SINH MẠCH TASTING MENU 2025

At Gia, a fine dining restaurant in Hanoi, Vietnamese cuisine flows through every detail — from the first scent of fish sauce to the final sip of tea. This season, our tasting menu “Sinh Mạch” invites guests to follow the lifelines of Vietnamese flavors — the arteries that connect past and present, simplicity and sophistication.

Every ingredient, every technique, and every story on the plate speaks of a shared current — the Artery of Identity that nourishes Vietnamese cuisine.

Where the Artery Begins – The Soul of Vietnamese Cuisine

When one seeks to describe the essence of Vietnamese culinary culture, a Chinese researcher once listed four iconic elements: fish sauce, pipe tobacco, bánh chưng, and betel and areca.Among them, fish sauce — ngư lộ — stands as the undeniable lifeblood of Vietnamese cooking.

It’s hard to imagine a Vietnamese meal without a small bowl of fish sauce. In summer, it might carry a bright hint of lime and chili; in winter, a deeper warmth of garlic and vinegar. A single meal may even feature two or three variations — because each dish deserves its own bowl.

Nem (spring rolls) pair with fish sauce spiked with garlic and chili. Bánh cuốn (steamed rice rolls) bloom with a few drops of cà cuống essence. Even the humble boiled morning glory needs its perfect companion — maybe pickled eggplant, dracontomelon, or chili.

From that tiny bowl on every Vietnamese table flows the first stream of Sinh Mạch — a current that connects every meal, every home, every season.

From Fish Sauce to Flow – A Journey Through Flavor Currents

From the thought of fish sauce, we began to trace the quiet currents that run through Vietnamese cuisine — the endless acts of seasoning, marinating, soaking, fermenting, dipping, and blending. Each step, each gesture in the kitchen, is a form of movement.Flavors never stand still; they shift, merge, and ripple across time.

At Gia, Sinh Mạch represents that fluidity — the pulse of flavor that carries the spirit of Vietnamese cooking from one generation to another.It is more than a menu; it is a reflection of how cuisine, like culture, flows and adapts.

Memory on the Plate – Highlight Dishes from the Sinh Mạch Menu

Each dish in the Sinh Mạch Tasting Menu reimagines familiar flavors through new forms — delicate, elegant, yet deeply rooted in memory.

Winter Melon | Sentinel Crab

A bowl of refreshing soup is a must-have for any family meal on Hanoi’s hot summer days. Tender winter melon, sweet sentinel crab, and a light, delicate broth come together to soothe the heat, soften the palate, and refresh the soul.At Gia, we transform that memory into a cloud-like layer on the surface, beneath which lies a harmony of flavors — a quiet nod to summer’s gentleness.

Pork | Starfruit

There’s sourness, sweetness, and aroma — all held together in one perfect roll.From the North to the South, Vietnam is the land of rolls. What ties them together is the spirit of balance: herbs cooling the richness of pork, dipping sauce bringing everything back to harmony.At Gia, grilled black pork jowl meets prawns marinated in mildly sour starfruit, wrapped with layers of fresh herbs — a circle of flavor where land, sea, and memory converge.

Tofu | Jasmine

Inspired by tào phớ hoa nhài — a beloved Hanoi afternoon treat — this dish revisits a gentle childhood sweetness.Silky tofu, fragrant jasmine, and just-sweet-enough syrup, now reborn as a refreshing ice cream.For us, it’s more than dessert — it’s a memory reborn, a reminder of how Vietnamese cuisine carries its essence through time and imagination.

A Reflection of Time – Tradition Reborn in Modern Craft

Vietnamese cuisine is not a museum artifact.It moves, breathes, and grows — just as our lives do.

At Gia, we hold deep respect for tradition but also believe that heritage gains strength when it evolves. Each menu we create reflects that philosophy: grounded in the essence of home cooking, yet shaped by contemporary craftsmanship.

Through Sinh Mạch, we explore those living connections — between flavors and memories, between people and place, between the past and what’s to come.

Join the Flow – Experience Sinh Mạch at Gia

Let your next meal in Hanoi be more than a dinner — let it be a journey through Vietnam’s living artery of flavor.Discover how a single drop of fish sauce can tell the story of a nation, how familiar ingredients can be reborn with grace, and how each bite connects you to the quiet pulse of Vietnamese life.

📍 Gia Restaurant Hanoi

📅 Seasonal Tasting Menu: Sinh Mạch 2025

📧 reservations@gia-hanoi.com

📞 (+84) 896 682 996

Reserve your table and experience the Artery of Identity — a celebration of Vietnamese flavors, crafted with soul.

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