Bar Director
Thong Hoai
Bar Director, The Enigma Mansion
- Discipline
- Bar Director
Portrait of Thong Hoai
i. Biography
My name is Thong Hoai ( Tee ). Before moving behind the bar, he worked as a cook at a Private Club in Saigon. He describes that start plainly: "My career started 9 years ago as a Cook position in a Private Club located in the heart of Saigon." The wording is direct, and so is the lesson: early service work builds timing, discipline, and the ability to stay steady when the room gets hot.
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Coming Up
The kitchen gave Thong Hoai a working base in pace, repetition, and control. Starting as a cook at Private Club in Saigon, he learned how to keep moving with purpose and how to hold his line under pressure. That kind of training carries cleanly into bar work. As Head Bartender of The Enigma Mansion, he brings the same handling to glassware, balance, and service choreography.
Where They Are Now
At The Enigma Mansion, Thong works at the point where technique meets guest care. His background across kitchen and front of house shows in the way he frames hospitality: not just in flavor, but in timing, welcome, and the moment a drink lands. The result is a practical style, shaped by kitchen discipline and expressed through the bar with clarity.
Signature
Thong's signature dishes include Kamikaze and Mayonnaise. Those names sit in a familiar register, but his approach treats them as working forms rather than fixed objects. The point is not novelty for its own sake; it is the handling of classic references through pace and presentation, with enough control to keep the original shape intact.
In Their Words “I would love to introduce our cocktails as a result of the combination of classic cocktails and modern techniques – something new but has familiar feelings and never being outdated.” “After 4 years in the kitchen and front of the house, I decided to make my customers, friends and people around me even more happy by creating different cocktails for them.” Those lines set out a straightforward bar philosophy: keep the classic in view, use modern technique where it serves the drink, and keep the guest central. It is a service-minded approach, built on recognition rather than display.
Honors
Thong's honors include B.A.R. Awards 2023, Rising Star Bartender category (2023).
FAQ
Asked of Thong
What is Thong Hoai's current role?
Thong Hoai is Head Bartender.
Where did Thong Hoai work before?
Thong Hoai's earlier career included Private Club.
What recognition has Thong Hoai received?
B.A.R. Awards 2023, Rising Star Bartender category (2023).
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The Sunday email
Get new Made By stories every Sunday.
Every Sunday we send a lead story and up to four more about the chefs, winemakers, sommeliers and hoteliers behind the restaurants, bars, wineries and hotels we cover.
Recent stories
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