Nén Danang, the first restaurant in Vietnam to receive a Michelin Green Star, will open in Daikanyama, Tokyo, on September 2, 2025. Chef Sammer and Leon, childhood friends, present their "Sto:ry Menu," a culinary translation of "unspoken Vietnam" using 99% hyper-local ingredients and hand-drawn cards. "Nén Tokyo," realized through co-creation with Transit, aims to convey the true Vietnamese food culture as an experience, going beyond pho and banh mi.

Da Nang is a coastal city in central Vietnam, known for its approximately 50km stretch of sandy beaches and its history as a prosperous port during the French colonial era. In recent years, it has become a popular tourist destination.

Nén Danang, a fine dining establishment offering innovative Vietnamese cuisine, opened in 2017.

This has been the flagship store of the Nén brand since its opening, attracting international attention for its cuisine, which expresses the philosophy of Chef Sammer, who holds an MBA; the unique dining experience designed by his partner Leon; the heartfelt presentations by the staff; and the use of high-quality local ingredients.

Although temporarily closed due to the impact of COVID-19 from 2021 to 2022, it reopened in August 2023. A year later, in June 2024, it became the first restaurant in Vietnam to be awarded the "Michelin Green Star" for its sustainability.

This year, marking the 80th anniversary of Vietnam's founding, "Nén" will open its first Japanese store, "Nén Tokyo," in Daikanyama, Tokyo, on September 2nd, Vietnam's National Day.

Prior to this, in July, I had the opportunity to visit "Nén Danang" in Da Nang and "Nén Light Saigon" in Ho Chi Minh City, where I was able to speak with Chef Sammer and Creative Director Leon.

This article traces the journey of Chef Sammer, his partnership with co-founder and husband Leon, and their co-creative path with their Japanese partner, Transit Group, focusing on Chef Sammer's own words.

"I'm from Da Nang. Leon and I have known each other since high school, so we've been together for over 20 years." – As this single sentence summarizes, the story of Chef Sammer and Leon began at a high school in Da Nang.

"Sammer was in the seat next to me when we were in high school" (Leon)

After graduating from high school, the two chose Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (APU) in Oita, Japan, for their university studies.

Visiting Japan from their native Vietnam and experiencing life at APU, a hub for students from diverse backgrounds, they gained a broader perspective than they could have in Da Nang and a filter through which to view Vietnam from the outside.

The network that Chef Sammer and Leon built at APU would directly lead to the founding of Nén.

In fact, almost all of the core members currently working at Nén are APU graduates. Sammer, the chef, handles the menu characterized by storytelling and draws the story cards for the menu; Leon is responsible for Nén's unique experiential design, which evokes a sense of quiet yet inner energy; Peter manages strategy and marketing; and although their titles differ, their core values are the same.

"It's faster (because our sensibilities are aligned)," Leon laughs. Because they are friends with a shared background of studying at APU in Oita, decision-making is exceptionally quick, allowing them to rapidly refine their highly narrative cuisine.

The philosophy of "multicultural coexistence" learned at APU resonates with Nén's concept of "Consciously Vietnamese." Deeply exploring their own local culture while re-presenting it within a global context – this was originally shaped through late-night discussions during their APU days. The sea breeze of Da Nang and the mountain mist of Oita, memories of these two places intersect to culminate in today's Nén.

"I didn't originally intend to open a restaurant. But I was encouraged by those around me, and I became a chef," says Chef Sammer.

In fact, Chef Sammer was known as a popular blogger introducing Vietnamese cuisine even during her student days.

Her recipes for home cooking, filmed in her campus dorm kitchen, and articles about her visits to local street food stalls in Da Nang were shared in multiple languages and went viral among her peers. After returning to Vietnam, she leveraged this influence to establish "Fantastic Da Nang Food Tour" in 2014, leading gourmet tours in Da Nang. Her style of taking tour guests to markets, explaining the background of ingredients while they ate, gained popularity.

However, a feeling grew within her: "Simply guiding people to other people's restaurants isn't enough to convey Vietnamese food culture in my own words." So, she decided, "I will create a restaurant that has its own story."

She had no prior experience in restaurant management, but she began learning cooking from scratch, leveraging her skills as a storyteller honed through blogging and tours. In 2017, together with Leon, she opened the fine dining restaurant "Nén Danang" in Da Nang.

The joy of connecting with people through food remains unchanged since her gourmet tour days. Yet, now, as a chef, she is also in a position to train young chefs. From blogger to tour guide to restaurant owner – Chef Sammer's career was an inevitable evolution to more deeply and proactively communicate Vietnamese food culture.

The second restaurant in the Nén brand is located in Ho Chi Minh City. It is the fine dining restaurant "Nén Light Saigon," which opened in 2022.

"After 'Nén Danang' temporarily suspended operations due to COVID-19 in 2021, the Nén team relocated to Ho Chi Minh City and opened 'Nén Light Saigon' in District 1 in June 2022" (Chef Sammer).

Less than a year after opening, in 2023, it was listed as "MICHELIN Selected" in the "Michelin Guide Hanoi & Ho Chi Minh City," with a description stating, "A young chef presenting borderless cuisine curates a 7- or 9-course tasting menu that tells a story."

When asked about the brand name "Nén" during the interview, they explained it refers to an ingredient not widely known even in Vietnam.

" 'Nén' is an ingredient from central Vietnam, and in Japanese, it's a type of leek. We chose this ingredient and made it the name of our restaurant," says Leon.

