50 Must-Know Women-Owned F&B Businesses in Ho Chi Minh City

Women have been the backbone of Vietnam’s hospitality industry since its inception.

But, despite their significant contributions and integral role in the industry, they are often marginalized by society. As such, many female entrepreneurs struggle to balance their careers with family responsibilities and face discrimination at work. They must also deal with gender-based violence on a daily basis.

Unsurprisingly, the hospitality industry albeit made up of 70% women is deceivingly patriarchal with only 20% of general manager roles being awarded to women. One of the biggest reasons for this statistic is the traditional and inherent prejudice that comes with being female in Vietnam. This is an unfortunate reality that could be remedied if women were given more support from friends and family or had better access to capital for starting a business. With some encouragement from policymakers or investors, female entrepreneurs can make strides towards closing the gender gap that pervades this important sector of Vietnam’s economy. Without these changes, it will be difficult for any woman to succeed in the industry, which is why it is important to raise awareness about the challenges they face.

• Women F&B leaders in Vietnam share about the challenges faced in the hospitality industry

Despite these challenges, women in Vietnam’s hospitality industry are determined to succeed. They are creative, hardworking and passionate about their work. As the country undergoes rapid economic and social transformation, the role of women in the hospitality industry is becoming increasingly important. They are helping to shape the future of this vital sector and making a positive impact on their communities. By highlighting these women-led businesses in the hospitality industry, I hope to break down the barriers they face and create a more inclusive society.

Happy International Women’s Day #ChooseToChallenge #Always

Bars

Rochelle Nguyen, Founder of 86 Proof (photo credit: BEL Coffee)

• 86 Proof - Rochelle Nguyen: An intimate speakeasy bar serving up delicious (mostly Whiskey-based) cocktails including crowd favourites such as its signature Whiskey Sour, Amaretto Sour, Double Espresso Old Fashioned and Earl Grey Nudi-tea Sour. Address: 98 Xuan Thuy, Thao Dien, Quan 2 Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

• Layla - Eatery & Bar, CTY Kitchen and Bar and Summer Experiment - Annie Vu: Last year, Summer Experiment made its debut on the World’s 50 Best Bars List when it placed 77th on the coveted industry list. Not long after, Layla and CTY Kitchen opened and similarly made waves amongst young Vietnamese professionals and expats alike in Ho Chi Minh City. Address: 72 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai D3 Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

• Malt, Spritz Cocktail Kitchen and Malt South - Thao Tran: Malt and Spritz is District 7 (Phu My Hung)’s go-to neighbourhood barbecue and bar featuring smoked American barbecue, bar bites and you guessed it, beers (as well as cocktails, whiskey and craft beers of course). Address: Greenview - 35 Nguyen Luong Bang, District 7 Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam 70000

• WAM Saigon - Mari Lyn: WAM is an intimate space with some of the best audiophile equipment, meaning all the details in the music can be heard, allowing artists to play the music they love without boundaries. Top bartenders behind the bar making beautiful and inventive cocktails. Simple Burgers, with carefully sourced top ingredients. WAM is all about quality: music, sound, drinks, food, atmosphere. Address: 8/19 Duong So 49b, Thao Dien, Quan 2 Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam 700000

Other women-owned bars in Ho Chi Minh City:

• Drift Bar Saigon - Rosie Doyle

Cafes

Yuki Sakamoto, Founder of Banan Cafe (photo credit: Yuki Sakamoto)

• Banan Café - Yuki Sakamoto: Banan Cafe is a pandemic-born cafe helmed by long-time Japanese expat Yuki Sakamoto. Named after Yuki’s son, Banan offers handcrafted Japanese desserts that are baked fresh daily. Think fluffy and light choux pastries, strawberry shortcake and Japanese cheesecake - yes, there’s a difference and only one way to find out! Address: 34 Ngô Quang Huy Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

• BSide Coffee and Plan B - Diep Nguyen: If you’re looking for me on a weekend morning, there’s a good chance I’ll be at Bside. Known for its Instagram-worthy interiors (vintage record player and wall of old school albums) and cosy ambience that makes you feel right at home - comfy sofa chairs and candles - Bside is easily my go-to spot for an early productive morning or early evening winddown. Oh, and did I mention how great the coffee is? Address: 44 Ngô Quang Huy, Thảo Điền, Quận 2 Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam 70000

Kel Norman, Founder of BEL Coffee and Wine Bar and Building Coffee (photo credit: BEL Coffee)

