Hanoi is a city that never stops surprising you with its food scene. From traditional Vietnamese street food to international restaurants tucked away in the alleys of Tay Ho, there is always something new to discover.
Enter MYOMI, a Korean-inspired bistro in Tay Ho that brings two cultures together.
The idea began with a simple observation. Around To Ngoc Van and the wider Tay Ho area, owner Ed felt there were relatively few places where people could properly enjoy Korean-inspired bistro dining alongside wine.
Rather than waiting for that place to appear, he decided to create it himself.
His vision for MYOMI goes beyond bringing Korean food to Hanoi. It is about exploring the connections between Korean and Vietnamese culinary cultures, combining familiar traditions with local ingredients to create something that feels entirely its own.
For Ed, Myomi’s identity is not about being exclusively Korean or Vietnamese, but about exploring the connections between the two. Charcoal grilling becomes a shared tradition. Fermented Korean ingredients meet seasonal Vietnamese produce. Soju-based cocktails sit alongside drinks inspired by Vietnam’s tea culture.
At the foundation of MYOMI’s cooking are three essential ingredients in Korean cuisine: doenjang, gochujang and ganjang.
These fermented staples are responsible for many of the deep, savoury and complex flavours that define Korean food. From the earthy richness of doenjang, to the heat and sweetness of gochujang, and the umami of ganjang, they provide an important flavour base throughout the menu.
Korean GU:I: The Heart of the Evening Menu
One of the central ideas behind MYOMI’s evening menu is GU (구이), the Korean tradition of grilling, often associated with Korean barbecue.
In Korea, charcoal has long played an important role in cooking, bringing depth, smokiness and a distinctive character to grilled ingredients. Vietnam has its own strong charcoal-cooking culture, something Ed found particularly interesting when developing the concept for MYOMI.
For him, this shared tradition became a natural connection between the two food cultures.
Rather than simply recreating a traditional Korean barbecue experience, Ed wanted to explore how Korean grilling traditions could work with the ingredients and culinary environment of Vietnam.
But GU is only one part of the story.
A Korean table is about much more than what comes off the grill. It is about balance, variety and the way different dishes come together. Vegetables, seasonal ingredients, fermented flavours, sauces and side dishes all have their place, creating a meal designed to be shared and enjoyed as a whole.
This philosophy shapes MYOMI’s approach to dining, where the experience extends beyond individual dishes to the combination of flavours, textures and ingredients across the table.
More Than Just a Meal
For Ed, the MYOMI experience should feel cohesive, from the first drink to the last dish.
The beverage menu follows the same philosophy as the kitchen, taking familiar ingredients and finding new ways to use them.
Cocktails incorporate soju, the Korean spirit, while mocktails highlight tea produced in Vietnam. There are also smoothies inspired by the wellness-focused lifestyle culture of places such as Erewhon in Los Angeles, reinterpreted through MYOMI’s own approach.
Each category offers a different way to explore the restaurant’s identity, whether through Korean ingredients, Vietnamese produce or contemporary drinks culture.
The goal is to create beverages that feel as considered as the food, rather than simply serving as an accompaniment. Ed wants even a single drink to offer something unexpected, giving guests the feeling that they have discovered a combination of flavours they have not experienced anywhere else.
It is this attention to the details, both on the plate and in the glass, that brings the concept together.
A Different Kind of Dining Experience in Tay Ho
Tay Ho has become one of Hanoi’s most interesting neighbourhoods for eating and drinking, with a diverse mix of international influences, independent restaurants and places to spend a long evening around the table.
MYOMI adds something a little different to that mix.
The goal is not just to create new dishes, but to encourage people to see something familiar in a completely new way.
That might mean experiencing Korean flavours through ingredients grown in Vietnam, discovering a new relationship between a grilled dish and its accompanying sides, or trying a drink that combines influences you would not necessarily expect to find together.
It is this sense of discovery that sits at the heart of MYOMI. Their Panouzzo brings an Italian-inspired twist to the restaurant’s creative approach to dining. With its freshly baked, sandwich-style bread and delicious fillings, it offers a comforting, casual option that fits naturally into MYOMI’s philosophy of bringing familiar food experiences to the table in a new way.
Familiar, Yet New
Some restaurants are easy to understand from a photograph or a quick look at the menu. Others need to be experienced in person. MYOMI belongs to the latter category.
Its concept is rooted in the details: the balance of a Korean table, the complexity of fermented ingredients, the character of charcoal grilling, the seasonality of Vietnamese produce and the way a carefully created drink can bring everything together.
Ed is confident in the menus he creates, and his ambition is to offer an F&B experience in Hanoi that is difficult to find elsewhere: one that feels connected to both Korea and Vietnam while developing an identity of its own.
Whether you are drawn in by the Korean-inspired grilling, curious about the combination of Korean fermentation and Vietnamese ingredients, or simply looking for somewhere different to enjoy food and drinks in Tay Ho, MYOMI offers an invitation to explore.
Ultimately, this is what Ed wants people to discover for themselves. Not just a new restaurant, but a new way of experiencing flavours and traditions they may already know.
Familiar, Yet New.
Go and discover MYOMI for yourself.
Address: 11 – Tô Ngọc Vân/26 Đ. Tô Ngọc Vân, Tây Hồ, Hà Nội
Phone: 033 2441 875
Instagram: MYOMI Casual Dining
Facebook: MYOMI – Casual Dining
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