Brett Davis - AsiaLIFE Magazine
Brett Davis - AsiaLIFE Magazine
Brett Davis - AsiaLIFE Magazine
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<strong>AsiaLIFE</strong> volume 30<br />
PROMOTION<br />
ENDS<br />
th<br />
30 SEP 2010<br />
front<br />
6 News & Events<br />
14 Q&A with Thet Sambath and<br />
Rob Lemkin<br />
16 Radar<br />
17 Streetsmart: Le Quy Don<br />
20 Photo Essay: Fred Wissink<br />
In the front of the book this month <strong>AsiaLIFE</strong> Phnom Penh writer Nora<br />
Lindström interviews documentary makers, Thet Sambath and Rob<br />
Lemkin about their newly released Khmer Rouge exposé and Tom<br />
Maresca takes us on a stroll down eclectic Le Quy Don. Fred Wissink<br />
experiments with blurred perspectives in this month’s photo essay.<br />
storyboard<br />
50 Place Your Bets<br />
52 The Power of Your Inner Circle<br />
54 Summer's Out for School<br />
56 Skeeter Beaters<br />
<strong>Brett</strong> <strong>Davis</strong> takes to the horse track; the importance of finding a mentor<br />
is explained; child psychologist Daniel Hanh shares tips to reduce<br />
back-to-school stress and Alexandra Karina fights off mosquitoes with a<br />
holistic approach.<br />
style & design<br />
24<br />
58 Out With the New, In With<br />
the Old<br />
feature<br />
24 The Measure of a Modern<br />
Generation<br />
30 Growing Pains<br />
62 Divinity by Design<br />
Moped memories are revisited; vintage store Con Qua Den on Nguyen<br />
Trai is explored, as is Tracey Kociuruba Fashion Gallery’s unique brand<br />
of classic and timeless Eastern European-inspired style.<br />
Beth Young teams with TNS Market Research to gauge the aspirations of<br />
Vietnamese youth, while Thomas Maresca investigates the opportunities<br />
that are available to them.<br />
back<br />
64 The List<br />
104 Spotlight<br />
travel<br />
34 In Pursuit of Panduranga<br />
38 In the Land of Gibbons<br />
Our man in Mui Ne, Adam Bray hunts down Cham ruins and Tom<br />
DiChristopher discovers a serious fear of heights while zip lining through<br />
a Laotian jungle on the Gibbon Experience.<br />
106 Map<br />
112 The Essay<br />
114 Pub Quiz<br />
To sign off, we capture a glimpse of HCM City nightlife in Spotlight and<br />
challenge your general knowledge in the Pub Quiz. And, <strong>Brett</strong> <strong>Davis</strong><br />
muses about frequent houseguests in The Essay.<br />
30<br />
food<br />
40 HCM City Hideouts<br />
44 Floral Flavours<br />
46 Sterling's Saigon<br />
47 62<br />
47 Ala Mezon<br />
48 La Cafeteria de L'Usine<br />
49 Bottoms Up<br />
We search the city for its most atmospheric and tucked away cafés, bars<br />
and restaurants; scope out the market for a bouquet of edible flowers;<br />
check out L’Usine’s new eatery La Cafeteria and French-Japanese<br />
lounge Ala Mezon before putting away some Hanoi-style bia hoi.<br />
asialife HCMC 3
note from the editor<br />
Tom<br />
DiChristopher<br />
Mick Jagger perhaps said it<br />
best when he sang, “You can’t<br />
always get what you want.” This<br />
is something that Vietnam’s<br />
youth may find out in the coming<br />
decades.<br />
In this month’s feature section,<br />
deputy editor Beth Young<br />
and contributing editor Thomas<br />
Maresca contribute complimentary<br />
articles on the wants of and<br />
prospects for teenagers growing<br />
up in post-doi moi Vietnam.<br />
They are a generation growing<br />
up with unprecedented access<br />
to wealth and the world beyond<br />
Vietnam. Indeed, the country<br />
is often portrayed as the next<br />
Asian tiger, still catching up to<br />
Thailand and Malaysia but well<br />
ahead of Cambodia and Laos.<br />
In the abstract, Vietnam is a land<br />
of limitless possibility. In reality,<br />
caveats and qualifications loom<br />
on the horizon.<br />
Read together, Beth and<br />
Tom’s articles illustrate this. For<br />
example, teenagers expressed<br />
that parents often push them into<br />
“hot” (re: prestigious) jobs in the<br />
focus groups organized by market<br />
research firm TNS Vietnam<br />
that Beth attended. However,<br />
Tom’s research and interviews<br />
turned up evidence that suggests<br />
degrees in these fields do not<br />
necessarily qualify students to<br />
perform in their requisite duties.<br />
What’s more, cultural notions of<br />
prestige are contributing to an<br />
over-valuation of degrees. Meanwhile,<br />
Vietnam lacks adequate<br />
skilled workers in part because<br />
vocational school is undervalued.<br />
If Vietnam is to take advantage<br />
of the “demographic bonus” Tom<br />
explores in “Growing Pains,”<br />
change needs to happen sooner<br />
than later. That might mean<br />
re-orienting ideas about how<br />
Vietnam can continue to develop<br />
and break the trend in Southeast<br />
Asia of stalling at lower-middle<br />
income status.<br />
To do that, Vietnam and its<br />
youth might heed the second<br />
part of the Stones’ refrain: “But<br />
if you try sometime well you<br />
just might find / You get what<br />
you need.” With too few spots<br />
available to college hopefuls, it’s<br />
impossible for everyone to get<br />
what they want. It would seem<br />
that only through thoughtfulness<br />
and creativity will Vietnam’s<br />
youth be able to work within the<br />
context of this singular moment<br />
in the country’s history and fulfill<br />
their needs.<br />
<strong>AsiaLIFE</strong> Seeks Editorial Intern<br />
<strong>AsiaLIFE</strong> is seeking an intern<br />
to support our editorial<br />
team. Our ideal intern has<br />
an educational background<br />
and/or some practical experience<br />
in writing, can commit<br />
to regular office hours and<br />
has an interest in publishing<br />
as a career. Duties include<br />
writing short copy and<br />
articles, researching, factchecking<br />
and proofreading.<br />
Demonstrated command of<br />
English-language usage and<br />
grammar is a must. Please<br />
send resumes to tom@asialifehcmc.com<br />
with “editorial<br />
intern” in the subject line.<br />
<strong>Brett</strong> <strong>Davis</strong><br />
Cover<br />
<strong>Brett</strong> <strong>Davis</strong> has been peddling words in one<br />
form or another for over a decade to support<br />
various addictions. Chief among these are<br />
French restaurants, single malt whisky and<br />
his wife; although not necessarily in that<br />
order. <strong>Brett</strong> has written for newspapers,<br />
magazines and television news in Australia,<br />
China and Vietnam, and has been called<br />
"one of the best journalists in our family" by<br />
his mother. He was recently acquired by a<br />
stray cat named TC.<br />
Art Direction - 365 Days Creative Studio<br />
Photography - Fred Wissink<br />
Model - Michael Studebaker<br />
Lolita Guevarra<br />
Lolita Guevarra comes from California and<br />
returns to writing after years in academic<br />
publishing. Although she misses working<br />
with brilliant yet neurotic professors, she<br />
embraces her new challenges of learning<br />
Vietnamese and navigating traffic. Upon<br />
finishing a stint as the English editor with<br />
Vietnamese News Agency in Hanoi, she<br />
relocated to HCM City and continues writing<br />
freelance. Her musings on life can be found<br />
at tuesdayzgone.blogspot.com.<br />
Find <strong>AsiaLIFE</strong> articles on<br />
4 asialife HCMC asialife HCMC 5
volume 30<br />
than hiding appliances, the stylish<br />
layout of the Ebony Kitchen<br />
Collection encourages them to<br />
be put on display, as unique<br />
and confident statement pieces.<br />
Email elizabeth.png-reade@<br />
electrolux.com for details.<br />
provide sustainable income and<br />
employment for women from<br />
poor rural regions of Vietnam<br />
and Cambodia. The range of<br />
paper mache, silk, bamboo<br />
and water hyacinth products,<br />
RENAISSANCE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL SAIGON<br />
NEWS<br />
Bright Sparks<br />
Programme at ACG<br />
International School<br />
Mums and tots are invited to<br />
join the ACG Bright Sparks<br />
programme. Every Tuesday from<br />
8.15 to 9.45 am Pinar Nicholson<br />
leads fun, interactive and educational<br />
sessions for children<br />
aged between 1 and 3. It is a<br />
friendly environment for your<br />
kids to play and for you to learn<br />
about your child’s educational<br />
development while meeting<br />
other parents, and always<br />
finishes with morning tea. Bright<br />
Sparks is a free programme<br />
and is held at ACG International<br />
School located on the East-<br />
West Highway, An Phu, District<br />
2. Visit www.acgedu.com.<br />
Fashion Label Bonita Debuts<br />
District 8 Debuts<br />
HCM City-based design firm<br />
District 8 is set to open on<br />
September 10. With a strong<br />
industrial aesthetic and a focus<br />
on customization, District Eight<br />
creates clean, modern interior<br />
spaces while handcrafting and<br />
restoring both vintage and contemporary<br />
furniture. District Eight<br />
strives to preserve historically<br />
significant buildings and objects<br />
while creating modern furniture<br />
and sculptures. Raw materials,<br />
natural patinas, solid wood, and<br />
cast-iron provide the basis for a<br />
furniture line that is finished with<br />
custom exposed hardware and<br />
sealed with household wax. District<br />
Eight is currently developing<br />
a line of production furniture and<br />
lighting aimed at consumers who<br />
appreciate a vintage look but are<br />
unable or unwilling to spend the<br />
time needed to source original<br />
antiques or other architecturally<br />
significant elements. The studio<br />
is located at 343-345 Binh<br />
Dong, Ward 11, District 8.<br />
Electrolux Brings Latest<br />
in European Design to<br />
Vietnam<br />
Scandinavian company Electrolux<br />
has introduced its newest<br />
design—the black and glossy<br />
Ebony Kitchen Collection—<br />
to Vietnam. Embodying the<br />
Electrolux design philosophy, the<br />
showpiece range fuses the latest<br />
in European design with contemporary<br />
Asian style. The Ebony<br />
Kitchen Collection features<br />
streamlined black glass elements<br />
and includes appliances like a<br />
side-by-side or bottom-mount<br />
refrigerator, premium oven with<br />
touch on glass and 10 multifunctions,<br />
induction or gas cook<br />
top, dishwasher and a canopy<br />
range hood. Each piece showcases<br />
the latest in Electrolux<br />
technology with touch electronic<br />
controls, smooth flat panel doors<br />
all completed with a sleek black<br />
finish and complemented with<br />
stainless steel handles. Rather<br />
Exclusive Mooncakes at Hotel Equatorial<br />
Asian Buffet at the Sofitel<br />
Plaza<br />
Every Thursday, the Sofitel<br />
Saigon Plaza’s executive chef<br />
David Thai will prepare an Asian<br />
Buffet at the hotel’s Café Rivoli.<br />
Specialities from across the<br />
region will be on offer like Nasi-<br />
Goreng from Indonesia, Tom<br />
Yam Kum soup from Thailand<br />
and assorted sushi and sashimi<br />
from Japan, as well as dishes<br />
like chilly crab, Indian lamb curry<br />
and roasted Peking duck. A<br />
selection of Vietnamese sweets<br />
and seasonal fresh fruits are<br />
included, too, along with free<br />
flow of house wines, beers and<br />
soft drink. The Asian Buffet costs<br />
750,000 VND ++ for adults and<br />
350,000 VND for children aged<br />
between 5 and 11 and is free<br />
for younger kids. For further information<br />
or bookings call 3824<br />
1555 or email fb@sofitelsaigon.<br />
com.vn.<br />
Mekong Creations Opens<br />
to Benefit Disadvantaged<br />
Families<br />
Last month, Mekong Plus, the<br />
parent NGO of Vietnam Quilts,<br />
launched Mekong Creations, a<br />
new brand of locally produced<br />
household and gift items that<br />
New Accessories<br />
at Little Anh-Em<br />
Concept Shop<br />
Little Anh-Em Concept<br />
Shop—a children’s store<br />
that stocks an original<br />
selection of brands from<br />
overseas—has introduced<br />
French label Bakker Made<br />
With Love. The accessories<br />
range includes pencil<br />
cases and schoolbags that<br />
are perfect for stylish kids<br />
heading back to school.<br />
Little Anh-Em Concept<br />
Shop is located at 37<br />
Thao Dien, An Phu, District<br />
2. Call 0917 567 506 or<br />
visit www.littleanh-em.blog<br />
spot.com.<br />
Saigon Shooters Recruits Netballers<br />
“I chose RISS for<br />
British education<br />
at its best”<br />
Mr. Rick Yvanovich - CEO of TRG International,<br />
Parent of Safena Yvanovich (Age 9)<br />
PRE-SCHOOL - PRIMARY - SECONDARY<br />
Renaissance International School Saigon (RISS) is one of the premier<br />
international schools in Ho Chi Minh City providing a high quality<br />
British/International education that leads to the IB Diploma<br />
Programme. Students are able to develop their full potential<br />
in a stimulating, challenging and supportive environment,<br />
capable of becoming leaders in the global community<br />
and experts in their chosen fields upon<br />
graduation.<br />
IB Scholarship 2010-2011<br />
50% discount on school fees available to<br />
IB Diploma students satisfying the scholarship criteria.<br />
Please visit our website: www.rissaigon.edu.vn for full details.<br />
Registration is now open for<br />
Fashion designer Silvia de Britto was a stylist in Brazil before<br />
moving to Vietnam. As such, she understands the art of<br />
putting a stylish, unique and elegant outfit together and has<br />
fashioned her label Bonita with that in mind. Each piece is tailor<br />
made and attention to detail reigns supreme. The designer<br />
works with the client to determine size and to select the best<br />
fabric (colour and pattern) to suit the garment. Once all the details<br />
are confirmed it then takes five to seven days for the piece<br />
to be created. Bonita designs cost between USD $20 to $60.<br />
Email silvietfr@yahoo.fr to request a copy of her catalogue.<br />
To celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival Hotel Equatorial will<br />
prepare high-quality boxes containing four mooncakes, priced<br />
from 360,000 to 760,000 VND. Customers can choose from<br />
eleven different flavours including pandan lotus, tiramisu,<br />
blueberry blackcurrant cheese, low sugar yam gingko, mixed<br />
spices, green bean, roast chicken, puree lotus, green tea, red<br />
bean or lotus cheese. Hotel Equatorial is located at 242 Tran<br />
Binh Trong Street, District 5. To order call (08) 839 7777 ext.<br />
8000 or email dine@hcm.equatorial.com<br />
Saigon Shooters Netball has started their season, and invites<br />
any girls or ladies wanting to give netball a go, improve their<br />
fitness and make great friends. Open training sessions will be<br />
held every week, and include fitness, ball skills, netball drills<br />
and social games. It’s a mixed league and tournaments and<br />
tours are also on the agenda for this year. Come along every<br />
Wednesday from 7 pm to 8.30 pm for practice at the AIS Sport<br />
Center (Thao Dien, District 2). The cost is 100,000 VND per<br />
session. Email saigonshootersnetball@gmail.com for details<br />
Academic year 2010 - 2011<br />
Pre-schools ( ages 2+ – 4+)<br />
Primary (ages 5+ – 10+)<br />
Secondary (ages 11+ – 17+)<br />
NGUYEN THI THAP CAMPUS - PRE -SCHOOL, PRIMARY & SECONDARY<br />
Address: 74 Nguyen Thi Thap Street, Binh Thuan Ward, District 7, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam<br />
6 asialife HCMC asialife HCMC 7<br />
Tel: (84-8) 377 33 171 - Fax: (84-8) 377 33 176 - Email: admission@rissaigon.edu.vn
as well as items produced for<br />
luxury French brand Terre d'Oc,<br />
are available at a flagship shop<br />
at 141 Bui Vien that returns<br />
all profits to the villages both<br />
directly in the form of salaries<br />
and indirectly in funding for community<br />
development projects.<br />
Mekong Creations focus is to<br />
provide rewarding employment,<br />
increase family incomes and<br />
improve conditions for children in<br />
these remote communities.<br />
Vietnamese Champs<br />
Advance to Faldo Series<br />
Asia Grand Final<br />
Seventeen-year-old Ngo Bao<br />
Nghi has earned herself a return<br />
trip to the Faldo Series Asia<br />
Grand Final by successfully<br />
defending her title at the Faldo<br />
Series Vietnam Championship,<br />
played at the Nick Faldo<br />
designed Ocean Dunes Golf<br />
Club in Phan Thiet. Last year’s<br />
winner from Vung Tau got off to<br />
a flying start in her title defense,<br />
shooting a first round 75 on the<br />
par 72 links-style layout to open<br />
up a three shot lead over the rest<br />
of the field. Ngo’s main challenge<br />
on a windy day two came from<br />
Do Le Gia Dat, 16, who followed<br />
up his first round 78 with a 77 to<br />
finish on 155, but Ngo was able<br />
to hold on with a 79 to finish one<br />
better on 154 and reclaim the<br />
trophy. As winners of the Girls’<br />
and Boys’ Under-21 divisions,<br />
Ngo and Do will travel to Mission<br />
Hills Golf Club in Shenzhen,<br />
China next March for the fifth<br />
Grand Final, an R&A World Amateur<br />
Golf Ranking event hosted<br />
by six-time Major winner Sir Nick<br />
Faldo.<br />
Gaya Introduces Mirror<br />
Collection<br />
Lifestyle shop Gaya has<br />
introduced an eclectic mix of<br />
cut glass mirrored products in<br />
minimalist black or white. The<br />
collection is inspired by the<br />
paired down, clean lines and<br />
fresh look of contemporary<br />
European designs and includes<br />
12 different mirror designs; five<br />
vanity table designs and headboards;<br />
and smaller items such<br />
as jewellery boxes, vanity cases<br />
or bathroom accessories including<br />
soap dishes and toothbrush<br />
holders. Prices are from USD<br />
$25 to $780.<br />
Saigon Star International<br />
School to Open in<br />
October<br />
Saigon Star International School<br />
will open its new campus in<br />
District 2 next month after relocating<br />
from its previous District<br />
1 location. The school offers a<br />
Cambridge University approved<br />
British primary curriculum as<br />
well as an integrated Montessori<br />
programme for nursery<br />
and kindergarten. Qualified and<br />
experienced teachers and small<br />
classes ensure that individual<br />
needs are met. The new location<br />
will include a computer lab,<br />
library, science lab, swimming<br />
pool and large fenced-in play<br />
area. For details call 3822 0341<br />
or visit www.saigonstarschool.<br />
edu.vn.<br />
La Maison de<br />
L’Apothiquaire Relocates<br />
Traditional French day spa La<br />
Maison de L’Apothiquaire has<br />
relocated from its premises in<br />
the Eden building to 100 Mac<br />
Thi Buoi. Now, the spa has even<br />
more products available, namely<br />
the Erbaviva line, which includes<br />
nourishing beauty essentials<br />
for mothers to be, babies and<br />
customers with extremely sensitive<br />
skin. Erbaviva has a huge<br />
celebrity following and also<br />
makes aluminum-free organic<br />
deodorant and Japanese blotting<br />
papers.<br />
New Brand Stocked at<br />
Muse Boutique<br />
Muse Boutique stocks street<br />
fashion from famous brands like<br />
True Religion, Rock & Republic,<br />
Seven For All Mankind and<br />
Tbags and has now added<br />
Cheap Monday, a youthful and<br />
mischievous label, to its collection.<br />
Visit Muse Boutique on<br />
level 1 at the Saigon Center,<br />
located at 65 Le Loi, District 1.<br />
Mekong Merchant Offers<br />
Hot Deal for Teachers<br />
Teachers who present their<br />
school identification and fill out<br />
a form at the Mekong Merchant<br />
located at 23 Thao Dien, An Phu<br />
will be given an incentive card<br />
that allows them 10 percent<br />
discount on all food and beverage.<br />
The Mekong Merchant also<br />
has happy hour daily from 4 pm<br />
to 7pm.<br />
New Musical Talent at Purple Jade<br />
Visit Purple Jade, located on the first floor of the InterContinental<br />
Asiana, and enjoy the musical talents of Canadian<br />
singer, Karen Manion—a performer who has graced stages<br />
from London to Niagara and across Southeast Asia. While she<br />
performs, your first cocktail at Purple Jade is complimentary<br />
and 15 percent will be deducted off your total beverage bill.<br />
The InterContinental Asiana is located at the corner of Hai Ba<br />
Trung and Le Duan in District 1.<br />
They’ll be safe<br />
in our hands<br />
Our smallest patients - respecting their<br />
needs is our biggest concern<br />
Mooncakes at Windsor Plaza Hotel<br />
Our three Full-time Pediatric Specialists are<br />
on hand for all your childrens medical needs<br />
• download the latest issues<br />
• advertising information<br />
• editorial enquiries<br />
.<br />
editorial blog<br />
asialife.wordpress.com<br />
over 2,500 downloads a month<br />
Through September 22 the Windsor Plaza Hotel will prepare<br />
mooncakes. Fillings include white lotus seeds; green bean;<br />
coconut and green tea or more exotic flavours like shark fin or<br />
roast chicken. The mooncakes are 108,000 VND per piece.<br />
Rich icecream mooncakes are on offer, too, for 48,000 VND<br />
each. Orders can be placed online at www.windsorplazahotel.<br />
com/mooncake.<br />
• Primary pediatric emergency responses<br />
• Routine childhood development assessment<br />
• Post natal examinations<br />
• Immunisation advice<br />
• Vaccination<br />
• Nutritional counselling<br />
• New mother support<br />
• Pre-school check-ups<br />
Family Medical Practice HCMC<br />
Diamond Plaza: 34 Le Duan Street, District 1, HCMC<br />
For appointments and emergency care 24 hours:<br />
(84 8) 3822 7848<br />
www.vietnammedicalpractice.com<br />
Your health. Our care.<br />
• Emergency Medicine • Medical Evacuations • General Practice • Internal Medicine • Pediatrics<br />
• Obstetrics & Gynecology • Orthopedic & Trauma Surgery • Cardiology • ENT • Tropical Medicine<br />
8 asialife HCMC • Radiology • Imaging • Ambulance Service • In-house Laboratory asialife • Acupuncture HCMC • First 9Aid Training<br />
• Child Birth Education • Saigon International Mother Baby Association • Medical Check-ups
EVENTS<br />
Thirsty Thursdays Tourism<br />
Industry Networking<br />
Thirsty Thursday, Southeast<br />
Asia’s biggest tourism industry<br />
networking event, returns to<br />
HCM City on September 16,<br />
6 pm at Roof Garden Saigon<br />
at Kumho Plaza (next to Intercontinental<br />
Saigon). The event,<br />
organized by Saigon Tourism<br />
Industry Networking Group<br />
and Travel Daily Asia, features<br />
complimentary beer provided by<br />
Tiger Beer, complimentary wine<br />
provided by The Warehouse and<br />
free snacks/soft drinks provided<br />
by the venue and sponsored by<br />
TRG International/eHotel Alliance.<br />
There will also be a lucky<br />
draw with prizes donated by Life<br />
Resorts, Victoria Hotels, Bhaya<br />
Cruises, Duxton Hotel, Petit<br />
Fute, The Boathouse and Come<br />
& Go Vietnam. Entrance is free<br />
of charge to anyone working in<br />
the tourism and hospitality industry,<br />
while non-tourism guests<br />
can enter for a nominal 100,000<br />
VND fee. For more information,<br />
please contact Tim Russell on<br />
tim@comeandgovietnam.com,<br />
telephone 0903 393 723.<br />
EuroCham Seminar on<br />
WTO & Vietnam<br />
On Tuesday, September 7,<br />
Eurocham will host a seminar to<br />
demystify a major component<br />
of Vietnam’s impending World<br />
Trade Organization commitments<br />
for international businesspeople.<br />
“CISG – The Rule of Law”<br />
focuses on the United Nations<br />
Convention on Contracts for<br />
the International Sale of Goods<br />
(CISG), one of the most widelyrecognized<br />
conventions in the<br />
world with 74 contracting states.<br />
While Vietnam will soon become<br />
a member of CISG, most<br />
organizations and enterprises in<br />
Vietnam don’t know much about<br />
the CISG. This half-day seminar<br />
will explain and introduce the<br />
main contents of the CISG. The<br />
Clearance Sale at<br />
Tracey Kociuruba<br />
Fashion Gallery<br />
Selected T-shirts, shorts,<br />
jumpsuits and dresses<br />
from Australian fashion designer<br />
Tracey Kociuruba’s<br />
last collection will be on<br />
sale for USD $5 to $15<br />
on September 11 and 12.<br />
Tracey Kociuruba Fashion<br />
Gallery is located on the<br />
2nd floor at 43 Ton That<br />
Thiep, District 1.<br />
event is free of charge and will<br />
take place at 11.30 am at Kim<br />
Do Hotel, 133 Nguyen Hue,<br />
District 1.<br />
Jack Canfield Seminar at<br />
Equatorial<br />
Prolific author and success guru<br />
Jack Canfield will arrive in HCM<br />
City on September 29 at the<br />
Equatorial Hotel to present his<br />
seminar “Breakthrough Results<br />
in Work and Life.” During the fullday<br />
event, Canfield will instruct<br />
the audience on how to apply his<br />
trademark concepts: The Success<br />
Principles and the Law of<br />
Attraction. The aim is to empower<br />
audience members to build<br />
resilience and develop the core<br />
competencies required to thrive<br />
and achieve peak performance<br />
Unicorn Girls and The Melodramas at the<br />
Hard Rock Café<br />
Through September 15, lady rockers, the Unicorn Girls will<br />
perform nightly (except Thursdays) at the Hard Rock Café. On<br />
September 2, UK-phenomenon, punk rock outfit The Melodramas<br />
will play with support from Vietnamese funk reggae band<br />
6789. Entry is 100,000 VND. The Hard Rock Café is located<br />
in the Kumho Asiana Plaza (39 Le Duan, District 1). Call 6291<br />
7595 or email info@hardrockcafe.vn.<br />
even in the most challenging<br />
and turbulent times. Discounted<br />
group registration fees and halfprice<br />
scholarship packages for<br />
full-time nonprofit and education<br />
staff will also be made available.<br />
Email itdhcmc@itdworld.com or<br />
visit www.itdworld.com for more<br />
information.<br />
Villa Anupa in An Phu<br />
Throughout September Villa<br />
Anupa Boutique will retails its<br />
products in selected locations<br />
in An Phu. A different country<br />
or region has inspired each<br />
collection and the venues have<br />
been selected to reflect this. The<br />
idea is to follow Villa Anupa on<br />
a worldwide expedition as the<br />
boutique travels throughout An<br />
Phu. Villa Anupa Boutique will<br />
display their wares from 9 am to<br />
2 pm in the following locations:<br />
• Morocco collection:<br />
Wednesday September 1 at<br />
67 Xuan Thuy.<br />
• Bali collection: Friday September<br />
10 at Saigon Village,<br />
poolside at the Villa Hotel,<br />
195 Nguyen Van Huong.<br />
• French Riviera collection:<br />
Friday September 17 at Blu<br />
Bar and Grill Restaurant,<br />
53 Vo Truong Toan.<br />
• Indochina collection: Friday<br />
September 24, Saigon Village,<br />
The Villa Hotel.<br />
Villa Anupa Boutique is located<br />
at 17/27 Le Thanh Ton, District<br />
1. Call 3825 7307, email anupaboutiquevietnam@anupa.net<br />
or<br />
visit www.anupa.net for details.<br />
Alice in the Wonderland:<br />
The Charity Cabaret<br />
On Saturday September 11 from<br />
7.30 pm the Sheraton Hotel will<br />
host an Alice in Wonderlandthemed<br />
charity cabaret to raise<br />
money for a charity that is selected<br />
from a list of applicants.<br />
There will be live entertainment<br />
from DanCenter and a DJ will<br />
play late into the night. Attendees<br />
are encouraged to come<br />
in fancy dress, however it’s not<br />
required. Tickets are USD $90.<br />
For availability call 0908 360 004<br />
or 0903 736 459, email charitycabaret@gmail.com<br />
or visit<br />
www.charitycabaret.com.<br />
CanCham Pancake Breakfast & Health<br />
Insurance Seminar<br />
On Thursday September 9, the CanCham will host a pancakes<br />
‘n’ Maple Syrup Breakfast and seminar entitled “Health Insurance:<br />
Do’s and Don’ts” at 7.30 am at Jaspa’s, 33 Dong Khoi,<br />
District 1. Gary E. H. Dawson, general director of Blue Cross<br />
Vietnam, will cover the best way for a person to use health insurance,<br />
some of the areas to consider when reviewing your insurance<br />
and the basics of what health insurance does and what<br />
it doesn’t do. All attendees must register in advance through<br />
the CanCham office by contacting Ms. Nhung at hcmc@canchamvietnam.org<br />
or 3824-3754. The cost is 200,000 VND for<br />
CanCham members, 250,000 for non-members.<br />
10 asialife HCMC asialife HCMC 11
Oktoberfest at the<br />
Windsor Plaza Hotel<br />
The Windsor Plaza Hotel and the<br />
German Business Association<br />
have teamed up to bring Oktoberfest<br />
to Saigon for the 19th<br />
year running. Last year’s festival<br />
saw over 12,000 guests converge<br />
on the hotel and this year<br />
organizers expect even more<br />
beer lovers to attend. As such,<br />
another day has been added to<br />
the festival. This year the event<br />
will run from 6.30 pm on Friday<br />
October 8 to Sunday the 10th<br />
and again from Wednesday the<br />
13th to Saturday the 16th. Native<br />
Bavarian band, Trenkwalder<br />
will return for the third year to entertain<br />
the crowd with traditional<br />
songs and a delectable spread<br />
of German delicates like sausages,<br />
sauerkraut, pork knuckle and<br />
pretzel will be available. What’s<br />
more, each guest will receive a<br />
free souvenir beer stein. Tickets<br />
for Wednesday, Thursday and<br />
Sunday are 600,000 VND and<br />
Friday and Saturday costs<br />
750,000 VND. Ages 18 and up<br />
only. For ticket information and<br />
volume discounts call 0904 909<br />
633 or visit www.oktoberfestvietnam.com.<br />
Vietnam Swans Grand<br />
Final Party<br />
On September 25, Australian<br />
Rules football team the Vietnam<br />
Swans will host their AFL Grand<br />
Final Party at La Cantine Onthe6<br />
(6 Dong Khoi, District 1). Kick off<br />
is at 9 am and the event includes<br />
drinks, Aussie meat pies and<br />
face painting for the kids. There<br />
will also be an auction and raffles.<br />
A limited number of early bird<br />
tickets are available for 650,000<br />
VND for adults and 300,000<br />
VND for kids under 18 and can<br />
purchased at the Commonwealth<br />
Bank (65 Nguyen Du, District<br />
1) or AUSTRADE (5F Landmark<br />
Building). Tickets at the door will<br />
cost 750,000 VND for adults and<br />
350,000 VND for kids under 18.<br />
Children under five can enter for<br />
free. For details call Jo on 0906<br />
615 958, email vietnamswans@<br />
gmail.com or visit www.vietnamswans.com.<br />
Black Virgin Mountain Hike<br />
On Saturday, September 25, outdoor adventure company Viet<br />
Adventure will host the 2nd annual Black Virgin Mountain Hike,<br />
a challenging trek through a rugged, outstanding landscape of<br />
bush land. The hike is open to experienced and novice sportsmen<br />
and women alike, with a pre-climb 25km mountain bike<br />
race on difficult off-road terrain open to skilled cyclists. The hike<br />
is being marketed as “an event without a trace,” with proceeds<br />
from the race going towards clean up on the mountain. Black<br />
Virgin Mountain is located in Tay Ninh Province, roughly 150km<br />
from HCM City. For event registration and details, visit www.<br />
vietadventure.vn.<br />
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12 asialife HCMC
dispatches<br />
Travel news from around the region and beyond<br />
Travel Deal: Moviemaking Weekend at Opposite<br />
House, Beijing<br />
The Deal: The Opposite House in Beijing has partnered with Apple and Canon<br />
to launch Suitcase Cinema, a weekend package through December that gives<br />
amateur moviemakers the resources to create their own films with the hotel as<br />
a backdrop.<br />
The Setting: The Opposite House is located in Sanlitun Village—a vibrant new<br />
open-plan shopping, dining and entertainment precinct. The hotel’s studio<br />
rooms are decorated with natural wooden flooring and accentuated with subtle<br />
Chinese décor. The space, matched with the historical landmarks that surround<br />
it, provides a blank canvas for amateur film crews to bring their ideas to fruition.<br />
The Verdict: The just over USD $400 price tag includes breakfast for two,<br />
bicycle rental, a limited edition Short Stays DVD featuring movies shot at the<br />
Opposite House by Chinese directors and use of the hotel’s Studio 70, fitted<br />
with a 24-inch iMac and Canon camcorder. For details, visit www.theoppositehouse.com.<br />
Beth Young<br />
Bangkok International Festival of Music and Dance<br />
From September 11 through October 24, Bangkok hosts the 12th Annual<br />
International Festival of Dance and Music. Thailand’s premier international<br />
arts event, the festival will present 17 stage productions by artists and theatres<br />
from Argentina, Canada, Switzerland, Israel, Cuba, the United Kingdom,<br />
Brazil, South Korea, Sweden and Russia. Among the performances are La<br />
Boheme, Cinderella, Swan Lake, A Christmas Carol and Carmina Burana.<br />
In addition to ballet and opera, festival-goers can enjoy salsa, tango, jazz,<br />
modern and ethnic dance and classical music. Also premiering this year is<br />
Boris Tishchenko’s “Requiem Æternam for Princess Galyani," a special commission<br />
in memory of King Bhumibol’s elder sister, the festival’s patron until<br />
her death in 2008. For ticketing, schedules and more information, visit www.<br />
bangkokfestivals.com. Tom DiChristopher<br />
Taipei Biennial 2010<br />
Beginning September 7, the 2010 Taipei Biennial begins its two-month engagement<br />
at the Taipei Arts Museum. Since 1998, the Biennial has been organized by<br />
a two-person team comprised of a Taiwanese and foreign curator. This year, cocurators<br />
Tirdad Zolghadr and Hongjohn Lin abandon the traditional exhibition<br />
theme and seek instead to address the problematic nature of the biennial format<br />
with a programme that asks whether the format can be applied “more precisely,<br />
more effectively, for everyone involved." To provide an answer, the curators will<br />
involve the artists in a wider process as co-curators and seek to build on ideas<br />
and projects from previous Taipei Biennials. Throughout the engagement, independent<br />
spaces in Taiwan will host satellite events, and “critical companions” are<br />
invited to voice interventions. For more information visit www.tfam.museum.<br />
Tom DiChristopher<br />
YourSingapore.com Launches<br />
The Singapore Tourist Board has long hosted probably the best and most functional<br />
destination website in Southeast Asia, but STB recently transformed its<br />
web presence with the launch of a new brand: YourSingapore. Evolving from<br />
the UniquelySingapore.com portal, YourSingapore.com continues to offer comprehensive<br />
information, but the site’s new architecture incorporates more intuitive<br />
browsing via an eye-catching checkerboard gallery that highlights sights<br />
and attractions that might have otherwise gone unnoticed. The centrepiece<br />
trip-planning utility also contributes to a more convenient experience. Users can<br />
now save events and city listings while browsing, then navigate to the trip-planner<br />
and arrange selected items into an itinerary, with the option of dragging and<br />
dropping from saved and suggested listings windows. A mapping option also<br />
allows you to find attractions, shopping, hotels, dining and entertainment in the<br />
vicinity. Tom DiChristopher<br />
Grease Hits Hong Kong<br />
From October 4 to 21, the international cast of the West End production of<br />
Grease takes the stage at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts for<br />
a limited engagement of the much-loved musical. Featuring a 25-member<br />
cast, 142 costume changes and songs from both the original stage show<br />
and blockbuster film adaptation, this new production is a lavish revival of<br />
the classic 1950s tale of school days at Rydell High, where the T-Birds and<br />
Pink Ladies hold court as the coolest kids in school. It’s a rare opportunity<br />
to indulge in West End theatre without making the trans-continental flight.<br />
Ticket prices start at HK $350 (USD $45), with shows held Tuesday through<br />
Sunday. Visit www.lunchbox-productions.com for more information. Tom<br />
DiChristopher<br />
14 asialife HCMC
Thet<br />
Sambath<br />
and Rob<br />
Lemkin<br />
A personal journey to uncover the horrors of the Khmer Rouge becomes a powerful,<br />
landmark documentary in Enemies of the People. Nora Lindström talks to filmmakers<br />
Thet Sambath and Rob Lemkin.<br />
Enemies of the People is the<br />
culmination of years of hard<br />
work and gaining the confidence<br />
of former Khmer Rouge<br />
cadre. How do you feel now<br />
that it is done? <br />
Thet Sambath: I feel very<br />
happy. When I got all this done<br />
I felt like we are all lucky to<br />
have these interviews from<br />
Khmer Rouge cadre and especially<br />
from Nuon Chea, Brother<br />
Number Two. If we had gone to<br />
trial without these interviews<br />
we would have missed all this<br />
information... I feel happy and<br />
lucky for all people. <br />
Did completing the film and<br />
releasing it to the public bring<br />
you closure? <br />
TS: Yes, it did. Everything<br />
that I have done is for the<br />
new generation and for the<br />
Cambodian people. When the<br />
people get more information<br />
good things between people<br />
can happen. Like reconciliation,<br />
people learn not to take<br />
revenge and instead people<br />
will find out how to resolve the<br />
problem. That is my dream for<br />
the future. But at the beginning<br />
when I started investigating I<br />
just wanted to know what was<br />
behind the killing of so many<br />
people. The Khmer Rouge leaders,<br />
especially the top leaders,<br />
always refute that they killed<br />
the people. The Cambodian<br />
people are unhappy with the<br />
answers from the top Khmer<br />
Rouge. But because we get<br />
confessions from them, people<br />
can get peace. <br />
The film features unprecedented<br />
confessions by former<br />
Khmer Rouge cadre, especially<br />
Nuon Chea. How did you<br />
manage to get them to talk? <br />
TS: It was hard, I tried for<br />
many years. It was a step-bystep<br />
process. I’ve known some<br />
of these people for five or 10<br />
years. I knew that these people<br />
had experience with the Khmer<br />
Rouge, that they killed people.<br />
But they had never confessed,<br />
because they felt embarrassed<br />
and uncomfortable. But I knew<br />
about these people and that’s<br />
why I tried to get close to them.<br />
When we get close to each<br />
other and trust each other, then<br />
everything will come out, the<br />
truth will come out. So I got<br />
everything. <br />
Rob Lemkin: In the film<br />
Sambath says many times “I<br />
am not from the court, tell me<br />
the truth.” For years people<br />
have been coming to the Khmer<br />
Rouge, from Pol Pot all the way<br />
down to the killers from the<br />
countryside, to say “I accuse<br />
you, I have evidence you did<br />
this”. And [the killers] immediately<br />
react to that by saying<br />
“I don’t know anything about<br />
it. I did nothing.” Sambath’s<br />
approach to the whole thing<br />
is completely different. His<br />
approach is very, very, careful,<br />
even respectful. Surprisingly<br />
respectful toward people who<br />
many in the world would<br />
regard as not worthy of any<br />
kind of respect. He does not<br />
come in any spirit of accusation.<br />
He comes in the spirit of<br />
trying to say, “I know what you<br />
were involved with was very<br />
great and terrible. Tell me what<br />
you know and tell what you<br />
did.” That is such a different<br />
attitude from the Extraordinary<br />
Chambers in the Courts of<br />
Cambodia (ECCC), which is a<br />
criminal justice procedure that<br />
simply seeks to get guilty verdicts.<br />
That is why that kind of<br />
process is extremely limited by<br />
comparison to the kind of work<br />
that Sambath is doing. My<br />
personal view is that the ECCC<br />
will do nothing towards socially<br />
reconstructing the country<br />
and that what Sambath is doing<br />
represents something far more<br />
inspiring and positive. <br />
Was the potential of Sambath’s<br />
material immediately obvious<br />
to you? <br />
RL: Sambath had started to<br />
film interviews with Nuon<br />
Chea and some other people<br />
who are in the film about one<br />
or two months before we met<br />
back in September 2006 when<br />
I came to do a film about the<br />
Khmer Rouge trial. Initially<br />
Sambath was working for me<br />
as a fixer, but over the coming<br />
months we joined forces. For<br />
a while I was still trying to do<br />
a film about the trial, but then<br />
I became less interested in<br />
that. Then I realized Sambath<br />
had a relationship with Nuon<br />
Chea, and he told me about<br />
his relationship with people in<br />
the countryside, and I thought<br />
that was more interesting. So it<br />
wasn’t an immediate thing. It<br />
was gradual. After about seven<br />
or eight months from when we<br />
started filming, not with Nuon<br />
Chea but with the killers in<br />
the countryside, that’s when I<br />
realized we had a film. Because<br />
although the interviews with<br />
Nuon Chea are the ones that<br />
are newsworthy, the heart of<br />
the film really is the relationship<br />
with the ordinary people<br />
who were involved in this<br />
chain of killing. <br />
The documentary has met<br />
with a lot of success, including<br />
winning the Special Jury Prize<br />
at Sundance and the Grand<br />
Jury Award at the Full Frame<br />
Documentary Festival. Did<br />
you expect so much international<br />
publicity and acclaim? <br />
RL: To be honest, no. When we<br />
started right at the beginning,<br />
it looked like it was just going<br />
to be a half an hour programme<br />
for British TV which would<br />
have been finished a long<br />
time ago. And maybe even<br />
forgotten about a long time<br />
ago too. Gradually, it became<br />
possible to widen the scope of<br />
the film so that it had more profound<br />
content. The universal<br />
aspect of the story—of good<br />
and evil, of repentance, of the<br />
horror of mass killings, and the<br />
idea of a victim coming to see<br />
the people who destroyed his<br />
world as a child and coming in<br />
a genuinely open and almost<br />
