This year, I visited Ho Chi Minh City for the second year in a row. I met up again with a friend from my sushi academy days who now runs a yakitori restaurant in the city. Every time we meet, I'm reminded of how unbelievably hard he works.

He only takes about three days off per month. His only trip back to Japan this year was a short visit in February. For the rest of the year, he's been in Ho Chi Minh non-stop. He laughs and says, “Well, I’m the owner, so it’s normal,” but from my perspective, it feels like he’s living on another level.

The Reality of Vietnamese Fish: Very Little Fat

One thing I re-confirmed during this trip is that local Vietnamese fish contain almost no fat. Light and refreshing is one way to describe them, but globally, sushi lovers often look for fish with rich fat. That makes it difficult to position local fish as high-value sushi ingredients.

On top of that, importing fish from Japan costs about twice as much as in Japan. But when selling sushi in Ho Chi Minh, you often have to set prices similar to Japan or even around half, depending on the area. Either way, it’s a tough business model.

Royal Host × Sojitz Entering Pham Viet Chanh with a Dominant Strategy

The biggest surprise on this trip was discovering that Royal Host and Sojitz have launched an aggressive expansion in the Pham Viet Chanh area through their joint venture “Royal Sojitz Vietnam.”

Walking through the neighborhood, I personally confirmed multiple “Ineya” brand restaurants clustered together:

• Ineya Japanese BBQ (I saw this one myself)
• Sumibi Ineya (Yakitori) – at 63 Pham Viet Chanh
• Another Ineya-related store also operating in the same area

This clearly represents a dominant strategy—opening several stores in the same zone to capture the area both visually and operationally.

What Royal Host × Sojitz Are Aiming For

From walking the streets and observing the atmosphere, it was obvious that this isn’t a simple expansion. Their strategy seems to include:

1. Establishing Brand Presence Across the Area

By placing multiple “Ineya” restaurants side by side, they are shaping the perception:
“If you want Japanese food, go to Ineya.”

2. Optimizing Logistics, Staffing, and Operations

Having multiple stores in the same neighborhood allows them to share staff, ingredients, deliveries, and management systems. This dramatically reduces operational costs and increases efficiency.

3. Targeting Expats, Tourists, and the Local Affluent Market

The pricing is bold—close to Japanese prices. This suggests they are positioning themselves as a premium Japanese dining group rather than a low-cost option.

The Japanese Food Scene in Ho Chi Minh Is Beginning to Shift

Pham Viet Chanh has always had a strong Japanese presence, but this time, I could feel a clear shift happening. With several Ineya-branded restaurants opening simultaneously, the area is changing rapidly.

At some point while walking, I caught myself thinking:
“This place is going to change even more in the coming years.”

What This Trip Made Me Realize

As someone working in Japanese cuisine, watching this bold move by Royal Host × Sojitz was both exciting and a little overwhelming.

The Japanese dining scene in Ho Chi Minh is definitely moving.
And Pham Viet Chanh is likely to become its central battlefield.

Being able to see this timing with my own eyes was incredibly valuable.

Conclusion

I haven’t decided what steps I personally want to take next, but this trip reminded me how quickly Japanese cuisine is evolving in Southeast Asia. Seeing the changes firsthand motivates me to keep learning, keep moving, and keep paying attention to the shifts in this region.