I pulled open the heavy iron door of House of Merlin, pushed through the red curtain, and found the head bartender, Nam, sitting on the floor surrounded by boxes. It was inventory day, and everything had to be accounted for before opening that Monday evening. He suggested we talk upstairs, where he explained that this is how he spends most of his week: less behind the bar, more behind the scenes. A 200-kilo globe hung from the railing stretching across the first-floor counter seating area. Nam, who can be seen most nights out on the floor tending to guests, leaned over to look at the space beneath it and laughed, “That’s why I’m on the outside.”
Nam’s parents are both from Hanoi, where he was born. Six months later, his family relocated to Saigon looking for better work opportunities. Growing up in District 12, Nam said he had a typical Vietnamese childhood. Study. Study. Study. Across primary, secondary, and high school, the only extracurricular activity Nam mentioned during our conversation was badminton. Yet, as university approached, a dream began to develop: he wanted to be a chef. “Cooking was once a vague dream of mine,” Nam said. “But over time, I began to realise that working in a kitchen and behind a bar share many similarities. Both require creativity, precision, and a passion for creating something for others.”
Enrolling at Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry and Trade (HUFI), Nam pursued hospitality management until an external source altered Nam’s path. Gordon Ramsay, the star chef known around the world for his explosive, foul-mouthed, must-watch theatrics on television shows like Hell’s Kitchen and MasterChef, seeded doubts in Nam’s mind. That, along with the reality of chefs’ long days, made him realize the lifestyle wasn’t for him. Instead, he turned his curiosity to bartending. From the outside, it looked like a gentler version of the same world: less hot and hectic than a kitchen, more time spent with guests, and, for a self-proclaimed night owl, hours that suited him. That curiosity led to his first bartending job during his last year of school. At the time he admitted he only wanted to earn some pocket money. The real learning experience occurred during his second bartending job at Snuff, widely recognized as one of the first speakeasies in Saigon. Nam worked under Quinny, Snuff’s head bartender and his first true mentor in the industry.
At Snuff, Nam learned the “bar” skills of mixology: shaking, stirring, muddling, building, and straining, plus how to make classic recipes like the bar’s Negroni, Old Fashioned, and Manhattan. Nam explained that although the “bar” part of being a bartender requires countless repetitions to master the basic techniques and produce consistent-tasting recipes, the latter half, the “tender” part of being a bartender, is even more important. Always smile, stay focused and courteous to guests, don’t drink on the job, and above all be consistent in everything you do—these principles, passed down by Quinny, were etched into his mind. About a year and a half into working at Snuff, Nam was promoted to head bartender. However, only a few months later, Nam felt confident enough to take on a new challenge.
Nam joined House of Merlin two years ago, taking over as the second-generation head bartender, and while he still swings around the bar every now and then to make drinks, most of the time his responsibility is elsewhere. He spends a lot of his time training his staff the way he was trained, handling the less exciting work like filling out paperwork and counting inventory. While the behind-the-scenes can sometimes feel like grunt work and being behind the bar has its perks, the real fun for Nam is being out on the floor tending to guests and educating them on the story behind House of Merlin.
The bar’s theme is based on an imaginative time period known as “steampunk”. Romanticizing industrial design and steam-powered machinery, at its core is a fictional character named Merlin, a 19th-century traveler from England who has spent years traversing the world. The bar is Merlin’s home. Fitted with all of his keepsakes throughout his adventures, the place embodies the traveler’s wanderlust. Beyond the magnificent globe hanging from the ceiling, clocks, gears, and lights fill the space, while two large paintings flank the bar—one of Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa and another of Vlad the Impaler. A golden tint cloaks the interior of Merlin’s house as if alchemists renovated the place themselves. Going into the interview, I had already learned of Merlin, and so I asked why the owners, Huan and Nguyen, gave him that specific name. Nam explained that back in 19th-century England, Merlin was one of the most common and memorable names so that’s what they went with.
As for the bar’s specialty, it revolves around the owner’s favorite spirits: rum and whiskey. The menu features signature cocktails such as the rum-based Silent Sphere, inspired by the solar system, Memory in Glass, a bourbon, pineapple vinegar, and milk riff on a childhood peanut butter sandwich, and The Stogie, bourbon and Islay whisky served in apple cigar smoke. All three are best sellers and will carry over to the next menu, “Season Three.” It will be based on three tenets: Flower, Fruity, and Flour. Nam commented that the first two are simpler, but the part he’s most excited about is making something new with flour. Although the menu is still in the research and development phase, he teased ideas such as a classic Negroni with a slice of chocolate cake blending into the spirit. Other dishes like pizza or bánh mì could be incorporated into drinks as well.
Beyond the late nights working at House of Merlin, Nam shared that his journey has taught him to be more confident, patient, and open to new experiences. “I’ve faced challenges and moments of doubt, but each one has helped me grow, both as a bartender and as a person,” Nam said. “I believe the most important thing is to keep learning and never stop moving forward.” Looking back, he sees his early stretch behind the bar as where he built his empathy for guests: face-to-face time that taught him what customers want and need. Along the way, his craft has earned recognition: he took home the Cocktail Legend award at Mix Legend, an annual mixology competition in Vietnam hosted by Annam Group, and was named a Rising Star at SIP Supernova.
All that said, becoming head bartender by 24 didn’t come without a cost. Although he stepped away from the idea of becoming a chef because of the stress of the lifestyle, he’s learned working at a bar is just as taxing. Before House of Merlin, Nam had his days free to relax, but his friends were busy working standard 9-5 jobs. Additionally, while he was proud to have finished school and was making a living for himself, he missed his family. His pursuit to establish himself in Saigon’s nightlife took a toll mentally and physically. It wasn’t until roughly a year into bartending that he allowed himself a day off to keep himself balanced.
“I have two versions,” he said, holding up two fingers, “working and not working. When I’m working, I am an extrovert, and when I’m not working, I am an introvert.” Off the clock, he sleeps in after a late shift, spends time with his girlfriend and friends, and occasionally escapes to the park to play badminton, just as he did as a kid. Learning to accept his personality has been instrumental in helping him be present around his loved ones and stay consistent in front of his guests. Now with four years of bartending experience, I asked him how long he wanted to stay in the role. He answered, “Until I cannot drink.”
“Until you cannot drink?” I repeated, unsure what he meant.
“Yes,” he confirmed promptly.
“What do you mean?” I laughed.
Nam explained that Vietnam’s bartending culture is different from those in the U.S. or Japan, where older bartenders are far more accepted. As much as he loves bartending, Nam’s already thinking about his future. He wants to get married and have children, and if that day comes when he’s supporting a family, he understands the importance of spending as much quality time with them as he can. That’s why he foresees himself potentially stepping into a brand ambassador position, or even opening his own bar. In his view, a bartender’s value and expertise are better distributed the further back they move from the bar—from bartender to head bartender to general manager to owner.
Hours after we finished talking, the red curtain would part and House of Merlin would fill with guests, and Nam would be where he’s happiest: out on the floor. This is the adventure he sets out on every night he suits up for work: the challenge, the anticipation, the late-night rendezvous with guests at his bar and around Saigon’s nightlife. He may spend more of his week behind the scenes than behind the bar, but he learned long ago which half of the job matters most. His journey so far may be short, but it has taught him a successful establishment always comes down to keeping customers happy. Someday, that floor might belong to a bar of his own. I wonder what he would call it, and what it would look like. But whatever hangs above the door, I know that with Nam running the operation, it will be a place where guests are met exactly where they are.
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