tolerant sprit in the interest<br />
of getting a deeper story, a<br />
deeper truth out of it all—that<br />
has got a wider theme. It’s<br />
not just about Cambodia and<br />
I think that’s why the film–in<br />
pretty much every country–has<br />
been so well received and won<br />
prizes. <br />
The documentary’s screening<br />
in Cambodia took place just<br />
before Duch’s verdict was anticipated.<br />
Was this your plan? <br />
RL: Yes. It was intentional to<br />
have it around this time. The<br />
court has tried to subpoena<br />
the film as evidence in the case<br />
against Nuon Chea. We’ve<br />
resisted that and have come<br />
under some criticism from the<br />
court for that because I don’t<br />
think they have appreciated the<br />
nature of proper journalism.<br />
When you have a relationship<br />
with someone who is giving<br />
you some very vital information,<br />
you get that information<br />
from the person on a certain<br />
basis. You can’t then turn<br />
around to a court process and<br />
hand over that information to<br />
them. They’ve accused us of<br />
letting the Khmer Rouge walk<br />
free. Our line would be that<br />
if you have 2 million dollars,<br />
which is 1.99 million more than<br />
we have, you can do your work<br />
and get your own information.<br />
It’s not our problem if you can’t<br />
convict these people. <br />
[The court] is not interested<br />
in reconciliation. They’re not<br />
interested in seeing this society<br />
go forward in any kind of way.<br />
We’re showing it here now<br />
partly also because it is opening<br />
next week in America, and we<br />
wanted to release it here before<br />
anywhere else because this is<br />
the most important place. We<br />
originally wanted to show it<br />
earlier but the government<br />
refused us permission. Ideally<br />
we would have showed it in a<br />
big cinema with thousands of<br />
Cambodians coming to see it,<br />
but we didn’t get permission to<br />
do that. In the future we would<br />
like to show the film around the<br />
Cambodian countryside. Even<br />
the guys who did the killings<br />
want the film to be shown all<br />
around Cambodia. <br />
What do you hope audiences,<br />
especially Khmer viewers, will<br />
take away from the film? <br />
TS: I think that after they see<br />
the film they will get some<br />
knowledge and some people<br />
can understand and they can<br />
feel better from the confession.<br />
Because for many years it has<br />
been hard to get confessions,<br />
especially from Khmer Rouge<br />
leaders and the people who<br />
did the killings. I’m waiting for<br />
their reactions.<br />
16 asialife HCMC asialife HCMC 17
adar<br />
The Selby is in Your Place<br />
www.theselby.com<br />
What can a spigot, doorframe or bookshelf say about the occupant of a<br />
home? A lot, thinks Todd Selby. Since 2008, Selby has been pulling back the<br />
curtain on some of the coolest living and working spaces in the world and<br />
building a name for himself as an alchemist of portrait, interior and fashion<br />
photography on his website www.theselby.com. The Details photo assistantturned-phenom<br />
began capturing friends in their New York residences, but<br />
once word got out, invitations from the hipsterati of home decor began<br />
pouring in. His portfolio has since grown to include spaces occupied by<br />
cultural luminaries like Tom Wolfe and Robert Longo and fashion icons such<br />
as Alexander Wang and Karl Lagerfeld. Selby’s approach has also earned him<br />
contracts with the likes of Louis Vuitton and high profile commissions, including<br />
a gig shooting New York <strong>Magazine</strong>’s entire 2009 design issue. Not bad<br />
for a dude with a camera. Check out @theselby for tweets on his latest home<br />
invasions. Tom DiChristopher<br />
Le Quy Don packs a lot into a limited space—restaurants,<br />
sightseeing and a lively nighttime atmosphere among<br />
some beautiful old colonial homes. Thomas Maresca<br />
explores. Photos by Jay Zhang.<br />
Fake AP Stylebook<br />
@FakeAPStylebook<br />
AP Stylebook: /n/ a guide to style and grammar that serves as the newspaper<br />
industry standard in the United States. Fake AP Stylebook: /n/ a Twitter<br />
feed that should be regarded as the standard for absolutely nothing—except<br />
linguistic one-liners, satirical citations and precedent puns. That said, you<br />
don’t have to know how to wield a semi-colon to enjoy Fake AP Stylebook.<br />
Throughout the week, the Fake AP tweeters dispatch dubious advice along<br />
the lines of, “‘Men’s room’ should contain an apostrophe. And a urinal.” and<br />
“Remember to end every sentence in your sports column with a healthy<br />
‘booyah!’” The advice is courtesy of the Bureau Chiefs (www.thebureauchiefs.com),<br />
a band of journalists, writers, artists, graphic designers and<br />
other like-minded satirists and pop culture commentators. For anyone who's<br />
ever wanted a view into editorial office culture, this is basically it, folks: jokes<br />
about homophones. (Maybe we should have gone into advertising. It looks so<br />
sexy on Mad Men.) Tom DiChristopher<br />
ThinkGeek: Stuff for Smart Masses<br />
www.thinkgeek.com<br />
These days, geek is a lifestyle, not a putdown. ThinkGeek has absolutely<br />
everything for the discriminating techno-nerd. There are plenty of novelty<br />
items, like the Annoy-a-tron (six irritating sounds including cricket chirping<br />
and electronic grating), a BeerBot bottle opening T-shirt—even a whole<br />
section dedicated to zombies and bacon. There’s also an array of products<br />
on offer that could actually come in handy. The mini filing cabinet, which at a<br />
petite 6.5 inches can fit more than 800 business cards, is just one example.<br />
Customers can also sign up for an incentive programme and redeem Geek<br />
points for dorky gadgets, apparel and edible treats (wasabi-flavoured gumballs,<br />
anyone?). There’s an interactive element, too. Readers are encouraged<br />
to send in their own Techie Haikus (Told my boss swine flu / but I really came<br />
down with / Modern Warfare 2) and self-portraits with ThinkGeek products.<br />
Suitable even for non-geeks. Beth Young<br />
Le Quy Don extends from the<br />
northern end of the Reunification<br />
Palace a scant six blocks<br />
to Vo Thi Sau (where it meets<br />
the Women’s Museum, 202 Vo<br />
Thi Sau). Like other streets in<br />
this immediate area of District<br />
3, Le Quy Don is home to<br />
a large proportion of wellpreserved<br />
old colonial buildings.<br />
It also stands out for its<br />
concentration of restaurants,<br />
including some of the most<br />
popular in town, and it shares<br />
a corner with one of HCM<br />
City’s top tourist attractions. A<br />
frenzy of construction is going<br />
on, with a couple of large new<br />
restaurants being built and<br />
residential buildings going up,<br />
so this information may be in<br />
need of an updating sooner<br />
rather than later. Like all of<br />
HCM City, really.<br />
Mini-You<br />
3 Le Quy Don<br />
Looking for a unique and<br />
slightly ridiculous gift for a<br />
friend or loved one? How<br />
about a miniature figurine in<br />
their likeness? All it takes is<br />
a photo, and in two to three<br />
weeks, Mini-You will supply<br />
a hand-sculpted, caricaturized<br />
version of your lucky friend,<br />
doing any of a wide range of<br />
activities—from watching TV<br />
to playing golf to chilling on a<br />
yacht to getting married. The<br />
choice is yours. Prices start at<br />
around 1.1 million VND.<br />
War Remnants Museum<br />
28 Vo Van Tan<br />
Probably the first stop on any<br />
tourist’s itinerary in HCM City,<br />
the War Remnants Museum<br />
offers a slightly faded but stillpoignant<br />
accounting of the war<br />
with America. The spoils of said<br />
war await visitors in the exterior<br />
courtyard of the compound,<br />
from a CH-47 Chinook helicopter<br />
to an M-48 tank to a massive<br />
155 mm Howitzer. The interior<br />
of the main building is devoted<br />
to photographs and artefacts of<br />
the war, with special emphasis<br />
on atrocities such as the massacre<br />
at My Lai and the damage<br />
done by Agent Orange (this<br />
used to be called the War Crimes<br />
Museum, after all).<br />
The Requiem exhibit, a moving<br />
tribute to the photojournalists<br />
from every side who died<br />
covering the war, is a highlight.<br />
A temporary exhibition, Vietnam’s<br />
Post-War Recovery, is<br />
currently on display, featuring<br />
before-and-after photos of cities<br />
and towns that were damaged<br />
during the war and have since<br />
been rebuilt. If nothing else, the<br />
museum is a powerful reminder<br />
of how far Vietnam has come<br />
since the dark days of the war.<br />
WE Lounge<br />
172H Nguyen Dinh Chieu<br />
Open for four months now, this<br />
slick glass-walled establishment<br />
features a ground-floor restaurant,<br />
a first-floor lounge,<br />
18 asialife HCMC asialife HCMC 19
and a top floor entertainment<br />
venue. The restaurant, bright<br />
and decked out in futuristic<br />
white plastic, features several<br />
varieties of bun noodles at reasonable<br />
prices. The lounge goes<br />
for the opposite vibe—dark and<br />
sleek, with black furniture and<br />
moody curtains. The entertainment<br />
space holds performances<br />
on the weekends, usually of<br />
well-known Vietnamese singers<br />
such as Hoang Bach. Admission<br />
is 100,000 VND, or 200,000 VND<br />
for VIP seating. A glass elevator<br />
with views over the street<br />
transports visitors between<br />
floors. WE is affiliated with its<br />
neighbour further up the street,<br />
Pho Ta.<br />
Ngoc Suong Restaurant<br />
17 Le Quy Don<br />
This seafood staple is celebrating<br />
its 55th anniversary, a<br />
rare feat of longevity for any<br />
Vietnamese institution. The<br />
original restaurant was started<br />
in Cam Ranh and there are<br />
now several locations around<br />
the country. The Le Quy Don<br />
location is run by the founder’s<br />
grandson Alan, who returned<br />
to Vietnam from St. Tropez nine<br />
years ago and brought some of<br />
the French Riviera back with<br />
him. Ngoc Suong is meant to<br />
evoke a Mediterranean open-air<br />
plaza, complete with canopied<br />
bistro fronts and an enormous<br />
wall-size print of a seaside<br />
promenade. Live seafood, music<br />
nightly and frequent parties and<br />
events keep the large outdoor<br />
space always lively and always<br />
full. A sister restaurant, Marina,<br />
is right around the corner at 172<br />
Nguyen Dinh Chieu and offers<br />
more of an indoor, fine-dining<br />
experience.<br />
Pho Ta<br />
12-14 Le Quy Don<br />
From the owners of well-known<br />
Bun Ta, comes the newer Pho<br />
Ta, specializing in—you guessed<br />
it— pho. This is no ordinary<br />
noodle soup, though—the menu<br />
is the creation of a celebrity<br />
chef, Dang Tuyet Mai. Mai is<br />
the ex-wife of Nguyen Cao Ky,<br />
who served as Prime Minister<br />
of South Vietnam from 1965 to<br />
1967, and then as Vice President<br />
until his retirement in 1971. She<br />
was well-known as a glamorous<br />
figure in pre-1975 Saigon. After<br />
the war, Mai became a singer in<br />
the United States (her daughter<br />
is also a well-known performer<br />
in the Vietnamese series “Paris<br />
by Night”), before returning to<br />
Vietnam to sing and make pho.<br />
The restaurant is connected with<br />
WE down the street (“ta” means<br />
“we” in Vietnamese).<br />
Nguyen Thuy Salon-Spa<br />
18 Le Quy Don<br />
A cool and laid-back salon and<br />
spa catering to a fashionable<br />
local crowd. Three floors cover<br />
hair, nails, facials and spa and<br />
massage treatments in a pleasant<br />
space bedecked with natural<br />
woods and stone. A hair and<br />
nail package is 495,000 VND<br />
and a body spa package costs<br />
627,000 VND. Their specialty<br />
is the candle massage, a wax<br />
treatment exclusively found at<br />
Nguyen Thuy (400,000 VND).<br />
To create an even more inviting<br />
environment, the staff makes it a<br />
policy of not accepting tips.<br />
Nha Tang Le<br />
25 Le Quy Don<br />
Where do the powerful and<br />
well-connected go when they<br />
die? They make a stop here at<br />
Nha Tang Le, a viewing house/<br />
memorial site for recently deceased<br />
VIPs. The massive structure<br />
blends temple architecture<br />
with Soviet-style grandiosity.<br />
Spice Restaurant<br />
27 Le Quy Don<br />
Get your toms, yams and kaengs<br />
at this popular Thai restaurant,<br />
open since 2003. The multilevel<br />
restaurant has a Middle Eastern<br />
tinge to the décor and features<br />
mosaic tilework (no apparent<br />
reason, but it’s an attractive<br />
enough space). The magazinelike<br />
menu features around 100<br />
dishes, from traditional to more<br />
fusion-like creations; on Thursdays<br />
a lunch buffet is available<br />
for 100,000 VND.<br />
Duc Minh Art Gallery<br />
31 Le Quy Don<br />
This small private museum<br />
holds pieces from the collection<br />
of Duc Minh (1920-1983), one<br />
of Vietnam’s first and foremost<br />
20th-century collectors<br />
of art. The Hanoi-based Minh<br />
frequently lent pieces to the<br />
Vietnam Museum of Fine Arts,<br />
but during many tumultuous<br />
years of war he was forced<br />
to keep most of his collection<br />
under wraps. As the museum’s<br />
biography rather poetically puts<br />
it: “Like an underwater iceberg,<br />
[the collection] indolently drifted<br />
on to its destination against<br />
the current of time and worldly<br />
affairs.” Duc Minh’s collection,<br />
maintained by his son, has<br />
surfaced on Le Quy Don, where<br />
visitors can view and buy the<br />
primarily traditional works.<br />
Dolezza House Fashion and<br />
Coffee<br />
26A Le Quy Don<br />
The coffee part of the equation is<br />
closed indefinitely, but the fashion<br />
side of Dolezza is still going<br />
strong. With all designs by label<br />
owner Nguyen Thanh Van,<br />
Dolezza offers women’s wear in<br />
a range of colours from subdued<br />
grays to bright purples. Shirts,<br />
pants and dresses feature pleats,<br />
ruffles and lots of attention to<br />
detail. Sample prices: pants,<br />
567,00 VND; top, 479,000 VND;<br />
dress, 789,000 VND.<br />
Au Manoir De Khai<br />
251 Dien Bien Phu<br />
Set behind high walls on the<br />
grounds of a glorious old<br />
colonial mansion, Au Manoir<br />
de Khai is but one brick in the<br />
many-faceted Khai Silk empire<br />
of restaurants, fashion and retail<br />
and residential developments.<br />
Traditional French cuisine is on<br />
the menu here, with prices to<br />
match the pumped-up luxury<br />
of the setting. Set dinners range<br />
from USD $60 to $85. Seating is<br />
available in the outside garden<br />
or in the dark, plush, interior<br />
“with a hint of bordello style,”<br />
as their website advertises.<br />
Quan Cay Tre<br />
37 Le Quy Don<br />
This restaurant offers a quanlike<br />
menu, but in a much more<br />
stylish setting than the usual<br />
fluorescent lights-and-metal<br />
table aesthetic. Here it’s all<br />
about vines, exposed bricks,<br />
wooden beamwork and dim<br />
lighting, giving this indooroutdoor<br />
space a truly inviting<br />
atmosphere. One end of<br />
the restaurant features a lush<br />
bamboo garden (cay tre means<br />
bamboo). The house specialty is<br />
Vung Tau-style banh khot, mini<br />
savoury pancakes with shrimp.<br />
Children’s House of HCMC /<br />
Hoang Thai Thanh Theatre<br />
36 Le Quy Don<br />
By day, the Children’s House<br />
of HCMC offers classes, sports<br />
and recreational activities from<br />
martial arts instruction to chess<br />
clubs. In the evening, the main<br />
facility is a live theatre, with<br />
rotating performances twice a<br />
week of dramas and comedies<br />
and programmes for adults<br />
and kids. Tickets are 90,000 to<br />
100,000 VND.<br />
Meet Your Street<br />
Le Quy Don<br />
(1726-1784) was a philosopher, poet, government official and<br />
one of the most prolific savants of 18th-century. His writings<br />
include Vietnam’s largest encyclopedia (the nine-volume Van<br />
Dai Loai Ngu), a 30-volume history of Vietnam through the Le<br />
Dynasty and a large collection of verse. Le Quy Don was born in<br />
what is modern-day Thai Binh Province, in the Red River Delta<br />
region. There are several schools named after him, including<br />
Le Quy Don Technical University in Hanoi, and a junior high<br />
school on this very street (2 Le Quy Don).<br />
20 asialife HCMC asialife HCMC 21
22 asialife HCMC asialife HCMC 23
YOUTH<br />
THE MEASURE OF A MODERN GENERATION<br />
Young Vietnamese are growing up in<br />
modernity’s clasp——changing times that<br />
challenge their traditional notions about<br />
what they should and can desire. <strong>AsiaLIFE</strong><br />
teamed with market research company<br />
TNS Vietnam to develop an understanding<br />
of what the new generation of youth really<br />
wants. By Beth Young. Photos by Fred<br />
Wissink. Breakout text courtesy of TNS<br />
Vietnam's Topline Findings.<br />
24 asialife HCMC asialife HCMC 25
Young people are UNCERTAIN<br />
of what the future could bring in terms of<br />
entertainment. They are more reliant<br />
on BEING INTRODUCED to new things<br />
rather than seeking them.<br />
The family unit in Vietnam is central<br />
to DAILY LIFE and the core from which<br />
a broader sense of COMMUNITY<br />
responsibility is derived.<br />
In the summer of 2002, a prominent multinational<br />
company commissioned <strong>AsiaLIFE</strong>’s<br />
parent company, 365 Days Creative Studio,<br />
to produce a documentary called “Youth.”<br />
The goal of the project was to determine<br />
what made young Vietnamese people tick,<br />
to gain an insight into their ambitions and<br />
aspirations. In essence, to find out what they<br />
wanted.<br />
The agency’s creative director took to<br />
the streets of HCM City to find answers. He<br />
didn’t get many. As it turned out, the majority<br />
of young people he approached didn’t want<br />
much. They cited financial security and employment<br />
as priorities but were at a loss when<br />
asked what else they desired. The Survey<br />
Assessment of Vietnamese Youth conducted<br />
by the Government Statistics Office in 2003<br />
backs up his findings. Then, 49.6 percent<br />
Even after MOVING<br />
out, children still<br />
expect to play a role in<br />
SUPPORTING their<br />
parents and broader<br />
family.<br />
of respondents listed employment as their<br />
first aspiration and 23.6 percent hoped for<br />
economic and financial security. The creative<br />
director attributed the results to the fact that<br />
these kids didn’t know exactly what was<br />
available to them prior to the world wide web<br />
taking hold. Without a steady income, they<br />
couldn’t afford to indulge in expensive leisure<br />
activities and travel anyhow.<br />
The proliferation of Internet access<br />
throughout Vietnam and increased exposure<br />
to foreign content has surely dared young<br />
people to think beyond a stable income and<br />
a nine-to-five job. What’s more, Vietnam’s<br />
movement towards middle income status<br />
means Vietnamese youth should have<br />
more access to money and therefore more<br />
choices.<br />
<strong>AsiaLIFE</strong> teamed with TNS Market Research<br />
to do a re-evaluation, to gauge the<br />
perspective of Vietnamese youth today and<br />
to determine if any of these assertions stuck.<br />
To do this, two focus groups were organized:<br />
one in HCM City and the other in Hanoi, each<br />
comprising six teenagers aged between 15<br />
and 19.<br />
The participants in both groups were<br />
diverse. They ranged from Class A economic<br />
backgrounds—that is their families earn 13.5<br />
million to 20 million VND per month—to Class<br />
B, whose parents bring in an average 6.5<br />
to 13.5 million VND, and the decidedly less<br />
wealthy Class C, whose households make do<br />
with 4.5 to 6.5 million VND. Most came from<br />
traditional nuclear families, but one girl from<br />
HCM City was an oddity—her parents were<br />
divorced.<br />
On the whole, the Saigonese and Hanoians<br />
shared similar viewpoints. However,<br />
the southerners were considerably more<br />
open about some topics—namely sex and<br />
relationships—than their conservative northern<br />
peers. Regardless, each member brought<br />
interesting and relevant ideas to the table.<br />
And, with a population that reached 85.8<br />
million last year, of which the United Nations<br />
estimates more than half are under the age<br />
of 25, understanding Vietnamese youth has<br />
never been more important.<br />
FAMILY<br />
Familial ties run deep in Vietnam and the<br />
results from both focus groups reflected this.<br />
Without exception, each of the participants<br />
feels obligated to “repay” their parents—for<br />
housing, educating and feeding them—by<br />
supporting them financially later in life. Many<br />
of the respondents, especially the girls, even<br />
felt the need to acquire a part-time job in<br />
addition to their studies to ease financial<br />
pressure on their parents.<br />
While the sense of familial responsibility is<br />
overwhelmingly apparent, the boys especially<br />
also yearn for independence and wish to live<br />
outside the family home as adults. Dung, an<br />
18-year-old boy from HCM City talked about<br />
his home where he lives with his extended<br />
family. He mentioned that living in such<br />
close quarters led to frequent and heated<br />
arguments between family members, adding<br />
that privacy was difficult to come by. He said<br />
that if he came home late he ran the risk of<br />
disrupting his family and getting in trouble.<br />
Moving out, he said, would give him more<br />
freedom.<br />
The girls were far more dependent on their<br />
parents, but most said they would probably<br />
move in with their husbands’ family after marriage.<br />
Loc, a 16-year-old high school student,<br />
cited her fear of ghosts as her primary reason<br />
for staying at home until then. “If I move out I<br />
fancy I can die,” she said.<br />
There’s a real tug-of-war taking place.<br />
Young Vietnamese are split between traditional<br />
family loyalty and a desire for independence<br />
and freedom. Many spoke about moving<br />
into their own home after marriage and<br />
raising their own families, rather than living<br />
in a multi-generational household. Still, they<br />
appreciate the advantages of living at home,<br />
too, where responsibilities like household<br />
chores are limited and they can focus on their<br />
studies without worrying about money.<br />
LEISURE<br />
An average Vietnamese teenager’s idea of<br />
fun may seem boring to a Western audience.<br />
Think: lounging in cafes with friends, watching<br />
TV, riding motorbikes through the city and<br />
predominantly, surfing the Internet and playing<br />
online games. A couple of the boys play<br />
football, but primarily the recreational pursuits<br />
the participants in both the HCM City and<br />
Hanoi focus groups take part in are passive.<br />
Income (or lack thereof) largely dictates what<br />
Vietnamese teenagers do in their free time,<br />
explaining the simplicity (and affordability) of<br />
their chosen leisure activities.<br />
Travel is on the agenda for most of the<br />
Hanoians, while the HCM City residents are<br />
fairly content where they are. Two girls from<br />
the Saigon group expressed interest in travel<br />
(one to Thailand, whose “beautiful” beaches<br />
she has seen on TV, and the other to Singapore<br />
where her grandma has encouraged her<br />
to attend university once she’s completed<br />
high school). The rest though seemed fairly<br />
uninterested. The Hanoians all want to travel,<br />
some to outbound destinations like England<br />
(to watch football), South Korea and America.<br />
26 asialife HCMC asialife HCMC 27
MARRIAGE is seen as<br />
important for providing<br />
stability in life, as well as a<br />
sign of SUCCESS.<br />
Young Vietnamese are PRAGMATIC<br />
about EDUCATION, often seeking<br />
courses which will provide JOBS IN<br />
LUCRATIVE industries.<br />
For them, travel is a representation of freedom<br />
and an opportunity to gain knowledge<br />
and experience. While each participant said<br />
they wanted to travel they were conscious<br />
that they may not be able to due to financial<br />
restraints. Also, travel is primarily viewed as<br />
a youthful folly, adventures that should be<br />
undertaken before settling down, if at all.<br />
EDUCATION & CAREER PROSPECTS<br />
Young Vietnamese see education as a means<br />
to an end: with certification they will secure a<br />
lucrative position that will earn them money<br />
and ensure stability. This stability extends far<br />
beyond just employment. The participants<br />
also believe that a good job will lift their social<br />
standing and even improve their chance of<br />
meeting a suitable (note: successful and<br />
wealthy) partner.<br />
These perceptions are perpetuated by parents<br />
who associate a higher education with<br />
success; as the only means to be successful.<br />
As such, Vietnamese parents encourage<br />
(even push) their children into studying<br />
courses at university that will lead to “hot”<br />
jobs in finance and banking, IT, medicine<br />
and law. While the participants in HCM City<br />
said their parents merely gave them advice<br />
about study paths, it’s easy to see that their<br />
caregivers have a big say in their choices. In<br />
Hanoi it’s even more overt. There, some of<br />
the participants knew exactly where they’d<br />
be working once they finished university,<br />
not just the field. Phuong, 19, will work at<br />
Techcom Bank. And the girl who sat next to<br />
her, Lien, 18, already has a position reserved<br />
for her as an accountant at the Ho Chi Minh<br />
Mausoleum when she graduates, thanks to<br />
her mother, who works there also.<br />
It was interesting to see how their career<br />
aspirations changed when money was<br />
removed from the equation. They wanted to<br />
be actresses, and footballers, tour guides<br />
and air hostesses but dismissed them as<br />
childish dreams. One boy in the Hanoi group,<br />
Son, 17, wanted to be a football coach until<br />
his parents discouraged him. “They said if<br />
I studied at the sport’s university I wouldn’t<br />
have a bright future. When asked to define<br />
“bright” he said “wealthy.”<br />
As a whole though, the participants were<br />
pragmatic about education and the opportunities<br />
it will afford them. This pragmatism also<br />
translates into expectations about how they<br />
should be taught.<br />
Most find the Vietnamese education<br />
system to be outdated and too theory-based.<br />
They feel they have few opportunities for<br />
practical application. This goes hand in hand<br />
with their complaints about “old” teachers<br />
and lecturers who don’t explain subject<br />
matter properly and whose knowledge is<br />
perceived to be out of date. While the high<br />
school pupils seem to be relatively happy with<br />
the quality of education they are receiving,<br />
the university students are concerned that<br />
they won’t have the skills to perform in the<br />
workplace after completing their studies,<br />
primarily because the teaching methods<br />
their lecturers employ—often strict and<br />
didactic—are impractical. In addition, they<br />
say Vietnamese syllabuses are old-fashioned<br />
and promote “cramming,” that is, committing<br />
copious amounts of information to memory.<br />
Still, they all view education as essential and<br />
pointed to a number of social evils that a lack<br />
of study could lead to: homelessness, crime<br />
and, interestingly, diseases like HIV.<br />
SEX & RELATIONSHIPS<br />
The moderator, 28-year-old Hieu An, skirted<br />
ever-so-artfully around the s-word before<br />
she dropped the bomb. Previously, there had<br />
been chatter about the importance of marriage<br />
and laughter about 16-year-old HCM<br />
City resident Trong’s desire to one day have<br />
a beautiful wife. But the talk quickly dissolved<br />
and all eyes averted downwards when Hieu<br />
An mentioned sex. Young Trong, in particular,<br />
appeared uncomfortable.<br />
The Saigonites recovered quickly and put<br />
forward their opinions about pre-marital sex.<br />
Loc, 16—who works as a promotion girl at a<br />
supermarket after school—said she believed<br />
sex before marriage was acceptable and was<br />
largely circumstantial. She explained this by<br />
adding that she may have sex while under<br />
the influence of alcohol. The two girls sitting<br />
opposite her, however, 19-year-old university<br />
students Hue and Nhi noted the value of a<br />
woman’s virginity. They also said that premarital<br />
sex was a Western activity, and one<br />
that Vietnamese need not follow.<br />
The boys referred to sex before marriage<br />
as a “movement,” that more young people<br />
aged 14 to 15 were indulging in. They<br />
seemed to think it was OK as long as the<br />
couple were mature enough to cope with the<br />
consequences and considered the health<br />
issues involved. They also had no problems<br />
with couples living together before marriage,<br />
in order to get to know each other before taking<br />
the plunge. Still, they said the likelihood of<br />
them living with their partner before marriage<br />
was slim.<br />
The Hanoians were a different story<br />
and bound far more by convention. Each<br />
participant said that sex before marriage was<br />
unacceptable, a response that TNS Market<br />
Research consultant David Watts said could<br />
be attributed to the importance of “keeping<br />
face” and upholding one’s reputation in the<br />
north. Most thought it was OK to kiss their<br />
boyfriend or girlfriend, but anything more<br />
intimate took the relationship to a new level.<br />
They believed that if a young couple has sex,<br />
they should marry one another. The youngest<br />
participant Dung, 15, said he thought young<br />
couples could live together before marriage<br />
as a way of gauging their compatability. When<br />
prompted for more information though, he<br />
said it wasn’t something he would do, but<br />
he believed it was acceptable behaviour for<br />
others.<br />
Marriageable age varied by gender, not<br />
so much by location. While all participants<br />
said they would get married, males opted to<br />
wed later in their mid-30s, and females said<br />
they expected to walk down the aisle in their<br />
mid- to late-20s. This makes sense as the<br />
boys view themselves as the future breadwinners<br />
of their families, and want to marry only<br />
once they have a stable job and adequate<br />
finances.<br />
Everyone said without hesitation that they<br />
would have children. In both cities having<br />
children is perceived as a way to continue the<br />
family lineage. Both the Saigonese and the<br />
Hanoians said they’d like to have one to three<br />
kids in the future. The group from HCM City<br />
couldn’t really explain how they had arrived<br />
at the figure, but the northerners pointed<br />
directly to Ho Chi Minh’s teaching as their<br />
source. “That’s a statement of Uncle Ho,”<br />
they agreed, referring to the government’s<br />
two child per family policy.<br />
FUTURE AMBITIONS<br />
All of the participants yearn for material<br />
possessions—fashionable motorbikes in<br />
the immediate future and cars and villas as<br />
adults. One boy, 19-year-old university student<br />
Tu, who aspires to be a millionaire, even<br />
wants to own a private plane. To afford the<br />
lifestyle they desire they need money and it<br />
is apparent that cash underpins every critical<br />
decision they make.<br />
Their ambitions reflect the change in<br />
Vietnam’s society. As the nation becomes<br />
more affluent they anticipate that their quality<br />
of life will improve. They expect Vietnam to<br />
develop exponentially and can foresee better<br />
education and healthcare systems, plus<br />
greater collective knowledge, awareness and<br />
understanding. Yet, they are also aware of<br />
the pitfalls of rapid expansion—increasing<br />
population, industrialization, rising land prices<br />
and a widening of the gap between rich and<br />
poor. Ironically, they can also see the cons<br />
of living to work, the very lifestyle they are<br />
gearing themselves for—the degradation of<br />
the family and reduced social life. And with<br />
multi-generational living situations on the<br />
downward slide, they predict a diminishing<br />
sense of community and social responsibily.<br />
Recurrent throughout the entire project<br />
was this sense of confusion. Vietnamese<br />
youth are torn between a desire for progress<br />
and modernity, yet they are worried about<br />
what may be lost if the country’s traditions are<br />
not maintained. They’re still not exactly sure<br />
what they want.<br />
28 asialife HCMC asialife HCMC 29
GROWING PAINS<br />
As Vietnam enters middle-income status and begins the most<br />
demographically favourable period in its history, the time to<br />
make a dramatic socioeconomic leap is fast approaching.<br />
However, a serious skills shortage is raising questions about<br />
whether Vietnam can take advantage of its golden opportunity.<br />
By Thomas Maresca. Photo by Fred Wissink.<br />
Vietnam is a country of the young. Its median<br />
age is a tick above 27, and its youthful energy,<br />
optimism and spirit is apparent. Here in HCM<br />
City, an enthusiasm—even a boisterousness—is<br />
impossible to miss throughout the<br />
cafes, clubs, shopping centres, schools and<br />
workplaces of this developing metropolis.<br />
The feeling can be summed up in one word:<br />
potential.<br />
That potential is not simply a matter of<br />
perception. Statistically speaking, Vietnam has<br />
entered a “demographic bonus” period: an era<br />
when the working-age population is double<br />
the number of dependents.<br />
This period, which comes only once in a<br />
nation’s lifetime, is considered a golden age<br />
for development. While a greying nation such<br />
as Japan (where an estimated one in four<br />
will be 65 years or older by 2025) is facing<br />
what some call a “demographic time bomb,”<br />
Vietnam is looking forward to the chance for<br />
tremendous growth.<br />
There are certainly positive signs: relatively<br />
stable macroeconomic factors, a sense of<br />
optimism and enthusiasm for the future, a<br />
booming technology and consumer industry<br />
and a healthy flow of foreign direct investment.<br />
And yet, concerns abound as to whether<br />
Vietnam will be able to realize its potential.<br />
Numerous factors have the potential to put<br />
a damper on Vietnam’s growth, from lack of<br />
infrastructure to policy missteps.<br />
Perhaps the greatest concern is skills. Will<br />
the Vietnamese workforce have the necessary<br />
skills to take advantage of the possibilities that<br />
await? The country is already running a deficit<br />
in vital areas, from technical ability to managerial<br />
acumen to more elusive workplace “soft<br />
skills.” Many observers are worried that this<br />
lack will derail Vietnam’s ascension into the<br />
upper ranks of developed nations.<br />
Employers, educational institutions and aid<br />
organizations, both local and international,<br />
have been trying to address this skills shortage.<br />
The question is whether their efforts will<br />
be enough.<br />
Middle Income Trap<br />
From one of the poorest countries in the world<br />
just 20 years ago Vietnam has reached the<br />
World Banks’ benchmark for middle-income<br />
status. Annual income per capita grew from<br />
less than USD $100 dollars in 1990 to about<br />
$1,200 this year, while the poverty rate fell<br />
from 58 percent in 1993 to about 12 percent<br />
in 2009, said a World Bank report.<br />
Taking the next step is even trickier.<br />
"Many countries have been reaching the<br />
middle income status from lower levels, but<br />
very few countries [succeeded] in moving to<br />
high income," according to a study by Le Kim<br />
Sa, of Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences<br />
(VASS).<br />
Much of Vietnam’s growth to this point has<br />
relied on low labour costs to build exportoriented<br />
and labour-intensive industries such<br />
as textiles, garments and footwear. But as<br />
the country moves up the value chain and<br />
produces more techonology- and capital-intensive<br />
products this can’t remain a competitive<br />
advantage.<br />
Ultimately, Vietnam is going to have to be<br />
able to compete with its productivity and<br />
skills, not just with cost. And while employment<br />
levels are high, Vietnam’s productivity<br />
remains extremely low relative to its neighbours.<br />
The country’s productivity is equivalent<br />
to 1/5 of average productivity in ASEAN<br />
countries and 1/10 of Singapore’s level,<br />
according to the report on Vietnam’s labour<br />
and social trends by the International Labor<br />
Organisation (ILO).<br />
At a recent conference organized by VASS,<br />
its president, Do Hoai Nam, warned that the<br />
strategies that have gotten Vietnam this far<br />
won’t suffice for its future development.<br />
"Vietnam has just got out of the list of poor<br />
countries and its achievements are not really<br />
sustainable," Nam said.<br />
So what happens next?<br />
In one scenario, Vietnam is able to generate<br />
the kind of highly skilled workforce that<br />
will attract partnerships and investment with<br />
other developed nations and create enough<br />
jobs to satisfy the expanding workforce. More<br />
employment means more tax revenue, which<br />
can improve health, education and other social<br />
services. Greater savings and investment<br />
will help further drive productivity growth,<br />
competitiveness and economic development.<br />
In another scenario, Vietnam falls into what<br />
analysts call a “lower-middle income trap.”<br />
Firms don’t invest or expand because there<br />
aren’t enough skilled workers, and workers<br />
don’t acquire skills because there aren’t<br />
enough jobs to go around. Such a country<br />
stays on the low-skill and low-tech end of the<br />
global economy indefinitely. And with all the<br />
new people of working age that will continue<br />
to flood into the labour market in the coming<br />
decades, the demographic bonus becomes a<br />
burden instead of a boon, as unemployment<br />
becomes a major issue.<br />
In regional terms, it’s the difference<br />
between leveling out economically the way<br />
Thailand and The Philippines seem to have<br />
done or becoming the next Taiwan, Singapore<br />
or South Korea.<br />
Technical Difficulties<br />
The skills shortage cuts across numerous<br />
sectors. One particularly acute shortage is<br />
found in skilled industrial labour in areas such<br />
as manufacturing and the export sector.<br />
A recent survey by the Ministry of Labor,<br />
Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA) found<br />
that 40 percent of manufacturing and<br />
export-oriented firms, including state-owned<br />
enterprises, identify the lack of skilled labour<br />
as a moderate or severe constraint to further<br />
expansion. According to MOLISA, skilled<br />
workers currently comprise just 13 percent of<br />
the labour force.<br />
The pinch is particularly felt among foreigninvested<br />
projects, which are still having a hard<br />
time finding enough workers. Paradoxically,<br />
as MOLISA points out, unemployment rates<br />
remain high in some areas that have a huge<br />
demand for workers. Dong Nai, where there<br />
are many FDI projects, falls short of 20,000<br />
trained and manual workers every year. In<br />
HCM City, 23,000 people have lost their jobs<br />
so far this year, yet the city is still looking for<br />
61,000 new employees.<br />
“Vietnam’s long-term prosperity and development<br />
depends on its increasing competitiveness<br />
in regional and global markets, and<br />
"Many countries have been REACHING the<br />
middle income status from lower levels, but<br />
VERY FEW COUNTRIES [succeeded] in moving<br />
to high income." Le Kim Sa<br />
if it is to expand as an industrialized country,<br />
it must develop highly skilled industrial workers,”<br />
according to Wendy Duncan, principal<br />
education specialist in the Asian Development<br />
Bank’s (ADB) Southeast Asia Department.<br />
So how does Vietnam address this issue?<br />
The major bottleneck is coming from the lack<br />
of effectiveness of vocational training schools.<br />
The schools are simply turning out too few<br />
trained workers and focusing on occupations<br />
and skills sets that are mismatched with the<br />
requirements of the more dynamic industries.<br />
Making matters worse, the number of students<br />
entering vocational schools has been<br />
decreasing dramatically. An alarming half of<br />
vocational schools’ students drop out, and<br />
one of the primary issues keeping students<br />
away is that they cannot transfer their credits<br />
to continue studying at the university level.<br />
For its part, the ADB recently launched<br />
a $70 million project to improve vocational<br />
training in priority industries. The project<br />
will fund training programmes in public and<br />
private vocational colleges in automotive<br />
technology, electrical and mechanical manufacturing,<br />
hospitality and tourism, information<br />
and communication technology and navigation<br />
and shipping industries, all of which currently<br />
lack sufficient skilled workers. Around<br />
24,000 students are expected to benefit from<br />
the programme, with about 25 percent of<br />
them women and members of ethnic minority<br />
groups.<br />
University Blues<br />
Another reason that vocational schools are<br />
less attractive to Vietnamese is more culturally<br />
ingrained. “Vietnam is like China. We<br />
worship degrees,” says Vu Thi Phuong Anh,<br />
director, Vietnam National University-HCMC's<br />
Center for Educational Testing and Quality.<br />
Indeed, of the many challenges facing<br />
Vietnam’s workforce, a desire for a university<br />
