Summer Tasting Menu 2022

Rather than a gentle seasonal awakening, Gia’s Summer Tasting Menu 2022 unfolds like waves glistening under the summer sun. Each dish arrives as a new ripple, calm yet surprising, distinct yet harmoniously connected. Together, they form a seaside narrative told through flavor, texture, and emotional resonance.

This menu is Gia’s interpretation of summer: not merely warmth or brightness, but movement, fluidity, and renewal. The sea is not referenced loudly, but felt through freshness, restraint, and the quiet depth that lingers after each bite.

Balance Through Vietnamese Philosophy

In Vietnamese culinary culture, the concept of Ngu Hanh Tuong Sinh (the Five Elements in mutual generation) is deeply embedded, not only in elaborate ceremonial dishes, but also in everyday meals, street food, and childhood snacks. It is an intuitive understanding of balance: between hot and cold, richness and lightness, nourishment and restraint.

Inspired by this philosophy, Gia’s Summer Tasting Menu brings together seasonal ingredients and thoughtful techniques to create a dining experience rooted in the spirit of “delicious – wholesome – nourishing.”

Flavors Of Autumn Season

Box of Four — The First Encounter with Summer

The journey begins with Gia’s signature Box of Four, a wooden box divided into four compartments, each offering a small yet intentional opening note to the menu.

For those familiar with Gia’s tasting menus, the early courses often serve as a gentle introduction, slowly unfolding the story of the season before reaching its crescendo midway through the experience. This summer, however, the Box of Four delivers an immediate sense of immersion.

It evokes the sensation of stepping into the sea for the first time after a long year away, a brief shiver from the cool water, followed by a rush of vitality as the body adjusts and waves move in to welcome you. The four bites act as soft calls that awaken the palate with freshness and lightness. When tasted attentively, one might even imagine the distant sound of waves breaking.

Radish: Subtlety, Structure, and Freshness

At first glance, this dish appears understated, yet it reveals remarkable complexity.

Creamy Camembert gently embraces a sponge gourd sauce, while a squash blossom filled with clam rests delicately beneath crisp lettuce leaves. Radish forms the structural foundation, anchoring the dish with clarity and crunch.

The maritime influence is subtle rather than assertive, lending freshness that balances the overall structure of the meal. Textural contrasts, crisp and tender, cool and rich, come together seamlessly. What seems simple is, in truth, the result of a precise and confident orchestration of elements that rarely coexist with such ease.

Rice: A Cold Noodle for Hanoi Summer

Rice, a familiar ritual at Gia, appears in the form of handmade rice noodles. For the summer menu, the noodles are paired with fresh blue swimmer crab, salmon roe, and a chilled seafood broth. The result is a cold noodle dish so soothing that one wishes it could replace every lunch and dinner on a sweltering Hanoi day.

Sweet, firm crab meat meets the gentle richness of salmon roe, complemented by fine, delicate rice noodles and just enough cool broth to refresh both body and mind. It is a dish that calms rather than excites, offering comfort as nourishment.

This creation feels like a quiet reassurance, generous, restorative, and deeply considerate. A thoughtful gift from Gia to Hanoi’s summer heat.

A Summer Told Through Restraint And Depth

Gia’s Summer Tasting Menu 2022 does not chase intensity. Instead, it captures summer as a living rhythm, waves arriving one after another, never identical, yet always in harmony.

We invite you to experience this season at Gia, where summer is not only tasted, but felt, through balance, freshness, and a lingering sense of calm.

Book your table to explore the new tasting menu –A Triumph Of Homecoming – December 2025

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About Gia

Nestled in the heart of Hanoi’s Old Quarter, Gia is a contemporary fine dining restaurant proudly listed in the MICHELIN Guide Vietnam. Led by Chef Sam Tran, Gia tells Vietnam’s culinary story through seasonal tasting menus that bridge tradition and innovation. Each dish reflects the restaurant’s philosophy – to honor Vietnamese ingredients, elevate local craftsmanship, and create a dining experience that feels both personal and timeless.

Recognized among Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants (Top 51–100) and The Best Chef Awards, Gia continues to celebrate Vietnam’s rich gastronomic heritage with modern artistry and quiet confidence.

→ Discover more about Gia: gia-hanoi.com/home