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Food & Drink
EATING
Hanoi may have more lakes and colonial charm, but HCMC is the reigning culinary king of Vietnam. Restaurants here range from dirt-cheap sidewalk stalls to atmospheric villas, each serving a unique interpretation of Vietnamese decadence. Besides brilliant regional fare, Saigon offers a smattering of world cuisine, with Indian, Japanese, Thai, French, Italian and East-West fusions well represented. Good foodie neighbourhoods include the Dong Khoi area, with a high density of top-quality restaurants, as well as nearby District 3. Pham Ngu Lao's eateries, attempting to satisfy every possible culinary whim, are generally less impressive. Chinese fare rules Cholon, though restaurants here can seem sparser than pagodas on a casual stroll through the area. Local Vietnamese restaurants open from 6am to 9pm; gourmet and international restaurants from 11am to 2pm and 6pm to 11pm; street stalls keep all hours; and markets are open from 6.30am to 5.30pm. English menus are common.
• Vietnamese
Nam Giao (136/15 Le Thanh Ton Str.,; lunch & dinner) Tucked away in an alley of cosmetic shops near Ben Thanh Market, Nam Giao serves superb Hue-style mains and is always packed with locals. There's a simple photo menu.
Quan An Ngon (138 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia Str.,; mains lunch & dinner). This highly recommended place is where to go for an excellent selection of traditional Vietnamese dishes. Surrounding the garden-style patio is a ring of cooks at individual stations, mixing up their nicely spiced creations in the open air. Take a stroll before ordering, and let your instincts be your guide.
Pho 24 (271 B Pham Ngu Lao Str.,;; breakfast, lunch & dinner) Yeah, it's part of a chain, but this polished noodle shop serves fantastic bowls of high-quality pho - along with fresh juices and spring rolls. Visit the website for other Pho 24 locations.
Restaurant 31 (31 Ly Tu Trong Str.,; lunch & dinner) This popular outdoor eatery in the city centre serves tasty Vietnamese barbecue. The house speciality is tender marinated beef (30,000d) that you grill over charcoal right at your table. It's served with salad. There are also good seafood dishes on the menu and the cheerful staff speak English.
• Gourmet Vietnamese
Lemon Grass (4 Nguyen Thiep Str.,; lunch & dinner) Despite the simple decor, this is one of the best Vietnamese restaurants in the city centre, and you can't go wrong no matter what you order.
Mandarine (11A Ngo Van Nam Str.,; lunch & dinner) The fine. -selection of traditional dishes on offer draws from southern, central and northern cooking styles. The food is superb, and the pleasant decor and traditional music performances make it an all-round good bet. A house speciality worth trying is the Hanoi-style cha ca (filleted fish slices grilled over charcoal).
Temple Club (29 Ton That Thiep Str.,; lunch & dinner). On the second floor of a beautifully restored colonial villa. Temple Club serves delectable Vietnamese plates (such as fish with tamarind or shrimp in coconut milk) and an assort ment of fresh salads. Handsome tile floors and elaborate woodwork set the scene. A comfy lounge for drinks adjoins the space.
Sesame ( 153 Xo Viet Nghe Tinh Str., Binh Thanh district; 11.30am-2pm Tue-Fri & 7-10pm Fri & Sat) A hospitality training school for disadvantaged children, Sesame was set up by the French NGO Triangle Generation Humanitaire. Outside on the flagstone patio, bamboo-strip tables await, adorned with candles and fresh flowers. The butter-yellow walls in the dining room are brightly inviting as well. French-Vietnamese dishes made with fresh local ingredients are delicious and beautifully presented, and the sweet staff are eager to please.
Tib Restaurant (187 Hai Ba Trung Str., District 3; lunch & dinner) Housed in a Sine-French villa down a quiet alleyway, Tib docs impressive Hue-style dishes and a mean jackfruit salad with grilled sesame. It otters a tasty variety of vegetarian specialities as well.
• Other Asian
Indian canteen (66 Dong Du Str.,) For really cheap Indian food, seek out this atmospheric, cult-like place behind the Saigon Central Mosque, The fish curry (21,000d) is lovely. Meals come with free iced tea and bananas.