education is not one of them. Last month,<br />
1.9 million high school seniors in Vietnam<br />
took a college admissions test, even though<br />
new enrollment is limited to around 500,000<br />
students. The limited capacity of Vietnam’s<br />
higher education system gives even<br />
middle-of-the-road universities Harvard-like<br />
acceptance rates.<br />
“There’s just a huge hunger for education,”<br />
says Graeme Domm, director of Communications,<br />
RMIT University Vietnam. RMIT,<br />
a Melbourne-based university that started<br />
30 asialife HCMC<br />
asialife HCMC 31
“The CONSENSUS is that the state<br />
educational system in Vietnam produces techcapable,<br />
theoretically sound GRADUATES.<br />
It doesn’t produce people with workplace<br />
skills, the soft skills to function in a work<br />
environment.” Tim Mullet<br />
operating in Vietnam in 2001.<br />
Once a student receives a placement in<br />
Vietnam’s state universities, however, there’s<br />
hardly a guarantee that what he or she learns<br />
will be useful at the next level. Vietnam’s<br />
universities generally lag well behind those in<br />
the region, not to mention the world. A recent<br />
university rankings released by Quacquarelli<br />
Symonds lacked a single Vietnamese university<br />
among the top 200 in Asia.<br />
Vietnam’s Ministry of Education has been<br />
extremely forthright about the difficulties it<br />
is facing. A report last year was particularly<br />
blunt: “[T]ertiary education is facing major<br />
challenges: the governance over the universities<br />
and colleges is slow to change, unable to<br />
meet the demands of training quality improvement<br />
for the whole system, and unable to<br />
promote the creativeness of the teachers,<br />
managers and students. The quality of the<br />
human resources is a prolonged weakness of<br />
the whole system of economy.”<br />
That’s not to say Vietnamese universities<br />
have not taken steps forward. In the last<br />
20 years, the number of universities and<br />
colleges has more than tripled, from 101 to<br />
376, and some innovative partnerships and<br />
programmes have been developed.<br />
VNU’s Dr. Phuong Anh last year invited assessment<br />
teams from ASEAN University Network<br />
(AUN) to evaluate one curriculum of the<br />
Hanoi National University and three curriculums<br />
of the HCM City National University. All<br />
the programmes received good results, and<br />
have been recognized as meeting ASEAN<br />
standards, on par with regional universities.<br />
Still, only 15 percent of young people are<br />
studying at universities, half that of Thailand<br />
and a third that of South Korea.<br />
Dr. Phuong Anh, who has been in the<br />
higher education system for 13 years, and<br />
was one of the first generation of Vietnamese<br />
to earn a PhD from an international university,<br />
can’t help but feel a little wistful, despite her<br />
efforts and optimism: “Things aren’t changing<br />
the way we expected them to change,” she<br />
says.<br />
Some supplemental efforts are promising.<br />
The World Bank recently provided $180<br />
million in loans to help Vietnam build the<br />
Vietnam-Germany University (VGU) in HCM<br />
City, with a stated mission of becoming a<br />
world-standard university in Vietnam.<br />
And RMIT has been expanding its offerings<br />
to include several areas of need in Vietnam’s<br />
workforce. This year, the school will be<br />
offering a Masters of Engineering programme,<br />
the first of its kind in the country. Intel, which<br />
is opening its largest testing and assembly<br />
plant here and has struggled to find skilled<br />
labour, is a major supporter. The tech giant<br />
is offering 20 full scholarships, and will also<br />
be supplying $210,000 for a new specialized<br />
electronic and computer engineering lab.<br />
Help Wanted<br />
Once young Vietnamese people make their<br />
way through the traditional education system,<br />
they’re finding a whole new world waiting for<br />
them in the workforce, one for which their<br />
schooling has frequently left them underprepared.<br />
One study from the Ho Chi Minh<br />
University of Pedagogy, found that 50 percent<br />
of graduates have to be retrained, and a<br />
World Bank study found that figure to be 60<br />
percent.<br />
The areas in particular that stands out<br />
for employers and recruiters are management<br />
skills. Chris Harvey, General Director of<br />
Vietnamworks.com, an online employment<br />
service, says that, “There’s a shortage of<br />
management talent. Companies are looking<br />
for leadership—the ability to recruit, motivate,<br />
organize, delegate, create effective teams.”<br />
Harvey’s solution within Vietnamworks.com<br />
is to “hire people with great attitudes and<br />
potential and spend a lot of time growing and<br />
training them.” Most international, brandname<br />
firms similarly do a great deal of training,<br />
which is why, Harvey says, they receive<br />
more applications than local companies.<br />
Tim Mullett, director, International Management<br />
Initiative for Vietnam (IMIV) notes that<br />
there is also a lack of what can be called<br />
general workplace skills.<br />
“The consensus is that the state educational<br />
system in Vietnam produces techcapable,<br />
theoretically sound graduates. It<br />
doesn’t produce people with workplace skills,<br />
the soft skills to function in a work environment.”<br />
These include attributes like critical<br />
and creative thinking, taking initiative, problem<br />
solving and teamwork—the vital tissue that<br />
keep a company functioning smoothly.<br />
The IMIV, a non-profit initiative within<br />
the VinaCapital Foundation, recently began<br />
offering a series of management training programmes,<br />
delivered by proven international<br />
education institutions such as Singaporebased<br />
SIM Professional Development. The<br />
IMIV's long-term goal is to establish an independent<br />
not-for-profit management institute<br />
and there is an associated education initiative<br />
within VinaCapital to establish a top-level<br />
international MBA programme in Vietnam.<br />
Licensing for such an institution is a lengthy<br />
process, however. Other programmes are<br />
available in Vietnam as well. For instance, the<br />
PACE Institute of Directors, a group of Vietnamese<br />
business executives, operates the Institute<br />
for Potential Leaders, a free-of-charge<br />
training course for young businesspeople.<br />
Again, it’s certainly worth keeping in mind<br />
how far Vietnam has come in a short time.<br />
Anyone who has lived and worked in Vietnam<br />
for a few years or more can attest to the levels<br />
of professionalism and competence that<br />
young workers are displaying in ever greater<br />
numbers. And as more young Vietnamese<br />
study internationally and work with international<br />
companies, they are exposed to standards<br />
and practices that are valuable assets<br />
to the country. There are also any number<br />
of dedicated and talented people within the<br />
system with ideas that can help take the<br />
country forward.<br />
It’s just a question of how far and how fast.<br />
Despite the many ad hoc responses to<br />
Vietnam’s skills shortages and the steps the<br />
country has taken, ultimately, a systemic<br />
problem is going to call for systemic solutions.<br />
The demographic bonus is coming,<br />
and the potential to jump ahead or languish<br />
remains very much in the balance.<br />
“The shift is definitely happening,” says<br />
Mullett. “Whether it’s happening fast enough<br />
to catch the wave, I don’t know.”<br />
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32 asialife HCMC asialife HCMC 33
In Pursuit of Panduranga<br />
New discoveries suggest the kingdom<br />
of Champa’s architectural origins may<br />
in fact be buried in its final refuge:<br />
modern-day Binh Thuan Province.<br />
Adam Bray hits the road to find the<br />
origins of this much misunderstood<br />
civilization and the birthplace of<br />
classical Cham architecture. Photos<br />
by Adam Bray and Fred Wissink.<br />
Photo by Fred Wissink<br />
Looking up inside Thap Po Dam Tower<br />
New discoveries suggest not<br />
only that Panduranga may<br />
have developed independently<br />
during the earliest days of<br />
Champa, but that it may in fact<br />
be the earliest seed of Cham<br />
culture in Vietnam.<br />
I drove north from Phan Thiet<br />
early in the morning toward the<br />
mountains. Last year a villager<br />
told me about some ancient<br />
Cham temple ruins submerged<br />
at the back of a reservoir in<br />
the foothills of the Central Highlands.<br />
“It’s only visible for the<br />
last month of dry season” he<br />
said. “The rest of the year it’s<br />
under water.”<br />
He told me the name of the<br />
nearest village, but it didn’t appear<br />
on any maps. I decided to<br />
just head north and ask people<br />
along the way. “Do you know<br />
if there are any old collapsed<br />
Cham towers in the area?” I<br />
would ask the rice farmers in<br />
Vietnamese.<br />
Over and over again I received<br />
the same answer, “There<br />
are no Cham temples out here.<br />
You must go to Phan Rang.<br />
That’s where Cham people<br />
come from.” It was both a bizarre<br />
and frustrating response,<br />
considering there is an obvious<br />
Cham tower in Phan Thiet—Po<br />
Shanu—and there are Cham<br />
residents living throughout this<br />
area. I’ve long marveled at how<br />
little knowledge or interest the<br />
villagers have in a kingdom<br />
that once laid claim to the<br />
whole area. But then, scholars<br />
and archaeologists hadn’t paid<br />
much attention to Binh Thuan<br />
Province either because until<br />
last year there were only two<br />
documented Cham temples<br />
found here. Binh Thuan, known<br />
as southern Panduranga by<br />
the Cham, was considered the<br />
place where the Cham sought<br />
refuge after the kingdom was<br />
overthrown in the 15th century.<br />
Inexplicably, however, the province’s<br />
two documented templetowers<br />
have long been regarded<br />
as the oldest known Cham ruins<br />
in Vietnam.<br />
Just before sunset, with a few<br />
tips from the farmers, I finally<br />
arrived at the correct village and<br />
turned my motorbike north between<br />
the mountains and down<br />
a dusty trail. I was delighted<br />
to find an elderly Cham man<br />
standing by a shack at the end<br />
of the road. I explained my mission<br />
and to my great surprise he<br />
knew exactly what ruins I was<br />
looking for. He led me across a<br />
rocky floodplain to the edge of<br />
a river leading to the reservoir.<br />
Ancient red bricks, encrusted<br />
in clam shells, lay strewn about<br />
two temple foundations.<br />
“About 15 years ago the<br />
one-armed man came,” said the<br />
old man. “He had a group of six<br />
men that dug here. They took<br />
away cartloads of statues, iron<br />
implements, steles with writing<br />
and even some gold.” I cringed.<br />
This wasn’t the first time I’d<br />
heard of “the one-armed man.”<br />
Villagers at other ruin sites<br />
told me how this gold shop<br />
owner vandalized and robbed<br />
archaeological sites all over the<br />
province.<br />
Champa: A Jumbled History<br />
Under Contention<br />
The Cham are a semi-matriarchal<br />
ethnic group whose oncegreat<br />
kingdom encompassed all<br />
of Central Vietnam and at times<br />
portions of Laos and Cambodia.<br />
Their kingdom, known as<br />
Champa, was a contemporary<br />
rival to Angkor, China and the<br />
Vietnamese.<br />
Georges Maspero’s The<br />
Champa Kingdom: The History<br />
of an Extinct Vietnamese Culture<br />
(1928) was long considered the<br />
definitive version of the history<br />
of the Champa Kingdom. He<br />
proposed that the single, united<br />
Champa kingdom began in the<br />
4th century, at that time known<br />
as Linyi by the Chinese, and<br />
was slowly driven southward<br />
through five principalities by<br />
the Vietnamese. Beginning in Indrapura<br />
(near modern Danang),<br />
they retreated to Amaravati<br />
(Quang Nam Province), the<br />
Vijaya (26 km from Qui Nhon),<br />
then Kauthara (Nha Trang),<br />
finally seeking refuge in Panduranga<br />
(Binh Thuan and Ninh<br />
Thuan provinces).<br />
Within Maspero’s history is a<br />
poorly-explained account of the<br />
abandonment of Indrapura and<br />
the holy city of My Son during<br />
the 8th and 9th centuries and<br />
the subsequent relocation to<br />
Panduranga and Kauthara by<br />
Champa’s rulers. All of the earliest<br />
known Cham temples are<br />
located in Panduranga and date<br />
from this period. The surviving<br />
temples at My Son were all built<br />
after Maspero believed the capital<br />
shifted back to Indrapura,<br />
a century later. There are older<br />
rudiments attributed mostly to<br />
the Linyi period in My Son but<br />
they are not vestiges of classical<br />
Cham temple-towers.<br />
However, Michael Vickery’s<br />
2005 working paper “Champa<br />
Revised” throws that all out<br />
the window. Vickery asserts<br />
that Champa was a loosely affiliated<br />
group of perhaps three<br />
autonomous principalities,<br />
each developing independently<br />
and in parallel, with their own<br />
respective ruling elite. Vickery<br />
argues that Maspero’s assertion<br />
that Champa evolved from<br />
Linyi is pure “historical fiction”<br />
and points out that much of his<br />
history is based on unfounded<br />
assumption, misunderstandings,<br />
myth and all-too heavy<br />
reliance on skewed ancient Chi-<br />
Thap Po Dam Tower<br />
nese and Vietnamese histories.<br />
He seems to imply a much later<br />
emergence of Cham—perhaps<br />
in the 7th or 8th century. Vickery<br />
maintains that the shifting<br />
pre-eminence (and subsequent<br />
decline a century later) of Panduranga<br />
in the 8th century (and<br />
again in the 11th century) is due<br />
to changes in trade routes and<br />
not migrations of royal families<br />
and capital cities.<br />
I agree with Vickery. Newlydiscovered<br />
temple ruins here in<br />
Binh Thuan Province suggest a<br />
continual prominence of Panduranga<br />
as an active religious<br />
realm from the earliest days of<br />
Champa. I’ve located clusters<br />
of temple ruins in the north of<br />
the province, which point to the<br />
possibility of a holy city. Likewise,<br />
the little-known ancient<br />
Cham citadel wall surrounding<br />
the town of Song Luy in central<br />
Binh Thuan is incontrovertible<br />
evidence of an impressive<br />
military or royal presence in<br />
Panduranga.<br />
Even more exciting however,<br />
are the recently disclosed<br />
discoveries of more than a<br />
dozen Sa Huynh sites by the<br />
government. The Sa Huynh<br />
culture (known chiefly for its<br />
use of burial-cremation jars and<br />
intricate jewellery) is one of<br />
the earliest known civilizations<br />
in Vietnam, dating back up to<br />
3,000 years. It’s largely believed<br />
that the Sa Huynh are ancestors<br />
of the Cham.<br />
All of these exciting new<br />
discoveries suggest not only<br />
that Panduranga may have<br />
developed independently dur-<br />
34 asialife HCMC asialife HCMC 35
Po Shanu Tower<br />
The Brick Builders<br />
Po Adam-Hung<br />
Last Cham Kings Crown<br />
Hindus believed that their deities resided on Mount<br />
Meru, in the centre of the universe. Champa, like other<br />
Hinduized cultures, built their temples as mini replicas of<br />
this abode. Eastward-facing Cham temples were usually<br />
built on mounds or hilltops overlooking moving water.<br />
Much like earlier Funan temples, but unlike Angkor<br />
monuments, Cham towers were constructed entirely of<br />
red bricks. Mortar isn’t visible on the outside of a Cham<br />
temple. This gave rise to stories by the Vietnamese that<br />
the bricks were only air-dried before set in place, and then<br />
covered with a resin before the entire tower was baked<br />
in situ by a giant bonfire. In reality, a loose mortar can be<br />
found between inner brick layers. Further, ancient kilns<br />
where the bricks were baked prior to temple construction<br />
have been found outside Phan Thiet.<br />
The remaining artefacts have been<br />
ravaged so aggressively in the last<br />
20 years that there will soon be<br />
nothing left worth saving if they<br />
are not immediately placed under<br />
protection.<br />
With several temple ruin sites<br />
recently discovered—ranking<br />
among the oldest—it seems that<br />
Binh Thuan Province may have<br />
been the birthplace of classical<br />
Cham architecture, likely influenced<br />
by the neighbouring and<br />
elder Funan Empire.<br />
Unfortunately the remaining<br />
artefacts have been ravaged so<br />
aggressively in the last 20 years,<br />
by both professional temple<br />
robbers and local farmers, that<br />
there will soon be nothing left<br />
worth saving if they are not<br />
immediately placed under<br />
protection.<br />
Cham temples often served as<br />
tombs for the kings of Champa,<br />
and the Cham were notorious<br />
for hiding gold and jewellery<br />
under tower foundations,<br />
as offerings to the god-kings<br />
buried there. This has always<br />
made them a target of choice<br />
for robbers, who also carry off<br />
valuable statuary, lingas (phallic<br />
representations of Shiva)<br />
and steles bearing the written<br />
history of the king to which the<br />
temple was devoted. Tomb raiders<br />
(and farmers demolishing<br />
temple ruins to clear land for<br />
crops) may have done nearly as<br />
much damage to the sum total<br />
of Champa’s relics in the last 20<br />
years as all of America’s bombs<br />
at My Son.<br />
At the moment, no one is paying<br />
attention. “We don’t really<br />
care about the collapsed Cham<br />
ruins far in the countryside”<br />
an assistant at the Ministry of<br />
Tourism told me. “The country<br />
just restores and protects the<br />
big beautiful temples near the<br />
highway—the ones that tourist<br />
like and are easy to access.”<br />
ing the earliest days of Champa,<br />
but that it may in fact be the<br />
earliest seed of Cham culture in<br />
Vietnam.<br />
Panduranga Revisited<br />
Until recently, the only known<br />
Cham towers in Binh Thuan<br />
Province were Po Shanu in Phan<br />
Thiet, and little-known Po Dam<br />
near Phan Ri. Po Shanu is the<br />
oldest known Cham tower, yet<br />
it’s often overlooked in age-style<br />
comparisons between towers<br />
because it inconveniently looks<br />
as much like a pre-Angkorian<br />
Khmer temple of the Funan<br />
Kingdom as a Cham temple. Po<br />
Dam, only thought to be a little<br />
older, is similar in style to Tha<br />
Hoa Lai in Phan Rang. Interestingly,<br />
Hoa Lai has long been<br />
disowned by the Cham, who<br />
claim it is a Khmer (Angkorian<br />
or Funan-era) temple.<br />
Last summer Phan Thiet’s<br />
provincial museum made a<br />
small announcement about<br />
a 9th century temple ruin<br />
discovered in the far north of<br />
the province, on the road to<br />
Dalat. As usual the nearest<br />
stated village didn’t appear on<br />
any map, so I set out with my<br />
friend Hung to find it, again<br />
by asking locals. In the process<br />
of my search I would accidentally<br />
find two undocumented<br />
temples. Then after finding<br />
the government’s temple, I<br />
located the fourth, “Reservoir<br />
Tower” described previously.<br />
Strangely, only two of these<br />
four temple sites are in view of<br />
running water, and none are on<br />
pronounced hilltops. If the locations<br />
were forested at the time<br />
of construction, no view of the<br />
countryside would have been<br />
afforded. This is very unusual<br />
for Cham temples anywhere in<br />
Vietnam, except for the holy city<br />
of My Son.<br />
The first temple that I found<br />
I named Po Adam-Hung in jest.<br />
The main tower shaft, with tall,<br />
smooth walls, penetrated down<br />
into the centre of a mound. It<br />
seems as though the temple roof<br />
collapsed outward and formed<br />
the mound around it. Beside it<br />
is a smaller building, still apparently<br />
intact but buried in the<br />
mound. Along it is a trench and<br />
another wall, as though forming<br />
a hallway.<br />
The second undocumented<br />
temple site, which I tentatively<br />
named “The Farmer’s Tower”<br />
(it sits in the middle of cropland),<br />
is about a 15-minute drive<br />
away. It consists of multiple<br />
structures, all entirely collapsed<br />
but one. Three outer walls remain,<br />
hidden by trees and vines.<br />
Bricks and an undecorated lintel<br />
lay strewn upon the ground.<br />
The third set of ruins, announced<br />
and excavated by the<br />
government, is all but collapsed,<br />
save the foundation, and questionably<br />
dated by authorities<br />
as 9th-century. This temple is<br />
about 20 minutes drive north<br />
from the others, at the foot of<br />
the mountains.<br />
These ruins, together with Po<br />
Shanu and yet another badly<br />
degraded ruin on the edge of<br />
Phan Thiet, all lay within Binh<br />
Thuan’s central Quao River<br />
Delta. I don’t believe that it<br />
is a coincidence that these,<br />
Champa’s oldest known towers,<br />
are in such close proximity to<br />
the elder Funan ruins in Cat<br />
Tien National Park. I believe<br />
that Binh Thuan’s ruins may<br />
represent a transition between<br />
the Funan and Cham architectural<br />
styles, and that there are<br />
probably many other vestiges<br />
here with transitional styles that<br />
are yet to be discovered.<br />
In addition to these seven<br />
towers, sources have confirmed<br />
the existence of at least 10 more<br />
ancient Cham temple sites in the<br />
province, as well as numerous<br />
shrines and the ancient Cham<br />
citadel of Song Luy. Among<br />
these are the newly discovered<br />
temple sites in the districts of<br />
Muong Man and Binh Tan,<br />
which display remarkable<br />
similarities in size, complexity<br />
and sophistication to principal<br />
temples in the holy city My<br />
Son. All of these temples are<br />
loosely dated from the 8th to 9th<br />
centuries.<br />
Champa’s History at a Precipice<br />
From these discoveries, I<br />
conclude that Panduranga was<br />
much more actively settled<br />
in the early days of Champa<br />
than previously thought. "The<br />
riparian Cham cities of Phan<br />
Thiet and Phan Ri both have<br />
Cham and Sa Huynh relics in<br />
the vicinity that suggests they<br />
may be among the oldest and<br />
longest-continuously inhabited<br />
cities in Vietnam (2,500 years)."<br />
Another quality development by<br />
Asia Life August 2010.indd 1 23/08/2010 05:02:15<br />
36 asialife HCMC asialife HCMC 37
In the Land of<br />
Gibbons<br />
The Gibbon Experience gives adventure travellers<br />
the opportunity to live in the trees and soar<br />
through the jungle canopy of northwestern Laos.<br />
Tom DiChristopher takes to the sky on one of the<br />
conservation-oriented project’s three-day treks.<br />
Photos by Fred Wissink.<br />
The zip line is still buzzing<br />
when I grasp it to lock my trolley<br />
into place. The velocity of<br />
its last passenger reverberates<br />
through my arm and rattles my<br />
nerves. Moments ago, our guide<br />
Boonpeng led the first flight,<br />
followed enthusiastically by my<br />
girlfriend Sarah and her sister<br />
Ryann’s boyfriend, Josh. Now<br />
Ryann, a pair of British travellers<br />
and our second guide, Nuon, are<br />
waiting for me.<br />
It dawns on me that a zip line<br />
platform a few hundred metres<br />
above the jungle floor is a bad<br />
place to realize you’ve wildly<br />
underestimated your fear of<br />
heights.<br />
And this is just the start.<br />
We’ve signed on for a threeday<br />
trek and aerial adventure<br />
through northwestern Laos’<br />
Bokeo Nam Kan Nature Reserve<br />
called the Gibbon Experience.<br />
During the trip, I will not only<br />
tackle a network of zip lines,<br />
I’ll also be sleeping in a tree<br />
house. At present, however, I’m<br />
just trying to take the first step.<br />
With panic and humiliation<br />
tug-of-roping me back and forth<br />
between fight and flight, I try every<br />
trick in the book: check that<br />
my trolley’s wheels are aligned,<br />
give its rubber tyre brake a test<br />
squeeze, retighten my harness,<br />
triple-check the carabiner on my<br />
safety rope. All systems are go.<br />
I lumber forward into a foetal<br />
crouch and an instant later the<br />
harness kung-fu grips me in<br />
all the wrong places. The zip<br />
line sings in my ear as I pick up<br />
speed through the corridor of<br />
foliage breezing past. Then, the<br />
sun pours over me and warms<br />
my skin. I wrestle my eyes from<br />
the trolley and gaze out over the<br />
mountains. Light and shadow<br />
colour them into a patchwork<br />
of camouflage. Below the Nam<br />
Nga River is just a ribbon, its<br />
flow almost imperceptible. Out<br />
here in the open, with nothing to<br />
measure my speed against, time<br />
and space calcify. I feel like I’m<br />
passing through a postcard.<br />
Then, the foliage whips by<br />
once again and the screeching<br />
zip line drops a few octaves. I<br />
slow to a stop a few metres from<br />
the landing platform, turning<br />
to pull myself hand over<br />
hand. With my feet back on<br />
solid ground, I holler across the<br />
chasm. “OK!”<br />
In the Trees<br />
After tackling another series of<br />
zip lines, we try our hand at a<br />
new challenge: docking in a tree<br />
Since visitors stick to the trails, cables and<br />
trees on the outskirts of the forest, their<br />
impact on the environment is minimal.<br />
house. Boonpeng looks back and<br />
says “brake” before leaping into<br />
another of his carefree madman<br />
launches. When it’s my turn I<br />
peared briefly to arrange lunch,<br />
but soon joined in, scaling the<br />
rocks and leaping into the chilly<br />
pool. This outdoor amenity is<br />
included in the Waterfall Experience<br />
option, and while cooling<br />
our aching muscles, we were<br />
glad we’d booked it. Later we<br />
were perhaps less pleased with<br />
ourselves; the Waterfall Experience<br />
also entails considerably<br />
longer daily hikes than the Classic<br />
Experience.<br />
Our second morning, however,<br />
the troops are showing<br />
fatigue. Sleeping accommodations<br />
are sub-optimal. The<br />
mattresses are thin. In place of<br />
mosquito nets, thick sheets hang<br />
from the ceiling, leaving two<br />
options: sweat it out or contend<br />
with mosquitoes. Most of us are<br />
working on about a half night’s<br />
sleep, and now we’ve got to hike<br />
to the next tree house.<br />
With muscles sore from<br />
yesterday’s hike and too little<br />
sleep, the day’s trek is arduous.<br />
We labour up steep, swerving<br />
paths, and then jog spaghettilegged<br />
down again. The process<br />
repeats itself over and over in<br />
a cruel, Ecsher-esque cycle. My<br />
backpack digs into my shoulfollow<br />
suit with another graceless<br />
plummet, peering ahead<br />
until I see it in the distance—<br />
like a hamburger balanced on a<br />
toothpick, a gazebo-like structure<br />
suspended in the trees.<br />
“Brake! Brake! Brake!” yells<br />
Boonpeng. I heed his warning<br />
and glide into the cramped landing<br />
platform beneath the tree<br />
house. Off to the side, our bathroom<br />
occupies little more than a<br />
balcony. Up above, the space is<br />
wide open, giving us 360-degree<br />
views of the mountains and<br />
forest. There’s even a makeshift<br />
kitchen with a gas range and<br />
sink. A resident cat paroles the<br />
tree house for forest rats that<br />
might scurry across the cables.<br />
We have everything we need<br />
to indulge our Swiss Family<br />
Robinson fantasies, save coconut<br />
bombs and a cross-dressing<br />
cabin boy.<br />
While the accommodations<br />
make for a fantastical getaway,<br />
they’re also integral to the<br />
Gibbon Experience’s overall<br />
mission. The project is named<br />
after the black-crested gibbon, a<br />
highly endangered primate that<br />
occupies parts of the 123,000<br />
hectare Bokeo Nature Reserve.<br />
The gibbons’ habitat is itself<br />
under threat, as well. Travelling<br />
through Laos, the sight of mountainsides<br />
clear cut for lumber<br />
is all too common. Laos lost 6.8<br />
percent of its forest between<br />
1990 and 2005 to slash-and-burn<br />
agriculture, logging, fuel wood<br />
collection and fires, according<br />
to United Nations FAO statistics<br />
compiled by conservation website<br />
Mongabay.com.<br />
In 2003 French ecotourism<br />
company Animo planted the<br />
roots of the Gibbon Experience<br />
in a bid to conserve Bokeo’s<br />
mountainous deciduous forest<br />
and generate income for local<br />
villagers, who work as patrol<br />
guards, guides, builders and<br />
cooks. Today, it maintains six<br />
tree houses and a network of<br />
zip lines. Since visitors stick to<br />
the trails, cables and trees on<br />
the outskirts of the forest, their<br />
impact on the environment is<br />
minimal.<br />
Over the next three days,<br />
however, I would learn that lowimpact<br />
travel can come with a<br />
high-impact workout.<br />
On the Trails<br />
By many standards, the Gib-<br />
bon Experience is rugged. Our<br />
journey from the border town<br />
of Houayxay had set the tone.<br />
We crammed into the bed of<br />
a songthaew with rucksacks,<br />
rations and a rotating cast of<br />
local commuters and spent the<br />
next three hours clinging to the<br />
truck’s canopy as it pitched back<br />
and forth along dusty, cratered<br />
switchbacks. Once we reached<br />
the staging village of Baan Toup,<br />
we had only 15 minutes to size<br />
up the outgoing group—filthy<br />
and exhausted, but in good<br />
spirits—before hitting the trails.<br />
Those first hours passed<br />
quickly as we took in the sights<br />
and sounds of the jungle. Giant<br />
fan-like ferns glowed electric<br />
green in the sun. Knotted, vinewrapped<br />
tree trunks spiraled<br />
skywards. Bent and broken<br />
bamboo formed archways and<br />
scaffolding overhead. Birdcalls<br />
so absurd they seemed artificial<br />
echoed in the canopy, while the<br />
chomp chomp of termite feasts<br />
crackled underfoot.<br />
Just when exhaustion had<br />
set in, we arrived at a craggy<br />
cove along the Nam Nga River<br />
fed by a small, tiered waterfall.<br />
Boonpeng and Nuon disap-<br />
ders. The harness weighs me<br />
down. Sweat streams down my<br />
forehead. Boonpeng and Nuan<br />
regularly update us. Three more<br />
hours. Two more. One more. I’m<br />
not sure if it’s helping. It always<br />
seems like we should be closer<br />
than we are.<br />
When we finally reach the<br />
first zip line, I clip in without a<br />
thought and jump. It seems I’ve<br />
found a cure for my acrophobia:<br />
exhaustion.<br />
Among the Gibbons<br />
I had been under the impression<br />
that zip lining at night was<br />
forbidden. So I was more than a<br />
little surprised when Boonpeng<br />
informed us yesterday evening<br />
that we’d be zipping out at 4 am.<br />
The gibbons get up early, you<br />
know.<br />
We’re running behind, staggering<br />
around by flashlight<br />
when we hear it: a loud crack<br />
in the distance. Boonpeng suddenly<br />
looks uncomfortable.<br />
“Poachers?” I ask. “Hunters?”<br />
“Yes,” he says. “Or rangers.”<br />
No matter. The shots are<br />
far off and a more frightening<br />
prospect is at hand. We’ve got<br />
to launch into pitch black nothingness<br />
from what everyone<br />
has agreed is the most unnerving<br />
platform, literally a plank<br />
suspended about half a metre<br />
from the edge of the tree house.<br />
Josh and I are last out, and he<br />
graciously let’s me go first. I step<br />
out on the plank and shimmy<br />
into sitting position. “If I fall,” I<br />
tell him, “at least it’s too dark to<br />
see where I’m falling.” And then<br />
I’m gone, praying that the zip<br />
line’s song will rise and fall as<br />
it should. Up ahead, something<br />
glimmers. Boonpeng and Nuan<br />
have lined either side of the<br />
landing platform with candles,<br />
turning it into a backwoods<br />
tarmac.<br />
Hours later, we arrive at the<br />
tree house. The residents—an<br />
older couple and their grandson—wake<br />
up and we introduce<br />
ourselves awkwardly, like squatters.<br />
Over breakfast, we compare<br />
our travails. And then, somewhere<br />
out in the trees, the first<br />
calls drift across the expanse:<br />
More gibbons join in, and soon the clarion<br />
becomes a chorus, the calls overlapping<br />
from all sides.<br />
Whoooooop! Whoop! Whoop!<br />
Whoop! More gibbons join in,<br />
and soon the clarion becomes<br />
a chorus, the calls overlapping<br />
from all sides.<br />
A reverent, church-like silence<br />
falls on the tree house. The<br />
morning is cool, and the fog rolls<br />
off the valleys, hovering among<br />
the hilltops. Everyone gazes out,<br />
looking for signs of the elusive<br />
gibbons. They never come into<br />
sight, but when we get back on<br />
the trail to Baan Toup, their calls<br />
still lilt through the air like a<br />
farewell as we prepare to return<br />
to civilization.<br />
The Classic and Waterfall Experiences<br />
are €180 (USD $231) for<br />
group accommodation, inclusive of<br />
meals and snacks. The more private<br />
Spa Experience is €250 (USD<br />
$321) and includes massage. For<br />
more information, visit gibbonexperience.org.<br />
38 asialife HCMC asialife HCMC 39
Himiko Visual Café<br />
HCM City<br />
Hideouts<br />
Himiko Visual Café<br />
Cooku Nest Café<br />
L’appartement<br />
Beth Young searches high and<br />
low—in Saigon’s many hems and<br />
alleyways, up above the streetscape<br />
and in the least obvious places—to<br />
find the city’s best kept secrets: its<br />
tucked away cafés, restaurants and<br />
bars. Photos by Fred Wissink.<br />
HCM City is a labyrinth of backstreets<br />
and crumbling terrace<br />
houses with winding staircases.<br />
Sometimes tucked away in<br />
these unlikely spaces are craftily<br />
refurbished bars, restaurants<br />
and cafes; hidden gems that are<br />
designed to be stumbled across.<br />
They’re not see and be seen<br />
joints; rather they provide visitors<br />
with a respite from HCM<br />
City’s frenetic pace, somewhere<br />
to sit quietly and soak in the<br />
often eclectic and ambient surroundings.<br />
Hideaway Café<br />
41/1 Pham Ngoc Thach, D3<br />
Tel: 3822 4222<br />
www.hideawaycafe-saigon.com<br />
Hideaway Café is a sprawling<br />
French colonial villa, hidden<br />
down an alley off Pham Ngoc<br />
Thach and shaded underneath<br />
the umbrella of a huge, knotted<br />
tree. Hideaway isn’t a newbie,<br />
but it’s one of the best, a plaudit<br />
that the mixed foreign and<br />
Vietnamese crowd will attest<br />
to. The café is so big, and has<br />
enough sections that privacy<br />
isn’t an issue. The main structure<br />
has dining areas downstairs<br />
and upstairs, both decked out<br />
with comfortable lounges.<br />
There’s also a balcony positioned<br />
beneath the tree’s leafy<br />
canopy. Another room above<br />
the kitchen has a lofty feel. With<br />
wooden floors and beige canvas<br />
cushions on low-lying lounges<br />
and classic board games like<br />
Scrabble, Articulate, Monopoly<br />
and Cluedo, it’s extremely<br />
conducive to relaxation. Teamed<br />
with the rustic finishes and<br />
worn furniture, Hideaway has a<br />
casual air. It’s the type of place<br />
you can put your feet up on the<br />
couch without fear of reproach.<br />
The menu is great, too, and the<br />
English breakfast (80,000 VND)<br />
is a winner.<br />
Cooku Nest Café<br />
13 Tu Xuong, D3<br />
Tel: 2241 2043<br />
Not so much tucked away as<br />
camouflaged, the Cooku Nest<br />
Café, is a blink and you’ll miss<br />
it sort of place. Constructed<br />
entirely from wood panels<br />
inside and out, the cuckoo clock<br />
that presides over the front<br />
door and the cut out timber<br />
bird motif positioned outside<br />
are the café’s calling cards.<br />
A relaxed space with an attic<br />
upstairs, it’s a cool hangout for<br />
arty, young Vietnamese, who<br />
sip at tra da and ca phe sua da<br />
for hours on end. A ladder-like<br />
staircase (shoes are politely left<br />
at the bottom) delivers patrons<br />
to the loft, where seating is at<br />
ground level on comfortable<br />
paisley-patterned cushions. By<br />
day, pleasant, elevator-worthy<br />
songs play, but at night, the nest<br />
is transformed with live music<br />
(mostly the jazzy strains of<br />
saxophone, guitar, violin, cello<br />
and mandolin). The entertainment<br />
is cheap, too. Instead of<br />
paying at the door, the ticket<br />
price is tacked at the end of your<br />
bill. An iced coffee is 30,000<br />
VND usually, but 50,000 VND if<br />
accompanied by a band.<br />
Casbah Lounge<br />
59 Nguyen Du, D1<br />
Tel: 8382 4130<br />
Casbah is a Mediterraneanthemed<br />
lounge positioned<br />
midway along a tiny hem suitable<br />
only for single-file traffic.<br />
Though it’s located right in the<br />
heart of the city, Casbah feels<br />
worlds away, especially on the<br />
rooftop terrace: a luxurious<br />
space complete with private<br />
curtain-enclosed day lounges,<br />
rattan chairs and a view of the<br />
street below. Downstairs, the<br />
vibe is Arabian nights. Royal<br />
blue and turquoise green accents<br />
pop against the dappled<br />
beige walls and the sweet scent<br />
of shisha fills the air. Though<br />
the stained glass windows allow<br />
some light in, it’s quite dark<br />
inside—a perfect lunchtime<br />
respite from the bright Saigon<br />
sun. Casbah hosts belly dancing<br />
classes every Thursday to<br />
Sunday from 8.30 pm, as well.<br />
No payment is required; simply<br />
purchase a glass of wine or a<br />
cocktail from their wide selection.<br />
Himiko Visual Café<br />
324bis Dien Bien Phu, D10<br />
www.himikocafe.com<br />
Himiko Visual Café is all about<br />
aesthetics. Located in a wide<br />
alley off busy Dien Bien Phu, the<br />
entrance is unassuming. As soon<br />
as you enter though and are<br />
greeted by three life-size naked<br />
statues, it becomes apparent<br />
you’ve found the right place.<br />
The staircase is dingy, but the<br />
space it leads to is downright<br />
eclectic. Filled with art created<br />
by owner Nguyen Kim Hoang,<br />
including busts and paintings<br />
displayed in shadow boxes,<br />
it’s a feast for the eyes. And<br />
that’s exactly Hoang’s goal. In<br />
Japanese Himiko means “the<br />
child found fire,” and the café’s<br />
primary purpose is to give<br />
young artists a playground<br />
to nurture their own creative<br />
spark. For patrons interested<br />
in grabbing a bite to eat there’s<br />
a limited menu of Vietnamese<br />
cuisine, namely banh mi op la<br />
(bread with eggs) for 29,000<br />
VND and noodle soup with<br />
rare beef (31,000 VND). Drinks<br />
are plentiful and include coffee,<br />
smoothies, juices and cocktails.<br />
Hoang appears to have a fondness<br />
for rum, too, for the spirit<br />
can be added to anything from<br />
ca phe da (32,000 VND) to lemon<br />
juice (32,000 VND).<br />
L’appartement<br />
Level 1, 95 Pasteur, D1<br />
Tel: 7300 8077<br />
L’appartement is tough to find.<br />
Take a wrong turn in the courtyard<br />
where it’s located and you<br />
can easily find yourself climbing<br />
a winding staircase all the way<br />
into someone’s very Vietnamese<br />
abode (at least I did). For those<br />
adept at following signage<br />
though, hunting down this<br />
Parisian-style cake parlour and<br />
café shouldn’t be too difficult.<br />
Just across the hall from Yoga<br />
Living, L’appartement (known<br />
simply as the Cake Studio)<br />
is a welcoming space with a<br />
large open dining room, bright<br />
‘breakfast’ type nook with bay<br />
windows and a colourful lounge<br />
area that houses a massive red<br />
sofa. The menu isn’t anything<br />
to write home about, but all the<br />
usual suspects are there: coffee,<br />
juices and some Vietnamese<br />
specialities. Desserts are made<br />
fresh daily and the cake of the<br />
day goes for 45,000 VND.<br />
Things<br />
Level 1, 14 Ton That Dam, D1<br />
Tel: 0904 141 714<br />
Things Café is as gorgeous as it<br />
is unexpected. Located on the<br />
first level of a ramshackle and<br />
massive Vietnamese apartment<br />
building, a stroll past the<br />
labyrinth of homes is required<br />
to reach the respite of Things.<br />
40 asialife HCMC asialife HCMC 41
Laura’s Secret Room<br />
L’appartement<br />
VND). Shisha in all flavours is<br />
on offer, too (188,000 VND).<br />
Laura’s Secret Room<br />
11 Dong Du, D1<br />
Tel: 3509 9018<br />
The vivacious Laura is a young<br />
Vietnamese woman with bouffant<br />
curls and tattoos and her<br />
bar has the same extravagant<br />
flair: think Marie Antoinette;<br />
feather boas, fake turf-covered<br />
walls and electric-blue flashing<br />
fairy lights. It’s quite a<br />
hike to her Secret Room (past<br />
a fairly underwhelming and<br />
smoke-filled lounge) but it’s<br />
well worth the exercise. For on<br />
the fifth floor is an ultra-pink<br />
terrace that affords a birds eye<br />
view of the city below. It’s a<br />
tiny space, but thankfully few<br />
people take advantage of it,<br />
and as a result it’s generally<br />
very quiet. Somehow, Laura<br />
manages to fit a live Filipino<br />
band up there on Thursday<br />
nights from 9 pm and bellydancing<br />
performances are<br />
coming soon. It may be located<br />
sky high but that doesn’t mean<br />
the prices are. A Corona goes<br />
for 30,000 VND: very reasonable<br />
indeed.<br />
Princess and the Pea<br />
63/85 Pasteur, D1<br />
Tel: 0936 353 179 or 0983 455<br />
549<br />
I love Princess and the Pea.<br />
Themed around the story and<br />
tucked away down a shoulderwidth<br />
hem off Pasteur, and up<br />
a winding set of stairs, it truly<br />
has a fairytale quality. Illustrations<br />
from children’s books<br />
like Alice in Wonderland line<br />
the aubergine-hued walls,<br />
alongside unique wooden cut<br />
outs shaped like lamps and<br />
