From the sun-drenched land of Ninh Thuan to the fertile waterways of Southern Vietnam, Two Regions. One Story. opened a dialogue between two regions through cuisine. Through the perspectives of Chef Alain Nguyễn and Chef Nguyễn Kiến Trúc (Brian), local ingredients, regional memories and a spirit of craftsmanship came together to tell a contemporary Vietnamese story.
Some stories about Vietnam do not need to begin with grand gestures. Sometimes, they are found in an ingredient shaped by its terroir, a flavour familiar since childhood, or in the way each region preserves its identity across generations.
At An Lam Retreats, Vietnamese identity has long been expressed in this way — not overtly, but through nature, architecture, heartfelt hospitality and experiences deeply connected to place. In its culinary journeys, this spirit continues through familiar ingredients, regional stories and the way they are reimagined through a contemporary lens.
Two Regions. One Story. was one such culinary journey, bringing two distinct expressions of Vietnam to the same table: the sun-drenched landscape of Ninh Thuan and the fertile South, shaped by rivers, orchards and seasonal abundance.
When the land becomes the beginning
For Chef Alain Nguyen, Ninh Thuan is remembered through the coastal sun, the salinity of the sea and ingredients shaped by a landscape of heat and wind. Sea urchin, sesame rice crackers, onions, garlic and lamb are more than ingredients — each carries the character of the land from which it comes.
Two chefs, one story rooted in local ingredients
For Chef Nguyen Kien Truc (Brian), Chef at An Lam Retreats Saigon River, inspiration comes from Southern Vietnam — a region where rivers nourish orchards, seasonal fruits and a cuisine known for its warmth and generosity. Pickled eggplant, fish sauce, coconut, Lái Thiêu mangosteen and palm sugar evoke flavours deeply familiar in everyday life.
Two chefs, two culinary memories and two ways of interpreting home. Their common ground lies in a shared respect for local ingredients and a desire to give them new expression.
From the sun-drenched coast to the abundant South
In the meeting between Chef Alain Nguyen and Chef Nguyen Kien Truc (Brian), familiar ingredients from both regions were placed in new relationships while retaining the identity of where they began.
From Ninh Thuan sesame rice crackers and sea urchin pâté to squid paired with young ginger, shallots, garlic, fish sauce, coconut oil and coconut milk from the South, each dish offered a different glimpse into landscape and memory. Familiar flavours were revisited through a contemporary approach, where creativity enhanced rather than overshadowed the original character of each ingredient.
Ninh Thuan’s sun and sea retold through its ingredients
The story continued through produce from the sea and Southern orchards, from black grouper to Lái Thiêu mangosteen. Rather than blending the two regions into one, the culinary journey allowed each to retain its own voice — from the salinity of the coast and the warm, aromatic notes of Ninh Thuận to the freshness and abundance of the Southern waterways.
This also reflects the philosophy behind An Lam Retreats’ culinary experiences: not to blur differences, but to create a space where each land, ingredient and story can be expressed in its own way before becoming part of a broader Vietnamese narrative.
A spirit of craftsmanship, from the kitchen to the sake glass
That spirit of craftsmanship was further carried through by MÙA Craft Sake.
Crafted in Vietnam with a focus on Vietnamese ingredients, MÙA shares a similar approach with An Lam and the two chefs: beginning with what belongs to the land, then allowing technique and craftsmanship to give it a new form of expression.
MÙA Craft Sake accompanies the journey of local flavours
Each pairing was thoughtfully selected to complement the dishes, balance contrasting flavours and, at times, reveal a different dimension of the ingredients. From plate to sake glass, craftsmanship became a thread running throughout the experience.
A Vietnamese story by the Saigon River
Amid the lush riverside setting of An Lam Retreats Saigon River, the meeting of Ninh Thuan and Southern Vietnam returned to what An Lam has always sought to create: experiences connected to nature, people and Vietnamese identity.
Rather than making different regions feel the same, each experience becomes an opportunity to reveal what makes them distinct — from terroir and local produce to memories and the way people connect with the places they call home.
Through culinary journeys such as Two Regions. One Story., An Lam Retreats continues to tell the story of Vietnam through a contemporary language — beginning with familiar ingredients, richly distinctive regions and the people who hold a deep respect for where those stories begin.
For further information, please contact: rsvn.sr@anlam.com | (+84) 274 378 5555 | anlam.com
