Raised in the United States but never far from the flavors of his homeland, chef Tung Phan has transformed childhood memories of Vietnamese cuisine into the inspiration behind Camille - the first Vietnamese restaurant in the US to earn a Michelin star in both 2024 and 2025.

Located in Orlando’s Lake Baldwin neighborhood, Camille has been praised by the Michelin Guide as a place where “French culinary techniques are used to honor Vietnamese flavors in the most refined way.”

The restaurant began as a pop-up concept before officially opening in June 2023.

Just 10 months later, it earned one Michelin star, impressing inspectors with its inventive approach to Vietnamese fine dining.

Camille was founded by Vietnamese-born chef Tung Phan, born in 1991, alongside chefs Mike Vang and Fox Britten.

Speaking to VietNamNet, Tung said he was born in Dong Nai Province before moving to the US at under two years old.

“In Orlando, Florida, where my family lives, the climate feels very similar to Vietnam - warm winters, rain, but no snow. It always gave me a sense of familiarity and connection to my roots,” he said.

When creating Camille, Tung combined techniques learned at the French culinary school Le Cordon Bleu with the core principles of southern Vietnamese cuisine - fresh ingredients, balance between sour, spicy, salty and sweet flavors, and layered textures.

He wanted to challenge perceptions of Vietnamese food in the US by bringing traditional dishes into an elevated tasting menu format.

Dishes such as pho, bo kho and banh mi are not served conventionally, but instead reinterpreted through modern techniques and Tung’s personal culinary lens.

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Reinventing Vietnamese classics

Camille is designed to feel intimate yet elegant, offering a warm atmosphere that resembles dining in someone’s home.

The restaurant serves a limited-seat tasting menu experience featuring an eight-seat chef’s counter and several private dining spaces.

One of the restaurant’s most talked-about dishes is “Pho Espuma.”

Instead of a traditional bowl of pho, the broth is transformed into a cloud-like foam while preserving the signature aromas of cinnamon, star anise and black cardamom, along with the rich flavor of Vietnamese beef pho.

“The espuma technique was something I learned from one of my mentors early in my career,” Tung explained.

“It’s a way to completely transform texture while preserving the soul of the flavor, creating a new visual and sensory experience for guests.”

Another example of Camille’s playful creativity is a red bean cake paired with rich French cheese and topped with sansho pepper strawberry sauce.

The restaurant’s mooncake is reinvented with a filling made from duck meat and duck offal, offering a rich and savory interpretation of the traditional treat.

Tung also incorporates premium international ingredients such as Japanese bluefin tuna and French foie gras to meet Michelin’s demanding standards.

In one dish inspired by northern Vietnamese pho, diced Wagyu beef is paired with a concentrated broth and served alongside a modernized version of quay - Vietnam’s fried breadstick.

The result, critics say, preserves the soul of pho while elevating its structure and ingredients.

Camille’s porridge dish combines slow-cooked rice with salmon roe, fresh oysters and a broccoli cream sauce.

“There are so many Vietnamese ingredients and dishes I still hope to introduce to the world of fine dining, such as bitter melon soup, fertilized duck eggs and tiet canh,” Tung said. “I’m always excited to find ways to reinvent hometown dishes while still honoring their traditional identity.”

Recently, Tung returned to Vietnam to further explore the depth of the country’s culinary traditions and collaborate with local chefs on upcoming projects.

“When I come back to Vietnam, I honestly feel jealous of the people and chefs here because they have access to incredible fresh fruit markets, live seafood and seasonal vegetables,” he said. “These ingredients are truly what make Vietnamese cuisine so captivating.”

Linh Trang - Khánh Linh