• Bel Coffee and Wine Bar - Kel Norman: Say hello to Vietnam’s first hybrid coffee-shop wine bar helmed by Kel Normally and Will Frith - founders of Building Coffee - and Dan Sousanis, a certified WSET Level 2 Sommelier. The cafe offers an extensive selection of coffee drinks such as Pandan latte as well as my favourite 70% decaf - 30% caffeinated almond milk latte. The wine list includes both French wines as well as imported wines from around the world including New Zealand and Australia. In less than a year, Bel has already made its mark on Ho Chi Minh City's growing café scene and for good reason. Address: 40/8 Phạm Viết Chánh, Phường 19, Bình Thạnh Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

• Godmother Bake & Brunch - Linh Dang: A mother of three, founder of Insta-famous Godmother Bake & Brunch and the co-founder and only female manager of HypeAsia. Together with her husband, Jonathan Kang, HypeAsia is home to innovative dining and nightlife concepts well-loved by both Vietnamese locals and foreigners alike. These include Octo Tapas Restobar, Roka Fella, Bam Bam and Commas Saigon, some of which have gone overseas. Address: Level 3, 2-4-6 Đồng Khởi Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam 700000

• Rawberry Cakes - Anya Tran: A vegan bakery that sells delicious made-from-scratch plant-based cakes such as Banoffee, Mango Passion Fruit and Triple Chocolate to popular plant-based renditions of crowd favourite sweet treats like vegan Twix and Snickers. Besides being vegan, all of Rawberry’s desserts are also gluten-free, dairy-free and free of any refined sugars. Healthy and good for you - who says you can’t have your cake and eat it? Address: 52 Đỗ Quang, Thảo Điền Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Restaurants

Founder of CTY Kitchen + Bar, Vicky Lam (Photo Credit: Tin Phung)

CTY Kitchen and Bar - Vicky Lam: An all-day kitchen and bar (Vietcetera’s 2021 Bar of the Year), CTY has already established itself as a hotspot for foodies and cafe aficionados in Ho Chi Minh City. Not only is the alfresco space open, airy and adorned with lush leafy flora and fauna, it’s also home to a generous display of both international and local artisanal spirits such as Lady Trieu Gin. On the food front, crowd favourites include the chicken katsu sando and watermelon cake, which itself is a good enough reason to visit CTY. Address: 72 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai D3, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Eddie’s New York Deli & Diner - Trần Lê Thanh Hằng: Think 1950’s New York, bold red neon signboards and classic American dishes and you get Eddie’s, a diner located in the heart of District 1 and Thao Dien, Saigon’s popular expat enclave. From monster milkshakes (boozy ones too!) to pancakes drizzled in maple syrup and made-fresh-daily cinnamon rolls, name any classic American dish and Eddie’s is bound to have it. A place for everyone, Eddie’s is also home to sister concepts - Shelley’s and Eddie’s Wok Express - serving vegetarian and American-Chinese dishes respectively. Address: 71 Thao Dien, Dist.2 Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam 700000

Founder of FuAsian, Chef-Founder Brooke Dinh (Photo Credit: Brooke Dinh)

FuAsian - Brooke Dinh: FuAsian in Vietnam is one of the only Halal restaurants with multi-ethnic cuisine under one roof. Founded by Chef Brooke Dinh, FuAsian aims to deliver genuine hospitality to communities and ensure food prepared using whole, natural and unprocessed ingredients is accessible to everyone. Address: 41 Nguyen Thi Thap, Tan Phu Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam 70000

FEURO - Rukmini Makkar: According to its website, FEURO is Vietnam’s “first-ever gourmet food delivery and catering service”. Though FEURO is a delivery-only concept, it definitely is on par with many of its brick-and-mortar comrades serving fresh, premium quality food. From Chicken Cordon Bleu to Beef Bourgignon to Asian-inspired classics such Pulled BBQ Pork Banh Mi and Japanese Yaki Udon with Pork Belly Stir Fry, FEURO’s generous menu (using predominantly local ingredients) promises something for everyone. Armed with a culinary team of highly-skilled chefs, all of FEURO’s packaging is also biodegradable and eco-friendly. Order: https://feurofood.com/order-online/menu

Tram M Le, Founder of Haubis Vietnam and Der Imbiss Bistro (photo credit: Der Imbiss Bistro)

Haubis Vietnam - Tram M Le: A household name amongst Austrian and German expats in Ho Chi Minh City, Haubis Vietnam is home to a selection of typical Austrian/German breads imported from Austria such as Pretzels, Baguettes, rolls as well as sausages (Currywurst, Bockwurst and Thuringer Rostbratwurst) and of course, beer. In 2021, Tram opened Der Imbiss Bistro serving up hot German and Austrian classics such as Chicken Schnitzel, Austrian apple pie and of course, some good ol’ fresh Sauerkraut. Address: 125A Quốc Hương, Phường Thảo Điền, TP.Thủ Đức Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam 84

