Guest Shift: Hữu Phú, Vietnam's Bartender of the Year, at oMM Mixology

On 28 June 2025, Nguyễn Hữu Phú – Vietnam's Bartender of the Year 2020 – stepped behind the bar at oMM Mixology in Saigon for a one-night guest shift. Working with Glenfiddich 12 Sherry Cask, he created three cocktails under the theme "The Chemistry of Curiosity", turning the bar into both a laboratory and a canvas. The night was part of oMM's regular guest shift series, which brings leading bartenders from Vietnam and across Asia to Saigon.

Who is Nguyễn Hữu Phú?

Nguyễn Hữu Phú, also known as Phil, is one of the most decorated bartenders of his generation in Vietnam. He made his name behind the bar at Irusu Lounge in Saigon and, within just four years of starting his career, had won some of the country's most competitive bartending titles. He is known for bending the rules of flavour – approaching each drink with curiosity, courage and a willingness to experiment.

Awards and recognition

• Bartender of the Year 2020, Vietnam Restaurant & Bar Awards – the first time the award was given (Vietcetera)

• Champion, Campari Bartender Competition Vietnam 2019, representing Vietnam at the world finals in Milan (The Dot Magazine)

• Champion, Four Pillars Gin Vietnam

• Champion, La Maison Cointreau Vietnam 2019

The night: The Chemistry of Curiosity

For his guest shift, Phú partnered with Glenfiddich 12 Sherry Cask. The collaboration unfolded as a sensory dialogue: whisky meeting imagination, oak and sherry notes colliding with fruit, spice and memory. Each guest experienced the drinks differently – some found calm, others surprise – but all felt the pull of experimentation.

Three cocktails with Glenfiddich 12 Sherry Cask

• Chamomile Sour – floral calm meets sherry warmth, like a golden hour held in a glass.

• Lychee Cocoa Manhattan – seasonal sweetness layered with the depth of cocoa and a whisper of jasmine.

• Plum & Tomato Highball – an unexpected collision of acidity and fruit, the drinking equivalent of abstract art.

Between palette and palate

oMM Mixology sits inside a contemporary art space, and on Phú's night the two worlds met. Amid the hum of conversation and the clinking of ice, guests watched flavours being composed like brushstrokes at the open bar – whisky becoming water, colour and emotion. It was a one-night exhibition of flavour, curated in the language of curiosity.

Why Hữu Phú at oMM

Curiosity is at the heart of how oMM works. The team goes directly to growers, roasters, fermenters and distillers to understand each ingredient, then uses techniques such as vacuum distillation, centrifugation and infusion to draw out flavour – an approach shaped with creative advisor Shuzo Nagumo. Phú's experimental, rule-bending style made him a natural fit for a series built on exchanging ideas across one bar counter.

The night in pictures

Scenes from Hữu Phú's guest shift at oMM Mixology, 28 June 2025.

More guest shifts at oMM

See all guest shifts and gatherings at oMM Mixology, including Mahaniyom from Bangkok and Thịnh Lê. Upcoming dates are announced on the Events page, and tables can be booked via TableCheck. You can also revisit the original Hữu Phú guest shift recap.