They chose "Nén" as the name to symbolize "conveying the potential of the unknown local ingredients."

The cuisine at "Nén" is structured around a "Sto:ry Menu" with a different theme each time, uniquely featuring hand-drawn cards by Chef Sammer accompanying each dish. The Sto:ry Menu #0 "JOURNEY" I experienced at "Nén Danang" was a tasting menu inspired by Vietnam's nature and landscapes, such as the sea, mountains, and rivers.

For each dish, a hand-drawn card was presented, with Chef Sammer's line drawings and brief explanations in Vietnamese and English, detailing "why this ingredient was chosen" and "what memories it evokes."

The "Sto:ry® Menu," Nén's most distinctive feature and a way to connect with Chef Sammer's vision and philosophy, is "a system that weaves stories into tasting menus." It is periodically renewed every six months with abstract concepts like light, time, and origin as themes, with minor adjustments made every few months.

The Sto:ry Menu #0 "Journey" I experienced featured dishes such as canapés using sea urchin, mangosteen, and banana rhizome, and a dish using Vietnamese scallops and paddy crabs, each accompanied by a card.

"The Sto:ry Menu is a way to express Vietnamese cuisine along with its cultural and historical value. For me, every grain of rice has its own story, and the farmer who grew it also has a story. I hope that everyone who comes to 'Nén' will experience the Sto:ry Menu and find their own story within it" (Chef Sammer).

I also visited "Nén Light Saigon" in Ho Chi Minh City and had the chance to taste Sto:ry Menu #7 <TIME>, launched on May 14, 2025. Chef Sammer mentioned, "We've encapsulated time itself into the cuisine over these four years."

"Time," "Memory," "Terroir" – The Sto:ry Menu is an attempt to translate such abstract concepts into cuisine. It is not uncommon for it to take several years to complete, and the meticulous research and narrative design behind it are what support the high Michelin rating (Green Star award).

At "Nén," as each dish is served, guests receive a card with a drawing by Chef Sammer.

The cards, featuring line drawings and brief text by Chef Sammer, explain the background of each unique dish – the origin of the ingredients, the chef's memories, cultural motifs – prompting guests to engage in a "deeper interpretation."

"I want people not just to taste it, but to feel and think" (Chef Sammer).

By presenting a card with each dish, guests' "minds are stimulated before their senses," drawing even their own memories into the narrative. This is truly the essence of Nén's approach to translating abstract concepts like "time," "memory," and "terroir" into cuisine, and it explains the meticulousness that earned them the Michelin Green Star.

Nén's uniqueness lies in its distinctive approach of telling a story through all its dishes. Each plate is a canvas, and each flavor is a brushstroke, painting a memorable narrative.

"The mission and goal of 'Nén Tokyo' is to select many Vietnamese ingredients and properly convey Vietnamese culture," says Chef Sammer.

"Nén Danang," which earned Vietnam's first Michelin Green Star, was recognized for "constructing dishes with a narrative using 99% hyper-local ingredients sourced from across the country, including its own farm."

While centering on Vietnamese ingredients, the remaining 1% is used to incorporate local stories, fermentation culture, and alcohol pairings, giving each of the three locations – Da Nang, Saigon, and Tokyo – its own unique context. This is the Nén signature style.

"Vietnamese cuisine is more than just pho and banh mi. 'Nén Tokyo' aims to be a hub for Vietnam" (Leon).

"I learned about the company Transit in 2019."

Sammer and Leon, who had always considered expanding to Japan, were drawn to an article about "THE PIG ＆ THE LADY," a modern Vietnamese restaurant then managed by Transit General Office (now Transit Holdings).

Transit is known as a "lifestyle platformer" that plans and operates over 140 food and beverage brands both domestically and internationally, integrating creativity and operations.

"I first met President Nakamura around last Christmas. He visited 'Nén Light Saigon' in Ho Chi Minh City" (Leon).

That visit marked the beginning of their interaction. A few months later, Chef Sammer presented a concrete plan: "I want to do 'My Dining' in Tokyo," and together with Manabu Kimura, representative of Transit Creative, who handles store development, they refined the concept over more than six months.

"This project would have been impossible without everyone at Transit. I am truly grateful" (Chef Sammer).

The story of "Consciously Vietnamese," continuing from Nén Danang to Nén Light Saigon and now to Nén Tokyo, is about to unfold on a new stage in Japan.

We spoke with Manabu Kimura, representative of Transit Creative, who is supporting the opening of "Nén Tokyo," about the Nén team.

"It's rare enough to have a female chef, but Chef Sammer also holds an MBA. I found that background very interesting. Moreover, they are friends from Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University and have already achieved success in Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City. That was also very intriguing" (Kimura).

"I think of a restaurant as a form of composite art. It's fascinating that the Nén team, who have known each other for a long time, are leading the creation of that unity. I'm very interested in how they will translate the style they've established in their home country, Vietnam, to the Japanese team" (Kimura).

"I would be happy if people could learn 'Vietnam is this profound' through our cuisine," says Chef Sammer.

The Michelin Green Star award is not a destination, but merely the prologue to a new chapter. Chef Sammer and Leon aim to spread the story of "Consciously Vietnamese" to the world, starting from Tokyo.

"Nén Tokyo" will take root in the town of Daikanyama, weaving "unspoken stories of Vietnam" and reinterpreting "time and memory" through cuisine. With the opening just around the corner, the anticipation for its debut is immense.