Vietnam’s VTV3 returns the local adaptation of NBCUniversal Formats’ “Top Chef Vietnam” on 3 August. The 12-episode fourth season, produced by TV Hub, will air weekly at 9pm.

Vietnam is one of three Southeast Asian countries that have picked up rights to the global culinary format. Adaptations have also aired in Indonesia and Thailand, where “Top Chef Thailand” won the ContentAsia Award in 2023 for Best Unscripted TV Format Adaptation. The fourth landing in Asia is in Mongolia.

The VTV/TV Hub deal was negotiated by Linfield Ng, NBCUniversal Formats’ VP, Format Sales and Production.

TV Hub CEO and Executive Producer, Le Hanh, said this afternoon that season four involved a new studio look, tougher challenges and elevated food presentation.

TV Hub announced the return of the series in April this year, saying across social media platforms that the series was part of a journey to promote Vietnam as a food destination for Asia.

“Top Chef Vietnam” is the second big-brand adaptation announced in Vietnam in the past few weeks. “The Face Vietnam” is also returning in a deal with Multimedia JSC after a three-year hiatus; seasons one to four aired between 2016 and 2023. The 10-episode fifth season, which leans heavily into the attention economy, will air on Vietnamese broadcaster VTV9 this October.

The new deals are a nice uplift for Vietnam, which saw formats on air or commissioned plunge from 19 in 2024 to 5 in 2025 (Source: ContentAsia’s Formats Outlook).