Vu is a fine ambassador for Vietnamese cuisine having trained in San Francisco at Michelin star-rated Michael Mina before returning to Saigon to continue his education under the guidance of Giovanni Parrella, the executive chef at the illustrious Reverie Saigon. 

Vu has now opened his own boutique kitchen - madebyvu – focusing on handcrafted patisserie chocolates and desserts. 

His Japanese inspired “nama” chocolates and “Basque-style” burnt cheesecake are earning rave reviews in our community and his delectable cookies have led many of his customers to refer to Vu as the “Saigon cookie monster”. 

Vu’s training at Michael Mina in San Francisco provided some of his most precious memories and helped prepare him for a career as a pastry chef.

It not only equipped him with vital skills, but he had the opportunity to appreciate the value of teamwork in a hectic, multi-national environment. He loved the hustle and bustle and embraced the pressure while feeling extremely proud of the quality of the cuisine that his team was able to send out to guests on such a consistent basis.

He believes that excellent customer service is vitally important in the hospitality industry because positive word-of-mouth is the key to growing businesses. It’s a long-term process towards building trust, always responding to feedback and ensuring that he replies to any enquiries promptly while also striving to go the extra mile.

This was very much the experience that I received from Vu after I had responded to his advertisement on a Facebook foodies group, as Vu personally delivered his nama chocolates to my office with words of appreciation and advice as to how best to store his chocolate. 

Vu is also a coffee connoisseur, believing that his daily cup gives him the energy to power through his busy schedule while also at the same time pairing deliciously with his sweet pastries. – Chris Thompson