After years of visiting the world's culinary capitals, Chef Peter Cuong Franklin returned to Vietnam to open a restaurant and narrate the story of his homeland through food. For him, every traditional dish encapsulates memories and the identity of his home country that will completely take the center stage in global cuisine.

Chef Peter Cuong Franklin with his first 1-star Michelin certificate, awarded in 2023. Photo: Files

Born in Da Lat, Lam Dong Province, and raised in the US, Peter Cuong Franklin possesses a rich multicultural background as he has lived and worked in major cities such as New York, London, Hong Kong (China), and Bangkok. After graduating from Yale University with a degree in finance and subsequently training in the culinary arts at Le Cordon Bleu in France, he chose to veer off the conventional career path to pursue his passion for cooking and rediscover his Vietnamese roots through gastronomy.

In 2017, Peter returned to Ho Chi Minh City, choosing an old building tucked away in the Ton That Dam market to realize his dream. This marked the birth of Anan Saigon, a space where modern culinary techniques seamlessly converge with deeply cherished Vietnamese memories.

Peter (right) with his trainees. Photo: Files

Peter retells traditional recipes in a sophisticated manner. Photo: Files

Peter’s philosophy is innovating not just for the sake of being different. Rather, it is about redoing traditional recipes with greater sophistication. He once said that living in multiple cultures has given him a "dual perspective", allowing him to be an insider, and at the same time an external observer of Vietnamese culture. This enables him to re-examine familiar dishes with curiosity and respect.

At Anan Saigon, simple dishes like thit kho (braised pork), com hen (clam rice), banh mi, and Ca Mau crab are seen through modern culinary lenses while strictly preserving their original spirit. Each creation is more than a gastronomic experience, it is a narrative about the land, the people, and the memory of Vietnam.

Traditional Vietnamese dishes seen through Peter's contemporary lens. Photo: Files

 

Peter’s relentless efforts led Anan Saigon to become the first restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City to be awarded a Michelin star in 2023. This success was reaffirmed at the recent Michelin Guide Vietnam 2026 Awards Ceremony in Hanoi this June, where Anan Saigon was again honored among Vietnam's Michelin starred establishments. This milestone not only highlights the restaurant's consistent quality and innovation but also cements Peter’s position on the regional culinary map.

Peter with diners at Pot Au Pho 2.0 restaurant. Photo: Files

International food enthusiasts flock to Anan Saigon restaurant to enjoy Cuong’s culinary creations. Photo: Files

Refusing to rest on his laurels, Peter continues to expand his exploration of Vietnamese cuisine with Pot Au Pho 2.0, a project where he utilizes pho as the starting point for a dialogue between tradition and contemporary cuisine. Within a setting of just 14 seats, diners do not merely eat a familiar comfort dish, but experience how pho can be interpreted as an exquisite culinary masterpiece that fully retains the soul and cultural depth of Vietnam. As his most significant personal project this year, Pot Au Pho 2.0 embodies Peter’s ambition to elevate traditional pho into the realm of fine dining through contemporary creativity.

Despite his extensive international accolades, Peter’s creative inspiration stems from the most ordinary aspects of daily life: a cup of sidewalk coffee, a stroll through an old market, or local specialties during his trips around the country.

With his young team at Anan Saigon. Photo: Files

“I didn't come back to chase nostalgia,” Peter reflects. “I returned to rediscover my homeland and show the world that Vietnamese cuisine is memorable not just for its flavors, but for the profound cultural stories preserved within every single dish”./.

Story: Son Nghia

Photos: Nguyen Luan/VNP & Files