W Coffee Talk Chef Hoang Tung: Motivations from the seemingly impossible

From being a cook in a Northern European country, at the age of 26, Hoang Tung returned home to open his first fine dining restaurant pioneering in tasting menus in Vietnam. 

From T.U.N.G Dining (Hanoi) to Å by T.U.N.G (Ho Chi Minh City), Hoang Tung's restaurants have caused a sensation among cuisine lovers in Vietnam, most often fully booked and soon enough earning their places in the country's emerging culinary world. Notably, T.U.N.G Dining is also among the 2 Vietnamese restaurants in the Top 100 best restaurants in Asia by The World's 50 Best (2022), honored with Michelin Selected for two consecutive years (2023 & 2024). Their talented creator - Hoang Tung has recently appeared in the Forbes Vietnam under 30 list in 2022.

The journey might sound like a real-life fairy tale. But once having the opportunity to chat with this young and enthusiastic chef, you’ll realize there's no such thing as tales. It turns out the halo of Hoang Tung’s achievements comes hand-in-hand with a "stubborn" pursuit of dreams and countless efforts of not just one person, but a collectively dedicated team who're "working like a well-oiled machine every day, sweating to maintain the restaurant's reputation”. 

When faced with the choice between doing business or being a chef, you chose to pursue a career in the kitchen. Do you still feel good about the decision made?

So far, I’m still satisfied with the decision to pursue my passion for cuisine. Years of studying business are also a huge advantage for my current restaurant business career. Pioneering the realization of a concept that first appeared in Vietnam requires great courage and a sense of freedom to make their own decisions. When I first opened the restaurant, many people did not believe T.U.N.G Dining could be successful. Back then and even now, the fact that I'm both a chef and a businessman has pushed me to be persistent in pursuing the path I have chosen.

Having once shared that “expectations affect diners’ feelings”, after achieving a decent scale of recognition, what managing expectations means to you? 

Any high-end restaurant has to work with customer expectations. The key factor is to maintain consistency, serving diners every day with a guaranteed quality-standard. Therefore, each team member must always stay 100% focused to avoid unnecessary mistakes throughout the process, from advertising, table reservations, services, to getting feedback in order to improve the services.

What’s the secret to having two restaurants always fully booked?

Only the quality of the experience can retain customers, and is the factor that needs to be put first. Coming to restaurants like T.U.N.G Dining or Å by T.U.N.G, diners do not simply "eat to fill their stomachs", but they will immerse themselves in a "concert" of all the senses, served by enthusiastic staffs with extensive knowledge, enjoying exquisite cuisine in an aesthetic environment.

I always tell my staff that all diners, once they walk through our restaurants' doors, will leave all their worries outside to enjoy a true culinary experience.

What do you think about the fine dining segment in Vietnamese cuisine in recent years? Are there more and more "competitors" of T.U.N.G Dining appearing in the market? If so, what makes your restaurant stand out?

Competition is necessary in any field and any industry will face change and inheritance. T.U.N.G Dining is the first restaurant in Vietnam with a tasting menu, so it's great for me to see more and more fine dining restaurants in Vietnam inspired by what T.U.N.G Dining started.

There are staff or chefs working at famous restaurants in Vietnam who came from a kitchen of less than 10m2 at T.U.N.G Dining. This is something I am very proud of when witnessing generations of young chefs emerging from my own restaurant.

Having worked as a chef for Michelin restaurants in Europe, and now working as a head chef at fine dining restaurants in Vietnam, what do you think are the similarities and differences in taste as well as diners’ characteristics between the two cultures?

Each country or continent has different cultures, working styles and approaches. Europe has a long history with tasting menus in particular and fine dining in general. Meanwhile, in Vietnam, fine dining is still a new concept, which contains lots of unveiled potential.

When I first returned to Vietnam in 2018, many Vietnamese diners thought that fine dining restaurants must be located in sparkling 5-star hotels. Over time, with the gradual development of fine dining here, Vietnamese diners are now much more open and understanding about different approaches and styles of fine dining.

One thing I have realized is that most customers are divided into two groups with different ways of receiving food. Taste is highly individual. Some local diners will immediately deny and say that the food is not delicious. But there are still many diners who appreciate the difference, considering it one of the beauties of fine dining. They are willing to step out of their comfort zones to try new flavors which they've never experienced before. It may or may not be to individual taste. But all of that has created interesting creativity in fine dining.

What was the most difficult moment for you since T.U.N.G Dining first opened its door? How did you feel at that time, and what did you do to overcome it?

Difficulties came right from the beginning, when not many people believed in this idea. They even asked me why I opened a fine dining restaurant in Vietnam, more specifically in Hanoi, but that’s what I chose to do, so there was no other way but to stay persistent and determined. What might have come from my stubbornness - T.U.N.G Dining now is about to celebrate its 6-year journey full of hardship but no less fulfillment.

I feel like there are so many complaints about what can’t be done and so few people putting in the effort to find solutions. It’s a huge motivator to think that you can do something that people thought was impossible at the time.

Apart from the quality of ingredients, what are the challenges prompted from regularly introducing new seasonal menus? What is your secret to continuously creating new culinary experiences?

I always focus on two key factors when developing a seasonal menu: inheritance and creativity. The pressure to create a new menu is real, because diners have very high expectations for the restaurant's dishes. I have to take that into account. One of the important factors when developing a new menu is to use "seasonal" ingredients. Therefore, the biggest challenge is to find a high-quality, consistent source of supply to maintain the quality while ensuring reasonable business costs.

My inspiration for the dishes comes from everyday life. I love looking at ordinary things and upgrading them into a blast of tastiness and an innovative version for my guests.

Between creating a new dish and preparing it, which is more difficult?

Preparing or creating a dish both have certain difficulties. For me, creating is always the hardest part. As for preparing and maintaining quality on a daily basis, I feel very lucky to have a team of very hard-working and disciplined colleagues, working and sweating on a daily basis in the kitchen like an unstoppable machine to maintain the reputation of the restaurant.

What will diners remember about T.U.N.G Dining?

The food and the people. Coming to T.U.N.G Dining, diners will be warmly welcomed by the kitchen staff and waiters. We are very happy to welcome, serve and accompany diners every day throughout the exciting culinary experience filled with the passion of many people.

If you were to open your next restaurant, which city would you choose?

If I had the chance to open another restaurant, my next location would still be Hanoi. I believe there remains a lot of potential for development with a large population, a young generation of customers and a lot of room for new ideas.