweetened with a touch of coconut sugar, it was pure bliss to sip and bite.

Pandan cake, mung bean ice cream,

salted duck egg sponge cake,

and 'Bánh Căn', a traditional Vietnamese-style coconut cake.

These three delightful treats were served as bite-sized finger foods,

making them perfect for slowly savoring alongside the hot tea.

You can choose one of three teas—including the traditional Vietnamese tea served during the meal,

jasmine tea, or green tea—

and they package it in a beautiful ceramic jar as a parting gift.

Every time I brew this tea at home, it will bring back wonderful memories of Nôm Dining.

If you're traveling to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam,

I highly recommend making a stop at Nôm Dining. It's an absolute must-visit!

I already want to bring my family here when they visit Ho Chi Minh,

and I'm dying to go back in three months when they change the seasonal tasting menu!

Nôm Dining, a Michelin Selected restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Ho Chi Minh Michelin Restaurant Nôm Dining: A Culinary Journey & Gourmet Recommendationm.blog.naver.com

Continuing our gourmet journey through Ho Chi Minh City,

here is the next part of my review of the Michelin Selected restaurant, Nôm Dining.

Our second white wine pairing was the

Celeste Verdejo 2024 from Spain.

Unlike the first white wine, which had a mouth-watering,

sharp acidity that really woke up the taste buds,

this one was incredibly smooth and delightfully refreshing.

It was a match made in heaven for the fish-forward dishes.

Mỳ Quảng, a traditional mixed noodle dish from Central Vietnam.

The signature of Mỳ Quảng is the turmeric-infused yellow noodles.

This dish was a beautiful reinterpretation, served with squid noodles,

black tiger prawns, and tender frog leg meat to mix all the rich toppings together.

A side of quail egg stuffed with shrimp

and a crunchy coconut rice paper.

A bite-sized side that perfectly captures the essence of Mỳ Quảng.

To think that slow-cooked frog meat is hidden in here somewhere!

It's so tender, chewy, and delicious that you'd never know unless someone told you.

A modern reinterpretation of Bánh Canh Chả Cá, a traditional fish noodle soup.

We enjoyed grilled cod, fish maw, and caviar paired with chewy tapioca Bánh Canh noodles.

Accompanied by a side of crispy fried fish cake,

it was wonderful to experience the diverse textures and forms of fish in one dish.

Bird's Nest Chrysanthemum Tea

The bird's nest is delicately placed on top of the tea like foam.

Bird's nest is highly prized in Vietnam for its health benefits.

It doesn't actually have any strong flavor,

so if it's your first time trying it, there's absolutely nothing to worry about!

Finished off with pear sorbet, chrysanthemum tea, and jujube syrup,

making it a refreshing, sweet, and comforting wellness tea.

Leaving the Central Vietnamese flavors of the 2nd floor behind, we headed up to the 3rd floor.

Along the way, we got to hear the fascinating story behind traditional Vietnamese ceramics.

By the way, the red door to the left of the ceramics display is the restroom!

Savoring the Flavors of Southern Vietnam on the 3rd Floor

The final leg of our culinary journey unfolds in the 3rd-floor dining space,

focusing on Southern Vietnam, where Ho Chi Minh City resides.

Four exquisite dishes and four desserts are waiting for us here.

Our third pairing was a red wine from New Zealand:

Te Pa Marlborough Pinot Noir 2023.

Since the main course was yet to come,

this served as the perfect transition from white wine to a heavier red.

A light and smooth Pinot Noir that's so easy to drink

A beautiful reinterpretation of "Bún Riêu Cua" (Vietnamese crab and tomato noodle soup).

A tomato dumpling using thinly sliced tomato as the wrapper, stuffed with sweet crab meat,

paired with a super crispy crab & pork cha gio (fried spring roll).

The dish on the left is a savory steamed egg custard.

They made a crispy tuile out of concentrated crab meat

and placed it on top of the steamed egg.

Honestly, I could have eaten ten of those crab tuiles alone! Haha.

Inside the steamed egg, you'll find juicy crab, tomatoes,

crispy fried tofu, and rice noodles—

giving it a perfect 10/10 for texture!

A premium bottle from Moldova, a hidden powerhouse of Eastern European winemaking:

Taraboste Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot blend.

I didn't even know Moldova existed as a country,

but here I am, tasting a rare European wine for the first time!

Marveling at its full body and velvety tannins, I looked it up and found out

it's an ultra-premium wine produced in limited quantities,

using only the finest grapes from the best vineyards.

It's even aged in oak barrels for 18 to 23 months! Wow...

The perfect final pairing for this course menu! Good, good...!!!!

Vietnamese beef stew "Bánh Mì Bò Kho,"

served with a side of baguette.

This is the real main event...!!!

The rich Bò Kho sauce is simmered deep with a fresh coconut water base,

five-spice powder, and lemongrass. You dip the 14-day aged

A4 Wagyu rib finger steak into it, paired with the crispy

fried baguette hiding under the onions!

It tasted even better with the red wine,

and the Wagyu literally melted in my mouth the second I took a bite.

A gourmet take on "Cơm Tấm" (broken rice), a Southern Vietnamese classic

of charcoal-grilled pork, reinterpreted here with premium Spanish Iberico pork.

Even the plating of the sweet and sour pickled vegetables is absolutely gorgeous.

Warm, freshly made rice.

Iberico pork belly, pork tenderloin, and sausage.

Eating these aged cuts of Iberico alongside the rice

made me wonder if pork could ever be this unbelievably tender...

And now, the grand finale: dessert time!

A spectacular star apple dessert featuring fresh star apple in a coconut shaved ice,

accompanied by star apple ice cream, crème brûlée, jelly,

mango syrup-marinated star apple, and soursop sorbet.

You scoop a spoonful of the coconut ice and mix it all together!

It was so fun experiencing star apple in so many different textures and styles.

Enjoyed alongside our final tea...

Steamed banana cake served with rich coconut milk.

I added a bit of coconut sugar and enjoyed it with the tea. So delicious!

Pandan cake with mung bean ice cream,

duck egg sponge cake,

and Bánh Căn (Vietnamese coconut cake).

These three came out together as delicate bite-sized finger foods,

perfect for slowly savoring while sipping tea.

If you choose one of the three teas—the traditional Vietnamese tea

we had during the course, jasmine, or green tea—

they pack it in a beautiful ceramic jar for you as a parting gift.

Every time I brew a cup of tea, I know it will bring back fond memories of Nôm Dining.

If you're traveling to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam,

I highly, highly recommend putting Nôm Dining on your must-visit list.

It's the first place I'd want to take my family when they visit,

and I'm already dreaming of going back in three months when they introduce their next seasonal course menu!

Nôm Dining: A Michelin-Selected culinary gem in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.