topped with fabric shades. A<br />
bedroom nook to the café’s<br />
rear houses the princesses’<br />
bed, too—11 mattresses that<br />
are piled atop each other on a<br />
heavy timber base. The sleeping<br />
quarter also has a mirrored<br />
vanity table (which young<br />
Vietnamese girls use as a photography<br />
prop) and an adjoining<br />
library filled with books.<br />
Seating is on the floor on<br />
purple cushions alongside cute<br />
coffee tables set with black<br />
and white shots in the centre.<br />
The food menu is limited but<br />
drinks are plentiful. The apple<br />
and lemon juice (39,000 VND)<br />
is sweet and refreshing.<br />
Laura’s Secret Room<br />
Princess and the Pea<br />
Princess and the Pea<br />
In contrast to the dingy surrounds<br />
the café is bright and<br />
breezy thanks to hardworking<br />
ceiling fans and generous use<br />
of lemon yellow paint. What<br />
makes it even more special is<br />
owner Thuy Minh’s request<br />
to her friends to donate their<br />
old things. As such, the space<br />
is adorned with an eclectic<br />
mash of decorations: a rusted<br />
old typewriter, a four-poster<br />
bed and a black and white<br />
photograph of Charlie Chaplin,<br />
among others. There is a<br />
set lunch menu for each day<br />
of the week—bun cha and bun<br />
thit nuong on Monday (55,000<br />
VND), bun bo and goi cuon on<br />
Tuesday (55,000 VND), beef on<br />
Wednesday (75,000 VND), salad<br />
on Thursday (65,000 VND) and<br />
a rice dish on Friday (70,000<br />
VND). Breakfast including<br />
bacon, ham, pate, butter, bread<br />
and coffee is available for 85,000<br />
VND, too. What’s best about<br />
Things? It’s not overdone. It’s<br />
just perfect.<br />
Acoustic<br />
6E1 Ngo Thoi Nhiem, D3<br />
Tel: 3930 2239<br />
www.acoustic.com.vn<br />
Walk into Acoustic of an afternoon<br />
and you could very well<br />
find yourself listening to pop<br />
star and 2007 Vietnam Idol finalist<br />
Thao Trang jamming with<br />
her band like I did. A favourite<br />
haunt for Vietnamese music lovers<br />
and singers alike, Acoustic’s<br />
location at the end of an alley<br />
off Ngo Thoi Nhiem doesn’t<br />
deter revellers from coming<br />
out in droves and it’s easy to<br />
understand why. It’s cosy and<br />
intimate with plenty of comfortable<br />
seating right in front of the<br />
stage. A palette of warm beiges<br />
comprises the colour scheme,<br />
which is complemented with<br />
black details. As well, live bands<br />
perform each night, singing<br />
both Vietnamese and English<br />
numbers. Acoustic has another<br />
location, too: The Factory, at 102<br />
Mac Thi Buoi in District 1.<br />
Warda<br />
71/7 Mac Thi Buoi, D1<br />
Tel: 3823 3822<br />
Out of sight at the back of an<br />
alley off bustling Mac Thi Buoi<br />
is Warda, a Lebanese lounge,<br />
bar and restaurant. Downstairs<br />
the space is separated into<br />
two sections across the hem: a<br />
Bedouin tent filled with padded<br />
bench seats and obligatory<br />
Middle Eastern-style throw<br />
cushions on one side and the<br />
bar and restaurant on the other.<br />
Upstairs, the beaded curtain<br />
room is perfect for a private<br />
dinner party. The menu is a high<br />
point, especially the choice of<br />
hot mezzas: couscous battered<br />
eggplant fingers with chilli<br />
and tahini sauce (65,000 VND)<br />
and Egyptian havashi—grilled<br />
pita bread with sautéed spiced<br />
minced lamb (88,000 VND). For<br />
the indecisive a hot mezza platter<br />
(188,000 VND) is the way to<br />
go. The spread includes kebeh<br />
(burgur coated minced lamb,<br />
onion and pinenuts), tomato<br />
calamari, sambousek (ovenbaked<br />
filo pastry filled with<br />
goats cheese and spinach), and<br />
grilled spicy chicken plus flat<br />
bread, tahini and hummus. For<br />
dessert, I can personally recommend<br />
the hot chocolate and fig<br />
pudding: a melt-in-your-mouth<br />
delight that erupts with gooey<br />
goodness once pierced (85,000<br />
42 asialife HCMC asialife HCMC 43
Bong Bi<br />
Pumpkin flower<br />
Bong He<br />
Chive flowers<br />
Floral Flavours<br />
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .<br />
Bong Sung<br />
Water Lily<br />
Floral arrangements that pair perfectly with Vietnamese cuisine. By<br />
Beth Young. Researched by Stephy Thai. Image by Johnny Murphy.<br />
Bap Chuoi<br />
Banana flower<br />
Bong So Dua<br />
Pair chopsticks flowers<br />
Bong Dien Dien<br />
Sesbania sesban flowers<br />
Bong Thien Ly<br />
Fragrant cynanthe flowers<br />
Few Westerners scope out their<br />
local marketplace in search of<br />
edible flowers to bulk up their<br />
meals. Vietnamese, however,<br />
view the following flowers as<br />
delicacies. As such, these blossoms<br />
make appearances on special<br />
occasions like Tet, birthdays<br />
or the anniversary of a loved<br />
one’s death. Lack of celebration<br />
shouldn’t be a deterrent though.<br />
While some are seasonal, most<br />
are available year round and it’s<br />
definitely worth tempting your<br />
palate with these petals.<br />
Bong Bi<br />
Pumpkin flowers<br />
Bong bi is the male part of<br />
the pumpkin and as such the<br />
delicate yellow-hued flowers<br />
don’t bear fruit. The blossoms,<br />
however, can be boiled or fried<br />
and added to any number<br />
of Vietnamese dishes. Boiled<br />
bong bi is sweet with a slightly<br />
bitter aftertaste. To balance the<br />
flavour top it with braised fish<br />
or meat sauce or a spicy chilli<br />
and soy mixture. Otherwise, the<br />
blossoms are a great accompaniment<br />
to soups and garlic stirfries.<br />
Fried bong bi stuffed with<br />
finely ground shrimp, squid or<br />
lean meat and seasoned with<br />
green onion, salt, pepper and<br />
fish sauce, is purportedly the<br />
best way to down pumpkin<br />
flowers. The dish named bong<br />
bi nhoi thit chien is common in<br />
Southern Vietnam and Hue and<br />
is often prepared on special<br />
occasions like Tet or to commemorate<br />
a death. Bong bi are<br />
seasonal so be sure to grab a<br />
bundle if you see them.<br />
Bong Thien Ly<br />
Fragrant cynanthe flowers<br />
Bong thien ly come in two varieties:<br />
lemon-yellow and ivorywhite.<br />
Both are known for their<br />
tendency to share their sweet<br />
and fragrant scent when night<br />
falls and regardless of colour,<br />
are shaped like miniature wind<br />
chimes. The plant’s roots have<br />
medicinal properties and are<br />
said to heal bites and clear up<br />
urinary problems. The petals,<br />
however, are sweet and mild in<br />
flavour. Bong thien ly soup—<br />
the flower’s most common<br />
guise—is extremely simple<br />
to make. Soak bunches of the<br />
flowers in water to ensure all<br />
dirt and insects are removed<br />
then separate them. Cook the<br />
blossoms with minced meat,<br />
pounded field crab and ginger<br />
and soy sauce-marinated stirfried<br />
beef. The result is a fresh<br />
and light summer soup. Raw<br />
bong thien ly is also added to<br />
steaming hotpots.<br />
Bong He<br />
Chive flowers<br />
Bong he may be tiny but their<br />
healing properties are renowned.<br />
Cooked together with<br />
tofu it makes an antfebrile soup<br />
to relieve fevers and when stirfried<br />
with a chicken’s internal<br />
organs (heart, liver and gizzards)<br />
and saffron the miniscule<br />
buds help to soothe a persistent<br />
cough.<br />
Bong So Dua<br />
Pair chopsticks flowers<br />
Bong so dua are crescent-shaped<br />
white or purple flowers, whose<br />
petals sometimes curl downwards<br />
to resemble a pair of<br />
chopsticks—hence the name.<br />
These blooms are an acquired<br />
taste and one that fans can’t<br />
get enough of. Bong so dua<br />
blooms in October at the same<br />
time that linh fish is in season,<br />
giving rise to a soup that mixes<br />
both ingredients: canh chua ca<br />
linh bong so dua. To cook, rinse<br />
the flowers, then submerge in<br />
tamarind-flavoured boiling water<br />
together with the fish. Add<br />
spices to taste and lashings of<br />
crispy Vietnamese greens like<br />
ngo gai and rau om. Be careful<br />
not to overcook the flowers.<br />
They should be a little on the<br />
crunchy side. Ca loc boc bong<br />
so dua hap (steamed ca loc fish<br />
with pair chopstick flowers) is<br />
another popular dish.<br />
Bong Dien Dien<br />
Sesbania sesban flowers<br />
Mekong Delta residents eat<br />
bong dien dien raw or in sour<br />
linh fish soup. Otherwise, they<br />
eat the bright yellow flowers<br />
with bun mam (vermicelli<br />
noodle soup) or banh xeo (rice<br />
pancakes) and make dua chua<br />
(pickled vegetables) or goi<br />
(fresh spring rolls) with them.<br />
Bap Chuoi<br />
Banana flowers<br />
Known in the south as bap<br />
chuoi and in the north as bong<br />
chuoi, this purple flower is<br />
multi-purpose. It is used as a<br />
key ingredient in sour soup<br />
with shrimp, fish or eel and can<br />
be fried for a tasty treat. Most<br />
commonly though bap chuoi<br />
can be found in goi bap chuoi<br />
(banana blossom and squid<br />
salad) To make, cut the flowers<br />
into thin slices and soak them<br />
in water with a little lemon or<br />
vinegar. This will prevent the<br />
petals from discolouring and<br />
releasing any sap. After drying,<br />
mix with shrimp, boiled meat<br />
(either chicken or duck), rau<br />
ram (fragrant khotweed), onion<br />
and peanuts. Dress with fish<br />
sauce combined with sugar,<br />
lemon, garlic and chilli. Banana<br />
flowers also go nicely with bun<br />
rieu (crab meat noodle soup),<br />
bun bo (beef with vermicelli)<br />
and lau (hotpot).<br />
Bong Sung<br />
Water Lily<br />
Bong sung grows in any body<br />
of water, be it a pond, lake or<br />
canal, swamps or ditches (the<br />
latter, decidedly less appetizing).<br />
There are two varieties of<br />
bong sung: the large red-purple<br />
lotus and its smaller cousin the<br />
wild water lily, which is white.<br />
Bong sung is an exception to<br />
the other flowers mentioned<br />
here: its petals aren’t edible,<br />
just the stalk. Chunks of water<br />
lily stem (peeled and soaked<br />
first) are used as an ingredient<br />
in sour soup; eaten raw with<br />
braised fish and pickled in<br />
vinegar.<br />
44 asialife HCMC asialife HCMC 45
Indiana Jones and the PP Juice Cafe<br />
Think of the times when travelling<br />
abroad you've come across<br />
fractured English menu items. I<br />
recall Beef in Wild Battle, Grilled<br />
Moose Bleeding, Lower Bowel<br />
Stew, Naked Crab. And how<br />
about other fractured English? I<br />
once bought a T-shirt proclaiming,<br />
“Inmutation is your sweetness:<br />
US difference of information!”<br />
I wore it proudly on the<br />
streets of Saigon. I saw another<br />
traveller wearing the message,<br />
“Put your main thing here.”<br />
Now you know I am an<br />
adventure eater. And drinker.<br />
Pride myself on it. Made<br />
money on it. The New York Times<br />
dubbed me “Indiana Jones of<br />
It was because<br />
there is a<br />
pedestrian bit<br />
of knowledge I<br />
have that made<br />
it inevitable<br />
that I should<br />
have a drink at<br />
the PP<br />
Gastronomy” for my willingness<br />
to go anywhere and court<br />
any danger for the sake of a new<br />
gastronomic experience. And I<br />
was doing it long before that fat<br />
guy on the Discovery Channel.<br />
So how do you think I felt when,<br />
recently, I was tooling along Vo<br />
Thi Sau boulevard and I saw a<br />
new juice bar? Now I must tell<br />
you that juice bars are a regular<br />
feature of the landscape here in<br />
Vietnam. You can imagine that<br />
freshly squeezed tropical fruit<br />
juices are a very popular daily<br />
indulgence in these parts. And<br />
you would be right about that.<br />
We have no need for Coke or<br />
7-Up here abouts. We got 'em,<br />
but we don't need 'em.<br />
But to my tale. I was on a<br />
motorbike of a recent evening,<br />
on my way to who-knowswhere.<br />
I rounded a corner as I<br />
sped along from some folderol<br />
in District 3, and there I saw<br />
it. A new juice bar. Bright blue<br />
neon lights proudly announced<br />
its name: “PP Juice.” Yep, you<br />
got that right, PP juice. As I<br />
zoomed by, I swore that I must<br />
soon return and enjoy PP Juice. I<br />
must tell you that it is a very attractive<br />
juice bar. Situated at the<br />
confluence of two of the city's<br />
more attractive thoroughfares,<br />
it features a wide-screen TV at<br />
which football fans and others<br />
may gather and an alfresco<br />
setting that gives a lovely view<br />
of life passing by. How can you<br />
not like it?<br />
So I had to go to indulge in<br />
PP Juice, hadn't I? Yes, I had. But<br />
there was another reason I had<br />
to go to PP. It was because there<br />
is a pedestrian bit of knowledge<br />
I have that made it inevitable<br />
that I should have a drink at<br />
the PP.<br />
So I told Constance (that's<br />
the mem-sahib, you know),<br />
“Let's go!” And so we went to<br />
PP. When we arrived, I said,<br />
“I'll have the papaya!” I'm very<br />
fond of papaya. It's delicious<br />
and good for the digestion, too.<br />
I have it often here. And so I<br />
had PP papaya. Isn't that fun<br />
to say, “PP papaya”? It falls out<br />
the mouth quite easily, doesn't<br />
it? “PP papaya!” Ha Ha! PP<br />
papaya. And it was good, too!<br />
Oh, but I forget that pedestrian<br />
bit of knowledge that<br />
made my visit inevitable. Well,<br />
without making a fuss over it,<br />
the Vietnamese word for papaya<br />
is “du du.” Yes, it is. Now, you<br />
know that I have eaten and<br />
drunk many a strange thing,<br />
but this time I can truthfully say<br />
that when I went to PP, I had a<br />
good du du.<br />
-Richard Sterling<br />
Ala Mezon<br />
A<br />
When Frenchman Albin Deforges<br />
was approached by his<br />
Japanese business partner Tabo<br />
Ichikawa regarding an idea for a<br />
restaurant, he could only think<br />
of one thing: home. Drawing<br />
from his own pleasure of<br />
entertaining friends at his house,<br />
Deforges settled on naming the<br />
venue “Ala Mezon.”<br />
The correct spelling should<br />
be “a la maison,” but Deforges<br />
chose a phonetic version in an<br />
attempt to attract all nationalities.<br />
"If I spelled it the French<br />
way,” he says, “only French<br />
people will come, and I do not<br />
want that." “A la" was altered to<br />
“ala,” a Japanese word used to<br />
express excitement.<br />
Though each of the four floors<br />
is decorated along a different<br />
new restaurant and bar serving a rotating menu embraces the idea that<br />
home is where the heart is. By Lolita Guevarra. Photos by Fred Wissink.<br />
theme, the underlying thread<br />
is comfort, emphasized by<br />
Japanese accents, contemporary<br />
furnishings and a menu of<br />
home style Eastern and Western<br />
dishes.<br />
Patrons enter through a dark<br />
red entrance hall and walk up a<br />
fluorescent lime green stairway<br />
to the bright orange second<br />
floor, which houses the main bar<br />
and a lounge exhibiting Deforges’<br />
personal photographs and<br />
those of Japanese photographer<br />
Naoto Ohike. The third floor<br />
features the girls’ room, pink<br />
from the walls to the furniture,<br />
including a bathroom decorated<br />
with female Japanese manga<br />
characters. Across the hall is the<br />
boys’ room containing a large<br />
flat-screen TV connected to an<br />
Xbox and Wii. Its bathroom mirrors<br />
Deforges' own adolescent<br />
bedroom with walls plastered<br />
with surf, snowboard and<br />
skateboard stickers. Whereas<br />
the "kids" may play on the third<br />
floor, the adults can relax and<br />
enjoy the view at the fourth<br />
floor rooftop terrace.<br />
Deforges and Ichikawa<br />
constructed a one-page menu<br />
revised every three to four days<br />
with simple but innovative<br />
preparations. Alternating appetizers<br />
include risotto balls with<br />
rice and mushroom, grilled fish<br />
maki (both 90,000 VND) and<br />
a rotation of crepes. There are<br />
only two main courses: either a<br />
rice or noodle dish, such as pork<br />
katsu with olive and tomato<br />
sauce over penne (mains range<br />
from 90,000 to 120,000 VND).<br />
Also provided are two choices<br />
for dessert with a chocolate<br />
option always listed. Deforges<br />
is proud of the Marquise de<br />
Martine, a dish named after his<br />
mother that pairs assorted fruit<br />
with an egg-based cream topped<br />
with uncooked pieces of chocolate<br />
(60,000 VND).<br />
Ala Mezon will open for<br />
lunch this month with two bento<br />
box options and additional Japanese<br />
and Western dishes. Since<br />
food and drink are served until<br />
1 am, you can stroll in when<br />
you’re looking for a late-night<br />
bite or last-minute night cap.<br />
10 Chu Manh Trinh, D1<br />
Tel: 6291 0447<br />
Open daily 5 pm till late.<br />
46 asialife HCMC asialife HCMC 47
La Cafeteria de L’Usine<br />
An eclectic eatery that's conducive to<br />
creativity. By Beth Young. Photos by<br />
Fred Wissink.<br />
Bottoms Up<br />
It<br />
was bottoms up for <strong>Brett</strong> <strong>Davis</strong> at Hanoi-style bia hoi, Huy Beo.<br />
Photos by Jay Zhang.<br />
Peek through the windows that<br />
look in on L’Usine and an eclectic<br />
crowd can be seen lounging<br />
in the space’s forefront, mulling<br />
over their computers, brainstorming<br />
with coffee in hand or<br />
sitting quietly to the side deep<br />
in thought. L’Usine—a contemporary<br />
lifestyle outlet that retails<br />
in fashion and homewares and<br />
displays art—is named for the<br />
French word for "factory," and<br />
its recently opened eatery, La<br />
Cafeteria, is gaining a reputation<br />
among creative types as a space<br />
conducive to manufacturing<br />
ideas.<br />
Tib Hoang, L’Usine’s marketing<br />
and public relations manager,<br />
agrees. “This space is very<br />
inspirational,” she says of the<br />
high-ceilinged structure that’s<br />
been designed to emulate an<br />
old-style Indochine garment factory.<br />
In fact, the designer, Darren<br />
Chew, who created the furniture<br />
to match—including tables<br />
propped up with antique sewing<br />
machine stands—also created<br />
the menu. “He’s a multi-purpose<br />
man,” Hoang laughs.<br />
Chew worked as a chef<br />
and barista in Australia and<br />
helped friends to set up Jed’s<br />
Food Store, an iconic Jamaicaninspired<br />
café at Sydney’s<br />
Bondi Beach, before moving to<br />
Vietnam a decade ago. It was<br />
his idea to add La Cafeteria to<br />
L’Usine on the proviso that an<br />
emphasis was placed on quality<br />
over quantity. “The [plan] from<br />
the outset was to keep the menu<br />
small and tight and everything<br />
we do, we do well,” he says.<br />
The end result is a testament<br />
to this philosophy. There’s a<br />
compact selection of fresh-cut<br />
sandwiches, stuffed with fillings<br />
like Vietnamese caramelized<br />
pork and herb with lime dressing<br />
(75,000 VND); mushroom and olive<br />
stuffed chicken with roasted<br />
lettuce, tomato and aioli (95,000<br />
VND); and lamb loin with baby<br />
beet, feta cheese and rocket<br />
(115,000 VND). Plus good, and<br />
reasonably priced, strong coffee<br />
(40,000 to 50,000 VND).<br />
The breakfast options, available<br />
all day, are tempting, too.<br />
Diners can take the healthier<br />
route: a sunrise drink with<br />
mango, banana, yoghurt and<br />
berries (70,000 VND), or opt for<br />
wholesome, comfort food, like<br />
the breki burger—a bun topped<br />
with a poached egg, spinach,<br />
hollandaise sauce and either bacon<br />
or mushroom (75,000 VND).<br />
Aside from the food, another<br />
aspect that lends La Cafeteria<br />
its appeal is the staff. Whether it<br />
is Bao Ngoc, L’Usine’s in-house<br />
designer; Ann Nguyen, who is in<br />
charge of the gallery; or Hoang<br />
herself, each member of the team<br />
greets and interacts with café<br />
patrons. “You often see me serving<br />
customers,” Hoang says. “It’s<br />
all good. We like it.” As does La<br />
Cafeteria’s expanding following<br />
of designers, artists and writers.<br />
151/1 Dong Khoi, D1 (entrance via<br />
the street-level Art Arcade)<br />
Tel: 6674 9565<br />
Open daily 10 am to 10 pm<br />
One of the great pleasures of<br />
northern Vietnam is a cool,<br />
refreshing glass of bia hoi on a<br />
warm day—or any day, for that<br />
matter.<br />
Often, the fresh, unpasteurized<br />
beer is enjoyed in a small<br />
establishment consisting of a<br />
keg of beer and a few plastic<br />
chairs on a sidewalk. The brew<br />
is delivered to these venues every<br />
morning, and bia hoi aficionados<br />
will tell you that it is best<br />
drunk as soon as possible after it<br />
is made. If this means downing<br />
a few frothy ones before getting<br />
to the office, so be it. Fortunately<br />
bia hoi is a light, easy-drinking<br />
larger with about three percent<br />
alcohol content.<br />
However, the genuine article<br />
is something not commonly<br />
available here in HCM City<br />
unless you know where to look.<br />
One place where it can be found<br />
is Huy Beo at 54 Mai Thi Luu,<br />
just off Dien Bien Phu in District<br />
1. This three-level establishment<br />
is somewhat removed from the<br />
sidewalk plastic stools, yet it<br />
still has a simple and relaxed<br />
feel about it.<br />
It is a Friday afternoon when<br />
<strong>AsiaLIFE</strong> visits and the place<br />
steadily fills with a goodnatured,<br />
overwhelmingly male<br />
crowd. The top floor has an<br />
open-air section, which affords<br />
a nice view of the traffic rushing<br />
by on Dien Bien Phu. Straight<br />
away we get down to business<br />
and order bia hoi.<br />
The key to good bia hoi is<br />
the freshness, and the product<br />
served at Huy Beo is as authentic<br />
and tasty as it possibly can be<br />
because it is flown from Hanoi<br />
each day. The beer is served in<br />
a two litre steel jug immersed<br />
in a bucket of ice water. A jug<br />
will set you back 100,000 VND.<br />
A light gold in colour and with<br />
a minimal, foamy head, the beer<br />
goes down as smooth as silk<br />
and has a crisp, almost tangy<br />
finish.<br />
What would a bia hoi session<br />
be without some appropriate<br />
beer snacks? Huy Beo has a<br />
surprisingly extensive menu,<br />
although if you don’t read<br />
Vietnamese you will need some<br />
assistance. We began with cubes<br />
of fried tofu (dau hu chien gion)<br />
accompanied by bowls of fish<br />
sauce and shrimp paste for<br />
dipping. This was followed by<br />
fried eel (luon chien gion). The<br />
approximately 15cm long eels<br />
are fried whole and the dish is<br />
topped with crushed peanuts,<br />
slivers of onion and chopped,<br />
fresh green leaves. Rounding<br />
out our order was that everpopular<br />
beer food, fried squid<br />
(muc chien gion).<br />
As the sun set over HCM City<br />
and another working week, it<br />
was difficult to think of a more<br />
pleasant way to spend a few<br />
hours. It is hard to beat the<br />
combination of fried food, good<br />
conversation and above all good<br />
beer. Just remember to take care<br />
on the stairs on your way out.<br />
The bruise on my backside will<br />
remind me for sometime of the<br />
pitfalls of beer and inattention.<br />
48 asialife HCMC asialife HCMC 49
Founded under the French,<br />
HCM City’s Phu Tho Race Track still attracts crowds<br />
eager to make a buck on the right horse.<br />
<strong>Brett</strong> <strong>Davis</strong> learns the ropes from some old hands.<br />
Photos by Fred Wissink.<br />
ot far from the entrance<br />
to the Phu Tho<br />
Race Track in District<br />
11 is a new high-rise<br />
residential and retail development<br />
called Flemington. I take<br />
this to be a good omen for the<br />
day ahead, Flemington being<br />
the most prestigious racecourse<br />
in my native Australia and<br />
home to the Melbourne Cup,<br />
one of the world’s great horse<br />
races.<br />
The Saigon Racing Club holds<br />
meetings at Phu Tho every<br />
weekend, and I have never<br />
been shy about taking up the<br />
opportunity to hand my money<br />
over to the bookies. When I was<br />
a child my father would take me<br />
to the races and I inherited his<br />
love of horses if not, unfortunately,<br />
his punting nous.<br />
I buy a form guide at the gate<br />
for 5,000 VND and it’s double<br />
that for admission. There appear<br />
to be several thousand people<br />
in attendance on a warm and<br />
humid Sunday afternoon with<br />
dark storm clouds swirling in<br />
the sky.<br />
The crowd is dressed for the<br />
weekend, very relaxed. This is<br />
different than race meetings at<br />
home where men wear a jacket<br />
and tie while women don a<br />
hat and a nice frock. Not to be<br />
denied the style to which I am<br />
accustomed, I seek out the ticket<br />
window for the VIP area and<br />
pay the 50,000 VND entry fee<br />
before making my way to the<br />
glass-enclosed, air-conditioned<br />
space on the top floor of the<br />
grandstand.<br />
Built in 1932, the grandstand<br />
is an elegant, if gently decaying,<br />
art deco masterpiece. The Phu<br />
Tho racetrack was the brainchild<br />
of three Frenchmen named<br />
Lorenzi, Gayllet and De Montbeziat,<br />
although there had been<br />
race meetings held in the area<br />
since the 1890s. Racing ceased in<br />
1975, but resumed again in 1989,<br />
with some of the facilities at the<br />
track upgraded in 2004.<br />
Settled in the VIP area—one<br />
of those recent upgrades—with<br />
a couple of cold beers in front<br />
of me, I turn my attention to<br />
the form guide. It is a fairly<br />
simple affair with details of each<br />
runner’s last four starts: finish,<br />
weight, distance and time. The<br />
form gives tips with handy stars<br />
placed next to the main fancies.<br />
The more stars, the more the<br />
horse is favoured.<br />
At the betting window I’m<br />
told the minimum wager is<br />
10,000 VND and the maximum<br />
30 million. I start at the modest<br />
end of the scale and choose the<br />
10 horse, a firm two-star favourite<br />
according to the form.<br />
Things don’t start well. My<br />
horse misses the start by a<br />
couple of lengths and the jockey<br />
uses up a lot of gas to have him<br />
up with the leaders at the back<br />
turn. As they come into the<br />
home straight the runners are<br />
veering all over the sand track.<br />
The jockeys are doing their best<br />
to urge their mounts, wielding<br />
the whip with a strange<br />
over-hand windmill motion.<br />
My horse has nothing left in the<br />
tank and fades to finish midfield.<br />
The form guide can be a<br />
devious mistress, but I guess<br />
that’s why they call it gambling<br />
and not banking.<br />
Down in the public galleries<br />
and among the proliferation of<br />
food stalls, the crowd is quickly<br />
back to the task at hand, heads<br />
bent over form guides in an<br />
attempt to divine the winner<br />
of the next race. Searching for<br />
some inspiration of my own,<br />
I wander down to one of the<br />
atriums where the serious horse<br />
players seem to hang out. The<br />
binoculars are always a giveaway.<br />
A lean, middle-aged man<br />
with a mustache and glasses<br />
comes and introduces himself<br />
as Phuc. I ask if he comes to the<br />
races often and he tells me he is<br />
here every weekend. He could<br />
be just the guy I’m looking for.<br />
“Who do you like in the<br />
next?” I ask.<br />
“The number three if it is a<br />
slow race. It will stay at the back<br />
and finish fast. The number five<br />
is a young horse so it would be<br />
good if they go fast,” he says.<br />
Given that the general race<br />
tactics I have seen so far amount<br />
to “Go like hell and hope for the<br />
best,” I plump for the five horse.<br />
As the runners roll down the<br />
home straight the jockey doesn’t<br />
even require the whip, riding<br />
number five hands and heels to<br />
the line to win by four lengths.<br />
God bless you, Mr. Phuc.<br />
I was so busy cheering my<br />
horse home I didn’t realize<br />
until it was pointed out to me<br />
that another of the runners was<br />
down on the track just in front<br />
of the starting gate. The horse<br />
appeared to stumble out of the<br />
gate, tottered for a few steps and<br />
lay down. The jockey was not<br />
hurt. Attendants and veterinary<br />
staff were running across the<br />
infield towards the prone animal.<br />
It is always a terrible sight.<br />
I found Phuc and asked him<br />
what happened, although I had<br />
a pretty good idea.<br />
He tapped his right knee with<br />
his hand and said “broken leg.”<br />
“Will they destroy the horse?”<br />
“Yes.”<br />
Injuries like this happen in<br />
racing the world over, yet it is<br />
always a profoundly sad and<br />
distressing thing. Soon enough<br />
the unfortunate creature is<br />
moved onto a float towed<br />
by a tractor and taken away.<br />
Meanwhile the runners in the<br />
The form guide can be a devious mistress, but I guess<br />
that's why they call it gambling and not banking.<br />
next race are parading in the<br />
mounting yard.<br />
Later I went down to the<br />
stables where the grooms were<br />
washing down the horses from<br />
the previous race or saddling<br />
up the runners in the next. The<br />
horses looked small, little more<br />
than ponies. Beyond the stables<br />
was another public area with<br />
more food stalls and more betting<br />
windows. I was surprised<br />
to see some of the horses, the<br />
bridle ropes held by young<br />
boys, standing among the<br />
crowd. The informality of the<br />
track here is something very different<br />
to other racing countries<br />
but it certainly makes you feel<br />
involved.<br />
Down by the rail near the<br />
finishing post I watched the<br />
runners in another race come<br />
past while talking to 58-year-old<br />
Nguyen Ky. He has been coming<br />
to the races since he was a<br />
boy, when he was brought along<br />
by his father. Ky says there have<br />
been many changes at the track<br />
over the years, including the<br />
crowd.<br />
“There are less people than<br />
years ago, not so many young<br />
people,” he says.<br />
The runners file past us on<br />
the way back to the mounting<br />
enclosure. The jockeys, wearing<br />
outsized silks and their faces<br />
splattered with mud from flying<br />
hooves, seem impossibly young<br />
to ride with such fearlessness.<br />
Ky does not really share my<br />
concern, telling me they are<br />
at least 15 or 16 and have to<br />
undertake a course and train for<br />
many months before they can<br />
ride in races.<br />
The rain starts to come down<br />
more heavily. Before I take my<br />
leave and head back to the stand<br />
I ask Ky what horse he will bet<br />
on in the next. He thinks the<br />
number 11 is a good bet. Sure<br />
enough the number 11 horse<br />
gets up to win. It seems a little<br />
local knowledge is a valuable<br />
thing.<br />
Horse racing in Vietnam is<br />
not the social outing it is in<br />
many other countries. Here it is<br />
all about the business of wagering<br />
on the right horse. But it has<br />
been a good day, and as I make<br />
way towards the exit I remember<br />
that it is always fun to walk<br />
away a winner.<br />
50 asialife HCMC asialife HCMC 51
the Power of your<br />
Inner Circle<br />
In the first in a series of articles based on Citynetevents.com’s Meeting Point<br />
networking and seminar nights, Paul Wong of Radical Coaching explains why mentors<br />
are the key to your success and happiness and how to find the right ones. Edited from<br />
the seminar by Tom DiChristopher.<br />
"The key to<br />
maintaining your<br />
relationships<br />
with mentors<br />
is structure.<br />
Remember, building<br />
relationships is<br />
tiring."<br />
Consider the following: World<br />
tennis number one Rafael Nadal<br />
was mentored by his uncle Toni<br />
Nadal since the age of 12. Bill<br />
Gates had a number of mentors:<br />
Ed Roberts, “the father of the<br />
personal computer”; his parents;<br />
and Warren Buffet. Google<br />
founders Larry Page and Sergei<br />
Brin point to Stanford professor<br />
Rajeev Motwani as their mentor.<br />
That these champions in<br />
their fields became great isn’t<br />
a coincidence. In Good to Great,<br />
author Jim Collins asserts that<br />
great companies understand<br />
mentoring, noting that almost<br />
90 percent of leaders who made<br />
their companies great came<br />
from within the company over a<br />
10- to 20-year period.<br />
Why is mentoring so important?<br />
In order to succeed we<br />
need people. More specifically,<br />
we need the right people who<br />
will help us become the right<br />
person. The people who help us<br />
become that person are known<br />
as our inner circle.<br />
Identifying Your Inner Circle<br />
An inner circle is comprised of a<br />
number of people in a mentor/<br />
mentee relationship. A mentee,<br />
or protégé, is someone who is<br />
committed to cultivating relationships<br />
that will help him or<br />
her learn, grow and succeed. A<br />
mentor is someone who is committed<br />
to guiding a mentee with<br />
all he or she knows. Think of it<br />
as concentric circles, with yourself<br />
positioned at the centre.<br />
The outermost circle is made<br />
up by distant mentors. These<br />
are people we admire from a<br />
distance. They may be people<br />
of the past or who are still alive<br />
today. We value their thoughts,<br />
ideas and opinions and allow<br />
them to influence us. There are<br />
certain bloggers and newspaper<br />
columnists you read. You prefer<br />
certain authors over others.<br />
You might admire some hero<br />
from the past, like Abraham<br />
Lincoln or Ho Chi Minh. These,<br />
you could say, are your distant<br />
mentors. By reading their work<br />
or studying their lives, you’re<br />
allowing them to influence you.<br />
If we are being intentional about<br />
it, we should ask, “Are they really<br />
helping us to be who we are<br />
meant to be?”<br />
Distant mentors may be<br />
people with whom you have a<br />
very distant relationship. Maybe<br />
they live abroad and you just<br />
email them once a month or<br />
once every three months. You<br />
might turn to a distant mentor<br />
for advice every now and then,<br />
but you need to communicate<br />
and make sure the relationship<br />
is still there. You’ve got to keep<br />
"Mentoring is<br />
actually doing<br />
business. You’re<br />
exchanging very,<br />
very powerful<br />
information with<br />
one another."<br />
in touch, even if you’ve got<br />
nothing to ask. Even if you’re<br />
quite far away, ask if there’s<br />
anything you can help him or<br />
her with. Instead of emailing,<br />
give that person a call. The telephone<br />
always beats email.<br />
Closer to you on the concentric<br />
diagram are your peer<br />
mentors—people who are<br />
like-minded. For example, you<br />
love entrepreneurship. You’re<br />
just fascinated with what it<br />
takes to be an entrepreneur. You<br />
read books by Warren Buffet<br />
and Donald Trump. So you<br />
look out for people on your<br />
level to whom entrepreneurship<br />
appeals, as well. You want the<br />
same thing and you’re willing<br />
to help one another to achieve<br />
it. You can learn from them and<br />
they can learn from you. Those<br />
are your peer mentors.<br />
Peer mentorships work best<br />
in groups. You slowly form your<br />
relationship with them and then<br />
start a group that meets regularly.<br />
You can start that process<br />
in your own company. You see<br />
a few guys who really want to<br />
learn and grow. They want to be<br />
successful and you want to be<br />
successful. That’s the common<br />
ground on which you can start<br />
building a peer mentor group.<br />
It’s not only about learning<br />
together. It’s about providing<br />
support and encouragement.<br />
You all want to be successful,<br />
but the truth of the matter is<br />
there are going to be challenges<br />
in life. There are days when<br />
your customer, your boss—<br />
somebody—does something<br />
that makes you lose your confidence.<br />
You can go back to your<br />
peer mentor group and talk<br />
it out. Peer mentors are really<br />
comrades.<br />
Closest to you on the concentric<br />
diagram is the master<br />
mentor—the person you want<br />
to be like. Sometimes a master<br />
mentor is very hard to find.<br />
Most people don’t even know<br />
who to look for.<br />
The key to finding a master<br />
mentor is to look for people<br />
who simply care about you<br />
and sincerely want to help<br />
you grow. A master mentor is<br />
someone who has integrity and<br />
is willing to tell you the truth,<br />
someone who has humility and<br />
also wants to grow. Choose<br />
very wisely; it’s not a decision<br />
that you can make and change<br />
every three months. A mentoring<br />
relationship will not happen<br />
like that.<br />
Take it slowly. You can’t build<br />
an inner circle in one year. It’s<br />
taken me almost 10 years to find<br />
the right people. It’s like King<br />
Arthur building his knights of<br />
the round table. I don’t think<br />
he put out an advertisement<br />
saying, “I want to recruit 12<br />
knights.” He knows who he’s<br />
looking for. He builds his table<br />
over a long period of time, and<br />
then he builds a strong relationship<br />
with them. That’s how it’s<br />
done. It’s a long-term art.<br />
Four Steps for Approaching a<br />
Mentor<br />
The peer mentor group is<br />
actually easier to form. There<br />
are a lot of stories of how just<br />
with peer mentor groups alone,<br />
people have really progressed in<br />
their careers and in life. If you<br />
really want to start somewhere,<br />
start at the peer mentor level. At<br />
least if you have the humility to<br />
listen to someone at your level,<br />
you can be sure that when you<br />
approach a master mentor he<br />
can sense your humility and be<br />
more likely to help you also.<br />
However, humility alone<br />
won’t do it. You need a strategy.<br />
The first step is to be intentional.<br />
Being intentional entails<br />
having a plan to approach a potential<br />
mentor. Let’s say we are<br />
working at the same company,<br />
and after working together for<br />
a while, I notice that I can learn<br />
a lot from you. I want to have<br />
a plan to be friends with you,<br />
whether it’s just walking right<br />
up to you and asking you to<br />
lunch or signing on to some<br />
project or volunteer work you’re<br />
involved with. Try to find common<br />
ground and start there.<br />
The next two steps are closely<br />
related: build friendship and<br />
build trust. Consider what author<br />
and motivational speaker<br />
Zig Ziglar says: “If people like<br />
you, they will be friends with<br />
you. If they trust you, they will<br />
do business with you.” Mentoring<br />
is actually doing business.<br />
You’re exchanging very, very<br />
powerful information with<br />
one another and building a<br />
long-term relationship on commitment<br />
and trust. Spend time<br />
and build friendship first. Then,<br />
find out if you can add value to<br />
your mentor’s life, even if it’s<br />
helping with the small things.<br />
Every time you’re helpful, you<br />
build trust. And then you reach<br />
a stage where you are ready to<br />
pop the question: “Would you<br />
mentor me?” If the trust is right,<br />
you are most likely to get a yes.<br />
If the trust is not right, you’re<br />
building up the rejection.<br />
The last step is to be transparent.<br />
That means making the relationship<br />
official. It’s really like<br />
dating. A lot of people go into<br />
what I call subconscious dating.<br />
They go to events and spend<br />
time together, but they don't<br />
acknowledge their relationship<br />
until a third party asks, “Are<br />
you dating?” In subconscious<br />
dating, you’re just drifting,<br />
going with the flow. Mentoring<br />
is not going to happen like<br />
that. You can’t just drift into a<br />
mentoring relationship. You’ve<br />
got to be very intentional and<br />
say, “I want to go there, and I<br />
see you want to go there too.<br />
I admire you. I think I could<br />
learn a lot from you. Could you<br />
be my mentor?” Without that<br />
conversation, it’s not going to<br />
happen.<br />
The key to being intentional<br />
is making sure your three levels<br />
of the inner circle are aligned<br />
in regards to how you are<br />
connected with these people.<br />
The relationships don’t have<br />
to be 100 percent identical, but<br />
they’re aligned on what matters<br />
the most. When inviting mentors<br />
into your life, you should<br />
consider three questions: Where<br />
are you headed (your personal<br />
vision and mission)? What matters<br />
to you (your value system)?<br />
Who can help you?<br />
Making Mentorships Work<br />
The key to maintaining your<br />
relationships with mentors is<br />
structure. This is where most<br />
people fail. They’re really<br />
excited about it, but then after<br />
two months, after pouring<br />
their whole heart into it, they<br />
get tired. Remember, building<br />
relationships is tiring.<br />
That’s why you need some<br />
kind of realistic structure,<br />
whether that’s meeting once<br />
a week or once a month. Peer<br />
mentorships are best if you<br />
can meet in groups, but master<br />
mentors you need to meet one<br />
on one. For both master mentors<br />
and peer mentors, eat with them<br />
once a week. Everyone has to<br />
eat, so pick a lunch day. That<br />
way, it’s there and you don’t<br />
have to think about it anymore.<br />
Every Wednesday, we have<br />
lunch.<br />
What’s going to happen at<br />
Wednesday lunch? Have a plan,<br />
and take it in small chunks of<br />
time: We’re going to read this<br />
book and discuss it for the next<br />
three months. Don’t say, “We’re<br />
going to do this forever. We’re<br />
going to look at each other and<br />
challenge each other to be successful.”<br />
It’s going to get boring.<br />
Whatever you choose, stick to it.<br />
There are a few signs of a<br />