MAD House, MAD Wine Bar & Courtyard - Camilla Bailey and Mary Vu: Living in sunny Saigon can only mean one thing - outdoor dining at any time of the year. Thanks to alfresco concepts such as MAD House, Mad Wine Bar and Courtyard helmed by female-founder duo Camilla Bailey and Mary Vu, appreciating the city’s tropical weather amid lush scenery has never been more enjoyable. Coupled with a generous wine and brunch menu, it’s easy to see how the duo’s many concepts fill up with hungry diners even after 7 years. An incredible feat many can only dream of. Did I mention Camilla is also the executive chef and a mom to a new baby boy? Address: 6/1/2 Nguyen U Di, Thao Dien, D2 Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam 70000

Other women-owned restaurants in Ho Chi Minh City:

• Brick and Barrel - Thuy Pham

• Chanh Bistro Rooftop Saigon - Truc Phuong

• Con Voi - Quynh Anh

• Hue Corner - Cattuong Hong

• L’Herbanyste, Planta and Wild Thyme - Corina Leong and Georgiana Zana

• La Villa French Restaurant - Tina

• Nage Eatery - Chef Thao Le

• Ono Poke Co. - Sa Sa Nguyễn

• Petch - Chef Nid

• Phở Chào - Bùi Thị Dung

• Pure Bowls - LyNa Phan

• Pizza 4P’s - Sanae Masuko

• TA Kitchen & Bar - Zoe

• The Gate - Phuong Le

• Tribe Hospitality (Firkin Bar, The Racha Room, Stoker Woodfired Grill & Bar) - Christy Dinh

• Voelker and BakeUp Bakery - Hong Hoa Le Thi

• Union Jack’s - Huyen Ryan

• Wrap Nation - Ankita Ghosh

Food Products

Diana Park, Founder of Chill Kombucha (Credit: Chill Kombucha)

• Chill Kombucha - Diana Park: Chill Kombucha is an artisanal gut-friendly beverage carefully made using locally-sourced ingredients. To founder Diana Park, Chill Kombucha was her answer to slow and nutritious living without compromise on food health safety. In 2019, Diana took a step back from medical consulting to, you guessed it, chill. While focusing on herself and her passions, she started to brew kombucha. Now, a women-led social enterprise, Chill Kombucha continues with Diana’s mission to be good and make good Kombucha. Website: https://www.facebook.com/kombuchachill

• Annie Cookie Store - Easily my favourite cookies in Vietnam, Annie’s Cookie Store is for anyone craving a classic New York-style cookie. Think thick and chewy cookies with a crispy exterior and gooey inside, signatures flavours include Salted Caramel, Red Velvet Chocolate almond, chocolate chip NYC style cookies and S’mores cookies. My favourite is the Smore’s Cookie with a graham cookie basic filled with both marshmallows and chocolate chips. Address: 63 Xuan Thuy St, Thao Dien Ward, Districts 2 Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam 70000

• RADA Wine Vietnam - Jackie Lam: “Really Affordable, Deliciously Australian” or RADA for short, is a wine distributor specialising in Australian wines. Featuring more than 100 different bottles of wine (white, red, rose, sparkling) and wine accessories, RADA has a range of wines starting from 100,000 VND to more than a million. A personal favourite of mine is the Seppeltsfield Para Grand Tawny, a gorgeous fortified port wine.Website: https://www.ilovewines.vn/

Other women-owned F&B businesses in Ho Chi Minh City:

• Annie’s Cookie Store - Trang Nguyễn

• Breadventure - Trang

• ByNature - Signe Krone Kühl

• Coffee Wave - Chi Üyen Nguyen and Majo Malpartida

• Die Leckerei - Nachbarschaftsladen & Minimarkt - Trần Thị Thanh Trà

• Is It Meat? - Jessica Marber

• Lady Kombucha - Hà Nguyên

• Le Truffle - Cass Le Gardner

• Orlar - Lyndal Hugo and Amanda Cornelissen

• R House - Diner & Lounge and The Meow House by R House - Geneva Marcelino

• Saigon Cider by Hannah Jefferys

• Spice Supply - Anh Truong

• The Cocoa Project - Khanh Linh Lê

• True Juice and Juicy Life - Tran Thanh Huyen

• WINECELLAR.vn - co-owned by a Vietnamese woman and most management positions are held by Vietnamese women

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