Akuna, a fine-dining restaurant led by acclaimed chef Sam Aisbett, has introduced new additions to its six-course tasting menu, drawing on local ingredients and regional culinary traditions to craft a boundary-pushing gastronomic experience.
The newly updated menu features dishes such as spanner crab with pickled banana heart and A5 Sendai Wagyu beef wrapped in jungle leaves, highlighting the chef’s no-limits approach to cuisine. Chef Aisbett, formerly of Sydney’s three-hatted Quay restaurant, continues to elevate Vietnamese ingredients by merging them with global techniques and influences.
One standout dish incorporates spanner crab sourced from Binh Dinh Province, seasoned with a house-made vinaigrette of fish sauce, green tea vinegar, and macadamia oil. The preparation is layered with horseshoe crab roe from Ha Long Bay and served with a striking three-tiered jelly of fennel cream, seaweed vinegar, and green apple dashi.
Another newly introduced dish pays tribute to the Vietnamese street food “bò lá lốt” by featuring thin slices of Japanese A5 Wagyu beef rolled with jungle leaves from Gia Lai. The rolls are garnished with a medley of local herbs prepared in fresh, pickled, and fried forms for varied textures. The dish is accompanied by clay pot-cooked ST25 rice—Vietnam’s award-winning varietal—served tableside with beef garum, tobiko, and pickled mustard greens.
Akuna’s tasting menu, priced at VND3.9 million, is available for dinner only. As the restaurant updates its menu according to seasonal availability, these new offerings will be available for a limited time.