healthy mentoring relationship.<br />
You and your mentor should be<br />
close, but you needn’t be best<br />
friends. A mentoring relationship<br />
should be interdependent,<br />
not over-dependent. Your<br />
mentor is an advisor, not an IT<br />
Helpdesk. Your mentor should<br />
draw you closer to your spouse<br />
and family, not away; be aware<br />
that a spouse or partner can feel<br />
neglected if he or she perceives<br />
that you can’t talk to them about<br />
things you can talk to your mentor<br />
about.<br />
Everyone has some sort of<br />
an inner circle. The key is how<br />
intentional we are in building<br />
our inner circle and surrounding<br />
ourselves with the people who<br />
will influence us to be the best<br />
we can be.<br />
Is your inner circle helping<br />
you become a champion at home<br />
and at work? If the idea is new<br />
to you, you can begin taking a<br />
deeper look at your inner circle<br />
today and start building one that<br />
will truly help you be the man or<br />
woman you are meant to be.<br />
52 asialife HCMC asialife HCMC 53
Expect that you may initially<br />
encounter tears or misbehaviour<br />
after school. These are common<br />
stress-related responses<br />
Summer’s Out<br />
for School<br />
Many families experience a rough<br />
patch during the transition from<br />
summertime to school days.<br />
Daniel Hahn, school psychologist,<br />
explains how parents can help<br />
educators set their children up for<br />
success in those critical first weeks.<br />
Photo by Fred Wissink.<br />
During the first weeks of the<br />
school year, our goal as educators<br />
is to make students feel<br />
comfortable at school as quickly<br />
as possible. However, we enter<br />
the new term knowing that<br />
some students get used to new<br />
situations very quickly, while<br />
others need more time to adjust.<br />
We also know that both of these<br />
reactions are normal.<br />
As we begin the school year,<br />
parents can partner with us<br />
to ease students through the<br />
process by establishing at-home<br />
schedules and keeping lines<br />
of communication open with<br />
children. Remember, few of<br />
us do well with split-second<br />
changes. Talking with your<br />
children about the ways that<br />
life will change as we transition<br />
from vacation to the school year<br />
provides an opportunity for you<br />
to explain your expectations<br />
and for them to speak about any<br />
anxieties they may have.<br />
Here are a few tips on how<br />
to alleviate the stress that often<br />
accompanies the return of the<br />
academic year.<br />
Scheduling for Success<br />
Placing your family on schedules<br />
with regard to bedtimes<br />
and meals is a critical first step.<br />
A good night’s sleep is essential<br />
to optimizing school performance.<br />
The suggested amount<br />
of sleep for elementary students<br />
is between 10 and 12 hours per<br />
night. Certainly students will<br />
at first find it difficult to adjust<br />
to the new bedtime. Evening<br />
activities like brushing up on<br />
academic skills and family<br />
reading will assist your child<br />
through the transition. Evening<br />
reading time in particular provides<br />
academic enrichment and<br />
may hasten sleep. Decreasing<br />
the time allotted for television,<br />
movies and video games may<br />
also prove an effective signal of<br />
the return to school responsibilities.<br />
Dealing with Dawdling<br />
With regard to the logistics of<br />
the morning routine, it may be<br />
helpful to view yourself as the<br />
"getting out of the door" coach.<br />
Consider having your children<br />
make choices about tomorrow’s<br />
school clothes at night. In addition,<br />
choosing a pre-set, easily<br />
accessible place for backpacks<br />
may ameliorate the morning<br />
rush. As the year begins, you<br />
may find your youngster making<br />
less than positive comments<br />
about getting up early or going<br />
to school. It is best to ignore any<br />
negativity. Instead, direct the<br />
morning routine with a smile<br />
on your face. Keep reminders<br />
brief and to the point ("Shoes."<br />
"Backpack.") or consider using<br />
open-ended questions ("What<br />
do you need to do next?"). If<br />
dawdling persists, use natural,<br />
logical consequences. Wake<br />
them earlier if they need more<br />
time. If they speed up their<br />
routine, then allow a later wake<br />
up. You can also follow through<br />
with an earlier to-bed time.<br />
Don’t bribe your children; allow<br />
them to earn privileges for demonstrating<br />
responsibility.<br />
Employing Incentives<br />
For the more forgetful child or<br />
one who has difficulties with<br />
settling into a routine, a star<br />
chart may be helpful. A star<br />
chart is essentially a checklist of<br />
those morning tasks organized<br />
on a grid of lines divided into<br />
days of the week. They can be<br />
photocopied and put on a clipboard<br />
and placed in a prominent<br />
place in your home. Once<br />
the child completes the tasks,<br />
they can be checked off (or you<br />
can use a smiley face). Children<br />
can earn extra privileges or a<br />
toy based on their performance.<br />
Oftentimes dawdling is simply<br />
due to younger children having<br />
not yet internalized a sense of<br />
time. The use of a kitchen timer,<br />
for example, can be helpful.<br />
Easing Academic Anxiety<br />
Many children may experience<br />
anxiety about the bus, their<br />
classmates, their teacher and<br />
how they will perform in school.<br />
This is normal, and reassurance<br />
from parents is key to increasing<br />
their confidence. If your child<br />
in some way indicates concern<br />
about the school year, provide<br />
an opportunity for them to talk<br />
about their feelings. Ask openended<br />
rather than yes/no questions.<br />
Use reflective listening<br />
and paraphrasing, and be empathic.<br />
Acknowledge their feelings<br />
and offer encouragement.<br />
Reassure your child that his<br />
or her classmates are all trying<br />
to settle in after summer and/<br />
or get used to a new school. Be<br />
aware of your own feelings and<br />
anxieties as children often reflect<br />
parental concerns. Exude confidence<br />
when you say goodbye to<br />
your children.<br />
Coping with School-Related<br />
Stress<br />
If you haven’t already, state<br />
your expectations for behaviour<br />
and completing class/homework<br />
assignments. Expect that<br />
you may initially encounter<br />
tears or misbehaviour after<br />
school. These are common<br />
stress-related responses. Do<br />
not overreact unless patterns<br />
of behaviour persist after<br />
several weeks. Be proactive and<br />
talk to the classroom teacher<br />
and school counselors. Many<br />
students are over-scheduled,<br />
and it’s important to help them<br />
pace themselves during the<br />
beginning of the school year,<br />
especially while it is still hot<br />
and humid. Consider minimizing<br />
home and extracurricular<br />
activities during the first part<br />
of the term if necessary, and<br />
allow time for free play. Increase<br />
responsibilities and activities as<br />
your child settles into the school<br />
routine.<br />
As we progress through the<br />
school year, your child’s teacher,<br />
counselor and administrators<br />
all work together to support the<br />
academic and emotional development<br />
of students. Best of luck<br />
to you and your family with the<br />
2010-11 school year!<br />
54 asialife HCMC asialife HCMC 55
Skeeter Beaters<br />
Unconventional weapons and holistic household approaches in the war against<br />
mosquitoes. By Alexandra Karina. Photo by Fred Wissink.<br />
I’m the biggest mosquito target<br />
in my family and among my<br />
friends. I hate the little buggers<br />
with a vengeance—and vengeance<br />
I do take. I recently spent<br />
a good half-hour hunting down<br />
the eight mozzies throwing me a<br />
housewarming party.<br />
DEET-based OFF! bug spray<br />
and I were best buds until<br />
I became wary of chemical<br />
sprays. I’m inhaling more than<br />
enough toxins strolling down<br />
Hai Ba Trung, thanks. Since<br />
we’ve parted ways, I’ve tried<br />
just about every DIY mosquito<br />
solution under the sun in finding<br />
my ultimate combination for<br />
effective mozzie protection.<br />
Wearing loose-fitting<br />
long-sleeve tops and pants in<br />
light, breathable fabrics, using<br />
citronella candles and incense,<br />
avoiding bananas—all common<br />
advice that work to an extent.<br />
Beyond those basics, however,<br />
there are many weapons you<br />
can add to your arsenal in the<br />
fight against blood theft.<br />
Avoid Mosquito Attractants<br />
Dark and bright clothing and<br />
accessories attract mosquitoes<br />
from a distance. Red, blue<br />
and black are particularly<br />
eye-catching to the hungry<br />
swarms.<br />
Fruity and floral fragrances<br />
are the equivalent of hanging<br />
an “All You Can Eat” sign out<br />
for mozzies. While perfumes<br />
do so most effectively, shampoos,<br />
lotions, sunscreens,<br />
deodorants, cosmetics,<br />
detergents and various other<br />
products in your hygienic arsenal<br />
are potential attractants<br />
as well. The scents may seem<br />
subtle, but they’re capable of<br />
hooking skeeters by the nose<br />
from 20 to 35 metres away once<br />
activated by your body heat.<br />
Heat brings mosquitoes<br />
a-calling due to the infra-red<br />
radiation your hot bod gives<br />
off. If you’re on the go, splash<br />
your skin with water to take off<br />
a few degrees.<br />
Perspiration paints a huge<br />
bulls-eye on your body, both<br />
due to the increased humidity<br />
enveloping you and the chemicals<br />
in your sweat. If you just<br />
can’t acclimate to the tropics,<br />
consider prescription-strength<br />
deodorant/antiperspirant.<br />
CO2 is released in larger<br />
amounts after exercise and<br />
in hot weather. Candles and<br />
incense also give off CO2, so<br />
reach for a citronella-scented<br />
one.<br />
Lactic acid also releases after<br />
exercising or consuming foods<br />
high in salt or potassium (hence<br />
the advice to avoid bananas).<br />
Fortify Your Home<br />
Damp, cool areas and standing<br />
water are notorious mosquito<br />
hangouts, since the buggers<br />
become dehydrated easily. Keep<br />
those bathroom doors closed,<br />
and look for pits and shallow<br />
surfaces during the rainy<br />
season.<br />
Dirty laundry contains your<br />
sweat and chemical scent, so<br />
don’t be surprised if you find<br />
the vampires congregating<br />
there, particularly if the pile<br />
contains gym shorts or evening<br />
wear.<br />
Netting is one of the most<br />
effective weapons in the fight<br />
against skeeters. Why stop at<br />
the bed, though? For a DIY<br />
window screen that works with<br />
Vietnamese windows, cut and<br />
fit netting over the iron bars<br />
and fasten the four corners<br />
with screws or adhesive hooks.<br />
For better protection, tape up<br />
the sides that won’t get in the<br />
way of accessing the window.<br />
If you’re renting a room in a<br />
house that’s ridden with the<br />
buggers, consider a DIY bedroom<br />
door screen.<br />
Fans keep you cool on the<br />
cheap while keeping mosquitoes,<br />
which can only fly at 8<br />
mph at best, at bay.<br />
Essential oils including<br />
citronella, eucalyptus, catnip,<br />
tansy, rosemary, lavender, basil,<br />
thyme, peppermint or garlic<br />
keep mozzies at a distance.<br />
Include them in your garden or<br />
arrange them in potted plants to<br />
create a natural mozzie barrier<br />
in and around your home. Steep<br />
the herbs and flowers in vodka<br />
for a room spray or in a carrier<br />
oil such as soybean oil for an<br />
anti-skeeter skin spray. Several<br />
other plants will keep mozzies<br />
away, but not all are safe to use<br />
as sprays.<br />
An aquarium or a fish pond<br />
of fathead minnows, guppies<br />
or mosquito fish will keep<br />
mosquito levels down. The<br />
bloodsuckers breed in the still<br />
water, and the fish love feeding<br />
on mini mozzies.<br />
Geckos are my favourite pets in<br />
Vietnam. They never demand<br />
attention, make a mess or leave<br />
me with a huge food bill—they<br />
feed on mozzies!<br />
Bite First Aid<br />
Baking soda mixed with just<br />
enough H2O to make a paste<br />
is all it takes to bring swelling<br />
down and stop the itch. If you<br />
have bites that have scabbed<br />
over from relentless scratching,<br />
don’t be surprised if you find<br />
the closed wounds covered by<br />
crystallized, amber-hued beads<br />
after a few hours; the baking<br />
soda will draw the toxins out<br />
from under the scab.<br />
Meat tenderizer can neutralize<br />
allergic reactions to the mosquito’s<br />
anticoagulant. Ironic to<br />
be using meat tenderizer after<br />
having been made a meal of.<br />
Tea tree essential oil, calamine<br />
lotion, cortisone cream, antihistamine<br />
meds and ice packs<br />
can help sooth the itch.<br />
Smack yourself to get the blood<br />
and antihistamines flowing.<br />
Compress and release the bite<br />
area to help the toxins disperse.<br />
Fight the urge to scratch. You’ll<br />
make things worse.<br />
Stay hydrated, as dehydration<br />
will magnify bite reactions.<br />
56 asialife HCMC asialife HCMC 57
Out With the New,<br />
In With the Old<br />
A new shop on Nguyen Trai introduces vintage to HCM City.<br />
By Tom DiChristopher. Photos by Fred Wissink.<br />
In a city obsessed with labels—<br />
particularly those sewed,<br />
bejewelled or imprinted on the<br />
latest brand apparel—Con Qua<br />
Den (Black Crow) is a bit of a<br />
black sheep. The little boutique<br />
aims to introduce a new word to<br />
HCM City’s fashion lexicon: old.<br />
Occupying a first floor space<br />
in a brutalist apartment block on<br />
Nguyen Trai and Le Loi streets,<br />
Con Qua Den has quietly been<br />
building a name for itself among<br />
artists, creatives and advertising<br />
professionals as HCM City’s<br />
premier—and perhaps only—<br />
retailer of vintage clothing and<br />
accessories.<br />
Proprietor Hoang Minh is<br />
herself a graphic designer and<br />
refugee from the advertising<br />
world. She traces her retrophilia<br />
back to her youthful fascination<br />
with icons like Audrey Hepburn<br />
and Dolly Parton. But it wasn’t<br />
until university, while researching<br />
costumes for a film project,<br />
that she became aware of the<br />
concept of vintage in the context<br />
of fashion. For many Vietnamese<br />
consumers, she says, vintage<br />
remains unheard of.<br />
“They think you have to wear<br />
new things,” she says. “They<br />
can’t imagine how you can mix<br />
the old things and new things.”<br />
Con Qua Den has everything<br />
you’d need to challenge that<br />
mindset. Scattered around a<br />
homey space furnished in dark<br />
woods and decorated with<br />
quirky bric-a-brac are fashion<br />
items from days past. A highwaisted<br />
dark blue shirtdress<br />
patterned with bright daffodils<br />
costs just 425,000 VND.<br />
Bags generally range from<br />
1.5 to 2 million VND; a Fossil<br />
satchel purse was priced at<br />
1,499,000 VND on Con Qua<br />
Den’s Facebook page. The stock<br />
of sunglasses tends towards<br />
starlet shades from the likes<br />
of Nina Ricci and Christian<br />
Dior, but Hoang will also select<br />
no-names that simply strike her<br />
fancy. Wallets, shoes, jewellery,<br />
belts, hats and scarves are also<br />
available for the detail-oriented<br />
throwback artist.<br />
What Hoang doesn’t find<br />
herself on eBay is purchased<br />
and sent from the United<br />
States by her collaborator, who<br />
searches through estate sales,<br />
garage sales and flea markets<br />
for remarkable items.<br />
Hoang says she doesn’t yet<br />
have a large expatriate clientele<br />
for a simple reason. “There’s<br />
that old saying: selling fish<br />
to the fisherman,” she says.<br />
However, for those who head to<br />
Bangkok night markets or tote<br />
an empty suitcase to Singapore<br />
to satisfy their retro shopping<br />
pangs, the arrival of Con Qua<br />
Den could take some of the<br />
travel out of supporting a vintage<br />
lifestyle.<br />
145/14 Nguyen Trai, D1, 1st floor<br />
(entrance at 141 Nguyen Trai)<br />
tel: 6291 0985<br />
www.conquaden.com<br />
Open from 9.30 am to 8 pm daily<br />
58 asialife HCMC
he Australian fashion designer, Tracey Kociuruba draws<br />
inspiration from her Ukrainian heritage and her newly opened<br />
boutique on Ton That Thiep—beautifully refurbished to resemble<br />
an elaborate Eastern European cathedral—pays homage to<br />
her family’s background. Her designs—classic, timeless pieces<br />
with intricate hand-spun details—evoke snapshots from a more<br />
elegant age, albeit with a youthful edge.<br />
60 asialife HCMC asialife HCMC 61
Styling: Tracey Kociuruba<br />
Makeup: Bui Ba Tuoc by Make Up For Ever<br />
Model: Joanna Oshima<br />
Photographer: Fred Wissink<br />
Tracey Kociuruba Fashion Gallery,<br />
2nd floor, 43 Ton That Thiep, D1.<br />
62 asialife HCMC asialife HCMC 63
listings<br />
hotel &<br />
travel<br />
AIRLINES<br />
Air Asia<br />
254 De Tham, D1 Tel: 3838 9810<br />
www.airasia.com<br />
Asia’s largest low-cost airline operates<br />
one daily flight between HCM City-Hanoi,<br />
as well as international flights to Bangkok,<br />
Phuket, Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur.<br />
Cathay Pacific<br />
72-74 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, D3<br />
Tel: 3822 3203<br />
www.cathaypacific.com<br />
Hong Kong-based airline makes three<br />
flights daily to HCM City and two flights<br />
daily to Hong Kong’s international airport.<br />
Fares start at about $300.<br />
Jetstar Pacific<br />
www.jetstar.com<br />
Budget branch of Australian Qantas flies<br />
into Can Tho, Danang, Hanoi, Hai Phong,<br />
HCM City, Hue, Nha Trang and Vinh and<br />
operates cheap flights from HCM City<br />
to Siem Reap and Bangkok. Check out<br />
Friday Fare Frenzy online promotion from<br />
2 to 5 pm every Friday.<br />
Malaysia Airlines<br />
www.malaysiaairlines.com<br />
Offers daily flights from Hanoi and HCM<br />
City to Kuala Lumpur for about $200<br />
round trip, with four economy class fare<br />
levels: low, basic, smart and flex.<br />
escape take flight with travel promotions around the region<br />
Furama Resort Danang<br />
Through December 31, Furama Resort<br />
Danang is offering a two night,<br />
three day package for USD $185 ++<br />
per person for twin share or $320<br />
++ per package for single use. The<br />
deal includes accommodation in<br />
a Garden View room, daily buffet<br />
breakfast, round-trip airport transfers<br />
and in-room Internet access.<br />
Stay an extra night (single $165<br />
++; double $185 ++) and receive a<br />
complimentary set dinner at Don<br />
Cipriani’s. Call 511 3847 333/888 or<br />
visit www.furamavietnam.com.<br />
Evason Ana Mandara & Six<br />
Senses Spa<br />
Through December 19, one night<br />
at the Evason Ana Mandara & Six<br />
Senses Spa begins at USD $180 ++<br />
per night for a Garden View room<br />
and includes a daily breakfast buffet;<br />
shuttle bus airport transfers;<br />
welcome drink and fruit basket<br />
and complimentary use of internet,<br />
Philippine Airways<br />
229 Dong Khoi, D3 Tel: 3822 2241<br />
www.philippineairlines.com<br />
Operates daily service from HCM City to<br />
Manila, offering fare options through the<br />
PAL Econo Light Class.<br />
Thai Airways<br />
65 Nguyen Du, Tel: 3829 2810<br />
29 Le Duan, D1<br />
www.thaiair.com<br />
Bangkok-based airline connects twice<br />
daily between the Thai capital and HCM<br />
City and Hanoi. Multiple daily flights are<br />
also operated from both to Phnom Penh<br />
and Phuket.<br />
VASCO<br />
Vietnam Airlines office, 116 Nguyen<br />
Hue, D1<br />
Tel: 3842 2790<br />
www.vasco.com.vn<br />
Though it’s primary business is cargo<br />
shipment, Vietnam Air Service Company<br />
(VASCO) flies daily from HCM City to<br />
Con Dao and makes connections to<br />
lesser-known cities like Ca Mau, Tuy Hoa<br />
and Chu Lai. Buy tickets at the Vietnam<br />
Airlines office.<br />
Vietnam Airlines<br />
Hanoi: 94 Tran Quoc Toan<br />
Tel: 942 0848<br />
HCM City: 116 Nguyen Hue, D1<br />
Tel: 3832 0320<br />
www.vietnamair.com.vn<br />
The domestic route map is extensive,<br />
with several flights daily between major<br />
and less touristed cities throughout<br />
Vietnam. Flies internationally throughout<br />
Asia and to Paris, Frankfurt, Moscow,<br />
Sydney, Melboure, Los Angeles and San<br />
Francisco.<br />
CON DAO<br />
ATC Hotel<br />
16B Ton Duc Thang Tel: 06 4830 666<br />
Rustic little 4-room, family-run guesthouse<br />
in converted French administration<br />
building. Rooms are simple, with exposed<br />
bicycles, steam room and sauna.<br />
Rates are subject to a 5 percent<br />
service charge and 10 percent<br />
tax and a surcharge of $50 ++ per<br />
night is applicable from September<br />
1 to 4. Call 58 3522 222 or visit<br />
www.sixsenses.com/Evason-Ana-<br />
Mandara-Nha-Trang/index.php.<br />
Victoria Hoi An Resort<br />
Through September 30 the Victoria<br />
Hoi An Resort is offering two special<br />
summer promotions. The first:<br />
stay three consecutive nights and<br />
receive one free night for single<br />
bookings and the second: pay USD<br />
$110 ++ per night and receive one<br />
night stay in a superior room and<br />
daily breakfast for two people.<br />
Call 0510 3927 040 or visit www.<br />
victoriahotels-asia.com.<br />
Princess D’Annam Resort & Spa<br />
Until October 31 the Princess<br />
D’Annam Resort & Spa, located<br />
in Binh Thuan District, will offer a<br />
rafters inside and balconies outside. Bungalow<br />
accommodation is also available.<br />
Con Dao Resort<br />
8 Nguyen Duc Thuan Tel: 06 4830 949<br />
www.condaoresort.com<br />
Modern hotel with 45 rooms and seven<br />
villas set on 2km of private beach. Onpremise<br />
facilities include restaurant, bar,<br />
beach-view swimming pool, tennis court<br />
and volleyball. Organizes outdoor activities<br />
and tours.<br />
Saigon Con Dao Resort<br />
18-24 Ton Duc Thang Tel: 06 4830 155<br />
www.saigoncondaoresort.com<br />
Opened in summer 2009, Saigon Tourist’s<br />
82-room hotel has a restaurant,<br />
swimming pool, tennis court and health<br />
club with sauna. Another 30 villas are<br />
available in the adjacent sister hotel, a<br />
renovated colonial-era administration<br />
building. Tours organized by hotel.<br />
DALAT<br />
Ana Mandara Villas Resort & Spa<br />
Le Lai, Ward 5, Dalat Tel: 063 3555 888<br />
www.anamandara-resort.com<br />
Luxury 35-acre resort encompasses 17<br />
restored early 20th-century villas and<br />
65 rooms set in the rural highlands. La<br />
Cochinchine Spa offers wide range of<br />
treatments. Le Petite Dalat Restaurant<br />
serves Vietnamese and fusion cuisine.<br />
Heated swimming pool, art gallery and<br />
cooking classes in organic garden.<br />
Blue Moon Resort & Spa<br />
4 Phan Boi Chau Tel: 06 3578 888<br />
www.bluemoonhotel.com.vn<br />
An attractive 65-room, country-style<br />
resort with extensive gardens for strolling<br />
or al fresco dining, as well as restaurant<br />
serving local Dalat dishes. On-premise<br />
bike rental, fitness centre, sauna and<br />
indoor heated pool.<br />
Mercure Dalat<br />
7 Tran Phu, Dalat Tel: 063 3825 777<br />
www.mercure.com<br />
Built in 1932 as the Hotel Du Parc, this<br />
144-room resort pairs French colonial<br />
architecture with modern amenities. Cafe<br />
De Le Poste serves French home-style,<br />
international and Vietnamese cuisine.<br />
Facilities include tennis court and sauna<br />
Sofitel Dalat Palace<br />
12 Tran Phu, Dalat Tel: 063 3825 444<br />
www.accorhotels-asia.com<br />
Stately lakeside hotel was built in 1920s<br />
and retains the period’s aesthetic. It<br />
encompasses 38 rooms, five suites, a<br />
gourmet restaurant, brasserie, piano bar<br />
and Larry’s Bar. Golf can be arranged,<br />
and there’s tennis, boules, snooker and<br />
billiards on premise.<br />
activities<br />
Phat Tire Ventures<br />
73 Truong Cong Dinh Tel: 63 3829 422<br />
www.phattireventures.com<br />
Runs guided trips for hiking/trekking,<br />
mountain biking, rock climbing, kayaking<br />
and canyoning in the highlands surrounding<br />
Dalat. Also operates mixed trip<br />
adventure packages and ropes course<br />
set among pine forest with 100+ metre<br />
Flying Fox zip line.<br />
Dalat Easy Rider Tours<br />
70 Phan Dinh Phung<br />
dalateasyriders@yahoo.com<br />
www.dalat-easyrider.com<br />
Ride pillion with English-, French- or<br />
German-speaking tour guides on motorbike<br />
adventures that start in Dalat and<br />
snake through mountains, jungles and<br />
deltas, lasting anywhere from three to 21<br />
days. Trips terminate in Nha Trang, Hoi<br />
An, Hanoi, Mui Ne or HCM City. All hotels<br />
and entrance fees included.<br />
HANOI<br />
Intercontinental Westlake Hanoi<br />
1A Nghi Tam, Tay Ho Tel: 04 6270 8888<br />
www.intercontinental.com<br />
Located on the waterfront with contemporary<br />
Vietnamese design, restaurants,<br />
business services, fitness centre including<br />
exercise classes and pool.<br />
Getaway Package. For USD $733<br />
guests will receive two nights in the<br />
Mandarin Suite (suitable for single<br />
or double occupancy); a welcome<br />
drink, cold towel and bottle of<br />
sparkling wine on arrival; a Vietnamese<br />
or Western three-course<br />
set dinner; one-hour Vietnamese<br />
massage and in-room Wi-Fi Internet<br />
access. The rate is subject to<br />
5 percent service charge and 10<br />
percent government tax. Call 62<br />
3682 222 or visit www.princessannam.com.<br />
Ana Mandara Resort<br />
Through October 31 the Ana<br />
Mandara Resort in Dalat is offering<br />
extra bonus nights. Stay five nights<br />
and pay for just four; stay seven<br />
and pay for five; stay 12 and pay<br />
for nine and stay 14 and pay for<br />
10. Each deal includes a 50-minute<br />
Vietnamese body scrub for two.<br />
Call 63 555 888 or visit www.anamandararesortdalat.com.<br />
Hanoi Hilton Opera<br />
1 Le Thanh Tong, Hoan Kiem<br />
Tel: 04 3933 0500<br />
www.hilton.com<br />
Housed in a colonial-style building that<br />
complements the adjacent Opera House,<br />
this luxury hotel features modern amenities,<br />
business services, outdoor pool and<br />
fitness centre. Vietnamese specialties<br />
are served at Ba Mien, and Chez Manon<br />
does Japanese and pan-Asian.<br />
Melia Hanoi Hotel<br />
44B Ly Thuong Kiet Tel: 04 3934 3343<br />
www.meliahanoi.com<br />
Located in the city centre with 306 comfortable<br />
guestrooms elegantly decorated,<br />
complete with a host of modern amenities.<br />
Dining includes Asian cuisine at El<br />
Patio and El Oriental, snacks at Cava<br />
Lounge and tapas at Latino Bar.<br />
Mercure Hanoi La Gare<br />
94 Ly Thuong Kiet Street, Hoan Kiem<br />
Tel: 04 3944 7766<br />
www.accorhotels.com<br />
Situated in the Old Quarter with 102<br />
bright, spacious and modern rooms,<br />
Brasserie Le Pavillion restaurant serves<br />
Vietnamese and international cuisine.<br />
Nikko Hotel<br />
84 Tran Nhan Tong Tel: 04 3822 3535<br />
www.hotelnikkohanoi.com.vn<br />
Luxury hotel offering spacious rooms,<br />
elegant furnishings, international fine dining<br />
from Europe, China and Japan.<br />
Sheraton Hotel Hanoi<br />
K5 Nghi Tam, 11 Xuan Dieu, Tay Ho<br />
Tel: 04 3719 9000<br />
www.starwoodhotels.com<br />
“Resort within a city” boasts 299 spacious<br />
guest rooms with panoramic views,<br />
fitness centre, international restaurant<br />
and Hemisphere Vietnamese restaurant.<br />
Sofitel Metropole<br />
15 Ngo Quyen, Hoan Kiem<br />
Tel: 04 3826 6919<br />
www.sofitel.com<br />
Located downtown. Colonial-style hotel<br />
with well-regarded restaurants/bars serving<br />
French & Vietnamese cuisine, plus<br />
Italian steak house.<br />
HO CHI MINH CITY<br />
Caravelle Hotel<br />
19 Lam Son Square, D1 Tel: 3823 4999<br />
www.caravellehotel.com<br />
One of the city’s most prestigious<br />
venues. Features a casino, Reflections<br />
Restaurant and al fresco 9th-floor Saigon<br />
Saigon Bar.<br />
Equatorial<br />
242 Tran Binh Trong D5 Tel: 3839 7777<br />
www.equatorial.com/hcm<br />
On the intersect of 4 districts, with 333<br />
rooms, Orientica Seafood restaurant<br />
and bar, Chit Chat cafe, pool (swim-up<br />
bar), gym.<br />
InterContinental Asiana Saigon<br />
Corner of Hai Ba Trung & Le Duan, D1<br />
Tel: 3520 9999<br />
saigon@interconti.com<br />
www.intercontinental.com/saigon<br />
305 rooms/suites with floor-to-ceiling<br />
windows, five restaurants/bars, meeting/<br />
banquet facilities, spa/health club and<br />
lounge with panoramic view.<br />
Mövenpick Hotel Saigon<br />
253 Nguyen Van Troi, Phu Nhuan<br />
Tel: 3844 9222<br />
www.moevenpick-saigon.com<br />
251-room Swiss chain hotel with<br />
Nishimura Japanese and Lotus Court<br />
Chinese restaurant, Sundeck poolside<br />
bar, Qi Spa, conference/banquet facilities.<br />
New World Hotel<br />
76 Le Lai, D1 Tel: 3822 8888<br />
www.newworldsaigon.com<br />
Located in the city centre, with gym,<br />
outdoor pool, tennis court, event space<br />
and Dynasty Chinese restaurant.<br />
Park Hyatt<br />
2 Lam Son Square, D1 Tel: 3824 1234<br />
www.saigon.park.hyatt.com<br />
Luxury colonial-style hotel includes 21<br />
suites, lobby lounge with live music,<br />
Xuan Spa, pool, gym, international dining<br />
at Square One.<br />
Renaissance Riverside<br />
8-15 Ton Duc Thang, D1<br />
Tel: 3822 0033<br />
www.renaissancehotels.com<br />
349 rooms/suites with panoramic views<br />
over Saigon River. Conference/banquet<br />
facilities, rooftop pool, gym, two<br />
restaurants.<br />
Sheraton<br />
88 Dong Khoi, D1 Tel: 3827 2828<br />
www.sheraton.com/saigon<br />
Luxury downtown hotel with Level 23<br />
bar, Mojo cafe, Li Bai Chinese restaurant,<br />
fine dining at The Signature on the 23rd<br />
floor.<br />
Sofitel Saigon Plaza<br />
17 Le Duan, D1 Tel: 3824 1555<br />
www.sofitel.com/2077<br />
One of the city’s top hotels with in-room<br />
Wi-Fi, two restaurants with international<br />
cuisine, two bars, six conference rooms,<br />
outdoor swimming pool, fitness centre.<br />
Thao Dien Village<br />
195 Nguyen Van Huong, D2<br />
Tel: 3744 2222<br />
www.thaodienvillage.com<br />
Colonial-style boutique hotel and spa<br />
with fine dining on the banks of the<br />
Saigon River in expat enclave.<br />
Windsor Plaza<br />
18 An Duong Vuong, D5<br />
Tel: 3833 6688<br />
services@windsorplazahotel.com<br />
www.windsorplazahotel.com<br />
Located in a main shopping hub. Four<br />
restaurants, modern discotheque,<br />
conference centre, casino, health club,<br />
shopping centre, supermarket, Chinese<br />
restaurant.<br />
activities<br />
Saigon Scooter Centre<br />
25/7 Cuu Long, Tan Binh District<br />
Tel: 4848 7816<br />
www.saigonscootercentre.com<br />
One-stop rental service with a wide selection<br />
of scooters/motorbikes available<br />
for around town travel or long trips<br />
Vietnam Vespa Adventures<br />
169 De Tham, D1, Pham Ngu Lao<br />
Tel: 3920 3897<br />
www.vietnamvespaadventures.com<br />
Headquaters located in Cafe Zoom.<br />
Offers 3-day trips to Mui Ne, 8-days to<br />
Nha Trang or half-day tours of HCMC on<br />
classic Vespas.<br />
HOI AN & DANANG<br />
Cua Dai Hotel<br />
544 Cua Dai Tel: 0510 3862 231<br />
www.cuadaihotel-hoian.com<br />
Open and airy rooms are tastefully decorated<br />
and overlook the garden and pool.<br />
Located roughly between Old Town and<br />
Cua Dai Beach. Bicycle rental arranged.<br />
Green Field Hotel<br />
423 Cua Dai, Hoi An Tel: 0510 863 484<br />
www.greenfieldhotel.com<br />
Mid-range hotel with simple but spacious<br />
rooms overlooking the garden and pool.<br />
Rates start below US $20 per night.<br />
Located 400 metres from the Old Town.<br />
Le Domaine de Tam Hai Resort<br />
Tel: 0510 3545105<br />
www.domainedetamhai.com<br />
Occupying an island close to Hoi An, the<br />
resort features 12 villas, a private beach,<br />
and two restaurants serving French and<br />
Vietnamese cuisine.<br />
Life Resort Hoi An<br />
1 Pham Hong Thai, Hoi An<br />
Tel: 0510 3914 555<br />
www.life-resorts.com<br />
Within walking distance of Hoi An.<br />
Rooms are chic and minimalist, offering<br />
all the mod cons. Two restaurants, two<br />
bars and an outdoor pool.<br />
Nam Hai<br />
Tel: 0510 3940 000<br />
www.ghmhotel.com<br />
Luxury resort accommodation from<br />
single villas to sumptuous five-room<br />
dwellings with private pools. Facilities<br />
include 8 private spa villas; 3 beachfront<br />
swimming pools; library; and tennis,<br />
basketball and badminton courts.<br />
Victoria Hoi An Beach Resort & Spa<br />
Cua Dai Beach Tel: 0510 3927 040<br />
www.victoriahotels-asia.com<br />
Set on its own stretch of beach with<br />
105 rooms spread through a traditional<br />
fishing village design of small “streets”<br />
and ponds.<br />
activities<br />
Hoi An Motorbike Adventures<br />
Tel: 0918 230 653<br />
www.motorbiketours-hoian.com<br />
Two-wheeled tours of the Central<br />
Highlands, Ho Chi Minh Trail, Monkey<br />
Mountain and more on a fleet of Minsk<br />
dirt bikes and fully and semi-automatic<br />
motorbikes. Customers can drive or be<br />
driven on half- to five-day trips.<br />
Mango Cruise<br />
info@mangorooms.com<br />
Chef Duc from the celebrated Mango<br />
Rooms restaurant and his wife Ly offer a<br />
cruise down the Thu Bon River, complete<br />
with a meal from a menu created by Duc<br />
himself.<br />
Phat Tire Ventures<br />
619 Hai Ba Trung Tel: 0510 391 1700<br />
www.phattireventures.com<br />
Offers rappelling and rock climbing at<br />
Marble Mountains, as well as walking<br />
and mountain biking excursions, from<br />
two-hour countryside trips to two-day<br />
cycling trips to Hue. Also does cultural<br />
and historical tours and car trips to My<br />
Son Holy Land.<br />
Vietnam Sailing<br />
88 Nguyen Thai Hoc Tel: 0918 255 521<br />
www.vietnamsailing.com<br />
Foreign-operated company operates<br />
chartered coach or private tours to<br />
Cham Islands aboard a Corsair Sprint<br />
750 Trimaran. One-day cruises or twoday<br />
excursions with beach camping by<br />
campfire are available.<br />
HUE<br />
Celadon Palace Hue<br />
105A Hung Vuong Tel: 054 3936 666<br />
www.celadonpalacehue.com<br />
Grand building inspired by Indochine<br />
Nobel House with panoramic views, international<br />
restaurant, lounge/bars, pool,<br />
ballroom and wedding planning.<br />
Imperial Hue<br />
57 Dang Dung Tel: 054 3522 478<br />
www.imperial-hotel.com.vn<br />
Opulent high-rise hotel with panoramic<br />
views of the city and Ngu Binh Mountain.<br />
Facilities include swimming pool, gym,<br />
Royal spa, Prince Club casino and business<br />
centre.<br />
La Residence<br />
5 Le Loi Tel: 054 3837 475<br />
www.la-residence-hue.com<br />
Former governor’s residence on the<br />
banks of the Perfume River is now home<br />
to a boutique resort where art deco<br />
meets Indochine. La Parfum restaurant<br />
serves local and international dishes.<br />
Facilitiesa include spa, saltwater pool,<br />
tennis court and fleet of bicycles.<br />
Mercure Hue Gerbera<br />
38 Le Loi Tel: 054 3946 688<br />
www.mercure.com<br />
Overlooking the Perfume River, this<br />
centrally located hotel has 110 contemporary<br />
rooms. Local Hue cuisine and<br />
international fare served at Le Bordeaux,<br />
and drinks served up top at Sky Bar or in<br />
the ground-floor Lobby Bar.<br />
Pilgrimage Village Resort & Spa<br />
130 Minh Mang Tel: 054 3885 461<br />
www.pilgrimagevillage.com<br />
Boutique resort with hut, bungalow and<br />
villa accommodation draws on natural<br />
environment and local culture. Features<br />
Vedana spa, two restaurants serving<br />
Vietnamese & Western food and imported<br />
wines and three bar/lounges.<br />
NHA TRANG<br />
Evason Hideaway at Ana Mandara<br />
Ninh Van Bay, Ninh Hoa, Khanh Hoa<br />
Tel: 058 3728 222<br />
www.sixsenses.com/hideawayanamandara<br />
An island hideaway accessible only by<br />
boat, 58 private pool villas, international<br />
and local restaurants, wedding services,<br />
water sports and scuba diving.<br />
Evason Ana Mandara Nha Trang<br />
Beachside, Tran Phu, Nha Trang<br />
Tel: 058 3522 222<br />
www.sixsenses.com/evasonanamandara<br />
Beachside resort set in 26,000 square<br />
metres of tropical garden, with 74 guest<br />
villas, three restaurants, Six Senses Spa.<br />
Novotel Nha Trang<br />
50 Tran Phu Tel: 058 625 6900<br />
www.novotel-nhatrang.com<br />
Each of the 154 rooms has a terrace with<br />
seaviews in this modern hotel located<br />
in the city centre. The Square serves<br />
international cuisine in a dining room<br />
overlooking the bay.<br />
Sheraton Nha Trang Hotel & Spa<br />
26 - 28 Tran Phu, Nha Trang, Khanh<br />
Hoa<br />
Tel: 58 388 0000<br />
www.sheraton.com/nhatrang<br />
Luxury hotel with 284 ocean view rooms,<br />
six restaurants and bars, club lounge,<br />
infinity edge swimming pool, spa, yoga<br />
studio, cooking school, Sheraton Adventure<br />
Club and (connected at) Link@<br />
Sheraton.<br />
Sunrise Beach Resort<br />
12-14 Tran Phu, Nha Trang<br />
Tel: 058 3820 999<br />
www.sunrisehotelvietnam.com<br />
Private beach resort equipped with gym,<br />
fitness centre, outdoor pool and water<br />
sports.<br />
PHAN THIET<br />
Full Moon<br />
98A Nguyen Dinh Chieu<br />
Tel: 062 3847 008<br />
fullmoon@windsurf-vietnam.com<br />
Resort set in a private garden with<br />
lovingly decorated bedrooms and<br />
terracotta-tiled bathrooms. The grounds<br />
include a good Vietnamese restaurant,<br />
pool and kitesurfing school.<br />
L’Anmien Beach Resort<br />
Mui Ne Beach, KM10, Ham Tien Ward<br />
Tel: 062 3741 888<br />
www.lanmienresort.com<br />
Beachfront resort with 90 fully equipped<br />
rooms, business centre, spa, fitness<br />
centre and outdoor pool.<br />
Princess D’Annam Resort and Spa<br />
Khu Hon Lan, Tan Thanh, Ham Thuan<br />
Nam, Binh Thuan<br />
Tel: 062 3682 222<br />
www.princessannam.com<br />
Located on Ke Ga Bay with 57 exclusive<br />
villas, eight swimming pools, two restaurants<br />
and 1,800 square metres spa<br />
complex.<br />
The Sailing Club<br />
24 Nguyen Dinh Chieu, Mui Ne,<br />
Phan Thiet Tel: 062 3847 440<br />
64 asialife HCMC asialife HCMC 65
www.sailingclubvietnam.com<br />
Open bar overlooking the sea, spacious<br />
rooms, restaurant, swimming pool and<br />
day spa.<br />
Shades Apartment<br />
Khu 1, Ham Tien Tel: 062 3743 237<br />
www.shadesmuine.com<br />
Design-led boutique hotel that uses<br />
minimal materials and draws on natural<br />
textures to achieve a sense of timelessness.<br />
Serviced apartments are soundproof<br />
with blackout curtains. Pool and<br />
beachside veranda outside.<br />
Victoria Phan Thiet Resort and Spa<br />
Mui Ne Beach Tel: 84 62 3813 000<br />
www.victoriahotels-asia.com<br />
Located on a private beach, 60 cosy bungalows,<br />
natural spa experiences among<br />
other great activities on offer at the resort.<br />
activities<br />
C2Sky Kitesurfing<br />
Sunny Beach, 64-66 Nguyen Dinh Chieu<br />
Tel: 0916655241<br />
www.c2skykitecenter.com<br />
Operates two schools roughly 500m<br />
apart, staffed by IKO-certified instructors.<br />
Offers a half dozen course types, as well<br />
as instructor training. Equipment rental<br />
and repair.<br />
Forester Spa & Mini Golf<br />
65 Nguyen Dinh Chieu<br />
Tel: 062 3743 447<br />
www.forestrestaurant.com<br />
Terraced nine-hole miniature golf course<br />
with distinctly Vietnamese terrain: rice<br />
paddies, palm trees, stilt homes and a<br />
fish pond.<br />
Jibes Beach Club<br />
84-90 Nguyen Dinh Chieu<br />
Tel: 062 3847 008<br />
www.windsurf-vietnam.com<br />
IKO-licensed kitesurfing centre offers<br />
highly structured kitesurfing classes<br />
taught by experienced watersportsmen.<br />
Also offer windsurfing lessons and retails<br />
in watersports equipment (bodyboards,<br />
kayaks, surfboards, windsurfs).<br />
Mui Ne Beach.net<br />
www.muinebeach.net<br />
Informative website run by local writer<br />
Adam Bray covering news, events, community/environmental<br />
issues and more in<br />
Mui Ne and Phan Thiet. Also issues safety<br />
advisories regarding crime and tour bus<br />
accidents.<br />
Mui Ne Cooking School<br />
Sunshine Beach Resort, 84 Tuyen<br />
Quang Tel: 062 383 0755<br />
Al fresco classes begin with a trip to Rang<br />
Market and focus on the provincial cuisine<br />
of Binh Thuan, like crepes with beef or<br />
seafood and seafood salad.<br />
Surfpoint<br />
217 Nguyen Dinh Chieu<br />
www.surfpoint-vietnam.com<br />
Offers private and group kiteboarding<br />
courses and equipment rental (from<br />
$40-50/hr). Also runs group and private<br />
surfing lessons, as well as kayaking trips<br />
to Song Quao Lake.<br />
WindChimes School<br />
Saigon Mui Ne Resort, 56 Nguyen Dinh<br />
Chieu<br />
www.kiteboarding-vietnam.com<br />
Surf school situated on 235m of beach<br />
offers kiteboarding, windsurfing and surfing<br />
classes in multiple languages taught<br />
by IKO-certified instructors. Equipment<br />
rented and trips organised. Satellite<br />
school at Bamboo Village Resort.<br />
PHU QUOC<br />
La Veranda<br />
Ward 1, Duong Dong Beach<br />
Tel: 077 3982 888<br />
www.laverandaresort.com<br />
Set amid tropical gardens along a beach.<br />
Features a highly-rated spa, beach grill,<br />
Vietnamese, Asian and European cuisine.<br />
Mango Bay<br />
Ong Lang Beach, Phu Quoc<br />
Tel: 0903 382 207<br />
www.mangobayphuquoc.com<br />
Low-cost seaside resort with ecological<br />
outlook promotes nature activities, forest<br />
walks, snorkelling, open-air seafood<br />
restaurant. No TV or telephone.<br />
SAPA<br />
Victoria Sapa Resort<br />
Sapa District, Lao Cai Province<br />
Tel: 020 0871 522<br />
www.victoriahotels-asia.com<br />
Mountain chalet perched over the village<br />
wth cosy but modern guestrooms<br />
overlooking the lawn and garden. Ta Van<br />
restaurant overlooks Mount Fansipan and<br />
Ta Fin bar has a stone hearth fireplace.<br />
Connection from Hanoi by private train.<br />
SCUBA DIVING<br />
Note: <strong>AsiaLIFE</strong> only lists dive centres<br />
