The story of Hum Dining and its service arm, HumVentures—where a deep-rooted passion for Vietnamese heritage has become a leading voice in high-end plant-based cuisine.
After more than a decade at the forefront of Vietnam’s premium vegetarian dining scene, Hum Dining has received international acclaim. Honoured by Tripadvisor in 2021, the restaurant was once again recognised in 2023, joining an elite group of less than 1% of Tripadvisor’s eight million profiles to receive the prestigious “Best of the Best – Traveler’s Choice” award for the second time, all while consistently earning tens of thousands of five-star reviews—a testament to its steady focus on quality and service.
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Looking ahead to 2025, the Hum Dining group is poised for its next evolution with the launch of Hum Signature, a new concept that promises to elevate the brand even further. Tatler Vietnam sat down with Phuong Bui, CEO of HumVentures and the visionary behind the Hum Dining empire, to discuss the journey so far and the exciting new chapter ahead.
Hello, Ms Phuong Bui. What inspired you and your partner to establish Hum in 2012? At the time, how did you assess the challenges and opportunities ahead?
Since 2008, the founding team behind Hum had been asking: Why is vegetarianism such a meaningful lifestyle, yet vegetarian cuisine in Vietnam lacks emotional depth? Why, in a country so rich in fruits and vegetables, had plant-based dining not evolved accordingly? From these questions, the idea of creating a restaurant that would redefine plant-based cuisine was born.
However, for more than three years, I hesitated. I was deeply involved in other commitments, and I questioned whether I could succeed without a background in F&B. It wasn’t until 2011, when my main business ventures were stalled by market conditions, that I had the chance to immerse myself in MasterChef programmes. They reignited my passion and reminded me of the restaurant concept I had envisioned years before. The urge to serve, to create something entirely new, took hold—and I knew it was time to bring this vision to life.
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When setting up the restaurant, you highlighted the importance of the chef. What qualities were you looking for in order to bring such a novel concept of high-end vegetarian cuisine to life more than 13 years ago?
Finding the right chefs for Hum was not easy, but I was persistent. One of the first chefs I encountered was self-taught, yet had risen to head chef positions at several busy restaurants. I admired his resilience and work ethic, and I arranged to meet him, asking him to prepare a few dishes from the menu. That meal left a lasting impression—it was then that I knew I had found the right person to help shape Hum’s culinary identity.
From that foundation, the team steadily grew, bringing in talented and committed individuals—many of whom have been with us for over a decade. Looking back, I feel incredibly grateful to have built a team of skilled, trustworthy companions on this demanding yet rewarding journey.