Sushi Bar (2 Le Thanh Ton Str.,; lunch & dinner) Bristling with life, this sushi bar is usually packed with Japanese and has a fun view of a frenzied intersection. The restaurant delivers around HCMC until 10pm.
Tandoor (103 Vo Van Tan Str., District 3; lunch & dinner) Tandoor serves outstanding North Indian food, and the set lunch is particularly good value. Delivery available.
Tiem An Nam Long (47 Pham Dinh Ho Str.,; lunch & dinner) Near the Binh Tay Market, Tiem An Nam Long has earned many fans for its tasty wok-fried dishes. There's open-air seating and an English menu with no prices, but everything is cheap
Urvashi ( 27 Hai Trieu Str.,; lunch & dinner) Serving some of the best Indian food in District 1, Urvashi prepares a variety of Indian cooking styles and the “thali” lunch is a guaranteed filler.
• International Cuisine
ABC Restaurant (Tell: 3823 0388; 172H Nguyen Dinh Chieu Str.,, District 3) A trendy joint for tasty late-night chow, ABC has indoor and outdoor seating and an extensive menu - from noodle soup and fresh seafood to juicy steaks.
Grill 69 (Tell: 3836 7936; 275H Pham Ngu Lao Str.,; lunch & dinner) Sizzling barbecued meat is the name of the game at this trim and stylish, four-storey restaurant. Grilled kangaroo, ostrich and more pedestrian fare (pork, squid, beef) go nicely with the wine selections. Roof terrace.
Pau Hanna (15/1 Le Thanh Ton Str.,; 8.30am-midnight)This pleasant Hawaiian-owned bistro and bar features eclectic daily specials (pork ribs, quesadillas, bean soup), as well as burgers and vegetarian fare. Head upstairs for a comfier lounge setting - a good place for an evening cocktail.
Akbar All (Tell: 3836 4205; 240 Bui Vien Str.,; lunch & dinner) Popular with the Indian expat community, Akbar Ali serves up authentic Indian cuisine to the backdrop of a Hollywood video playing discreetly overhead. You'll also find colourful artwork on the walls and friendly service.
Pacharan (Tell: 3825 6824; 97 Hai Ba Trung Str.,; lunch & dinner) This colourful Spanish tapas restaurant and wine bar is one of Saigon's trendiest spots to meet up over a drink. Tasty bites, excellent wines and a rooftop terrace have earned many expat fans. For heartier meals, try the paella , which serves two.
Other popular backpacker cafes:
Kim Cafe (268 De Tham Str.,; breakfast, lunch & dinner)
Linh Cafe (291 Pham Ngu Lao Str.,; breakfast, lunch & dinner)
Saigon Cafe (195 Pham Ngu Lao Str.,; breakfast, lunch & dinner)
• Vegetarian
Dinh Y (Tell: 3836 7715; 171B Cong Quynh Str.,; breakfast, lunch & dinner) Across the road from Thai Binh Market, Dinh Y is run by a friendly Cao Dai family. It serves inexpensive and delicious vegie fare, and has an English menu. The noodle soups are savoury and satisfying.
Tin Nghia (Tell: 38212538; 9 Tran Hung Dao Str.,; 7am-8.30pm) Although you may feel like you're eating in a garage, the owners are strict Buddhists who turn out delicious traditional Vietnamese food, prepared with tofu, mushrooms and other vegetables.
Zen (Tell: 3837 3713; 185/30 Pham Ngu Lao Str., breakfast, lunch & dinner) This casual backpackers' favourite serves cheap vegie food with a mellow, family atmosphere.
On the first and 15th days of the lunar month, food stalls around the city, especially in the markets, serve vegetarian versions of meaty Vietnamese dishes. While these stalls are quick to serve, they're usually swamped on these special days. Have a little patiece, dinner's worth the wait.