recognized by international dive training<br />
programs, such as the Professional Association<br />
of Dive Instructors (PADI) and<br />
Scuba Schools International (SSI). We<br />
strongly advise against diving with unaccredited<br />
dive centres in Vietnam.<br />
Rainbow Divers<br />
55 Nguyen Dang Giai, An Phu, D2<br />
Tel: 3744 6825<br />
www.divevietnam.com<br />
Diving tours and career/instructor<br />
development offered by Vietnam’s first<br />
PADI centre. established in the mid-90s.<br />
All courses can be started at the state-ofthe-art<br />
dive centre in An Phu, from beginner<br />
pool work and theory to divemaster<br />
and instructor certification. Operates dive<br />
centres in Nha Trang, Whale Island, Hoi<br />
An and Phu Quoc.<br />
Octopus Diving<br />
62 Tran Phu, Nha Trang<br />
058 826 528<br />
www.divenhatrang.com<br />
PADI/SSI dive centre based in Nha Trang<br />
and affiliated with the Sailing Club Co.,<br />
with additional centres in Mui Ne and Hoi<br />
An. Offers a range of services, including<br />
children’s Bubblemaker classes, courses<br />
in specialised techniques and divemaster<br />
certification.<br />
TRAVEL AGENTS<br />
Buffalo Tours<br />
Suite 601, Satra House, 58 Dong Khoi<br />
D1 Tel: 3827 9170<br />
www.buffalotours.com<br />
Tailor-made itineraries, community-based<br />
tourism, cultural tours, adventure trips,<br />
golfing and premium trips offered by locally<br />
run and well-respected travel agent.<br />
Exotissimo<br />
HCMC: 20 Hai Ba Trung St, D1<br />
Tel: 3827 2911<br />
infosgn@exotissimo.com<br />
HANOI: 26 Tran Nhat Duat St,<br />
Hoan Kiem Tel: 04 3828 2150<br />
infohanoi@exotissimo.com<br />
www.exotissimo.com<br />
French-owned agency specializing in<br />
flight bookings, package holidays and a<br />
range of well-run cultural and historical<br />
tours of Vietnam and Southeast Asia.<br />
iViVu<br />
www.ivivu.com<br />
Offering the traditional services of a travel<br />
agent – airline tickets, tours, packages<br />
and hotels - as well as tips and up-todate<br />
travel news on Vietnam.<br />
Trails of Indochina<br />
10/8 Phan Dinh Giot, Tan Binh<br />
Tel: 3844 1005<br />
www.trailsofindochina.com<br />
Specialists in custom-made tours offering<br />
cultural and adventurous experiences<br />
throughout the region. Exclusive<br />
resources and locations.<br />
66 asialife HCMC asialife HCMC 67
listings<br />
food &<br />
drink<br />
BAR RESTAURANTS<br />
Ala Mezon<br />
10 Chu Manh Trinh, D1 Tel: 6291 0447<br />
www.alamezon.vn<br />
Colourful four-storey venue serves fusion<br />
French-Japanese cuisine, as well as<br />
cocktails and wine by the glass. Space<br />
spans a restaurant, lounge and main<br />
bar and spacious, airy rooftop. Open 5<br />
pm to late.<br />
Alibi<br />
11 Thai Van Lung, D1 Tel: 3822 3240<br />
Hip without being showy, this versatile<br />
venue has a pleasant front porch, stand<br />
up bar and comfortable lounge seating<br />
with bright, warm décor and great tunes.<br />
Drinks list is extensive and the food<br />
menu boasts French-style mains.<br />
Bread & Butter<br />
40/26 Bui Vien, D1 Tel: 3836 8452<br />
Lunch menu of American classics<br />
(California burritos, po boy sandwiches),<br />
Brit pub dinner (bangers & mash, fish &<br />
chips) and Sunday evening roast. Serves<br />
Huda Beer from Hue. Closed 2:30 pm to<br />
5 pm and Mondays.<br />
Bernie's Bar & Grill<br />
19 Thai Van Lung, D1 Tel: 3822 2684<br />
Serves a solid menu of certified Angus<br />
and imported Aussie steaks, fresh<br />
pasta, thin crust pizza, sandwiches and<br />
mains in an old school steak house<br />
setting. Drink menu includes smoothies,<br />
cocktails, premium wines and spirits and<br />
Saigon's largest martini. <br />
Buddha Bar<br />
7 Thao Dien, D2 Tel: 3744 2080<br />
An Phu institution serves up tasty meals<br />
and good drinks in a friendly, chilled environment.<br />
Plenty of room to relax inside<br />
or out, plus a pool table on premise. <br />
K Cafe<br />
28 Do Quang Dau, D1 Tel: 3913 4673<br />
www.kcafevietnam.com<br />
This down-to-earth bistro-bar is a haven<br />
for French-speaking emigrés looking for<br />
an alternative in the backpackers’ area.<br />
Prop up the bar with a beer or Ricard,<br />
or tuck into the tasty Gallic fare. Good<br />
atmosphere for conversation. <br />
La Habana<br />
6 Cao Ba Quat, D1 Tel: 3829 5180<br />
www.lahabana-saigon.com<br />
This charming little place has seating<br />
indoors and outdoors, upstairs and<br />
downstairs to fit your dining pleasure.<br />
Relaxed environment with frequent live<br />
music. Offers Spanish and Cuban fare<br />
including paella and a tapas fiesta comprising<br />
three plates. Open late daily.<br />
Le Pub<br />
175/ 22 Pham Ngu Lao, D1<br />
www.lepub.org<br />
One of Pham Ngu Lao’s favourite<br />
watering holes, Le Pub also has a good<br />
menu of well-executed pub grub and<br />
international favourites. Hearty breakfast<br />
is available all day and specials are<br />
offered daily.<br />
Mogambos<br />
50 Pasteur, D1 Tel: 3825 1311<br />
This restaurant has been around since<br />
the mid-1990s, which offers an insight<br />
into its enduring quality. Specializes in<br />
American grain-fed steaks, hamburgers<br />
and salads served in a pleasant<br />
atmosphere. <br />
O’Brien’s<br />
74/A2 Hai Ba Trung, D1 Tel: 3829 3198<br />
A large Celtic-style pub popular with<br />
media types that has an interior done in<br />
brickwork and wood, and an upstairs<br />
dining area. Draught beer is happy<br />
hour between 3 pm and 7 pm. Great<br />
pizzas.<br />
Pasha Bar & Restaurant<br />
25 Dong Du, D1 Tel: 08 629 136 77<br />
www.pasha.com.vn<br />
Turkish–Mediterranean restaurant<br />
located in heart of HCMC serves halal<br />
and high quality food with ingredients<br />
imported from Turkey, Spain, Singapore,<br />
Egypt, New Zealand, Japan and France.<br />
Long happy hour half price by glass.<br />
Various shisha flavours.<br />
Peaches: The Curry Pub<br />
Sky Garden 2, S57-1, Phu My Hung,<br />
D7 Tel: 5410 0999<br />
Serves up dishes from Thailand, Vietnam,<br />
Malaysia, China, Japan, Singapore<br />
and Indonesia with a focus on healthy<br />
preparation and fresh produce.<br />
Phatty’s<br />
46-48 Ton That Thiep, D1<br />
Tel: 3821 0705<br />
www.phattysbar.com<br />
Jaspa’s Steve Hardy and Ben Winspear’s<br />
sports bar has five widescreen<br />
TVs, a large drop-down screen and lots<br />
of pub grub and beer for fans looking to<br />
take in a game or two.<br />
Qing<br />
110 Pasteur, D1<br />
www.qing.com.vn<br />
Sophisticated downtown bar just off Le<br />
Loi specializes in Asian tapas, Asian/<br />
South American fusion dishes and a few<br />
delectable deserts. Variety of good wines<br />
by the glass or bottle.<br />
Sheridan’s Irish House<br />
17/13 Le Thanh Ton, D1 Tel: 3823<br />
0793<br />
feast broaden your palate with promotions around town<br />
Yu Chu<br />
The InterContinental Asiana’s signature<br />
Chinese restaurant, Yu Chu, will offer a<br />
tempting set lunch through September<br />
including a Shanghai dumpling portion,<br />
choice of noodle dish, dessert of the<br />
day and tea for 180,000 VND ++ per<br />
person. Yu Chu is located on the first<br />
floor of the InterContinental Asiana and<br />
is open daily from 11.30 am to 2.30 am.<br />
Call 3520 9999 or visit www.intercontinental.com/saigon.<br />
Pasha Bar & Restaurant<br />
Enjoy a three-course set lunch, including<br />
coffee or tea, from 11 am to 3 pm<br />
for just USD $7.50 at Turkish restaurant<br />
Pasha. Also, on Tuesday kids eat free<br />
from a selection of pizza or pasta, coke<br />
or ice cream. Pasha is located at 27<br />
Dong Du, D1.<br />
Restaurant 19<br />
To celebrate the 65th Vietnamese<br />
National Day on September 2, the<br />
Caravelle Hotel’s Restaurant 19 will<br />
prepare a large selection of carving<br />
stations and cooked-to-order fresh<br />
seafood for 930,000 VND ++ per person.<br />
The price includes one glass of Mumm<br />
Champagne and unlimited margaritas,<br />
martinis and house Italian and Spanish<br />
wine. Call 3823 4999 or visit www.<br />
caravellehotel.com.<br />
Lobby Lounge<br />
From September 6 to 12 the Caravelle<br />
Hotel’s Lobby Lounge will serve Pain<br />
Perdu Brioche—French toast made with<br />
bread soaked in cinnamon, eggs milk<br />
and sugar—for 118,000 VND ++ per<br />
person. Many toppings are available,<br />
including warm cherry stew and macadamia<br />
nut icecream; sautéed apples<br />
and vanilla bean anglaise; and mango<br />
sherbet. Call 3823 4999 or visit www.<br />
caravellehotel.com.<br />
Kabin Chinese Restaurant<br />
Through September 30, chef Yeung Loi<br />
Ming will prepare Peking duck at the<br />
Kabin Chinese Restaurant located on<br />
the first level of the Renaissance Hotel.<br />
A whole duck costs 350,000 VND while<br />
a half duck is 199,000 VND. Kabin is<br />
open for lunch from noon to 2.30 pm<br />
and from 6 to 10 pm for dinner. Call<br />
3822 0033 or visit www.renaissancesaigon.com.<br />
Atrium Café<br />
The Legend Hotel’s Atrium Café has<br />
opened a juice bar. For 60,000 VND per<br />
glass the staff can prepare a healthy<br />
concoction from its selection of fresh<br />
fruits and vegetables, including mango,<br />
pineapple, pear, pomelo, orange, apple,<br />
passionfruit, watermelon, celery, carrot,<br />
tomato, cucumber, bitter melon and<br />
capsicum. Call 3823 3333.<br />
Basilico<br />
Each Saturday in September, Basilico<br />
will serve up an Italian feast including<br />
boscadola soup, spaghetti bolognaise<br />
and much more, including free flow<br />
of Prosecco for 500,00 VND ++ per<br />
person.<br />
Saigon Saigon Bar<br />
Enjoy Burger Night on the rooftop at<br />
the Caravelle Hotel’s Saigon Saigon Bar<br />
from September 13 to 26. Choose from<br />
the classic beef burger to the fisherman’s<br />
choice (tiger prawn and king<br />
crab), or the vegetarian with tomato and<br />
buffalo mozzarella with crisp garden<br />
greens, onion rings and basic pesto<br />
from 212,000 VND ++ per person. Call<br />
3823 4999 or visit www.caravellehotel.<br />
com.<br />
Shang Palace Restaurant<br />
Through September 30 the Norfolk<br />
Mansion’s Shang Palace Restaurant<br />
will serve up Oriental favourites as part<br />
of its Famous Chinese Food Promotion.<br />
Available for USD $5 to $15 ++ per<br />
dish are Shanghai-style braised pork<br />
ribs with Chinese wine, Chao-Zhoustyle<br />
pan-fried eggs with oyster, Hang<br />
Zhou-style deep-fried grouper fillet with<br />
pine nuts in sweet and sour sauce, plus<br />
many more. Call 3823 2221, email reservation@shangpalace.com.vn<br />
or visit<br />
www.shangpalace.com.vn.<br />
68 asialife HCMC asialife HCMC 69
imbibe<br />
"Champagne" on the Cheap<br />
By Beth Young<br />
France may be famous for<br />
its expensive champagne,<br />
produced exclusively in the<br />
region it’s named for, but Italy<br />
takes the award for delivering<br />
considerably cheaper sparkling<br />
substitutes.<br />
Meet Prosecco, a sweet,<br />
refreshing and bubbly drop. It<br />
may not have the same complexity<br />
as its posher cousin,<br />
but it fulfils all requirements<br />
otherwise, according to Billy<br />
Dela, sales and marketing<br />
manager at Bacchus Corner.<br />
Traditionally an off-dry wine<br />
(slightly sweet) that goes<br />
through secondary fermentation<br />
in stainless steel tanks,<br />
Prosecco is now being<br />
fermented inside the bottle<br />
by some vintners, in exactly<br />
the same way champagne is<br />
aged.<br />
Pointing at the Zonic<br />
Prosecco he stocks for<br />
400,000 VND, Dela says<br />
it’s a fantastic alternative to<br />
champagne. And with similar<br />
properties and the requisite<br />
fizz, it would take a discerning<br />
drinker to tell the difference.<br />
What’s more, the cork pops<br />
off with the same effect.<br />
The price tag is a bonus,<br />
too. “Almost for the same<br />
price you can have two<br />
Prosecco,” Dela says, noting<br />
that champagne begins at<br />
650,000 or 700,000 VND for<br />
the most basic brands. For<br />
a light indulgence, a 175ml<br />
bottle is also available for just<br />
90,000 VND.<br />
It’s multi-purpose, too.<br />
While few tend to mix wine,<br />
Prosecco makes a perfect<br />
base for cocktails. Most notably,<br />
Prosecco pairs with peach<br />
puree to make the Bellini, a<br />
cocktail born in Venice and<br />
enjoyed throughout Italy. Dela<br />
compares the combinations<br />
spawned from Prosecco mixtures<br />
to sangria or calimucho<br />
(cheap red wine and coke).<br />
“When you drink [them] you<br />
feel the heat of the wine,” he<br />
says, adding that the soda<br />
helps the alcohol to go down<br />
twice as easy. Adding a<br />
splash of Cassis de Dijon—a<br />
berry-flavoured liqueur—to a<br />
glass of Prosecco works just<br />
as well, giving the wine that<br />
extra pep.<br />
Another Italian contender<br />
is Moscato D’Asti, a sweet,<br />
sparkling white that’s proving<br />
popular with Vietnamese<br />
women. Low in alcohol (only 5<br />
percent), the Moscato D’Asti<br />
is light and zesty with melon,<br />
nectarine and fresh blossom<br />
tones.<br />
It’s not for everybody<br />
though and neither is it Dela’s<br />
first choice. However, he notes<br />
for novice wine drinkers, it’s a<br />
fantastic starting point. Better<br />
yet, the Moscato D’Asti,<br />
which retails for 300,000 VND<br />
(Bacchus Corner stocks the<br />
Castello de Poggio variety) is<br />
a steal compared to the Chateau<br />
Guiras, a similar French<br />
champagne that sells for 3<br />
million VND. Best teamed with<br />
dessert, it’s a delicious and<br />
crisp after-dinner treat that<br />
won’t break the bank.<br />
Cheap and refreshing,<br />
both Prosecco and Moscato<br />
D’Asti are ideal antidotes to<br />
HCM City’s oppressive heat.<br />
“You drink [them] and you feel<br />
‘aaaah,’” Dela exhales. “Everybody<br />
loves bubbles.”<br />
Banh Nam<br />
street gourmet<br />
www.sheridansbarvn.com<br />
Cosy Irish pub with authentic Irish decor,<br />
a pleasant atmosphere and regular<br />
live music. Wide range of classic pub<br />
grub, East Asian dishes and a fantastic<br />
breakfast fry-up available from 8 am.<br />
Storm P Bar & Restaurant<br />
5B Nguyen Sieu, D1 Tel: 3827 4738<br />
www.stormp.vn<br />
This friendly hangout is a favourite with<br />
both the Scandinavian community and<br />
English-speaking expats. Offers Danish<br />
cuisine to go with the drinks. <br />
The Tavern<br />
R2/24 Hung Gia 3, Bui Bang Doan, D7<br />
Tel: 5410 3900<br />
Boasts good international food, a pool<br />
table, dartboards and sports coverage<br />
on large screens. Outdoor seating on<br />
mutiple levels. Second floor sports<br />
lounge hosts DJs at the weekends. <br />
Vasco’s Bar<br />
74/7D Hai Ba Trung, D1 Tel: 3824<br />
2888<br />
Chic bar decked in deep reds that gets<br />
packed to capacity on weekends. Open<br />
Monday to Saturday with live music on<br />
Fridays. Food menu by chef with over<br />
10 years experience at La Camargue.<br />
Also does excellent pizza. <br />
ZanZBar<br />
41 Dong Du, D1<br />
Funky, modern interiors and varied<br />
international breakfast, lunch and dinner<br />
cuisine. Imported beers, cocktails,<br />
gourmet espresso coffee, and happy<br />
hours make ZanZBar a great after-work<br />
spot. Open late.<br />
Banh nam is a Hue specialty.<br />
It is a soft thin cake made<br />
of rice flour and topped with<br />
ground shrimp and green<br />
beans. It is wrapped in a<br />
banana leaf (la chuoi), which<br />
is folded to make a rectangular-shaped<br />
parcel. Banh nam<br />
can be dipped in fish sauce<br />
(nuoc cham), a slightly spicy<br />
and sweet mixture with hints<br />
of garlic.<br />
Banh nam should be eaten<br />
warm—that’s when it is tastiest.<br />
And a hint: after unwrapping<br />
your banh nam be sure<br />
to keep the leaf on hand. It<br />
will help absorb some of the<br />
treat’s greasiness. Prior to<br />
eating pour the dipping sauce<br />
over it and when it hits your<br />
mouth don’t chew too fast.<br />
Enjoy the feeling of the rice<br />
flour dissolving: greasy and<br />
fragrant! Banh nam can be<br />
found at most Vietnamese<br />
restaurants for about 20,000<br />
VND per portion. Stephy Thai<br />
CAFES<br />
Annam Cafe<br />
16-18 Hai Ba Trung<br />
Cosy corner cafe with free Wi-Fi overlooking<br />
Hai Ba Trung. Serves a slate of<br />
gourmet sandwiches, coffee and wine.<br />
Bobby Brewer’s<br />
45 Bui Vien, D1 Tel: 3920 4090<br />
70 Nguyen Cong Tru, D1 Tel: 3821<br />
8100<br />
86 Pham Ngoc Thach, D3 Tel: 6299<br />
1990<br />
www.bobbybrewers.com<br />
This is an attractive fast-food style<br />
coffee shop with friendly staff and good<br />
lattes. All the coffee is roasted on the<br />
premises and there are comfortable<br />
couches and travellers aplenty making it<br />
a chilled place to hang out. <br />
Bull’s Cafe<br />
113C Bui Vien Street, D1<br />
Tel: 3836 1925<br />
www.bullcafe.com.vn<br />
MotoGP-themed lounge serving up coffee,<br />
smoothies and cafe house special,<br />
fruit cocktail.<br />
Cafe Terrace<br />
Saigon Centre, 65 Le Loi, D1<br />
This funky café is frequented by trendy<br />
types attracted by the leather lounges,<br />
outdoor terrace and 52 non-alcoholic<br />
fruit concotions.<br />
Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf<br />
12-14 Thai Van Lung, D1<br />
94 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, D3<br />
Nowzone, 235 Nguyen Van Cu, D5<br />
Metropolitan Bldng, 235 Dong Khoi,<br />
D1<br />
International café chain with a wide<br />
variety of coffees and teas, as well as<br />
light snacks and food. Also sells freshroasted<br />
coffee beans and tins of whole<br />
leaf tea. <br />
Illy Café<br />
111A Pasteur, D1 Tel: 2220 2388<br />
Fax: 2220 2389<br />
Grand View, Shop SA1-1, SB2-1<br />
Nguyen Duc Canh, D7 Tel: 5412 3292<br />
Fax: 5412 3293<br />
Serves authentic Italian coffee.<br />
Jubarcalypse<br />
35 Dong Khoi, D1 Tel: 3827 7930<br />
Jubarcalypse has an interesting underground<br />
design. Playing jazz music, it’s<br />
the perfect place to re-energize with<br />
a refreshing selection of juices and<br />
snacks.<br />
Loaves and Fishes<br />
5 Street 11, Thao Dien, D2<br />
Tel: 3547 0577<br />
Coffee house on a side street near<br />
Riverside Apartments serves up drinks<br />
and serves the full line of Western-style<br />
baked goods from Harvest Baking.<br />
Mojo<br />
88 Dong Khoi, D1<br />
www.sheratonsaigon.com<br />
A top-end cafe with an attractive interior,<br />
outdoor terrace at street level and<br />
comfortable lounges upstairs. Good<br />
business coffee or lunch venue.<br />
Nirvana<br />
14Bis Nguyen Dinh Chieu, D1<br />
Tel: 3910 0745<br />
Pleasant retro-styled cafe with outdoor<br />
water features and welcome modern<br />
touches like free Wi-Fi. Live music at<br />
night.<br />
Paris Deli<br />
35 Dong Khoi, D1<br />
Saigon Centre, 65 Le Loi, D1<br />
Tel: 3821 6127<br />
Grand View Building, Nguyen Duc<br />
Canh, Phu My Hung, D7 Tel: 412 2179<br />
Petite boulangerie/cafe decked out with<br />
French-style furnishings. Offering tasty<br />
French and international dishes with a<br />
range of lunchtime specials at reasonable<br />
prices.<br />
Une Journee A Paris<br />
234 Le Thanh Ton, D1 Tel: 3827 7723<br />
15B Ngo Quang Huy, An Phu, D2<br />
Tel: 0128 608 9551<br />
A Parisian-style café that serve French<br />
cuisine, coffee and pastries like fondant<br />
chocolat, baba au rhum and tropezienne.<br />
Free Wi-Fi. Open Monday to<br />
Saturday from 7 am to 7 pm.<br />
X Cafe<br />
58 Pasteur, D1 Tel: 3914 2142<br />
212 A2 Nguyen Trai, D1 Tel: 3925<br />
9307<br />
Bright, spacious foreign-run cafe decorated<br />
in the style of an Alpine chalet.<br />
Popular with local makers and shakers,<br />
has a great open-plan upstairs area and<br />
two outdoor terraces. Regular live music<br />
and homemade ice cream. Nguyen Trai<br />
location includes children’s playground.<br />
Catering available.<br />
Zenta<br />
41 Mac Dinh Chi, D3<br />
A large, extravagant, kitsch cafe with<br />
several rooms resembling airport<br />
departure lounges. Customers, though,<br />
tend to gravitate to the more attractive<br />
outdoor terrace with its pond and<br />
waterfall-style water features.<br />
CHINESE<br />
Chop Chop Chinese Delivery<br />
Tel: 3826 9135<br />
SMS: 09 3836 3030<br />
www.chopchopvietnam.com<br />
American-style Chinese delivery service<br />
brings classics like General Tso's<br />
chicken, moo shu pork and beef with<br />
broccoli to your door. Open seven days,<br />
11 am to 10 pm. <br />
Dragon Court<br />
11-13 Lam Son Square, D1<br />
Tel: 3827 2566<br />
Open until 2am, this vast, no-frills eatery<br />
gets packed with hungry locals who<br />
savour generous portions of tasty dim<br />
sum. All the Chinese staples are here.<br />
Expect a good feed for under 100,000<br />
VND per person.<br />
Dynasty Restaurant<br />
New World Hotel, 76 Le Lai, D1<br />
Tel: 3822 8888<br />
Fine Chinese dining in an opulent restaurant<br />
reminiscent of the Middle Kingdom’s<br />
imperial days. Delicacies clock<br />
in at 500,000 VND, but most dishes fall<br />
between 80,000 to 180,000 VND.<br />
Huy Long Vien<br />
99 Nguyen Du, D1 Tel: 3823 7799<br />
www.huylongvien.com<br />
A magnificent Chinese restaurant with<br />
a leafy slate-tiled courtyard, Chinese<br />
lanterns and a labyrinth of water works.<br />
Lunchtime dim sum is 120,000 VND,<br />
while the a la carte menu runs higher<br />
with Chinese specialties such as Peking<br />
duck for 400,000 VND.<br />
Kabin<br />
Renaissance Riverside Hotel, 8-15 Ton<br />
Duc Thang, D1 Tel: 3822 0033<br />
Elegant dining space with beautiful<br />
decor and great views over the river<br />
offers extensive lunch and dinner menus<br />
featuring authentic gourmet Cantonese<br />
and Szechuan dishes and an assortment<br />
of dim sum at lunchtime.<br />
Li Bai<br />
Sheraton Hotel, 88 Dong Khoi, D1<br />
Tel: 3827 2828<br />
Imperial-styled restaurant named after<br />
a famous Chinese poet. Excellent lunch<br />
time dim sum buffet for USD $17.00.<br />
Nightly à la carte menu with dishes going<br />
from 100,000 VND.<br />
Ming Dynasty<br />
23 Nguyen Khac Vien, Phu My Hung<br />
Tel: 5411 5555<br />
Decorated in Ming Dynasty-style; offers<br />
100 dim sum varieties and 300 dishes<br />
prepared by a chef from Hong Kong.<br />
The restaurant’s Imperial Buffet costs<br />
USD $39 per person and includes free<br />
flow of wine.<br />
Ngan Dinh Chinese Restaurant<br />
Windsor Plaza Hotel, 18 An Duong<br />
Vuong, D5 Tel: 3833 6688<br />
Beautiful wood paneling, colourful<br />
hanging lanterns and a sparkling mineral<br />
gallery make for a relaxing dining experience<br />
at the Windsor. Feast on roasted<br />
Pi Pa duck, giant grouper and steamed<br />
king prawns. Be sure to check out<br />
monthly specials.<br />
Ocean Palace<br />
2 Le Duan, D1 Tel: 3911 8822<br />
Both traditional and trendy Chinese<br />
dishes are prepared by chef from Hong<br />
Kong and served in an opulent 280-seat<br />
dining room in this restaurant opposite<br />
the zoo. Intimate private rooms and<br />
larger party rooms available for booking.<br />
Shang Palace Restaurant<br />
Norfolk Mansion, 17-19-21 Ly Tu<br />
Trong, D1 Tel: 3823 2221<br />
www.shangpalace.com.vn<br />
An upscale Chinese restaurant with a<br />
spacious and welcoming atmosphere.<br />
The menu boasts a wide range of Hong<br />
Kong Cantonese cuisine, including both<br />
dim sum, a la carte and set menus,<br />
regularly changed by the creative chefs.<br />
Thao Li Restaurant<br />
Grand View C, Nguyen Duc Canh, Phu<br />
My Hung Tel: 5412 5999<br />
Daily Dim Sum Buffet costs USD $9.90<br />
per person, starting from 11 am. The<br />
daily A La Carte Dinner Buffet costs<br />
$14.90 per person; includes more than<br />
55 dishes.<br />
Truyen Ky<br />
261B Dao Duy Tu, D10<br />
Small homestyle Chinese restaurant<br />
specializing in the salty Hakka cuisine of<br />
70 asialife HCMC asialife HCMC 71
ecipes<br />
Mee Goreng Mamak with<br />
Grilled Scallops<br />
serves 2 | prep time: 10 minutes<br />
Electrolux designers are inspired by your passions.<br />
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4 cloves garlic, crushed<br />
1 onion, sliced<br />
1 packet yellow noodles<br />
2 eggs<br />
8 scallops<br />
2 cups assorted vegetables (choy sam, tomatoes, cabbage)<br />
2 pieces fried tofu, cubed<br />
2 tbs cooking oil<br />
Seasonings: 1 tbs dark soy sauce, 2 tbs light soy sauce, 1 tbs pounded<br />
dried chillies, 2 tbs tomato sauce<br />
ONE<br />
Heat oil in wok and fry onions and garlic. Once fragrant add in<br />
seasonings.<br />
TWO<br />
Throw in noodles, tofu and vegetables. Mix well. Stir in<br />
Electrolux<br />
eggs just before switching Design off the heat.<br />
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THREE<br />
Grill scallops lightly (1 min each side) and toss with noodles.<br />
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Founded in Sweden<br />
Recipes provided by<br />
southeastern China, including tofu and<br />
chilis stuffed with fish paste.<br />
Yu Chu<br />
InterContinental Asiana Saigon, corner<br />
of Hai Ba Trung and Le Duan, D1<br />
Tel: 3520 9099<br />
dine@icasianasaigon.com<br />
Specializing in authentic Cantonese and<br />
Peking cuisine. Award-winning chef<br />
prepares dishes including handmade<br />
noodles, dim sum and wok-fried items.<br />
Wide selection of live seafood. Five<br />
interactive kitchens.<br />
DESSERT PARLOURS<br />
Bo Gia (The Godfather)<br />
29 Ngo Duc Ke, D1<br />
20 Ho Huan Nghiep, D1<br />
299 Nguyen Van Troi, Tan Binh<br />
Does brisk lunchtime trade with its<br />
selection of more than 25 ice cream<br />
favours and Vietnamese noodle and<br />
rice dishes.<br />
Ciao Cafe<br />
40 Ngo Duc Ke, D1<br />
With a number of branches downtown<br />
(21 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai and 26 Tran<br />
Cao Van, among others), this popular<br />
cafe offers a mixture of food, drinks<br />
and books. Boasts about 20 ice cream<br />
specials and serves crepes, sodas and<br />
shakes.<br />
Fanny Ice Cream<br />
29-31 Ton That Thiep, D1<br />
Tel: 3821 1633<br />
Vincom Center, 70/72 Le Thanh Ton,<br />
D1<br />
www.fanny.com.vn<br />
Tranquil open-terraced heaven for icecream<br />
lovers. Menu contains fresh fruit,<br />
ice cream, sherbets and sorbets (coconut,<br />
caramel and Bailey’s ice-cream and<br />
mango sorbet are standouts). All you<br />
can eat first Friday of the month. <br />
Ministry of Food<br />
30 Le Loi, D1 Tel: 3827 7898<br />
Vincom Center, 70/72 Le Thanh Ton,<br />
D1<br />
Two-floor dessert house specializing in<br />
Italian and Japanese treats serving a<br />
wide array of ice cream flavours using<br />
milk from Japan’s dairy capital. Also<br />
serves sandwiches and bento boxes.<br />
New Zealand Natural<br />
3rd Floor, Parkson Department Store<br />
39-45 Le Thanh Ton, D1<br />
4th Floor, Diamond Plaza, 34 Le Duan<br />
1st Floor, Saigon Superbowl, 843<br />
Truong Son, Tan Binh<br />
www.newzealandnatural.com<br />
Serves flavours ranging from chocolate<br />
ecstasy, fruits of the forest and boysenberry<br />
dream by the scoop.<br />
Yogen Fruz<br />
118 Pasteur, D1<br />
106 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, D1<br />
Vincom Center, 70/72 Le Thanh Ton,<br />
D1<br />
Panorama Apartments, Ton Dat Tien,<br />
Phu My Hung, D7<br />
www.yogenfruz.com<br />
Frozen yoghurt parlour is decked in<br />
mod-meets-IKEA decor and serves<br />
no-fat, and low-fat fro-yo blended with<br />
fresh fruits, as well as soft serve and<br />
smoothies.<br />
FRENCH<br />
Annamite French Restaurant<br />
21 Tu Xuong, Ward 7 D3<br />
Tel: 6277 8332<br />
annamite-restaurant.com<br />
The new VN restaurant area of D3<br />
opens a classic French dinning option,<br />
led by ex Caprice chef. Snug atmosphere<br />
with a classic touch . French<br />
favourites such as escargot in garlic<br />
butter, Pan fried goose froie gras, duck<br />
in port wine, poached river sole with saffron<br />
sauce and classic flambé crepes.<br />
Au Manoir de Khai<br />
251 Dien Bien Phu, Q3 Tel: 3930 3394<br />
This top-end contemporary French<br />
restaurant is set in a picturesque colonial<br />
villa with a lush courtyard and a lavish<br />
interior. Full of private rooms and opulent<br />
lounge areas, this unique eatery is the<br />
brainchild of Vietnamese fashion guru<br />
Hoang Khai of Khai Silk fame. Offers up<br />
dishes such as lobster consomme, panfried<br />
duck liver, salmon medallions with<br />
Moet and escalope de foie gras.<br />
Jardin Delice<br />
4 Thao Dien, D2 Tel: 3744 4722<br />
Located in a beautiful French villa with a<br />
swimming pool and spa open to diners,<br />
Jardin Delice specializes in high-end<br />
French cuisine. Hip setting provides a<br />
mish-mash of colourful glass plates,<br />
chairs and massive paintings.<br />
La Bordeaux<br />
F7-F8, D2 Road, P25, Binh Thanh<br />
Tel: 3899 9831<br />
www.restaurant-lebordeaux.com.vn<br />
French fine dining in an elegant, intimate<br />
loft space with dark wood and linendraped<br />
tables. Expect simple, classic<br />
dishes prepared to perfection. Rotating<br />
seasonal menu.<br />
La Brasserie<br />
61 Hung Gia 2, Phu My Hung, D7<br />
Tel: 5410 4317<br />
www.labrasserie-hcmc.com<br />
Contemporary French restaurant and<br />
wine bar with outdoor seating and<br />
wine cellar stocked with more than 650<br />
wines. Features classic French fare like<br />
sliced raw beef Carpaccio with Parmesan<br />
cheese and grilled beef fillet served<br />
with French fries and vegetable gratin.<br />
La Camargue<br />
191 Hai Ba Trung, D3 Tel: 3520 4888<br />
Boasts a reputation for excellence in fine<br />
dining for more than 10 years. Modern<br />
French and Italian cuisine is served in<br />
a colonial-style alfresco dining space.<br />
An extensive wine list allows diners to<br />
choose the perfect pairing.<br />
La Fourchette<br />
9 Ngo Duc Ke, D1 Tel: 3829 8143<br />
Rustic downtown restaurant, with a<br />
good longstanding reputation for serving<br />
good traditional French fare at reasonable<br />
prices. Open 12 am to 2 pm and<br />
from 7 pm to 10 pm.<br />
La Nicoise<br />
42 Ngo Duc Ke, D1 Tel: 3822 8613<br />
Small French-style bistro, with pretty<br />
mosaic tiled bar and tables. Offers<br />
a good range of teas, coffees and<br />
espresso-based drinks. Lunch menu<br />
changes daily, but always encompasses<br />
traditional French food. Open until 10<br />
pm.<br />
Le Jardin<br />
31 Thai Van Lung, D1 Tel: 3825 8465<br />
This delightful restaurant in a picturesque<br />
garden setting is open for lunch<br />
and dinner and serves excellent French<br />
food at reasonable prices. Main courses<br />
cost about 60,000 VND and a carafe of<br />
house wine costs 50,000 VND.<br />
L’en Tête<br />
139 Nguyen Thai Binh, D1<br />
Tel: 3821 4049, 0903 188 091<br />
This stylish bistro and gallery serves<br />
up a<br />
large selection of French fare representing<br />
an excellent selection of classic<br />
French fish and meat dishes, as well<br />
as international cuisine. Live music on<br />
Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays<br />
starting at 8 pm.<br />
Olivier Restaurant<br />
Level 2, Sofitel Saigon Plaza,<br />
17 Le Duan, D1 Tel: 3824 1555<br />
Imaginative French cuisine cooked up<br />
in a blend of classic and contemporary.<br />
Executive Chef Martin Becquart<br />
prepares a solid but creative selection of<br />
French favourites with an extensive range<br />
of fish and meat dishes.<br />
Sesame<br />
153 Xo Viet Nghe Tinh, Binh Thanh<br />
Tel: 0989 765 472<br />
A self-styled hospitality school for disadvantaged<br />
children, Sesame gives practical<br />
experience to its students through its<br />
operational restaurant. Serving a mixture<br />
of French and Vietnamese cuisine.<br />
Ty Coz<br />
178/4 Pasteur, D1 Tel: 3822 2457<br />
Homely and attractive venue specializes<br />
in classic French cuisine. Does excellent<br />
three-course business set meals for and<br />
sells carefully selected seafood.<br />
INDIAN<br />
Ashoka<br />
17/10 Le Thanh Ton, D1 Tel: 3823 1372<br />
33 Tong Huu Dinh, D2 Tel: 744 4144<br />
S9-1 lo R13 - KP Hung Vuong 2, D7<br />
Tel: 5410 1989<br />
Ashoka is one of the city’s most popular<br />
and enduring Indian restaurants with a<br />
reputation for good food and service at a<br />
reasonable price.<br />
Ganesh<br />
15 - B4 Le Thanh Ton, D1<br />
Tel: 3822 3017<br />
Casual dining with takeaway available,<br />
Ganesh serves up both North and South<br />
Indian culinary traditions. Very reasonably<br />
priced, with vegetarian curries from<br />
40,000 VND and chicken dishes from<br />
64,000 VND. <br />
Mumtaz<br />
226 Bui Vien, D1 Tel: 3837 1767<br />
Reasonably priced north and south<br />
Indian fare in a clean, light and spacious<br />
setting. Vegetarian curries go for around<br />
30,000 VND while meat dishes cost<br />
between 45,000 VND and 55,000 VND<br />
each. Excellent kebabs. <br />
Saigon Indian<br />
73 Mac Thi Buoi, D1 Tel: 3824 5671<br />
Popular venue with an enormous menu.<br />
Serves both southern and northern<br />
Indian dishes like tandoori, biryani, dosa<br />
and idly snacks, plus a wide range of<br />
vegetarian dishes. Offers a set lunch<br />
menu. Cater service is available. <br />
Tandoor<br />
74/6 Hai Ba Trung, D1 Tel: 3930 4839<br />
www.tandoorvietnam.com<br />
Part of a chain of restaurants covering<br />
Hanoi and Saigon, Tandoor features a<br />
large selection of standard northern Indian<br />
dishes, including a good vegetarian<br />
selection. Excellent cheap set lunches<br />
and reasonable prices all around. Will<br />
organize catering for events. <br />
INTERNATIONAL<br />
Al Fresco’s<br />
21 Mac Dinh Chi D1 Tel: 3823 8427<br />
27 Dong Du, D1 Tel: 3822 7317<br />
D1-23 My Toan 3, D7 Tel: 5410 1093<br />
400 Nguyen Trai, D5 Tel: 3838 3840<br />
www.alfrescosgroup.com<br />
Theme restaurant boasting a range of<br />
Tex-Mex, Italian and Australian-style<br />
BBQ dishes. Huge portions and tasty<br />
Australian ribs coupled with a good<br />
atmosphere and helpful staff. Good<br />
lunch menu. <br />
Amigo Grill<br />
55 Nguyen Hue, D1 Tel: 3829 0437<br />
Outstanding steaks made with Australian,<br />
U.S. and Argentine beef, served<br />
in a cosy, family-friendly environment<br />
with large tables and banquette seating.<br />
Dishes like leg of lamb and seafood<br />
are also on the menu. Open 11 am to<br />
11 pm.<br />
Au Lac Do Brazil<br />
238 Pasteur, D3 Tel: 3820 7157<br />
36/19-21 Pham Van Nghi-Bac, D7<br />
Tel: 5410 5566<br />
www.aulacdobrazil.com<br />
A Brazilian barbecue restaurant that<br />
takes meat seriously. The mixed grills<br />
and rodizio are fantastic and served<br />
in generous portions. No meat-eater<br />
should miss the churrasco: 12 cuts of<br />
meat carved at your table, plus unlimited<br />
salad.<br />
Au Parc<br />
23 Han Thuyen, D1 Tel: 3829 2772<br />
Lavishly decorated brasserie borrowing<br />
from Moroccan and French styles and<br />
popular during lunchtime with expats.<br />
Specializes in Middle Eastern and North<br />
African food. The salad menu is a favourite,<br />
and a great range of lush smoothies<br />
and juices are on offer. <br />
Black Cat<br />
13 Phan Van Dat, D1 Tel: 3829 2055<br />
628 An Binh, An Phu, D2<br />
Tel: 3898 9837<br />
Tiny but popular District 1 restaurant<br />
serving up an excellent selection of<br />
Western and Vietnamese fare and an<br />
extensive range of sandwiches and burgers.<br />
The District 2 location also features<br />
a slate of sushi and Mexican food, and<br />
the District 7 outpost has a full barbecue<br />
menu. <br />
BoatHouse<br />
40 Lily Road, APSC Compound,<br />
36 Thao Dien, D2 Tel: 3744 6790<br />
Riverside restaurant with umbrella-shaded<br />
tables spread across outdoor deck<br />
and small indoor dining room. Serves<br />
remarkably fresh and inspired dishes<br />
made with choice local and imported<br />
ingredients—favourites include the sirloin<br />
burger and pan-fried fish and chips.<br />
BoatHouse Cafe<br />
37 Thao Dien, D2 Tel: 6281 9182<br />
BoatHouse’s sister eatery for take-away<br />
and delivery service. Offers coffee,<br />
breakfast sandwiches, juices, smoothies,<br />
pre-packaged salads, sandwiches, burgers<br />
and fish and chips. <br />
Byblos Restaurant & Shisha Lounge<br />
11 Ngo Duc Khe, D1 Tel: 3825 7781<br />
www.byblos.com.vn<br />
Downtown restaurant serves a menu<br />
of Lebanese starters, salads and mains<br />
served in a casual dining room. Catering<br />
available. Events and weekly belly dance<br />
show hosted. <br />
Cafe Evita<br />
230 Nguyen Van Huong, An Phu, D2<br />
Tel: 3512 3888<br />
Academic-themed menu at this outlet<br />
near the British International School<br />
includes meals like The Principal, a<br />
triple-decker club with fries and salad<br />
and burgers that range from First to<br />
Fourth Grade. Also has a wood-fired<br />
pizza oven. <br />
Casablanca<br />
58/9 Thanh Thai, D10<br />
Tel: 3862 8859<br />
Moroccan cuisine from merguez to<br />
pastilla served in an intimate, attractive<br />
dining room. Owner/chef trained at<br />
Morocco's finest hotels and caters<br />
to guests' every need. Reservations<br />
required.<br />
Cepage<br />
Lancaster Building 22 Le Thanh Ton,<br />
D1 Tel: 3823 8321, 3823 8733<br />
www.cepage.biz<br />
One of the city’s premier venues, Cepage<br />
delivers an up-market bar, wine lounge<br />
and restaurant in one sleek package.<br />
Sells several wines by the glass with<br />
several hundred bottles to choose from.<br />
Mixes some of the city’s best cocktails.<br />
Best in Italian Cuisine.<br />
Extensive Wine Collection.<br />
79 Hai Ba Trung D1<br />
Tel: 08-382 38998<br />
www.pomodoro-vietnam.com<br />
72 asialife HCMC asialife HCMC 73
Cham Charm<br />
3 Phan Van Chuong, Phu My Hung<br />
Tel: 5410 9999<br />
The highlight of this upscale, beautifully<br />
decorated Asian restaurant is a special<br />
seafood buffet that includes Portuguese<br />
oysters, Alaskan crab, lobsters, sushi,<br />
sashimi, Japanese-style seafood, Langoustine<br />
prawns, American Angus beef<br />
and much more. Errazuriz wines are also<br />
included in the buffet. Part of the Khai<br />
Silk chain.<br />
The Deck<br />
38 Nguyen U Di, D2 Tel: 3744 6632<br />
Serves upmarket takes on regional<br />
specialties made with fresh local and<br />
imported products. Well-designed,<br />
minimalist dining space and bar on the<br />
river are a serious draw.<br />
The Elbow Room<br />
52 Pasteur, D1 Tel: 3821 4327<br />
elbowroom52@yahoo.com<br />
American-style bistro offering a wide<br />
range of appetisers, soups, salads,<br />
sandwiches, mains and desserts, plus<br />
an extensive wine menu. Open daily<br />
7.30 am to 11 pm. Breakfast served<br />
all day.<br />
Gartenstadt<br />
34 Dong Khoi, D1 Tel: 3822 3623<br />
Opened in 1992, it’s the first venue in<br />
town to offer German food with specialities<br />
such as pork knuckle and authentic<br />
German sausages prepared fresh each<br />
day. Also offers imported German<br />
draught beer.<br />
Gia Dining Room<br />
5A Nguyen Sieu, D1 Tel: 3827 9399<br />
www.giadiningroom.com<br />
Serves a mid-range slate of mainly<br />
grilled Western mains, single-entree<br />
Asian dishes and wide range of soups,<br />
salads, appetisers. Three intimate<br />
dining spaces pair modern design with<br />
Indochina-era sophistication. Extensive<br />
list of Old and New World wines.<br />
Good Eats<br />
NTFQ2, 34 Nguyen Dang Giai<br />
Thao Dien, D2 Tel: 3744 6672<br />
Easteran and Western dishes are low in<br />
saturated fat and made from all-natural<br />
ingredients. Organic vegetables, herbs<br />
and spices accompany meals. Even the<br />
French fries are healthy. <br />
Halal@Saigon<br />
31 Dong Du, D1 Tel: 3824 5823<br />
www.halalsaigon.com<br />
Serving up a range of Vietnamese and<br />
Malaysian dishes prepared according to<br />
halal guidelines including ban xeo, pho<br />
and roti chennai and seafood favourites<br />
such as shrimp, squid and mussels.<br />
Hard Rock Cafe<br />
InterContinental Asiana Saigon, corner<br />
of Hai Ba Trung and Le Duan, D1<br />
Tel: 3520 9099<br />
www.hardrockcafe.vn<br />
Popular theme restaurant/live music<br />
venue serves large portions of pub fare<br />
including salads, fajitas and burgers.<br />
Rock ‘n’ roll memorabilia adorns the<br />
walls in classic Hard Rock-style and the<br />
rock shop sells themed shot glasses,<br />
T-shirts and jewellery. <br />
Hideaway Cafe<br />
41/1 Pham Ngoc Thach, D3<br />
Tel: 3822 4222<br />
www.hideawaycafe-saigon.com<br />
Stylishly decorated and relaxing restaurant<br />
and cafe serving an eclectic range<br />
of tasty European-style food. Dine al<br />
fresco in the charming courtyard. <br />
Jaspa’s<br />
33 Dong Khoi, D1 Tel: 3822 9926<br />
www.alfrescosgroup.com<br />
Unpretentious brasserie-style restaurant<br />
specializes in Australian-influenced<br />
international fusion cuisine. Full range of<br />
drinks including Australian and French<br />
wines and good cocktails. Hosts monthly<br />
Spam Cham networking event. <br />
Juice<br />
49 Mac Thi Buoi, D1 Tel: 3829 6900<br />
Bright and stylish deli-style restaurant<br />
serving salads, sandwiches, quiches<br />
and meat pies with French fries and<br />
potato salad. Also has daily lunch and<br />
dinner menu. Excellent smoothies and<br />
juices, as well as novelty drinks like<br />
wheatgrass shooter and Cannonball<br />
cocktail. <br />
Kita Coffee House<br />
39 Nguyen Hue, D1, Tel: 3821 5300<br />
Four-level restaurant serving a wide<br />
menu of mains, pastas, salads, sandwiches,<br />
soups and appetizers for lunch<br />
and dinner, as well as a variety of coffee<br />
and fresh fruit juices. Includes a bright<br />
ground floor cafe, sophisticated Old<br />
World second floor bar and rooftop dining.<br />
Also in Vincom Center. <br />
Market 39<br />
InterContinental Asiana Saigon<br />
Ground Floor, Corner Hai Ba Trung and<br />
Le Duan, D1 Tel: 3520 9099<br />
dine@icasianasaigon.com<br />
Seven interactive live kitchens offering<br />
French, Vietnamese and Southeast<br />
Asian cuisines, including a bakery,<br />
French patisseries, pancakes, tossed<br />
salads, grilled steak, seafood, wok-fried<br />
items, noodles and pasta dishes.<br />
Mekong Merchant<br />
23 Thao Dien, D2 Tel: 3744 4713<br />
Set in a courtyard, this rustic Australianstyle<br />
brasserie has brought modern<br />
international cuisine to suburban An<br />
Phu. Popular for weekend brunches.<br />
