Anan Restaurant - Ho Chi Minh City
Day 59 of 164 Days Around the World Cruise
What an Amazing culinary adventure we had a Anan (see complete 12 course tasting menu below). Along with our Word Cruise buddies Jan & Gregg we savored a 12 course tasting menu that was truly an amazing expereince of food across Vietnam. We also had the good fortune of sitting next to celebrity chef Jack Lee and his friends which only added to the wonderful time we had dining at Anan.
Anan is a popular restaurant located in the bustling city of Ho Chi Minh in Vietnam. It is known for its modern take on traditional Vietnamese cuisine and its stylish and chic ambiance.
The restaurant is led by Chef Peter Cuong Franklin, who is known for his innovative approach to Vietnamese cooking. He combines classic ingredients and flavors with modern techniques and presentation to create unique and flavorful dishes.
Anan offers a range of dishes, from small plates to larger mains, as well as a selection of creative cocktails and mocktails. Some of the standout dishes include the crispy pork belly with caramel sauce, the grilled eggplant with miso and peanuts, and the pho short rib with bone marrow and herbs.
The restaurant's interior is sleek and stylish, with an industrial-chic aesthetic that includes exposed brick walls, concrete floors, and metal accents. There are both indoor and outdoor seating options, and the restaurant has a lively and energetic atmosphere.
Overall, Anan is a must-visit for foodies and travelers looking to experience innovative Vietnamese cuisine in a stylish and trendy setting.
MENU:
AMUSE BOUCHE Säi Gön
Smoked Caviar Egs
A soft-cooked Ga Ta village chicken egg is accompanied with local Oscietre Caviar and a sprig of dill, a common herb used in Ha Noi dishes.
FOIE GRAS SPRING ROLL Hä Nöi
Pork, truffle, herbs
Spring rolls à la Française with a filling of foie gras, pork and truffle. Vietnam is famous for all kinds of rolls, both fresh and cooked. The use of a netted rice paper from Central Vietnam keeps the roll light and crispy, and the incorporation of French foie gras complements the classic pork stuffing and gives the dish a richness not normally associated with a classic spring roll.
SALMON BANH NHÚNG Mekong
Salmon roe, smoked salmon, crème fraiche, local dill
Caviar Banh Nhung is inspired by the traditional waffle cakes found at street food stalls in markets in Vietnam.
Here, it's served with a classic French tart preparation. The tart shell is replaced by a light and crispy Vietnamese rosette pastry made from rice flour and egg, and it's topped with salmon caviar, smoked salmon, crème fraiche and a cream made from local dill.
RIVER PRAWN BÁNH XEO TACO Huê
Prawn, pork belly, fresh herbs
This dish of rice and turmeric crêpe with pork belly, prawn and peanut sauce, pays homage to the humble small rice crèpe from Hué in central Vietnam. The crêpe technique was acquired from the French during the colonial period and adjusted for the local palate using rice as a base along with a now classic pork and shrimp filling. Here, a simple change in form from a flat crêpe to a taco alters the dish from something familiar into something completely new.
CHÀ CÁ LA VONG STYLE Há Nöi
Black cod. turmeric and local dill cream sauce
Cha Ca La Vong is an iconic fish dish with turmeric and dill flavors from the north of Vietnam. We have replaced traditional catfish with the buttery flavor & silky texture of the Japanese black cod. The thi la dill cream sauce has a hint of earthy turmeric spice and the bun noodle is seasoned with a touch of mam töm, a type of fermented shrimp paste.
CAVIAR CHÃO CONGEE Dà Lat
Chão cá rice congee, onsen egg, Da Lat Caviar
Rice congee is a humble comfort dish in Vietnam and other parts of Asia. Chef Peter elevates this local fish congee dish to another level using a light rice foam, seasoned with flaky cod fish and the delicate flavor of local Oscietra caviar from his hometown in the Dä Lat highlands.
RUN CHA BOURDAIN HA NOI
Grilled pork, spring roll, bun noodle, tia to herb
Bún cha is a beloved, traditional grilled pork noodle dish from the north of Vietnam. served with bún rice noodles, a plate of fresh herbs and a light noc cham dipping sauce. Our modern, one bite version of this dish is accompanied by a shot of cold beer so you can enjoy the experience in a similar way Anthony Bourdain and Barack Obama did when they visited Hanoi in 2018. With One Bite and One Shot we have recreated the whole Hanoi experience. The late Anthony Bourdain's love for Vietnam and its street food culture was evident in mos of his writings and hims.
MOLECULAR PHO
Taste of pho in one bite
The One-Bite Pho is a molecular take on Vietnams most famous dish, featuring black truftle and wagyu beef in a sphere of pho broth. According to traditionalists, pho is an iconic Vietnamese dish that should not be changed. Here we believe that tood is dynamic and constantly changing, and so our molecular pho uses a tech nique first developed by Ferran Adria at elBulli restaurant to present pho in a new and rather whimsical wav.
POT AU PHO Hà Noi
New style pho with consommé broth, wagyu beef, foie gras, leek, carrot, daikon, banh pho noodle and herD
bouquet
Pho Dic Biet is our house special pho inspired by the iconic beef noodle soup found in traditional pho stalls
in the old quarters of Hanoi. Although not traditional, the trufile adds a depth of flavor to the French inspired consommé broth. The banh pho noodle is cut into round shape rather than the usual long noodle strands.
NUÓC MÁM ICE CREAM Phú Quöc
Vanilla, caramel, Phu Quoc pepper, Nuoc Mam Pertume
This dish features hish sauce in a dessert and is inspired by salted caramel beurre sale and the Vietnamese thit kho dish, braised pork belly with black pepper. Here, a classic French vanilla ice cream is topped with fish sauce car amel and black pepper from Phu Quo and finally a mist of Nuoc Mam Perfume on the ice cream before eating.
BÁNH CAM Mekong
Rice mochi ball, Marou Tien Giang 70% dark chocolate ganache, ginger calamansi sauce
Banh Cam is a classic street food snack with Chinese origins and now found throughout Vietnam, made with deep-fried glutinous rice, sesame and a sweet yellow mung bean paste center. This snack is evocative of Viet-lamese people childhood memories of sellers carrying these sweet pastries in a basket on their head on more often on a motorbike these days chanting "Ai ban cam, ban cing khong?" ("Who wants fried sesame rice balls?"). We have recreated this beloved dish with a truity, rich and creamy ganache made with Marou single origin dark chocolate from Tien Giang province in the Mekong Delta
PETIT FOURS Da Lat
Small bites with fruits and other flavors to end the meal
Traditionally, besides fruit, Vietnamese rarely eat dessert after a meal. However, there are beloved dessert dishes such as chè. a sweet soup. Here, we incorporate the French tradition of petit tours with a nudc mam chocolate bonbon made with Maison Marou single-origin chocolate; local strawberry from Dà Lat with black garlic cream; lantern fruit paired with a touch ot chili salt, a traditional, local approach to eating truit; seasonal fruits such as lychee, rambutan, mangosteen, soursop and Hanoi plum (when available) with organic flowers and chocomint eaves which can be eaten last as a palate cleaner