Travellers searching for a vegetarian tasting menu in Ho Chi Minh City often want more than dishes without meat. They want an experience that reveals the city through its ingredients, seasons and culinary memories. At Tales by Chapter, the Summer Tasting Menu begins with three plant-based bites: cucumber with peach gum, grilled pineapple and jackfruit with tonburi, and charcoal-grilled corn. Wasabi, yuzu kosho and fermented chilli move quietly through the trio, awakening the palate without hiding the natural character of the product. Read on to discover how three small bites set the tone for an entire plant-based tasting menu.
Why the first bites of a tasting menu matter
A tasting menu begins before the first main course arrives. Its opening snacks introduce the chef’s point of view, establish the rhythm of the meal and prepare the palate for the flavours that follow.
Unlike a conventional appetizer, each bite must communicate its idea quickly. Temperature, texture, aroma and seasoning need to come together in a single mouthful. A refreshing beginning may sharpen the senses, while a gradual movement towards sweetness, spice or smoke creates anticipation.
At Tales by Chapter, the three summer snacks move from crisp and cooling to ripe and tropical, before finishing with the warmth of charcoal-grilled corn. This progression gives guests an early understanding of the menu: vegetables and fruits are not supporting ingredients but the central subjects of the experience.
Three opening bites from Tales’ Summer Tasting Menu
The trio begins in vibrant green and develops towards deeper, warmer flavours. Although each bite has its own identity, the three are connected by their focus on seasonal produce and restrained seasoning.
Cucumber, peach gum, wasabi and mint
The first bite places cucumber at the centre. A delicate carrot shell holds diced cucumber and peach, with hydrated peach gum adding a light, almost jelly-like chewiness. Plant-based cream cheese brings softness, while wasabi, mint and salted plum create a fresh but lively contrast.
Peach gum is more commonly found in Asian sweet soups and desserts. Once soaked, the plant resin develops a translucent, gently chewy texture. Using it in a savoury opening bite changes how the familiar ingredient is experienced: not for sweetness, but for the way it slows down each mouthful.
Wasabi provides a short, clean lift rather than lingering heat, while mint reinforces the cooling character of the cucumber. A dusting of powder made from dehydrated cucumber trimmings completes the bite, concentrating the ingredient’s flavour while giving a part that might otherwise be discarded a new purpose.
Guests are invited to eat the snack in one bite. This allows the crisp shell, cool filling, soft peach gum and bright seasoning to arrive together.
Grilled pineapple, jackfruit and tonburi
The second snack moves towards the ripe sweetness of tropical fruit. Grilling pineapple develops caramelised edges and softens its acidity, while jackfruit introduces a fuller perfume and a more generous sweetness.
Tonburi prevents the combination from feeling like a dessert. These tiny processed kochia seeds have a delicate, bead-like texture that has earned them the nickname “caviar of the land”. According to Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Odate tonburi consists of mature kochia seeds measuring approximately one to two millimetres, with a texture reminiscent of caviar.
Here, tonburi brings small bursts of texture rather than the salinity of fish roe. It gives the tropical fruit a savoury direction and demonstrates how a plant-based tasting menu can create contrast without imitating animal ingredients. The result is ripe yet controlled: sweetness from the fruit, gentle acidity from the pineapple and a subtle textural interruption from the tonburi.
Charcoal-grilled corn and a memory of bắp xào
The final bite turns from cool freshness to smoke. Charcoal intensifies the natural sweetness of corn while adding a warm aroma that lingers after the bite has disappeared.
For Vietnamese diners, the flavour may recall bắp xào, a familiar street snack of stir-fried corn. Traditional versions are commonly cooked with butter, spring onion and dried shrimp, then served hot in a small cup or plate. It is simple, aromatic and closely associated with casual evenings and roadside food carts.
Tales does not reproduce bắp xào literally. Instead, charcoal-grilled corn captures part of its emotional character: warmth, sweetness, smoke and the comfort of a familiar ingredient. A street-food memory is reduced to its essence, then placed within a contemporary plant-based dining experience.
How the three flavours unfold
The opening snacks are designed to be eaten one at a time and, where possible, in a single bite. This preserves the balance intended by the kitchen.