Weekly specials and seafood flown in<br />
from Phu Quoc. <br />
New York Dessert Cafe (nydc)<br />
Restaurant and Cafe<br />
NOWZONE 235 Nguyen Van Cu, D1<br />
Metropolitan 235 Dong Khoi, D1<br />
Parkson Flemington 184 Le Dai Hanh,<br />
D11<br />
Vincom Center, 70/72 Le Thanh Ton,<br />
D1<br />
The Crescent. Phu My Hung, 107 Ton<br />
Dat Tien, D7<br />
New York themed menu offering a wide<br />
selection of Western dishes and desserts,<br />
including a variety of cheesecakes.<br />
New York Steakhouse & Winery<br />
25-27 Nguyen Dinh Chieu, D1<br />
Tel: 3823 7373<br />
New-york@steakhouse.com.vn<br />
www.steakhouse.com.vn<br />
Chic dining venue designed in a classic<br />
New York City Art Deco. Open every<br />
day until late. Specializes in certified<br />
U.S. Black Angus steak, and features<br />
a fully stocked wine cellar. Guests are<br />
invited to bring their own wine on BYOB<br />
Mondays.<br />
Orientica<br />
Hotel Equatorial, 242 Tran Binh Trong,<br />
D5 Tel: 3839 7777<br />
www.equatorial.com/hcm<br />
Top-end seafood and grill restaurant<br />
boasting modern decor. Good service<br />
and excellent food presentation make<br />
this a pleasant alternative to the downtown<br />
scene.<br />
Pacharan Tapas and Bodega<br />
97 Hai Ba Trung, D1 Tel: 3825 6024<br />
This tapas restaurant and bar serves<br />
up superb Spanish fare crafted from<br />
authentic imported ingredients. The<br />
exclusively Spanish wine list is extensive<br />
and Sangria is half price during happy<br />
hour from 5 pm to 7 pm and all day<br />
Wednesday.<br />
Pinocchio Restaurant<br />
Vincom Center, 70/72 Le Thanh Ton,<br />
D1<br />
Com Tam<br />
street gourmet<br />
Broken rice (com tam) is one<br />
of the most popular dishes in<br />
Southern Vietnam, especially<br />
in HCM City. As its name<br />
suggests, broken rice is<br />
made of rice that is broken.<br />
Traditionally it is a breakfast<br />
dish, but now many<br />
Vietnamese enjoy it for both<br />
lunch and dinner.<br />
Com tam needs sweet<br />
fish sauce (nuoc mam ngot).<br />
It really makes the dish.<br />
However, other accompaniments—grilled<br />
pork chop,<br />
Doner Kebab, Shish Kebab, Homemade<br />
Kofte, Homemade Turkish Pide & Pizza’s<br />
omelet, shredded pork<br />
and skin (bi) and Chinese<br />
sausage—are entirely up to<br />
the diner. Com tam appears<br />
everywhere from roadside<br />
inns to luxurious restaurants<br />
and an average plate goes<br />
for 20,000 VND. The price<br />
depends on how much rice<br />
you want and what delicacies<br />
it is topped with. Com<br />
tam is a uniquely Vietnamese<br />
dish and one that you can’t<br />
leave HCM City without trying.<br />
Stephy Thai<br />
Tel: 3993 9199<br />
Email: info@pinocchio.vn<br />
A quiet place in the Vincom Center<br />
to indulge in pizza, pasta, salad and<br />
international and Vietnamese mains for a<br />
reasonable price.<br />
The Refinery<br />
74/7C Hai Ba Trung, D1 Tel: 3823 0509<br />
Authentic bistro with cane furniture outside,<br />
informal indoor restaurant section<br />
and a bar area. Cuisine is light, modern<br />
European. The menu spans a price<br />
range to suit most budgets.<br />
Reflections<br />
Caravelle Hotel, 19 Lam Son Square,<br />
D1 Tel: 3823 4999<br />
Contemporary fine dining that combines<br />
Asian flavors with classic Mediterranean<br />
cuisine in an ambiance of understated<br />
elegance and European style. Special<br />
culinary events include guest chefs from<br />
Michelin-star establishments around the<br />
world. Private rooms are available.<br />
Riverside Cafe<br />
Renaissance Riverside, 8-15 Ton Duc<br />
Thang, D1 Tel: 3822 0033<br />
International venue opening onto the<br />
bustling river sidewalk, open for breakfast,<br />
lunch and dinner, and particularly<br />
noted for its sumptuous buffet selection<br />
which combines Asian, Western and<br />
Vietnamese cuisine.<br />
Sandals<br />
93 Hai Ba Trung, D1<br />
www.sailingclubvietnam.com<br />
Casual dining in evocative 3-floor space<br />
with blonde wood accents and cosy<br />
seating throughout. Kitchen turns out<br />
elegant and inspired fare at surprising<br />
value for money: meal-sized salads; filling<br />
burgers, wraps and sandwiches.<br />
Signature Restaurant<br />
Level 23, Sheraton Hotel, 88 Dong<br />
SHISHA BAR & TURKISH FUSION CUISINE<br />
call 0907129430 / 08 629 136 77<br />
25 Dong Du, D1, HCMC<br />
WWW.PASHA.COM.VN<br />
Khoi, D1 Tel: 3827 2828<br />
Fine dining with panoramic views over<br />
central HCM City. Food is stunningly<br />
presented, top-end European cuisine<br />
with Asian influences cooked by German<br />
chef Andreas Schimanski. A la carte or<br />
five-course set menu available.<br />
Skewers<br />
9A Thai Van Lung, D1 Tel: 3822 4798<br />
www.skewers-restaurant.com<br />
Rustic Mediterranean restaurant where<br />
subtle colours and exposed brickwork<br />
combine with jazzy tunes. Serves tabouleh,<br />
falafel, couscous and kebab. Highly<br />
rated for its grilled meats, bread and dip<br />
combos, soups and pastas. <br />
Square One<br />
Park Hyatt Saigon, 2 Lam Son Square,<br />
D1 Tel: 3520 2359<br />
Specializing in high-end Western and<br />
Vietnamese cuisine, Square One serves<br />
charcoal-grilled meats and seafood,<br />
as well as steamed and wok-cooked<br />
Vietnamese fare.<br />
Texas BarBQ<br />
15/1 Le Thanh Ton, D1<br />
The flavour and feel of the Wild Wild<br />
West is evoked by both the food and<br />
décor at this perennially popular eatery.<br />
Quarter rack ribs are a mainstay. . <br />
VillaFB<br />
79 Suong Nguyet Anh, D1<br />
Tel: 3823 3822<br />
www.villafb.com<br />
Refurbished villa with a spacious designled<br />
indoor dining room and an elegant<br />
enclosed courtyard. Serves bun noodle<br />
dishes for breakfast and lunch before<br />
switching to a menu of Eastern and<br />
Western fine dining for dinner.<br />
Warda<br />
71/7 Mac Thi Buoi, D1 Tel: 3823 3822<br />
Chic, middle-eastern themed eatery<br />
Our Ingredients Are Imported<br />
74 asialife HCMC asialife HCMC 75
swathed in oranges and reds serving<br />
Lebanese cuisine prepared by Damascan<br />
chef, Nouman. Mezze and tapas are<br />
the main draw, but you can also puff on<br />
hookas post-meal.<br />
Xu Saigon<br />
71-75 Hai Ba Trung, D1 Tel: 3824 8468<br />
www.xusaigon.com<br />
Inspired restaurant with an F&B director<br />
with a passion for mixing Vietnamese<br />
cooking with flavours and styles from<br />
around the world. Sleek but sparsely<br />
designed, the restaurant serves nouveau<br />
takes on Vietnamese cuisine.<br />
ITALIAN<br />
Basilico<br />
InterContinental Asiana Saigon,<br />
Ground Floor, Corner Nguyen Du and<br />
Hai Ba Trung, D1 Tel: 3520 9099<br />
dine@icasianasaigon.com<br />
Contemporary and casual trattoria-style<br />
restaurant specializing in authentic Italian<br />
dishes and homemade desserts. Woodfired<br />
pizza oven and a wide selection of<br />
Italian wines.<br />
Centro Caffe & Ristorante<br />
11-13 Lam Son Square, D1<br />
31 Ngo Duc Ke, D1<br />
6 Thai Van Lung, D1<br />
This is home of Illy coffee in Vietnam.<br />
Offers modern and traditional Italian<br />
cuisine in three central locations with<br />
lunchtime set menus and regular wine<br />
tasting evenings. Good spot for business<br />
coffee meetings.<br />
Da Vinci’s Pizza<br />
001B Hoang Dieu, H1, D4<br />
Tel: 3943 4982<br />
Wide variety of brick oven pizza, calzones,<br />
spaghetti, subs and sandwiches.<br />
Pizzas come in medium and large sizes<br />
and pay homage to Italy with names like<br />
Verrochio, Pompeii and Assisi. <br />
Good Morning Vietnam<br />
197 De Tham, D1 Tel: 3837 1894<br />
Popular authentic Italian restaurant with<br />
additional outlets around the country.<br />
Specializes in thin-crust pizza, pasta and<br />
a range of Italian dishes. Good selection<br />
of Italian wines. <br />
La Hostaria<br />
17B Le Thanh Ton, D1 Tel: 3823 1080<br />
Rustic eatery specializing in top-end<br />
traditional cuisine from various regions<br />
in Italy. Main courses from 130,000 VND<br />
with daily specials on offer. Serves excellent<br />
pizza. <br />
freshest and finest ingredients around to<br />
produce some superb dishes.<br />
Pendalasco<br />
87 Nguyen Hue, D1, Tel: 3821 8181<br />
One of the city’s oldest Western restaurants,<br />
Pendalaso serves a wide range if<br />
Italian favourites, as well as remarkably<br />
authentic crispy, thin-crust pizza. <br />
Pepperoni’s<br />
111 Bui Vien, D1 Tel: 3920 4989<br />
Attractive pizza and pasta restaurant<br />
from the same chain as Al Fresco’s.<br />
Good cheap buffet lunches on weekdays<br />
and all-round large and tasty<br />
portions. <br />
Sarpino’s<br />
125 Ho Tung Mau, D1 Tel: 3821 7788<br />
Tasty American-style pan pizza in a<br />
pleasant and fresh Italian-themed<br />
environment. Four sizes available, from<br />
personal to extra large, with a large<br />
range of toppings. Also serves pasta,<br />
soups, wings and salads. <br />
Scoozi<br />
6 Thai Van Lung, D1 Tel: 3823 5795<br />
Italian pizza restaurant affiliated with<br />
Centro Caffe serving tasty gourmet pizzas<br />
prepared in a wood-fired oven. The<br />
delicious creations restore one’s faith in<br />
HCM City’s ability to turn out a quality<br />
pie. <br />
JAPANESE<br />
Dragon Hot Pot<br />
122-124 Ho Tung Mao, D1<br />
Tel: 3915 1001<br />
info@dragonhotpot.vn<br />
Japanese hot pot restaurant serving<br />
motsu nabe, Japanese barbeque and<br />
lots of sake and shoju.<br />
K Cafe<br />
74 A4 Hai Ba Trung, D1 Tel: 3824 5355<br />
Small, cosy and cheery, this café is<br />
noteworthy for its cracking hand rolls.<br />
Salmon skin rolls are also a treat. The<br />
assorted sushi and sashimi, tasty and<br />
beautifully presented, costs around USD<br />
$8. Leave some room for homemade<br />
yoghurt.<br />
Kuru Kuru Sushi<br />
129 Nguyen Du, D1 Tel: 3824 3566<br />
Sushi restaurant with colour-coded<br />
menu and items served from a rotating<br />
conveyor belt. Helpful place mats in<br />
both English and Vietnamese break<br />
down prices and explain how to choose<br />
your food. Very affordable prices.<br />
dining menu along with a wonderful<br />
selection of sweets and offers possibly<br />
the most divine and delectable gelato in<br />
HCM City.<br />
Nishimura<br />
Mövenpick Hotel Saigon, 253 Nguyen<br />
Van Troi, Phu Nhuan Tel: 3844 9222<br />
Exquisitely prepared sushi and sashimi<br />
from a globetrotting chef with three<br />
decades’ experience. A wide range of<br />
cooked dishes and monthly meal promotions<br />
are also available. Set lunches cost<br />
about USD $15.<br />
Okinawa Yamaneko<br />
13/1 Le Thanh Ton, D1 Tel: 3823 8433<br />
www.yamaneko-vn.com<br />
Part restaurant, part Japanese pub serving<br />
up a variety of Okinawa favourites like<br />
sashimi with sea grapes, namakari and<br />
goya champuru plus sushi and soba.<br />
Sakae Sushi<br />
Nowzone @ Royal Centre, Level 4<br />
235 Nguyen Van Cu, D1 Tel: 3504<br />
0054<br />
Healthy, affordable and quick service<br />
kaiten (conveyor belt) sushi makes for a<br />
fun dining experience. Extensive menu<br />
also includes beef, chicken and vegetarian<br />
options.<br />
The Sushi Bar<br />
2 Le Thanh Ton, D1 Tel: 3823 8042<br />
3A Ton Duc Thang, D1 Tel: 3911 8618<br />
This brightly lit Japanese-style restaurant<br />
serves over 40 varieties of sushi at<br />
reasonable prices. Sit at the sushi bar<br />
or in private rooms upstairs. Open until<br />
11.30 pm, delivery available on request.<br />
Popular with expats and locals alike. <br />
Zen<br />
20 Le Thanh Ton, D1 Tel: 3825 0782<br />
Located amid the sea of Japanese<br />
restaurants on Le Thanh Ton Street, Zen<br />
offers a wide range of Japanese dishes.<br />
The yakitori station grills up fantastic<br />
steak and quail’s eggs, and the chilled<br />
udon noodles are also a standout.<br />
KOREAN<br />
25 Si<br />
8A/6D Thai Van Lung, D1<br />
Tel: 3824 6921<br />
Traditional Yasik-style drinking restaurant.<br />
Winter and summer scene murals fill<br />
the walls of this dual level eatery. Large<br />
menu with favs like budae jjigae, a mix<br />
of chilli paste, Spam, hot dog and tofu,<br />
as well as super spicy duruchigi.<br />
Hana<br />
8 Cao Ba Quat, D1 Tel: 3829 5588<br />
Japanese-Korean fusion in the heart<br />
of District 1. Contemporary decor with<br />
a private, yet open feel. Broad menu<br />
including cooked and raw fish and<br />
traditional hot pot with fish eggs, rice<br />
and vegetables.<br />
Kim Bab Chun Gook<br />
R4 42 Hung Phuoc 2, Phu My Hung<br />
Tel: 6296 9057<br />
Korean boonshik/snack food eatery<br />
serving up a wide variety of light but<br />
substantial foods including dumplings,<br />
rameyon and fish cakes.<br />
Kumdo<br />
6A Pham Ngoc Thach, D3<br />
Tel: 3824 3253<br />
Korean beef barbecue served in small,<br />
welcoming dining rooms with barbecues<br />
built into tables. Large selection of raw<br />
meat specialties.<br />
SOUTHEAST ASIAN<br />
Lac Thai<br />
71/2 Mac Thi Buoi, D1 Tel: 3823 7506<br />
An elegant restaurant tucked in an<br />
alleyway and decorated with art-deco<br />
furniture. Authentic Thai cuisine prepared<br />
by two Thai chefs. Food is tasty but less<br />
spicy than you’d find in Thailand. <br />
Little Manila<br />
S2-1 Hung Vuong 2, Phu My Hung, D7<br />
Tel: 5410 0812<br />
Small, no -frills eatery with outdoor<br />
and indoor seating located on a quiet<br />
street. Serves a range of dishes from the<br />
Philippines (pictured on menu for those<br />
unfamiliar) and draught San Miguel.<br />
The Red Dot<br />
21 Tu Xuong, D3 Tel: 3932 5123<br />
Aptly titled, this Singaporean restaurant<br />
serves decent chicken rice, char kway<br />
teow, chili crab, and a handful of Malaysian<br />
specialties. <br />
Sawasdee Saigon<br />
102 - 104 Le Lai, D1 Tel: 3925 7777<br />
Authentic Thai cuisine in a warm, friendly<br />
atmosphere. <br />
Satay House<br />
35 Mac Dinh Chi, D1 Tel: 3822 1727<br />
Bright and rustic, this Malaysian-run<br />
place specializes in Halal food. Chicken<br />
and asam fish curries are must-tries. Its<br />
famous satays are equally delicious. <br />
Thai Express<br />
8A Le Thanh Ton, D1 Tel: 6299 1338<br />
www.thaiexpress.com.vn<br />
Modern restaurant with a massive menu<br />
of Thai specialties served in moderate<br />
proportions. The menu inludes chef’s<br />
recommendations and background on<br />
Thai cuisine. Warning: some dishes will<br />
test your tongue’s threshold.<br />
VEGETARIAN<br />
An Lac Chay<br />
175/4 Pham Ngu Lao, D1<br />
Tel: 3837 0760<br />
Apropos of the backpacker district, this<br />
little restaurant offers no frills and a vast<br />
menu. Though meat dishes are available,<br />
it specializes in vegetarian Vietnamese<br />
and quirky “backpacker favourites.” <br />
Hoa Dang<br />
38 Huynh Khuong Ninh, D1<br />
Swish vegetarian restaurant on a quiet<br />
street that serves up nutritious dishes,<br />
including meatless versions of bun bo,<br />
pho and steamboat. Cosy bar serving<br />
non-alcoholic drinks, fruits and other<br />
sweets.<br />
Saigon Vegan<br />
378/3 Vo Van Tan, D3 Tel: 3834 4473<br />
Rustic vegan restaurant with extensive<br />
menu of healthy food at moderate<br />
prices. Lots of tofu dishes and soya<br />
chicken/beef, soups, banh bao and<br />
more. Also has a kids menu.<br />
Tib Chay<br />
11 Tran Nhat Duat, D1 Tel: 3843 6460<br />
Intimate spot with a big menu of Vietnamese<br />
vegetarian appetisers, salads,<br />
soups, rice/noodle mains and desserts<br />
Viet Chay<br />
339 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, D3<br />
Tel: 3526 5862<br />
Upscale vegetarian restaurant specializes<br />
in fake meat dishes. The attractive<br />
dining room is suffused with natural light.<br />
Located within the walls of Vinh Nghiem<br />
Pagoda.<br />
VIETNAMESE<br />
Cha Ca La Vong<br />
3 Ho Xuan Hung, D3 Tel: 3930 5674<br />
36 Ton That Thiep, D1 Tel: 3915 3343<br />
Two HCM City ouposts of the legendary<br />
Hanoi original serve only one dish: the<br />
eponymous and delicious cha ca la<br />
vong, fish pan-fried at the table with<br />
turmeric and dill and served with cold<br />
noodles and peanuts.<br />
Opera<br />
Ground floor Park Hyatt Hotel, 2 Lam<br />
Son Square, D1 Tel: 3824 1234<br />
Slick, contemporary eatery with exposed<br />
brick and glass. The space revolves<br />
around an island kitchen from which<br />
chefs produce gourmet Italian fare. Internationally<br />
trained chefs work with the<br />
MOF – Japanese Sweets & Coffee<br />
Level B3-17A, Vincom Centre, 70-72<br />
Le Thanh Ton, D1<br />
30 Le Loi, D1<br />
Refined Japanese café specializing in<br />
unique desserts and food. Focusing<br />
on use of organic products, this casual<br />
eatery has a comprehensive Japanese<br />
LOUISIANE<br />
BREWHOUSE<br />
Beachside Nha Trang<br />
Asian & Western Cuisine<br />
Swimming Pool & Private Beach<br />
www.louisianebrewhouse.com.vn<br />
111A Pasteur, D.1, HCMC<br />
Tel: (08) 22 202 388 Fax: (08) 22 202 389<br />
Grand View, Shop<br />
SA1-1, SB2-1 Nguyen Duc Canh Blvd, D.7, HCMC<br />
Tel: (08) 54 123 292 Fax: (08) 54 123 293<br />
76 asialife HCMC asialife HCMC 77
where are you going tonight?<br />
41 Dong Du, D1, Tel 3822 7375<br />
Com Nieu<br />
19 Tu Xuong, D3 Tel: 3932 6288<br />
The house specialty, com nieu (smashed<br />
rice), comes with a shattered-crockery<br />
and flying-rice show at this well-known<br />
restaurant, prominently featured in<br />
Anthony Bourdain’s A Cook’s Tour. An<br />
extensive and tasty selection of southern<br />
Vietnamese cuisine rounds out the<br />
menu.<br />
Hoa Tuc<br />
74 Hai Ba Trung, D1 Tel: 3825 1676<br />
This comfortable high-end restaurant<br />
serves traditional Vietnamese fare with<br />
a contemporary, classy twist. Expect to<br />
find your local favourites as you’ve never<br />
experienced them before. Beautifully<br />
plated, this is Vietnamese cuisine at<br />
its best.<br />
Hoi An<br />
11 Le Thanh Ton, D1 Tel: 3823 7694<br />
Fine dining Vietnamese-style courtesy<br />
of two sumptuously decorated colonial<br />
villas, a bamboo-clad walled courtyard<br />
and a menu spanning the three main<br />
regions of Vietnam. Specialities include<br />
abalone soup and a raw fish salad. Four<br />
VIP rooms.<br />
Lam Nuong Nam Bo<br />
285/C145 Cach Mang Thang Tam, D10<br />
Tel: 3862 2569<br />
Warehouse-sized quan well-regarded<br />
among locals serves everything from<br />
beef, chicken and fish to porcupine,<br />
weasel and field mouse. Great destination<br />
for intrepid gastronomes. Has<br />
standard hot pot, rice and noodle dishes<br />
too.<br />
Mandarine Restaurant<br />
11A Ngo Van Nam, D1 Tel: 3822 9783<br />
Fine dining Vietnamese-style courtesy<br />
of two sumptuously decorated colonial<br />
villas, an antique wooden stair and a<br />
menu spanning all regions of Vietnam.<br />
Traditional music performances are<br />
available for dinner.<br />
Marina<br />
172 Nguyen Dinh Chieu<br />
tel: 3930 2379<br />
www.ngocsuong.com.vn<br />
Swish seafood restaurant with al fresco<br />
and indoor seating and a vast menu of<br />
up-market Vietnamese dishes. Features<br />
10 set menus at varying price scales.<br />
Nam Phan<br />
34 Vo Van Tan, Q3 Tel: 3933 3636<br />
Well known at its previous corner<br />
location on Le Thanh Ton, Nam Phan<br />
continues to serve modern Asian cuisine<br />
including asparagus and crab meat<br />
soup, stewed bellyfish in pineapple and<br />
grilled duck breast in orange sauce. Set<br />
in a restored colonial villa, the interior is<br />
alive with reproductions of Cham-era<br />
bas-reliefs and is inspired by Euro-Zen.<br />
Nghi Xuan<br />
5/9 Nguyen Sieu, D1 Tel: 3823 0699<br />
Located down an alley just past Hai<br />
Ba Trung, featuring an attractive open<br />
first-floor and upstairs dining rooms<br />
with dark wood furniture and carved<br />
woodwork. Serving Hue staples, crab<br />
and prawn spreads and an impressive<br />
array of wines and cocktails.<br />
Papaya<br />
68 Pham Viet Cham, Binh Thanh<br />
Tel: 6258 1508<br />
www.chi-nghia.com<br />
Hanoian classics mingle with new interpretations<br />
created by Chi Nghia, whose<br />
experience and dedication to clean,<br />
fresh ingredients set Papaya's menu<br />
apart. 10 am to 11 pm, 7 days.<br />
Ngon Restaurant<br />
160 Pasteur, D1<br />
The long lunchtime queues tell the story:<br />
good food at low prices. More a food<br />
court than a restaurant, this has become<br />
a major favourite for its airy decor combined<br />
with cheap and tasty noodle, rice<br />
and other standard dishes.<br />
Quan Nuong 3T Barbecue<br />
29-31 Ton That Thiep, D1<br />
A favourite with both locals and expats,<br />
this rooftop restaurant above the Temple<br />
Club offers an extensive menu of meat,<br />
seafood and vegetarian dishes. Try the<br />
beef wrapped around tasty melting<br />
cheese or deliciously fresh skewered<br />
prawns.<br />
Son Ha Garden<br />
147A Hai Ba Trung, D1<br />
Spacious and airy restaurant sculpted<br />
from bamboo with an open kitchen.<br />
Serves a range of affordable local favourites<br />
family style, as well as Vietnamese<br />
desserts including homemade yoghurt.<br />
Temple Club<br />
29 – 31 Ton That Thiep, D1<br />
Tel: 3829 9244<br />
This high-end restaurant attached to an<br />
elegant lounge bar is a must-try for its<br />
art deco atmosphere as much as for its<br />
food. Mains go from around VND80,000<br />
to VND150,000.<br />
Tib<br />
187 Hai Ba Trung, D1 Tel: 3829 7242<br />
100 Nguyen Luong Bang, Phu My<br />
Hung, D7 Tel: 5413 6868<br />
www.tibrestaurant.com.vn<br />
Popular up-market dining spot serving<br />
Hue cuisine in an attactive dining room<br />
that draws on traditional architecture.<br />
Call for reservations.<br />
Tib Express<br />
162 Nguyen Dinh Chieu, D3<br />
Tel: 3822 5038<br />
Serves a large selection of Tib’s Huefood<br />
menu in a more casual dining<br />
rooom and at significantly lower prices.<br />
Specializes in bun bo Hue. <br />
Wrap & Roll<br />
62 Hai Ba Trung, D1 Tel: 3823 4030<br />
SA1–1, My Khanh 1,<br />
Nguyen Van Linh, D7<br />
Attractive downtown venue that brings<br />
street-style food into air-conditioned<br />
and uncluttered comfort. Choose prewrapped<br />
appetisers such as the cha gio<br />
(spring rolls) or roll-it-yourself mains with<br />
ingredients like pickled shrimps, beef on<br />
sugar cane, fish, grilled eel and pork. <br />
nightlife<br />
BARS & LOUNGES<br />
See bar restaurant listings for more<br />
popular watering holes.<br />
Acoustic Bar<br />
6E1 Ngo Thoi Nhiem, D3<br />
Tel: 3930 2239<br />
A Volkswagen Bug tries to scale the wall<br />
outside this well-priced music venue<br />
popular with college-age Vietnamese<br />
and the occasional expat.<br />
Amber Room<br />
59 Dong Du, D1 Tel: 6291 3686<br />
info@theamberoom.com<br />
A true London meets New York lounge,<br />
with chilled out tunes during the day and<br />
more funky vibes at night. A pleasant<br />
meeting place for drinks and a bite to<br />
eat.<br />
Boston Sports Bar<br />
28/2 - 28/4 Bui Vien, D1<br />
Tel: 6656 6338/6656 6328<br />
Sports bar featuring North American<br />
food. Satellite TV, free pool and darts.<br />
Catering services and private room available<br />
for parties. Open 24 hours. <br />
Ciao Lounge<br />
2nd Floor, 74-76 Nguyen Hue, D1<br />
Trendy and attractive lounge bar with a<br />
mixture of retro and modern decor and<br />
a pleasant atmosphere to boot. A great<br />
escape from central Saigon but quite<br />
touristy.<br />
Cranberry Café & Pub<br />
45 Ton That Thiep, D1 Tel: 3914 0991<br />
Upmarket,quiet lounge great for private<br />
parties. Brickwork and cranberry-red<br />
chairs speak to the bar’s name, with a<br />
cocktail range and Tigers in blissfully<br />
frosted mugs.<br />
Level 23<br />
23rd Floor, Sheraton Hotel<br />
88 Dong Khoi, D1 Tel: 3827 2828<br />
One of the best views of the city from<br />
this upmarket terrace bar and lounge.<br />
Excellent cocktails don’t come cheap<br />
but the atmosphere is great with live<br />
music throughout the week and a live<br />
DJ every Monday.<br />
The Library<br />
InterContinental Asiana Saigon, corner<br />
of Hai Ba Trung and Le Duan, D1<br />
Tel: 3520 9099<br />
dine@icasianasaigon.com<br />
Unwind with a glass of wine or a cup of<br />
tea. The Library provides a welcoming<br />
atmosphere for those in search of calm,<br />
comfort and personalized service.<br />
M52 Bar<br />
52 Ton That Thiep, D1 Tel: 3821 6726<br />
Sparsely-appointed venue with reasonably<br />
priced drinks noted for packing<br />
a punch. Owners Annie and Ms. Van<br />
are never too busy to check on their<br />
patrons, and the busy bartenders are<br />
quick with a smile.<br />
Number Five Bar<br />
44 Pasteur, D1 Tel: 3825 6300<br />
Number Five Bar is older than it looks,<br />
having formerly been located at 5 Ly<br />
Tu Trong. The bar attracts a regular<br />
clientele of established expats.<br />
Park Lounge<br />
Park Hyatt Hotel<br />
2 Lam Son Square, D1 Tel: 3824 1234<br />
Elegant lounge bar, with classic songs<br />
played every night by international musicians.<br />
The salubrious surroundings are<br />
matched by the range of the drinks, with<br />
vintage wines from USD $6 to $10 per<br />
glass. Tiger is $4.50 a bottle.<br />
Purple Jade<br />
InterContinental Asiana Saigon, corner<br />
of Hai Ba Trung and Le Duan, D1<br />
Tel: 3520 9099<br />
Chic lounge blends the stylistic influences<br />
of contemporary design and opium<br />
dens. Hosts live music and serves<br />
special drinks, including Shaoxing and<br />
Maotai rice wines and an exclusive<br />
selection of luxury spirits.<br />
Q Bar<br />
Opera House, 7 Lam Son Square, D1<br />
With low ceilings, intimate cubbyholes,<br />
colonial arches, gold paint, ultraviolet<br />
lighting and clubhouse beats, this is a<br />
bar that has a reputation for being a<br />
place to be seen. Great outdoor terrace<br />
and late-night indoor opening.<br />
QD Bar & Lounge<br />
138 Ton That Dam, D1, Tel: 3821 5338<br />
Sophisticated lounge with New and<br />
Old World wines served by the bottle or<br />
glass, modern decor and floor-to-ceiling<br />
windows overlooking Ton That Thiep.<br />
Saigon Saigon Bar<br />
9th floor, Caravelle Hotel, 19 Lam Son<br />
Square, D1 Tel: 3823 4999<br />
Popular bar usually packed out with<br />
tourists and business travellers searching<br />
for some delicious cocktails and a<br />
great view of the city skyline. Cuban<br />
band Warapo plays every night except<br />
Monday from 8.30 pm until late.<br />
Samsara Club<br />
131 Dong Khoi, D1<br />
A laid-back cosmopolitan drinking and<br />
dance venue with comfy lounge chairs<br />
around low-lying tables and an island<br />
bar bedecked in extravagant whitefeather<br />
decorations. Pink neon gives the<br />
joint a contemporary edge.<br />
T&R Tavern<br />
57 Do Quang Dau, D1<br />
Classic expat dive bar with pool table,<br />
darts and comfortable yet simple decor.<br />
Daily happy hour and sportsfans can<br />
catch games on the big screen.<br />
Vibe Billiards & Lounge<br />
102 Suong Nguyet Anh, D1<br />
Tel: 3925 2599<br />
Sleek bi-level lounge with Scandinavian<br />
design, Bansky-esque murals and<br />
top-notch billiards and snooker tables,<br />
paid for by the hour. Hosts league play,<br />
half-price Mondays, ladies’ nights and<br />
DJ events.<br />
Voodoo Lounge<br />
92 Ho Tung Mau, D1<br />
Voodoo paintings adorn the white walls<br />
at this small, attractive bar south of Sunwah<br />
Tower. A daily happy hour, plenty<br />
of stool space and a pair of dartboards<br />
make it a good place to grab a drink.<br />
Yoko<br />
22A Nguyen Thi Dieu, D3<br />
Tel: 3825 1901<br />
Compact and popular joint with nightly<br />
live music boasts a refreshingly eclectic<br />
range of Western styles, with most<br />
songs sung in English.<br />
BREWHOUSES<br />
Alderbrau<br />
98 Nguyen Du, D1<br />
Small brewhouse decorated with<br />
antique brewing miscellanea, with an<br />
enclosed garden for outdoor swilling<br />
the small range of house brews and<br />
bottled imports. The kitchen dishes up<br />
sausages, German fare, and Vietnamese<br />
dishes.<br />
Gammer Czech Beer<br />
107 Pasteur, D1 Tel: 3824 8619<br />
www.biatuoitiepvn.com<br />
Attractive, multi-story Czech beer hall<br />
furnished with heavy wood and outfitted<br />
with a few flat screen TVs tuned in to<br />
sports. Dark and blonde beers are available,<br />
as well as a full menu of Vietnamese<br />
food from mussels to rabbit.<br />
Hoa Vien<br />
28bis Mac Dinh Chi, D1 Tel: 3829<br />
0585<br />
www.hoavien.vn<br />
Expansive beer hall serves up pilsner<br />
beer crafted from malt, hops and yeast<br />
from the Czech Republic. There’s also<br />
a large food menu and imported Pilsner<br />
Urquell.<br />
Lion Brewery<br />
11C Lam Son Square, D1<br />
Tel: 3823 8514<br />
Microbrewery featuring traditional German<br />
brew technology and German fare<br />
like pork knuckle and wurst. Good spot<br />
to meet friends and enjoy a hearty meal<br />
and a whole lot of beer.<br />
NIGHTCLUBS<br />
Fuse Bar<br />
3A Ton Duc Thang, D1<br />
A popular bar that plays primarily hiphop<br />
music. Every Tuesday Fuse hosts a<br />
ladies night where women drink for<br />
free and two bottles of wine can be<br />
purchased for 2 million VND.<br />
Lush<br />
2 Ly Tu Trong, D1 Tel: 3824 2496<br />
A large and lavishly decorated bar and<br />
78 asialife HCMC asialife HCMC 79
Where the game’s always on!<br />
28/4 Bui Vien Str. Pham Ngu Lao Ward, Dist 1.<br />
Phone: (08) 665 663 38 - (08) 665 663 28<br />
To find us, walk through the arch at<br />
74 Hai Ba Trung and discover our<br />
beautiful secluded courtyard.<br />
OPEN<br />
24/7<br />
Telephone<br />
3823 0509<br />
Open 7 Days<br />
club popular on weekends. Good DJs<br />
playing the latest in beat-based music<br />
and the city’s beautiful people add to<br />
the sights and sounds. It’s on-par with<br />
Western clubs in both ambience and<br />
drinks prices.<br />
Velvet Bar<br />
26 Ho Huan Nghiep, D1<br />
Hip-hop and Viet trance club with both<br />
bottle service and bottle beer that isn’t<br />
prohibitively expensive. Circular center<br />
bar is ringed with tables, and VIP areas<br />
and sofa seating line the walls.<br />
at home<br />
BAKERIES<br />
Crumbs<br />
54 Truong Dinh, D1 Tel: 3825 7199<br />
www.crumbs.com.vn<br />
info@crumbs.com.vn<br />
Eat-in bakery offering a wide range of<br />
muffins, whole-grain breads and pastries.<br />
Many of the breads are dairy-free,<br />
baked fresh daily with unbleached white<br />
flower, no added sugar.<br />
Harvest Baking<br />
30 Lam Son, Tan Binh Tel: 3547 0577<br />
harvestbaking@yahoo.com<br />
This authentic bakery offers a range<br />
of specialty baked goods for delivery.<br />
Offering bagels, scones, breads,<br />
desserts,cakes, tarts and more.<br />
Chocolate fudge cake and cinnamon<br />
rolls with cream cheese icing highly<br />
recommended.<br />
Pat A Chou<br />
65 Hai Ba Trung, D1<br />
188 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, D3<br />
25 Thao Dien, D2<br />
The home of the long and crusty<br />
baguette. Supplies many restaurants<br />
but also sells wholesale. The miniature<br />
patisseries such as crème brulée and<br />
cheesecake are worth a taste. Opens<br />
at 6.30 am.<br />
Schneider’s Finest<br />
27 Han Thuyen, D1<br />
Tel: 3829 1998<br />
www.schneiders-finest.com<br />
Traditional German bakery bakes 45<br />
different kinds of breads, rolls and baguettes<br />
and a wide range of danishes,<br />
pastries and cakes. Catering available.<br />
Sesame Bakery<br />
153 Xo Viet Nghe Tinh, Binh Thanh<br />
Tel: 3518 0897<br />
Located in the premise of the Hospitality<br />
School of HCMC, Sesame<br />
Bakery provides practical experience<br />
to its students. Wide variety of French<br />
pastries, loaves, baguettes, cookies at<br />
very competitive prices. Special order &<br />
delivery available.<br />
Tous Les Jours<br />
180 Hai Ba Trung, D3<br />
Part of the Korean bakery chain, Tous<br />
Le Jours stocks a superb range of<br />
freshly baked good from sugary treats<br />
like pain au chocolat to superior quality<br />
baguettes and loafs.<br />
Voelker<br />
17 A7 Le Thanh Ton, D1<br />
Tel: 7303 8799<br />
39 Thao Dien, An Phu, D2<br />
Tel: 6296 0066<br />
Small bakery turns out sweet and salted<br />
pies and mousses in addition to baguettes<br />
and a range of Western sweets.<br />
CATERING<br />
Au Parc Catering Services<br />
23 Han Thuyen, D1 Tel: 3829 2772<br />
Catering services available every day<br />
of the year for birthday cakes, dinner<br />
parties, wine tastings and corporate<br />
events.<br />
For a custom-made quotation e-mail<br />
auparc@hcm.vnn.vn or call Quynh on<br />
0908 196261.<br />
Saigon Catering<br />
84 Xuan Thuy, D2 Tel: 6281 8388<br />
Provide services of catering, banquets,<br />
event planning, BBQ’s, daily deliveries<br />
and cocktail parties. For a custommade<br />
quotation e-mail SaigonGG@<br />
gmail.com or call Huong on 0913<br />
981128.<br />
The Caterers<br />
46D Vuon Lai, Tan Phu<br />
Tel: 3816 2901<br />
sales@thecaterersvietnam.com.vn<br />
www.thecaterersvietnam.com.vn<br />
Catering company offering extensive<br />
services from location sourcing, décor<br />
designing and food catering. All functions<br />
can be catered for, from low-key<br />
barbeques at home to full-blown weddings<br />
and parties.<br />
Xu Catering<br />
71-75 Hai Ba Trung, D1<br />
Tel: 3824 8468<br />
www.xusaigon.com<br />
From the brains behind Xu Restaurant<br />
and Lounge comes this new catering<br />
service, promising the highest standards<br />
in service. Everything from the<br />
menu to the comprehensive bar service<br />
and the staff is tailor-made to your<br />
specifications.<br />
COOKERY CLASSES<br />
Caravelle Hotel Cooking Classes<br />
Caravelle Hotel, 19 Lam Son Square,<br />
D1 Tel: 3823 4999<br />
Full-day Vietnamese cooking classes for<br />
groups of up to 20 people. The classes<br />
include a visit to the market with the<br />
sous chef. Costs USD $45++ each for a<br />
minimum 10 people.<br />
80 asialife HCMC asialife HCMC 81
Saigon Cooking Class by Hoa Tuc<br />
The Courtyard, 74/7 Hai Ba Trung, D1<br />
Tel: 3825 8485<br />
i.briosca@saigoncookingclass.com<br />
contact@saigoncookingclass.com<br />
Cooking classes available from Tuesday<br />
to Sunday 10 am-1 pm/2 pm-5<br />
pm. Students make an entire meal that<br />
includes traditional dishes like pho and<br />
cha gio, as well as more creative fare.<br />
Conducted by Vietnamese chef in English,<br />
Japanese or French on request.<br />
Cost is $45. Market visit with the chef<br />
on request.<br />
Vietnam Cookery Centre<br />
362/8 Ung Van Khiem, Binh Thanh<br />
Tel: 3512 1491<br />
Well-known Vietnamese cooking<br />
classes with half-day and more indepth<br />
eight-day courses. Students<br />
work in a comfortable kitchen area with<br />
their own stove and workspace. Eightday<br />
course costs USD $160.<br />
GROCERIES<br />
Annam Gourmet Market<br />
16-18 Hai Ba Trung, D1 Tel: 3822<br />
9332<br />
41A Thao Dien, D2 Tel: 3744 2630<br />
SB2-1 My Khanh 4, Nguyen Duc<br />
Canh, D7 Tel: 5412 3263 / 64<br />
www.annam-gourmet.com<br />
Boutique grocer with wide selection of<br />
foreign foods; Annam-brand coffee, tea<br />
and spices; and household products.<br />
Wine and premium beer, full deli counter,<br />
produce, dairy-frozen and baked<br />
goods on second floor. Cosy café<br />
serves coffee, drinks and sandwiches.<br />
Au Parc<br />
23 Han Thuyen, D1 Tel: 3829 2772<br />
A fine deli counter displaying a wide selection<br />
of cheeses, roasted vegetables,<br />
dips and some tempting sweets. The<br />
shelves along the side wall also showcase<br />
a solid selection of dried goods<br />
and some imported condiments.<br />
Classic Fine Foods<br />
100 Xuan Thuy, D2, Tel: 3744 2717<br />
www.classicfinefoods.com<br />
Luxury food primarily imports for wholesale,<br />
but also takes orders for its range<br />
of dry goods, cheese, meat, poultry<br />
and seafood from private clients.<br />
Future Sense<br />
284/9 Nguyen Trong Tuyen, Phu<br />
Nhuan<br />
Tel: 3844 6099<br />
Ice cream home delivery service featuring<br />
banana-on a stick, Ola premium<br />
ice cream and frozen yoghurt and I’sa<br />
ice cream, all produced with European<br />
technology and imported ingredients.<br />
Gastro Home Delicatessen<br />
100 Xuan Thuy, Thao Dien Ward, D2<br />
Tel: 6281 9830<br />
Deli filled with fresh French-inspired<br />
delights ranging from salads to fish and<br />
vegetarian, meat and poultry dishes.<br />
Open 7 days from 9.30 am to 9 pm.<br />
Grand-Place Chocolate<br />
1A Me Linh Square, Room C4, D1<br />
Tel: 3823 4068<br />
www.grandplacechocolate.com<br />
delivery@grandplacechocolate.com<br />
Belgian chocolate manufacturer offering<br />
high quality chocolate for professionals<br />
and chocolate lovers. Chocolate available<br />
in 1kg blocks or 2.5kg buttons.<br />
Free delivery.<br />
Kim Hai Butchery<br />
41 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, D1<br />
Tel: 3821 6057 or 3914 4376<br />
Excellent chilled imported beef, lamb,<br />
veal and other meats sold at reasonable<br />
prices.<br />
Le Cochon D’Or<br />
32 Dong Du, D1 Tel: 3829 3856<br />
French-style charcuterie selling quality<br />
cold cuts, smoked sausage and a<br />
range of cheeses at very reasonable<br />
prices.<br />
Metro<br />
An Phu, D2 Tel: 3740 6677<br />
www.metro.com.vn<br />
Warehouse wholesaler located just off<br />
the Hanoi Highway in D2 between the<br />
Saigon Bridge and the tollbooths. Sells<br />
bulk food, fresh fruit and vegetables<br />
and meat, as well as paper products,<br />
cleaning supplies, housewares--basically<br />
everything.<br />
Organik<br />
11A Thao Dien, D2 Tel: 090 273 3841<br />
arlene@organikvn.com<br />
www.organikvn.com<br />
Online grocer based out of Dalat selling<br />
a range of organic vegetables and groceries,<br />
as well as imported all-natural<br />
products such as cereal, soymilk and<br />
tea. Operates a retail shop in An Phu.<br />
Phuong Ha<br />
58 Ham Nghi, D1 Tel: 3914 1318<br />
A mini-supermarket that sells an<br />
extensive assortment of imported<br />
packaged food, cheese, meat, fresh<br />
fruit, vegetables and fine wines.<br />
Veggy’s<br />
29A Le Thanh Ton, D1 Tel: 3823 8526<br />
Sky Garden<br />
Pham Van Nghi, Bac Khu Pho, D7<br />
Riverside Apartments<br />
53 Vo Truong Toan, Thao Dien, D2<br />
Popular expat market with a huge<br />
walk-in fridge area stocked with fresh<br />
fruit and vegetables, dairy products<br />
and a range of meats. Imported<br />
canned and dried foods, wines, beers,<br />
soft drinks, spirits and snacks also<br />
available.<br />
LIQUOR & WINE<br />
Bacchus Corner<br />
158D Pasteur, D1<br />
Reliable wine and liquor store owned<br />
by Tan Khoa Wines with a good range<br />
of spirits, whiskies, wines and more all<br />
at decent prices. English-speaking staff<br />
can help with selections.<br />
Connoisseur<br />
7 Lam Son Square, D1 Tel: 224 6324<br />
A decent range of wines from both old<br />
and new world vineyards lines the walls<br />
in this intimate store. Monthly offers on<br />
new arrivals are often a good deal. The<br />
staff are helpful, but little English.<br />
Red Apron<br />
22 Chu Manh Trinh, D1 Tel: 3823<br />
0021<br />
Large wine and spirits wholesaler,<br />
with 90,000 bottles stored in its five<br />
locations around the country. Sells wine<br />
from all around the world, particularly<br />
France, Chile, Italy and Australia. Exclusive<br />
distributor of such fine brands as<br />
Taittinger Champagne.<br />
Tapas Wine<br />
2/3A Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, D1<br />
Tel: 2201 0909<br />
www.tapaswines.com<br />
Home delivery service that specializes<br />
in Spanish wines. Check out the<br />
website for a full catalog of their wines,<br />
as well as reviews by brand.<br />
The Warehouse<br />
178 Pasteur, D1 Tel: 3825 8826<br />
924 Tran Hung Dao, D5 Tel: 6261<br />
1525<br />
www.warehouse-asia.com<br />
One of the city’s premier wine distributors,<br />
The Warehouse is an aptly<br />
named, stylish wine store that stocks a<br />
full range of both New and Old World<br />
wines, sparkling wines, Champagne,<br />
spirits, imported beers and accessories.<br />
Provides advice and delivery<br />
service.<br />
listings<br />
culture<br />
CLASSES<br />
AngelsBrush by Vin<br />
Tel: 0983377710<br />
Shyevin@mac.com<br />
Oil painting course gives learners the<br />
opportunity to work from the different<br />
objects; explore different mediums,<br />
materials and techniques; and interpret<br />
line, tone and colour. Instructor works<br />
with students on individual basis.<br />
Creative Writing Classes<br />
Tel: 090 448 2957<br />
kate_orson@hotmail.com<br />
Writer Kate Orson teaches creative writing<br />
courses for fiction, non-fiction and<br />
travel writing. Beginners and experienced<br />
writers are welcome.<br />
Helene Kling Painting<br />
513 An Binh, Street 12, D2<br />
helene_kling@yahoo.com<br />
French painter Helene holds classes<br />
in oil painting at her beautiful river-side<br />
home on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday’s<br />
between 8 am and 1 pm for adults and<br />
Monday and Friday afternoons between<br />
3 pm and 6 pm for children.<br />
Printmaking<br />
alphagallery@bluemail.ch<br />
Classes are held at Alpha Gallery taught<br />
by the gallery owner Bernadette Gruber,<br />
who offers the chance to learn monotype,<br />
intaglio and etching techniques.<br />
CINEMAS<br />
Bobby Brewer’s Movie Lounge<br />
45 Bui Vien, D1 Tel: 3610 2220<br />
86 Pham Ngoc Thach<br />
info@bobbybrewers.com<br />
Popular top-floor home cinema showing<br />
movies five times a day on a large<br />
screen. Email for the latest schedule.<br />
Cinebox<br />
212 Ly Chinh Thang, D3 Tel: 3935 0610<br />
240 3 Thang 2, D10 Tel: 3862 2425<br />
Cinebox cinemas show both original<br />
language films with Vietnamese subtitles<br />
and the dubbed versions.<br />
Future Shorts<br />
futureshortsvietnam@gmail.com<br />
www.futureshorts.com/vn<br />
Vietnam branch of the international network<br />
screens foreign and local short films<br />
around town. Events often incorporate<br />
other media and elements, including live<br />
music, performances, installations and<br />
discussion. Submissions accepted.<br />
Galaxy Cinema<br />
116 Nguyen Du, D1 Tel: 3822 8533<br />
230 Nguyen Trai, D1 Tel: 3920 6688<br />
www.galaxycine.vn<br />
Large, modern cinema that shows the<br />
latest foreign releases in English (with<br />
Vietnamese subtitles).<br />
