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The Chefs’ Green Gardens

Behind the pressure and precision of professional kitchens, the private gardens of several Vietnamese restaurants have become quiet green spaces where chefs reconnect with ingredients, with nature and with themselves. These gardens nurture inspiration for sustainable dining and offer guests an authentic journey from garden to table.

A Path Back to Origin
Nén Danang, the first restaurant in Viet Nam to receive a Michelin Green Star, chose to build its own farm despite being close to markets and farming regions. According to founder and executive chef Summer Lê, markets show only the final stage of an ingredient’s life, while Nén Farm reveals where everything begins. The purpose is not self-sufficiency but reconnection. Each member of the team understands that every ingredient was once a seed and a living organism.

The farm grows familiar Vietnamese plants such as banana, malabar spinach, aromatic herbs, squash, tomatoes, black sesame and green beans. Everything is cultivated naturally by dedicated farmers and the restaurant’s chefs. They tend each row by hand and maintain a balanced ecosystem. This direct relationship with the earth deepens the team’s understanding of how nature and cuisine are linked.

Nén Farm is also a space for experimentation. The team studies which seeds adapt best to local soil, water and climate and which varieties align with the culinary story the restaurant wants to express. For guests, the farm completes the experience. It offers a tangible connection from seed to garden to table, creating a full circle of harmony between people and nature.

A Green Oasis in the City
An’s Saigon in Ho Chi Minh City feels like a small oasis surrounded by greenery. Its garden began with a simple goal from the chef: grow herbs, leaves and edible flowers they could trust completely. Chef Cường Nguyễn believes purity of ingredients shapes every dish. Having a private garden allows the team to harvest only what they need each day. Herbs reach the table at peak freshness and waste is almost eliminated.

The time spent tending the garden also helps the team slow down in contrast to the fast pace of the kitchen. It strengthens their respect for ingredients because they witness how long a plant takes to grow, how much care it requires and how delicate its life cycle is. These quiet moments in the garden influence how they cook and how they value their craft.

A Zero Waste Garden
At Tales by Chapter, Viet Nam’s first plant-based and zero-emission restaurant, the rooftop garden supports the creative process while reinforcing the zero waste philosophy. Chef Quốc Hùng explains that herbs from the garden are used across multiple dishes, from decorative herbs in the signature dish “Early Mist” to aromatic leaves blended into rice.

Together with produce from the restaurant’s farm in Da Lat, the rooftop garden forms a small ecological sanctuary. Staff care for the herbs and vegetables daily, creating a space that nourishes both creativity and mindfulness. It also helps the restaurant maintain control over ingredient quality and supply.

Any leftover roots are replanted when possible. Stems, peels and leaves are collected, mixed with molasses and rice bran and turned into organic compost. This produces nutrient rich liquid used to water the plants. The garden becomes the final step in a cycle where every part of an ingredient is valued.

Chef Quốc Hùng plans to expand the garden with more traditional Vietnamese produce, particularly indigenous tubers and leafy vegetables. This will enrich the restaurant’s plant based culinary identity and strengthen its commitment to sustainability.

Across these kitchens and gardens, the connection between nature and cuisine becomes clear. Each space stands as a reminder that sustainable gastronomy begins with respect for the earth and continues through every thoughtful choice from soil to plate.