• DISH BY DISH: SAIGON'S GREATEST HITS
Restaurant-hopping through Saigon's food-filled -.(reels is one of the great pleasures of the Vietnam experience, but with such an array of temptations - and never enough time - the hardest part of full-time feasting may be knowing where to begin. The following (highly subjective) list includes some of our favourite Vietnamese and foreign bites and where to find them. For more on great eating in HCMC, visit www.noodlepie.com, an excellent foodie insider's guide to Saigon written by a bun cha (rice vermicelli with roasted pork and vegetables)-loving expat.
Best pho (rice-noodle soup)
• Best banh xeo (prawn and pork-filled pancake)
• Best bo tung xeo (grilled beef)
• Best vegetarian
• Best Hue-style cuisine
• Best Vietnamese haute cuisine
• Best street food - the 50-odd stalls of Ben Than Market
• Best Indian - a tie between Tandoor and Akbar All
• Best French
• Best durian ice cream
• Best setting for ca phe sua da (iced milk coffee)
DRINK
Wartime Saigon was known (or its riotous nightlife. Liberation in 1975 put a real damp ener on evening activities, but the pubs and discos have staged a comeback. However, periodic “crack down, clean-up” campaigns - allegedly to control drugs, prostitution and excessive noise - continue to keep the city's nightlife on the quiet side.
HCMC's widest and wildest variety of nightlife choices is in the central are, notably around Đong Khoi Str. Although places in this area typically close by midnight (owing to pressure from local authorities), you can always depend on the pubs in the Pham Ngu Lao area to slay open till the wee hours.
Vasco's (Tell: 3824 3148; 16 Cao Ba Quat Str.,) Much loved by expats, perennially hip Vasco’s draws a bigger crowd on weekends when there's live music. There are several nice pool tables indoors and out, and inviting tables in the villa courtyard.
Lush (Tell: 3903 155 461; 1 Ly Tu Trong Str.) This is an anime-themed bar that gathers an attractive, mixed crowd. The wraparound bar takes centre stage, from which you can enjoy great people-watching and a danceable mix of heats - but there's no dance floor. Pool tables and a 2nd-floor bar are hidden out back.
Carmen (Tell: 3829 7699; 8 Ly Tu Hong Str.) One of HCMC's rarer breeds Carmen has a stone wall exterior and a cos) wine cellarlike interior (duck your head wher you enter) with live music nightly (from 7pm 9pm) - often flamenco, hence the name.
Yoko (Tell: 3933 0577; 22A Nguyen Thi Dieu Str.) This stylish little spot tea lures live music (from Indie rock to American Country to eclectic world beats) most nights starting around 9pm. It has a tiny stage, comfy chairs and a changing assortment of artwork. plus the photo/shrine to John Lennon.
Manna (Tell: 3823 3978; 26 HH Nghiep Str.) This shimmery 2nd floor bar ha; a wall of windows, comfy lounge chairs (in purplish hues) and a well-dressed local and expat mix who come for the good-time beats and stylish setting.
Q Bar (Tell: 3823 3479; 7 Lam Son Sq.) Attracting a sophisticated clientele for cocktails, Q Bar is where HCMC's fashion-conscious, alternative crowd hangs out. The stylish decor is cool and minimalist and the music is hip. It's on the side of the Municipal Theatre, across from the Caravelle Hotel.
Qing (Tell: 3823 2414; 31Dong Du Str.) This slim, nicely designed bar has a classic red finish and atmospheric lighting. Qing gathers an assortment of travellers, expats and locals. There's a good wine and food selection (fusion, Asian tapas) and a decent salon upstairs.
Blue Gecko Bar (Tell: 3824 3483, 31 Ly Tu Trong Str.) This major Aussie hang-out has the coldest beer in town. The music is good and you can shoot pool or watch sport on the half-dozen or so TVs.
Sheridan's Irish House (Tell: 38230973; 17/13 LeThanhTon Str.,; 11am-late) This tradition pub seems beamed straight from the back- streets of Dublin; it has live music nightly and good pub grub.
Saigon Saigon Bar (Tell: 3823 3479, 10th fl, Caravelle Hotel, 19 Lam Son Sq; 11am-late) For excellent views in the city centre, stop by Saigon Saigon for a drink-around dusk. This fancy bar has live music, cool breezes and a casually upscale feel.
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