The experience unfolds in three stages:
- Freshness: cucumber, mint, peach gum and wasabi cool and awaken the palate.
- Ripeness: grilled pineapple, jackfruit and tonburi introduce tropical sweetness and delicate texture.
- Warmth: charcoal-grilled corn closes the sequence with smoke and Vietnamese familiarity.
Together, the snacks move through crisp, chewy, juicy and tender textures. Their seasonings also build gradually, from clean wasabi heat to citrus-led yuzu kosho and the deeper character of fermented chilli.
This progression is important. If the smoky corn arrived first, it could make the cucumber feel too delicate. By beginning with the lightest flavour and ending with charcoal, the menu protects each ingredient while allowing the experience to gain depth.
More than vegetarian alternatives
Although many guests search for a vegetarian tasting menu in Ho Chi Minh City, Tales offers a fully plant-based experience. Its dishes contain no meat, seafood, dairy, eggs or honey.
That distinction matters because the menu is not structured around replacing familiar animal-based courses. Vegetables, fruits, grains, seeds and fermented ingredients provide the flavours and textures in their own right.
The three opening snacks illustrate this clearly. Tonburi is valued as a seed rather than used simply as a substitute for caviar. Peach gum contributes a texture that belongs to the ingredient itself. Corn connects contemporary technique with a Vietnamese street-food memory.
For vegetarian and vegan guests, this creates a menu that feels intentionally designed rather than adapted. For other diners, it offers an opportunity to experience how far plant-based cooking can move beyond familiar expectations.
What to expect from Tales’ Summer Tasting Menu
The three snacks provide the first impression, but they also make a promise about the courses ahead. Guests can expect seasonal ingredients, contrasts of temperature and texture, and references that move between Vietnamese food culture and wider Asian culinary techniques.
Tales’ official menu explains that the Summer Tasting Menu celebrates tropical fruit and seasonal produce, with ingredients sourced primarily from its Đà Lạt farm and rooftop garden.
The menu is not fixed. Courses may change according to ingredient availability and the kitchen’s continued experimentation. The curated menu is confirmed for each booking date, allowing produce to guide the experience rather than forcing the kitchen to reproduce the same dishes regardless of season.
For travellers, this makes dinner part of the visit. The meal reflects what is growing and how summer is being interpreted in Ho Chi Minh City at that particular moment.
Who is this tasting experience for?
Tales may be a suitable choice for:
- Vegan and vegetarian travellers seeking a fully plant-based menu
- First-time visitors who want a contemporary view of Vietnamese ingredients
- Couples planning a quiet fine-dining date in Saigon
- Diners interested in fermentation, seasonal cooking and zero-waste techniques
- Guests looking for an experience-led dinner rather than an à la carte meal
The menu may be less suitable for diners who prefer to choose individual dishes, as Tales serves a seasonal tasting menu exclusively. Guests with allergies or dietary restrictions should share them during the reservation process so the restaurant can confirm what accommodations are possible.
Where to try a vegetarian tasting menu in Ho Chi Minh City
Tales by Chapter is located on Nguyễn Thành Ý Street in central Ho Chi Minh City. Dinner begins with seasonal opening bites before progressing through a longer plant-based narrative.
For guests choosing between the chef’s counter and a more private table, the booking page offers different seating experiences. The chef’s counter allows closer interaction with the kitchen, while the dining room provides a quieter setting for conversation.
A memorable vegetarian tasting menu in Ho Chi Minh City does not need to begin with excess. At Tales by Chapter, cucumber and peach gum, grilled pineapple with jackfruit and tonburi, and charcoal-grilled corn are enough to introduce an entire season. Reserve your table at Tales by Chapter to discover how the rest of the Summer Tasting Menu unfolds, one seasonal ingredient and one unexpected chapter at a time.
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Tales by Chapter
The first zero waste plant-based dining in Vietnam
Add: 10 Nguyen Thanh Y, Tan Dinh, Ho Chi Minh City
Hotline: +84 368 150 125
E-mail: reservation@talessgn.com – Reservation
Are you ready to taste the future? Visit us at talessgn.com to book your sustainable dining experience today.