IDECAF<br />
31 Thai Van Lung, D1 Tel: 3829 5451<br />
French cultural centre and cinema<br />
theatre. Showcases French movies with<br />
English and Vietnamese subtitles. Also<br />
hosts movies and documentaries from a<br />
number of overseas film festivals.<br />
Lotte Cinema<br />
Diamond Plaza, 34 Le Duan, D1<br />
Tel: 3822 7897<br />
LotteMart, 469 Nguyen Huu Tho, D7<br />
Tel: 3775 2520<br />
www.lottecinemavn.com<br />
Modern cinema with four-way sound system.<br />
D7 location houses luxury theatre<br />
Charlotte with 32 seats and eight sofas.<br />
me phim<br />
HCM City-based film initiative that<br />
provides support to local filmmakers and<br />
hosts regular film screenings/discussions.<br />
Email dduukk@gmail.com for information<br />
or join the Facebook group.<br />
Megastar<br />
Hung Vuong Plaza, 126 Hung Vuong,<br />
D5 Tel: 08 2222 0388<br />
CT Plaza, 60A Truong Son, Tan Binh<br />
Tel: 6297 1981<br />
www.megastarmedia.net<br />
State-of-the-art cinema complex screening<br />
the lastest blockbusters with plush,<br />
reclining seats. All movies shown in original<br />
language with Vietnamese subtitles.<br />
GALLERIES<br />
a little blah blah<br />
OUT-2 STUDIO, L6 FAFILM Annex<br />
6 Thai Van Lung, D1<br />
albbsaigon-2010.blogspot.com<br />
Operates as an engine for contemporary<br />
art by organizing projects, exhibitions,<br />
screenings and talks. Runs one major<br />
art project each year and a reading room<br />
with more than 1,000 texts on art, design<br />
and creative culture. Free for everyone<br />
and open Tue to Sat 10 am to 6 pm.<br />
Blue Space Contemporary Arts<br />
Center<br />
97A Pho Duc Chinh, D1<br />
Tel: 3821 3695<br />
bluespaceart@hcm.jpt.vn<br />
www.bluespacegallery.com<br />
Busy, working gallery with easels<br />
propped up outside situated in the<br />
grounds of the beautiful Fine Arts<br />
Museum. Holds regular exhibitions by<br />
local artists.<br />
Duc Minh Gallery<br />
31C Le Quy Don, D3 Tel: 3933 0498<br />
Housed in an opulent colonial mansion,<br />
private museum and art gallery showcases<br />
the private art collection of Vietnamese<br />
business tycoon Bui Quoc Chi.<br />
Containing more than 1,000 pieces that<br />
range from traditional to contemporary.<br />
Galerie Quynh<br />
65 De Tham, D1 Tel: 3836 8019<br />
www.galeriequynh.com<br />
The city’s only international standard<br />
gallery, housed in a modern, two-floor<br />
space. Organizes regular exhibitions<br />
featuring established, emerging local/<br />
international contemporary artists, publishes<br />
original catalogs in both English<br />
and Vietnamese.<br />
Ho Chi Minh City Fine Arts Museum<br />
97A Pho Duc Chinh, D1 Tel: 3829 4441<br />
btmthcm@hotmail.com<br />
Institution housing contemporary/traditional<br />
works by Vietnamese and foreign<br />
artists. Pieces date from as early as<br />
the 7th century. Includes Vietnamese<br />
antiques, art crafted by the Cham and<br />
Funan peoples.<br />
San Art Independent Artist Space<br />
3 Me Linh, Binh Thanh Tel: 3840 0898<br />
hoa@san-art.org<br />
www.san-art.org<br />
Artist-run, non-profit exhibition space<br />
featuring contemporary work by young<br />
Vietnamese artists. San Art hosts guest<br />
lecturers and curators. A reading room<br />
of art books and magazines is open to<br />
the public.<br />
TuDo Gallery<br />
53 Ho Tung Mau, D1 Tel: 3821 0966<br />
www.tudogallery.com<br />
Hosting permanent exhibitions of works<br />
by the city’s artists, Tu Do deals in oils,<br />
silk paintings and lacquerware. More<br />
than 1,000 pieces on show.<br />
82 asialife HCMC asialife HCMC 83
listings<br />
sports &<br />
leisure<br />
Sport Street<br />
Huyen Tran Cong Chua, D1 between<br />
Nguyen Du and Nguyen Thi Minh Khai<br />
Services include mending and restringing<br />
broken tennis rackets. Products range<br />
from badminton birdies and rackets to<br />
basketball hoops, free weights, roller<br />
blades, scooters, soccer jerseys and all<br />
manner of balls.<br />
Trophies & Custom Signage Street<br />
Le Lai, D1 between Truong Dinh and<br />
Nguyen Thai Hoc<br />
Offers custom engraving on trophies and<br />
plaques made of plastic, wood, metal<br />
and glass.<br />
CRICKET<br />
Saigon Cricket Assocation<br />
Social cricket league plays 25 overs<br />
a side matches Sunday mornings at<br />
RMIT’s District 7 pitch. Season runs November<br />
through May, with friendly games<br />
throughout the pre-season. Practice on<br />
Saturdays and Sunday afternoons.<br />
Australian Cricket Club<br />
Terry Gordon<br />
terrygordoninasia@yahoo.com.au<br />
saigonaustraliancricketclub@yahoo.com<br />
www.saigoncricket.com<br />
English Cricket Club<br />
Richard Carrington<br />
Richard.carrington@pivotalvietnam.com<br />
info@eccsaigon.com<br />
www.eccsaigon.com<br />
Indian Cricket Club<br />
Manish Sogani, manish@ambrij.com<br />
United Cricket Club<br />
Mr. Asif Ali, asif@promo-tex.net<br />
keshav.dayalani@rmit.edu.vn<br />
DANCING<br />
DanCenter<br />
46/2 Nguyen Cuu Van, Binh Thanh<br />
Tel: 3840 6974<br />
www.dancentervn.com<br />
Modern, centrally located studio with<br />
foreign trained dance instructors. Classes<br />
for kids age 5+ in jazz, ballet, hip hop<br />
and tap dance. Classes for adults in<br />
yoga, jazz, hip hop, salsa, belly, tap and<br />
capoeira.<br />
Salsa Dancing at La Fenetre Soleil<br />
135 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, D1<br />
Tel: 0909 365 525<br />
Every Thursday from 8 pm with Urko and<br />
Fred, with a total beginners workshop<br />
starting at 8.30pm (minimum 10 people<br />
required; 50,000 VND with a cocktail).<br />
Followed by social dancing until<br />
midnight.<br />
Salsa Dancing at La Habana<br />
6 Cao Ba Quat, D1<br />
www.salsaigon.com<br />
salsaigon@gmail.com<br />
Six-week salsa package at 350,000<br />
VND for single persons and 550,000 for<br />
a couple, run by Urko. Lessons every<br />
Tuesday (beginners L.A. style at 7.30<br />
pm; intermediate L.A style at 8.30 pm).<br />
Registration required.<br />
FITNESS & YOGA<br />
AIS Sports Centre<br />
36 Thao Dien, An Phu, D2<br />
Tel: 3744 6960, ext 126<br />
sportscentre@aisvietnam.com<br />
www.aissportscentre.com<br />
Features six-lane, 25-metre pool,<br />
basketball and netball courts, astroturf<br />
hockey/football area and outdoor gym<br />
equipment. Available for party hire, with<br />
BBQ included on request. Membership<br />
packages available. Kids swim club and<br />
adult masters programmes. Rainbow<br />
Divers offers scuba diving courses for<br />
children and adults. Free morning yoga.<br />
California WOW Xperience<br />
Parkson Plaza, 126 Hung Vuong, D5<br />
28/30-32 Le Loi, D1 Tel: 6291 5999<br />
The world’s biggest fitness centre chain<br />
is one of Saigon’s most modern places<br />
to get your sweat on. Located in Hung<br />
Vuong Plaza, CWX offers a huge workout<br />
area and all kinds of classes including<br />
spinning, KickFit, yoga and more.<br />
Caravelle Club Spa<br />
19 Lam Son Square, D1<br />
Tel: 3823 4999<br />
Modern and stylish gym with lots of cardiovascular<br />
machines and free weights.<br />
The swimming pool is a great place for<br />
a dip, and the massage parlour, sauna,<br />
steam room and jacuzzi are there for<br />
winding down.<br />
Christophe Guillemin<br />
Tel: 0909 365525<br />
azia_shop@yahoo.fr<br />
www.azia-shop.com<br />
French fitness instructor offers his training<br />
assistance both at home or in your<br />
gym to help with everything from weight<br />
loss to muscle building. Also does cardio<br />
training sessions at An Phu swimming<br />
pool on Saturday at 11 am.<br />
Curves<br />
15 Trinh Van Can, D1 Tel: 3821 0319<br />
www.curvesvietnam.com<br />
Curves is a women’s only fitness<br />
franchise with over 10,000 locations and<br />
four million members. The centre offers<br />
a famous 30-minute total body workout<br />
that they say will burn up to 500 calories.<br />
Features training on ‘double positive’<br />
resistance equipment.<br />
Diamond Plaza<br />
34 Le Duan, D1<br />
The city’s largest department store has<br />
a well-equipped gym with steam room,<br />
jacuzzi, massage parlour and swimming<br />
pool. The gym costs from USD $90 per<br />
month.<br />
Diamond Way Buddhism Meditation<br />
Group<br />
Tel: 093 804 3753<br />
Email: SaigonGompa@gmail.com<br />
www.diamondway-teachings.org<br />
Meditation group using methods of<br />
Tibetan Buddhism. Diamond Way or<br />
Vajrayana Buddhism guides practitioners<br />
to experience the nature of their own<br />
mind to reach Enlightenment.<br />
Equinox Fitness & Leisure Centre<br />
Equatorial Hotel, 242 Tran Binh Trong,<br />
D5 Tel: 3839 7777<br />
Decent-sized 3rd-floor gym with modern<br />
cardio and weights machines, sauna,<br />
steambath, jacuzzi, and large 4th floor<br />
pool great for swimming laps.<br />
Hollywood Fitness World<br />
H3 Building, 384 Hoang Dieu, D4<br />
Tel: 3826 4639<br />
One of the latest & best workout environments<br />
in the city, suitable for all ages and<br />
fitness levels. Personal training is offered.<br />
Erick Tony Varin, Fitness and<br />
Swimming Instructor<br />
Tel: 0939 026 540<br />
Erickforcearca@hotmail.com<br />
French instructor offers individual<br />
adapted programmes at home or at<br />
your gym, including weight loss, muscle<br />
gain, athletic training and post-traumatic<br />
treatment. Swimming and aqua aerobics<br />
classes for groups or individuals are also<br />
offered.<br />
John Huy Tran, Fitness Instructor<br />
Tel: 0983 789 318<br />
jht_fitness@hotmail.com<br />
Canadian fitness professional certified<br />
trainer with over 10 years’ experience in<br />
the fitness industry, dance and sports.<br />
Can provide training tailored to individual<br />
needs.<br />
K1 Fitness and Fight Factory<br />
346 Ben Van Don, D4<br />
Tel: 0918 337 111<br />
www.teamminetti.com<br />
Fitness centre teaching English and<br />
Thai boxing, karate, Vietnamese martial<br />
arts, judo, fencing, grappling, and mixed<br />
martial arts with classes for both adults<br />
and children. All training conducted by a<br />
professional foreign instructor.<br />
L’Apothiquaire Fitness Centre<br />
64A Truong Dinh, D3 Tel: 3932 5181<br />
www.lapothiquaire.com<br />
Internationally-certified teachers offer<br />
daily classes in Sivananda, Iyengar,<br />
Power, Yoga, Abdo-Pilates, Taebo and<br />
Aqua-Aerobics. Peaceful swimming pool,<br />
sauna and steam room.<br />
La Cochinchine<br />
Rex Hotel, 146 Pastuer, D1<br />
Tel: 3825 1812 (ext 7477)<br />
New and affordable fitness centre<br />
located in the heart of the city. This gym<br />
has a wide range of weight machines, as<br />
well as many cardio machines, including<br />
treadmills, cross-trainers and bikes. A<br />
good variety of classes are available,<br />
including yoga and aerobic dance.<br />
Legend Hotel Fitness Centre<br />
2A-4A Ton Duc Thang, D1<br />
One of the best hotel fitness centres.<br />
Very well-equipped gym with cardiovascular<br />
and weight machines, along with<br />
a circular swimming pool and massage<br />
parlour. A three-month membership<br />
costs USD $400++.<br />
Michelle Lloyd Yoga<br />
Tel: 0909 64 8193<br />
michelleglloyd@gmail.com<br />
www.michellelloyd.com<br />
E-RYT200 certified yoga instructor<br />
offering Vinyasa yoga classes at various<br />
locations around the city. Private and<br />
corporate yoga programs available. Contact<br />
Michelle for more information on her<br />
current schedule and special events.<br />
Nutrifort<br />
2B1 Chu Manh Trinh, D1<br />
Tel: 3825 8560<br />
news@nutrifort.com/www.nutrifort.com<br />
Comprehensive health and fitness centre<br />
offering customized exercise, nutritional<br />
counseling to members. Specializing<br />
in weight loss programs, core/body alignment<br />
training with Pilates equipment.<br />
Healthy snacks available.<br />
NTFQ2<br />
34 Nguyen Dang Giai, D2<br />
Tel: 3744 6672<br />
ntfq2@nutrifort.com/www.nutrifort.com<br />
First boutique, purpose-built fitness<br />
and wellness centre in Vietnam. Offers<br />
personal training, small group classes,<br />
specialized treatment and healthy dining<br />
at on-site restaurant Good Eats.<br />
Park Hyatt Fitness Centre<br />
2 Lam Son Square, D1 Tel: 3824 1234<br />
Luxury health centre with the full range of<br />
facilities including swimming pool, steam<br />
room, jacuzzi and fitness centre. Threemonth<br />
peak membership costs USD<br />
$810++ and off-peak is $450++.<br />
Patricia Romero, ERYT200<br />
Phu My Hung, An Phu<br />
Tel: 090 387 2832<br />
saigonease@yahoo.com<br />
Alignment-based yoga classes that<br />
infuse elements from the Ashtanga and<br />
Iyengar traditions. Group and private<br />
classes. Also specialising in therapeutics<br />
and restorative yoga. Patricia has been<br />
teaching yoga in Saigon since 2002.<br />
Renaissance Hotel Health Club<br />
8-15 Ton Duc Thang, D1<br />
Tel: 3822 0033<br />
Stylish health club with gym, swimming<br />
pool, steam room, massage parlour,<br />
pool-side bar and an outstanding view<br />
of the city. Costs USD $140 a month, or<br />
$10 a day.<br />
Saigon Fitness Club<br />
New World Hotel, 76 Le Lai, D1<br />
Tel: 3822 8888<br />
The modern Nautilus-equipped gym is<br />
staffed by highly-qualified instructors to<br />
cater for your fitness needs. Features a<br />
swimming pool, floodlit tennis court, golf<br />
driving range, jogging track, sauna, and<br />
massage rooms.<br />
Saigon Yoga<br />
Somerset Apartments<br />
8A Nguyen Binh Khiem, D1<br />
Tel: 090 835 2265<br />
www.saigonyoga.com<br />
info@saigonyoga.com<br />
Yoga and pre-natal yoga classes held<br />
downtown and in D3. Taught by experienced,<br />
certified instructrs from the U.S.<br />
Class size limited to 12 students. Reservation<br />
is requested to ensure a space.<br />
Private group and pre-natal classes of up<br />
to 8 by appointment.<br />
Sheraton Fitness<br />
Level 5, Sheraton Saigon Hotel & Towers,<br />
88 Dong Khoi, D1 Tel: 3827 2828<br />
sheraton.saigon@sheraton.com<br />
www.sheraton.com/saigon<br />
Sheraton Fitness features a team of<br />
trained professionals and new Technogym<br />
equipment. Members have full use<br />
of leisure facilities and receive discounts<br />
at hotel bars and restaurants and Aqua<br />
Day Spa.<br />
Star Fitness Gym<br />
Manor Apartments, 91 Nguyen Huu<br />
Canh, Binh Thanh Tel: 3514 0255<br />
This 1,600sqm gym is apparently the<br />
biggest in Vietnam. Has a good range<br />
of machines for any type of workout.<br />
Membership involves one time entry fee<br />
plus monthly subscriptions and gives free<br />
access to regular fitness classes.<br />
Sofitel Saigon Plaza Fitness Centre<br />
17 Le Duan, D1 Tel: 3824 1555<br />
Small but well-equipped gym with helpful<br />
staff and quality equipment. Membership<br />
costs USD $700++ for six months and<br />
$1,300++ for a year. Also runs a number<br />
of fitness classes including yoga.<br />
Yoga & Meditation Centre<br />
335 Dien Bien Phu, D3<br />
Tel: 3929 1706<br />
www.ymc.org<br />
Professional team of Western and local<br />
teachers show you how to practice a<br />
combination of yoga and meditation with<br />
a range of classes such as Hatha, Yin,<br />
Vikram, Ashtanga yoga and Pilates.<br />
Yoga Living<br />
95 Pasteur, D1<br />
Tel: 098 880 4598<br />
info@yogaliving.com.vn<br />
www.yogaliving.com.vn<br />
Yoga studio offering hatha, vinyasa,<br />
power and ashtanga yoga. Schedule can<br />
be self-made by members.<br />
FOOTBALL & RUGBY<br />
Australian Rules Football<br />
Tel: 093 768 3230<br />
www.vietnamswans.com<br />
vietnamswans@gmail.com<br />
The Vietnam Swans play regular international<br />
footy matches around Asia. Training<br />
sessions are held weekly in HCM City<br />
(2.30 pm Saturday, RMIT D7) and Hanoi<br />
(midday, Saturday, UN International<br />
School, Ciputra). All skill levels and codes<br />
welcome.<br />
Les Gaulois de Saigon<br />
www.gauloisdesaigon.com<br />
info@gauloisdesaigon.com<br />
A new team of French footballers, the<br />
side invites players and their families to<br />
come and join in their friendly training<br />
sessions, where everyone can get together<br />
and enjoy the sport while making<br />
new friends. Contact Sebastien on 0919<br />
691785 or Romain on 0908 060139.<br />
RMIT Vietnam<br />
sports.recreation@rmit.edu.vn<br />
A new player on the SIFL scene with<br />
a team made up of students from the<br />
University. They have their own football<br />
ground on-site consisting of two brand<br />
new pitches. Contact Landon Carnie.<br />
Saigon Raiders<br />
jon.hoff@saigonraiders.com<br />
Sociable football side who are always on<br />
the lookout for new talent for their weekly<br />
matches and training sessions. The team<br />
participates in the Saigon International<br />
Football League and also has regular<br />
fixtures against local teams in the outlying<br />
provinces and also participates in international<br />
tournaments.<br />
Saigon Rugby Club<br />
Tel: 0903 735 799<br />
www.saigonrfc.org<br />
saigonrugbyfootballclub@yahoo.com<br />
Social, mixed touch rugby played every<br />
Saturday afternoon for adults at RMIT<br />
from 4 pm until 6 pm. Regularly welcomes<br />
visiting teams and tours the region<br />
for men’s contact and women’s touch<br />
rugby tournaments. Beginners welcome.<br />
Saigon Saints<br />
chris@saigonsaints.com<br />
www.saigonsaints.com<br />
Expat football club of all ages, which has<br />
been running since 1995 and plays in the<br />
SIFL. Regularly venture on international<br />
tours especially to Bangkok and Manila<br />
and play in other local and international<br />
tournaments. The players train weekly,<br />
and new players are encouraged to join.<br />
GOLF<br />
Dalat Palace Golf Club<br />
Phu Dong Thien Vuong, Dalat<br />
Tel: 063 3821 101<br />
dpgc@vietnamgolfresorts.com<br />
The most beautiful course in Vietnam,<br />
combining the crisp mountain air with<br />
an environment of stately pine trees.<br />
Overlooking Xuan Huong lake, the 7,009-<br />
yard course is an enjoyable challenge for<br />
golfers of all levels.<br />
Dong Nai Golf Resort<br />
Trang Bom Town, Trang Bom<br />
Tel: 061 3866 288 / 3677 590<br />
www.dongnaigolf.com.vn<br />
Large golf resort with 27 holes, plus a villa<br />
complex, bar, sauna. jacuzzi and billiards.<br />
The resort sits on 160 hectares of land in<br />
Dong Nai Province, about 50 kilometres<br />
from the city. Membership starts at USD<br />
$2,000 a year.<br />
Ocean Dunes Golf Club<br />
1 Ton Duc Thang, Phan Thiet<br />
Tel: 062 3821 995<br />
odgc@vietnamgolfresorts.com<br />
Designed by Nick Faldo, the 6,746-yard<br />
par-72 course winds through seaside<br />
dunes, with the variable coastal breezes<br />
changing its character each day. An<br />
enjoyable and eminently playable course<br />
and has become a favourite venue for<br />
expatriate tournaments.<br />
Saigon South Golf<br />
Nguyen Van Linh, Tan Phu, D7<br />
Tel: 5411 2001<br />
sgs.golf@yahoo.com.vn<br />
Nine-hole mini golf course and driving<br />
range set amongst attractive gardens just<br />
behind FV Hospital. Membership starts<br />
from USD $700 for 6 months. Visitors’<br />
greens fees for a round of golf are around<br />
USD $16 before 5 pm and $19 after.<br />
Club, shoe and umbrella hire is also<br />
available.<br />
Song Be Golf Resort<br />
77 Binh Duong Blvd, Thuan An<br />
Tel: 0650 3756 660<br />
info@songbegolf.com<br />
www.songbegolf.com<br />
Located 22 kilometres from the city<br />
centre, the premier golf course in the area<br />
features an 18-hole, 6,384-metre course.<br />
Also has tennis courts, a swimming pool,<br />
and a gymnasium.<br />
Vietnam Golf and Country Club<br />
Long Thanh My Village, D9<br />
www.vietnamgolfcc.com<br />
This facility consists of two courses of 18<br />
holes each, one of which is designed in a<br />
more traditional Asian style, and the other<br />
in international style. Has other attractions<br />
such as boating, tennis and a restaurant<br />
area.<br />
LEISURE<br />
Phun Runners<br />
www.phun-run.com<br />
info@phun-run.com<br />
Running group that meets Sundays at 7<br />
am for a scenic run around Saigon before<br />
breakfast. Great way to explore the city,<br />
meet fellow runners and get fit for future<br />
events. Check website for rendezvous<br />
points.<br />
Saigon International Dart League<br />
www.thesidl.com<br />
A highly popular group in town, the darts<br />
club runs a competitive year-long league<br />
for 16 pub-based teams. There are some<br />
excellent players in this sociable and<br />
international group. See website for details<br />
of how to join and latest 180 scores.<br />
Saigon International Softball League<br />
sisl@saigonsoftball.info<br />
www.saigonsoftball.info<br />
The league plays slo-pitch softball every<br />
Sunday (usually at the Taiwanese School<br />
in Phu My Hung) and always welcomes<br />
newcomers.<br />
Saigon Pony Club<br />
Lane 42, Le Van Thinh, D2<br />
Tel: 0913 733 360<br />
A standout facility offering pony rides,<br />
riding lessons, horse clinics and pony<br />
rentals. Also hosts events and birthdays.<br />
Senior Expat ChitChat<br />
Weekly “Coffee Talk” meetings among<br />
seniors at the Palace Hotel Café (56 – 66<br />
Nguyen Hue, D1) each Tuesday from 10<br />
to 11.30 am. The informal group is for<br />
local expatriates and English-speaking<br />
foreign travellers who meet to share experiences<br />
and make new friends. Call club<br />
organizer Sheldon Pruss at 0932 031 837.<br />
Squash<br />
The Landmark, 5B Ton Duc Thang, D1<br />
Tel: 3822 2098 ext 176<br />
www.thelandmarkvietnam.com<br />
One of three squash courts in town.<br />
Membership is open to non-Landmark<br />
residents and drop-in players. Lessons<br />
and racquets are available for additional<br />
fees. Balls are provided. Book in advance<br />
or phone for further information.<br />
Ultimate Frisbee<br />
RMIT, 702 Nguyen Van Linh, D7<br />
www.saigon-ultimate.com<br />
Join in this exciting popular sport every<br />
Sunday afternoon from 3pm to 5pm in<br />
Saigon South. Pan-Asian competitions<br />
also organised for the more experienced.<br />
Contact David Jensen at 0909458890<br />
X-Rock Climbing<br />
Phan Dinh Phung Sport Centre<br />
75 Nguyen Dinh Chieu, D3<br />
Tel: 6278 5794<br />
503A Nguyen Duy Trinh, D2<br />
Tel: 2210 9192<br />
www.xrockclimbing.com<br />
Offering safe and professional climbing for<br />
anyone aged 4 and up. Featuring mountain<br />
climbing routes rated from beginner<br />
to advanced, climbing and belay-safety<br />
courses and training, birthday parties, corporate<br />
team building. Excellent facilities for<br />
children and annual membership for kids.<br />
84 asialife HCMC asialife HCMC 85
listings<br />
health &<br />
beauty<br />
ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE<br />
American Chiropractic Clinic<br />
8 Truong Dinh, D3 Tel: 3930 6667<br />
www.vietnamchiropractic.com<br />
A chiropractic, physiotherapy, foot<br />
care clinic staffed by American-trained<br />
chiropractors speaking French, English,<br />
Chinese, Vietnamese and Korean. Treats<br />
back pain, neck pain, knee pain, also<br />
specializing in sports injuries, manufacture<br />
of medical grade foot orthotics.<br />
Ciro Gargiulo<br />
CARE1 Executive Health Care Center<br />
The Manor, 91 Nguyen Huu Canh,<br />
Binh Thanh Tel: 3514 0757<br />
care1_reception@vietnammedicalpractice.com<br />
www.care1.com.vn<br />
A holistic approach is used by this<br />
acupuncturist and traditional medicine<br />
practitioner to rebalance the body’s<br />
energy fields. A wide range of ailments<br />
are treated including back pain, allergies<br />
and insomnia.<br />
Institute of Traditional Medicine<br />
273-275 Nguyen Van Troi, Phu Nhuan<br />
Dr. Le Hung is the man to see at this wellestablished<br />
traditional hospital & training<br />
centre. He speaks good English and<br />
provides excellent treatments in a clean<br />
environment. The Institute also provides<br />
acupuncture lessons at USD $30 per day.<br />
Osteopathic Medicine/Physiotherapy<br />
– David Truong Tan<br />
Tel: 0903 09 81 24<br />
www.osteopathy-vietnam.com<br />
French-trained osteopath and physiotherapist<br />
specializing in the treatment of<br />
back pain and muscular, ligament and<br />
joint problems using a holistic approach<br />
and gentle manipulative techniques.<br />
Consultations available at International<br />
SOS in District 3 and Nutrifort in Districts<br />
1 and 2.<br />
Theta Healing<br />
– Jodie Eastwood<br />
Tel: 091 859 1933<br />
www.thetahealing.com<br />
A unique energy healing technique for<br />
mind, body and spirit. Jodie is a UK qualified<br />
practitioner based in HCM City.<br />
Traditional Medicine Hospital<br />
197 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, D3<br />
Friendly staff speak little to no English<br />
at this well-known ad spotlessly clean<br />
hospital offering treatments that combine<br />
traditional Chinese medicine with modern<br />
knowledge and expertise.<br />
COSMETIC TREATMENT<br />
Cao Thang Lasik & Aesthetic Clinic<br />
135-135B Tran Binh Trong, D5<br />
Tel: 3923 4419<br />
A modern clinic offering a comprehensive<br />
range of optical services. Specializes in<br />
LASIK correctional procedures, costing<br />
from USD $700 to $1,100 for both eyes.<br />
English spoken. Open seven days a<br />
week.<br />
FV Hospital Cosmetic Surgery<br />
45 Vo Thi Sau, D1 Tel: 6290 6167<br />
6 Nguyen Luong Bang, D7<br />
Tel: 5411 3366<br />
www.fvhospital.com<br />
International-standard cosmetic procedures<br />
from simple dermabrasion and<br />
chemical peels to collagen injections,<br />
nose and eye shaping, liposuction, and<br />
breast enhancement. Procedures carried<br />
out by French and Vietnamese doctors<br />
using the latest equipment.<br />
Parkway Shenton International Clinic<br />
Suite 213-214, 37 Ton Duc Thang, D1<br />
Owned by the Singapore-based<br />
healthcare giant Parkway Holdings, this<br />
aesthetics clinic offers a range of both<br />
surgical and non-surgical treatments<br />
including dental reconstruction.<br />
DENTAL<br />
European Dental Clinic<br />
127 Dien Bien Phu, Dakao, D1<br />
Tel: 3823 8680<br />
Expat English and French-speaking<br />
dentist. Performs full range of dental<br />
treatment including whitening, aesthetic<br />
fillings, porcelain crowns, full ceramics,<br />
veneer and orthodontic treatment. 24-<br />
hour emergency line: 0909 551 916 or<br />
0918 749 204.<br />
Koseikai Dental Clinic<br />
3rd floor, 21 Nguyen Trung Ngan, D1<br />
Tel: 3910 6255<br />
info@koseikai.com.vn<br />
www.koseikaidentist.com<br />
A member of Dental Clinic Vietnam,<br />
provide full range of dental services<br />
with the latest in technology, delivery of<br />
laboratory work and new technologies<br />
now available.<br />
Starlight Dental Clinic<br />
Dr. Philippe Guettier & Associates<br />
3 Han Thuyen, D1 Tel: 3822 6222<br />
doc.linh@gmail.com<br />
With 10 years’ experience providing<br />
dental treatment to expat and<br />
Vietnamese patients, this well-known<br />
dental surgery is staffed by both foreign &<br />
local practitioners. Au fait with the latest<br />
treatments and techniques, the surgery<br />
prides themselves on their high standard<br />
of equipment & sterilization.<br />
Westcoast International Dental Clinic<br />
27 Nguyen Trung Truc, D1<br />
Tel: 3825 6999<br />
71-79 Dong Khoi, D1 Tel: 3825 6777<br />
info@westcoastinternational.com<br />
www.westcoastinternational.com<br />
Canadian-run dental clinic staffed by<br />
French, Japanese, English and Vietnamese<br />
speaking dental professionals.<br />
See Medical listings for hospitals with<br />
dental services.<br />
HAIR & SALON<br />
Anthony George for London Hair &<br />
Beauty<br />
FIDECO Riverview Building<br />
14 Thao Dien, D2 Tel: 3744 6475<br />
www.aglondonsalon.com.vn<br />
Top British stylist George brings his<br />
unique flair to hair in District 2. The modern,<br />
stylish and professional salon is host<br />
to a staff of professionally trained beauty<br />
therapists. Uses Dermalogica, Schwarzkopf<br />
and L’Oreal products. Shampoo,<br />
cut and blow-dry starts at USD $26; mini<br />
facials from $12.<br />
Jasmine<br />
45 Ton That Thiep, D1 Tel: 3827 2737<br />
jasminespa@hcm.vnn.vn<br />
Friendly and efficient staff offers haircuts<br />
and a wide range of services including<br />
waxing, manicures, pedicures and other<br />
beauty treatments. Skin renewal facial,<br />
salt or rice body scrub & deep tissue<br />
massage costs USD $98<br />
Le Brian Salon<br />
201 Calmette, D1<br />
195 Nguyen Van Hoang, D2<br />
Vietnamese-American hairstylist with<br />
dual locations, offering a full range of hair<br />
services, as well as professional make-up<br />
application.<br />
Lloyd Morgan International Hair<br />
Studio<br />
234 Nguyen Van Huong, Thao Dien, D2<br />
Tel: 090 8422 007<br />
International stylist Lloyd Morgan is one<br />
of the best in town. He’s been in the<br />
business for over 30 years and brings his<br />
expertise to this established, top-notch<br />
salon.<br />
Qi Spa<br />
151 Nguyen Van Troi, Phu Nhuan<br />
Tel: 3844 1719<br />
Caravelle Hotel Tel: 3824 7150<br />
Mövenpick Hotel Saigon,<br />
Tel: 3997 5437<br />
High-end salon and spa offers the<br />
standard range of services in a calming<br />
atmosphere with good service. Waxing,<br />
nail services, hair dressing as well as<br />
luxurious facial and massage treatments<br />
on offer.<br />
Souche<br />
2nd Floor, Saigon Trade Centre<br />
37 Ton Duc Thang, D1 Tel: 3910 0372<br />
A top-end beauty salon using the<br />
Dermatologica line of skincare products.<br />
Specialises in personalized facial care<br />
treatments from USD $30 and medicated<br />
acne treatments from $40. Waxing and<br />
other aesthetic services are also available<br />
in a pleasant atmosphere with excellent<br />
service.<br />
Sunji Matsuo Hair Studio<br />
Saigon Paragon, 3 Nguyen Luong Bang,<br />
D7 Tel: 5416 0378<br />
Celebrity hairstylist Sunji Matsuo’s Singapore-based<br />
hair salon has a variety of<br />
hair services including scalp treatments,<br />
rebonding and hair extensions.<br />
The Salon<br />
21-23 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, D1<br />
Tel: 3822 9660<br />
65 Le Loi, D1 Tel: 3821 6394<br />
Reliable haircuts from well-trained stylists<br />
at this local salon with multiple locations.<br />
A haircut starts at USD $28 for women<br />
and $22 for men.<br />
Venus<br />
41 Nguyen Trung Ngan, D1<br />
Reasonable price<br />
Tel: 3829 6298<br />
French Vietnamese stylist Sandrine<br />
Nguyen trained with worldwide academics<br />
Toni & Guy and Vidal Sassoon. With<br />
more than eight years experience, she<br />
offers haircuts for men from USD $10<br />
and $20 for women. Special services are<br />
colouring and highlights.<br />
YKC Beauty & Hair Studio<br />
219 Dien Bien Phu, D3<br />
Tel: 3829 2791/3827 5194<br />
www.ykcspa.com<br />
Popular among the expat community, the<br />
salon is run by Toronto trained mother<br />
and son duo Cindy (owner) and Ky The<br />
Guy (hair stylist). Offers a full range of spa<br />
and hair services and has a second hair<br />
salon located in the Park Hyatt Hotel.<br />
YKC Esthetics & Hair Spa<br />
219 Dien Bien Phu, D3<br />
Tel: 3829 2791<br />
An excellent salon with a following of<br />
expat regulars. A Toronto-trained motherand-son<br />
team manage YKC’s staff and<br />
offer the full range of services from facials,<br />
body therapy, waxing, nails to cut, color<br />
and highlights.<br />
MEDICAL<br />
Australian Clinic & Pathology<br />
Diagnostics (ACPD)<br />
273-275 Ly Thai To, D10<br />
Tel: 3834 9941<br />
www.australianclinic.com.vn<br />
Services include general outpatient<br />
healthcare, corporate / visa healthchecks,<br />
X-ray, full laboratory and in-house<br />
pharmacy including specialist medical<br />
services covering cardiology, paediatrics,<br />
obstetrics, gynecology, orthopedic and<br />
dermatology.<br />
CARE1 Executive Health Care Center<br />
The Manor, 91 Nguyen Huu Canh,<br />
Binh Thanh Tel: 3514 0757<br />
care1_reception@vietnammedicalpractice.com<br />
www.care1.com.vn<br />
Sister clinic of Family Medical Practice,<br />
CARE1 is an executive health care centre<br />
offering comprehensive preventative-care<br />
checkups in a modern and professional<br />
setting. State-of-the-art technology provides<br />
fast and accurate diagnoses.<br />
Centre Medical International (CMI)<br />
1 Han Thuyen, D1<br />
Tel: 3827 2366<br />
www.cmi-vietnam.com<br />
Located downtown next to the cathedral,<br />
the centre provides a high standard<br />
of medical care from qualified French<br />
and Vietnamese physicians. Its range<br />
of services include general and tropical<br />
medicine, cardiology, gynaecology,<br />
osteopathy, pediatrics, psychiatry, speech<br />
therapy and traditional Eastern medicine.<br />
Columbia Asia Saigon Clinic<br />
8 Alexandre de Rhodes, D1<br />
Tel: 3823 8888<br />
Respected multi-specialty clinic with<br />
foreign and local physicians. Doctors on<br />
call 24 hours a day. Standard check-ups<br />
cost between 400,000 VND and 800,000<br />
VND.<br />
Family Medical Practice HCMC<br />
Diamond Plaza, 34 Le Duan, D1<br />
Tel: 3822 7848<br />
www.vietnammedicalpractice.com<br />
Leading international primary healthcare<br />
provider, with a 24-hour state-of-the-art<br />
medical centre and highly-qualified multilingual<br />
foreign doctors. Extensive experience<br />
in worldwide medical evacuations<br />
with car and air ambulance on standby.<br />
Also in Hanoi and Danang.<br />
FV Hospital<br />
6 Nguyen Luong Bang, D7<br />
Tel: 5411 3333<br />
www.fvhospital.com<br />
A foreign-owned international-standard<br />
hospital with a mixture of French and<br />
Vietnamese physicians. Offers quality<br />
services, comprehensive patient care<br />
and is particularly well regarded for<br />
its maternity care. Full array of dental<br />
services from examination, cleaning and<br />
whitening to fillings, cosmetic procedures<br />
and implants. 24-hour emergency line:<br />
3411 3500.<br />
International SOS<br />
167A Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, D3<br />
Tel: 3829 8424<br />
www.internationalsos.com<br />
Globally-renowned provider of medical<br />
assistance and international healthcare.<br />
Specializes in offering medical transport<br />
and evacuation both within and outside<br />
of Vietnam for urgent medical cases.<br />
Foreign and Vietnamese dentists. Has<br />
multilingual staff.<br />
Victoria Healthcare International<br />
Clinic<br />
79 Dien Bien Phu, D1 Tel: 3910 4545<br />
www.victoriavn.com<br />
Well-regarded clinic offering general examinations,<br />
and specializing in women’s<br />
health, paediatrics, digestive diseases<br />
and internal medicine. Offers a membership<br />
programme. Open seven days a<br />
week. Doctors on call 24 hours.<br />
NAILS<br />
Nghia Beauty<br />
20 Phan Boi Chau, D1<br />
Tel: 3829 2688<br />
Located next to the Ben Thanh Market,<br />
clean efficient and friendly staff service<br />
your hands and feet with a range of treatments<br />
while you relax in a comfortable<br />
atmosphere.<br />
Nail P.KH<br />
51 Nguyen Huu Cau, D1<br />
A well-known local place with a number<br />
of manicure stations and an extensive<br />
range of services. A mani-pedi with polish<br />
starts at 40,000 VND.<br />
79 Dien Bien Phu St., Da Kao Ward, Dist. 1, HCMC<br />
Tel: (84 8) 3 910 45 45 (10 lines) - Fax: (84 8) 3 910 33 34<br />
86 asialife HCMC 135A Nguyen Van Troi St., Ward 12, Phu Nhuan Dist.<br />
Tel: (84 8) 3 997 45 45 - Fax: (84 8) 3 997 99 79<br />
asialife HCMC 87<br />
Email: info@victoriavn.com - Website:www.victoriavn.com
OPI<br />
253 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, D3<br />
International brand of nail care offering a<br />
variety of treatments from standard manicures<br />
at 50,000 VND to the whole host<br />
nail services such as acrylics, powder gell,<br />
cuticle treatments and French polishing.<br />
Quang Qui’s Nails<br />
146 Le Thanh Ton, D1<br />
242 Le Thanh Ton, D1<br />
Locally popular spots with low prices and<br />
good service, offering anything you could<br />
possibly want for your nails.<br />
SKINCARE<br />
Avon<br />
186A Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, D3<br />
Tel: 3930 4018<br />
www.vn.avon.com<br />
HCMC branch of the world’s largest direct<br />
seller of cosmetics occupies the ground<br />
floor of District 3 villa, selling brand names<br />
like Anew, Skin-So-Soft and Avon Natural.<br />
AZIAL and rendez-vous<br />
Eden Mall, 106 Nguyen Hue, D1<br />
Tel: 3824 3579<br />
www.azial.com<br />
www.naturalrdv.com<br />
All-natural skin and body care products<br />
free from synthetic ingredients. Made with<br />
freshly extracted Aloe Vera gel and enhanced<br />
with therapeutic-grade essential<br />
oils. Found in many of the best-known<br />
spas in Vietnam.<br />
The Body Shop<br />
87 Mac Thi Buoi, D1 Tel: 3823 3683<br />
www.thebodyshop.com<br />
Internatioanl cosmetics retailer with strong<br />
commitment to environment sources<br />
natural ingredients from small communities<br />
for its line of more than 600 products.<br />
Dermalogica<br />
Saigon Trade Center, 37 Ton Duc Thang,<br />
D1 Tel: 3910 0372<br />
www.dermalogica.com<br />
U.S. brand of cleansers popular among<br />
skin care professionals. The line of toners,<br />
exfoliants, moisturizers and masques are<br />
engineered by skin therapists to be free<br />
of common irritants, and the company is<br />
categorically opposed to animal testing.<br />
The Face Shop<br />
294 Hai Ba Trung, D1 Tel: 3820 2325<br />
598B Nguyen Dinh Chieu, D3<br />
Tel: 3832 2095<br />
94 Nguyen Trai, D5 Tel: 3923 9868<br />
Vincom Center, 70/72 Le Thanh Ton, D1<br />
www.thefaceshop.com<br />
Local retailer for the South Korea-based<br />
international brand of natural body, bath<br />
and skincare products. The company<br />
pairs variety with value, offering hundreds<br />
of products for different skin types. Also<br />
has kiosks at Co.op Mart in Phu My<br />
Hung, Diamond Plaza and Zen Plaza.<br />
L’Apothiquaire<br />
64A Truong Dinh, D3 Tel: 3932 5181<br />
www.lapothiquaire.com<br />
info@lapothiquaire.com<br />
French-made natural products for all<br />
types of skin. Also offers exclusive natural<br />
Italian skin, body and hair care from Erbario<br />
Toscano. Available at all L’Apothiquaire<br />
outlets.<br />
L’Occitane en Provence<br />
New World Hotel, 76 Le Lai, D1<br />
French cosmetics company with a 30-<br />
year history offering a range of bath and<br />
massage oils, essential oils, body and<br />
hand care products are especially well<br />
known. Also has outlets in all the major<br />
downtown shopping malls.<br />
Sian Skincare Laser Clinic<br />
71–77 Dong Khoi, D1 Tel:3827 6999<br />
info@sianclinic.com<br />
www.sianclinic.com<br />
Skincare laser clinic offering the latest in<br />
non-surgical esthetic treatments including<br />
Botox, laser, acne treatments, hair loss<br />
regrowth, hair removal, skin rejuvenation<br />
and anti-aging treatments. Led by Dr. Tran<br />
Ngoc Si, a leading esthetic dermatologist<br />
from the hospital of Dermatology of<br />
HCMC.<br />
Yves Rocher<br />
16-18 Hai Ba Trung Tel: 3824 8782<br />
www.yves-rocher.com<br />
Small centrally located boutique retailing<br />
in French brand of botanical fragrances,<br />
face and body care, cosmetics and antiaging<br />
solutions.<br />
SPAS<br />
Aqua Day Spa<br />
Sheraton Saigon, 88 Dong Khoi, D1<br />
Tel: 3827 2828<br />
Recently revamped luxury eight-room spa<br />
with a holistic approach to treatment, using<br />
natural Harnn products plus hot stone<br />
therapy and seaweed treatments.<br />
Belissima Spa<br />
3rd Floor Saigon Center, 65 Le Loi, D1<br />
Tel: 3272 8682<br />
Well known in Hanoi and now available<br />
in HCMC, Belissima offers range of facial<br />
treatments, body therapies, and hand and<br />
foot treatments as well as special packages<br />
such as Coffee and Chocolate Body<br />
Toning Treatment.<br />
Henni Biscoe<br />
NTFQ2<br />
34 Nguyen Dang Giai, D2<br />
Tel: 0126 874 9596<br />
henni.biscoe@gmail.com<br />
Physical therapist from the UK offers<br />
personal training and therapeutic massage,<br />
including deep tissue/sports and<br />
pregnancy massage.<br />
Jasmine Spa<br />
45 Ton That Thiep, D1<br />
Tel: 3827 2737<br />
jasminespa@hcm.vnn.vn<br />
Friendly and efficient staff offer haircuts<br />
and a wide range of services including<br />
waxing, manicures, pedicures and other<br />
beauty treatments. Skin renewal facials,<br />
salt or rice body scrub & deep tissue massages<br />
from USD $79.<br />
La Maison de L’Apothiquaire<br />
61-63 Le Thanh Ton, D3 Tel: 3822 1218<br />
64A Truong Dinh, D3 Tel: 3932 5181<br />
info@lapothiquaire.com<br />
www.lapothiquaire.com<br />
Traditional French day spa in colonial villa<br />
with professional therapists and state-ofthe-art<br />
treatments. Complimentary use of<br />
swimming pool, sauna and steam bath.<br />
Has fitness centre and organic garden<br />
restaurant and offers gentlemen’s care.<br />
Winner of Guide Award 2005-2009. Also<br />
offers exclusive natural Italian skin, body<br />
and hair care from ErbarioToscano.<br />
NTFQ2 Spa<br />
34 Nguyen Dang Giai, D2<br />
Tel: 3744 6672<br />
Therapeutic massage with a focus on<br />
sports massage to increase circulation,<br />
remove lactic acid build-up, restore flexibility<br />
and relieve back pain. Also offering<br />
Hawaiian Lomi Lomi massage to reduce<br />
tension and reiki treatments.<br />
Renaissance Riverside Spa<br />
8-15 Ton Duc Thang, D1<br />
Tel: 3822 0033<br />
No-frills Vietnamese, shiatsu and aromatherapy<br />
massages from USD $22 plus<br />
a room dedicated to foot massages from<br />
$18 at the atrium level. Also has sizable<br />
steam and sauna rooms at the club<br />
Spa Authentic at Thao Dien<br />
195 Nguyen Van Huong, D2<br />
Tel: 3744 6453<br />
Located on the banks of the Saigon River,<br />
offering day spa and fitness facilities with<br />
a riverside pool.<br />
Xuan Spa<br />
Park Hyatt, 2 Lam Son Square, D1<br />
Tel: 3824 1234<br />
Beautiful spa with highly rated Swedish<br />
massage and water therapy including the<br />
unique 60 minutes Vichy shower to soften<br />
and smooth skin or the Indian Shirodhara<br />
with special oil for 45 minutes. Spa packages<br />
aimed at rejuvenation, calming, and<br />
hydrating are also available.<br />
questions for the coiffeur<br />
By Lloyd Morgan<br />
Q. I’m currently growing<br />
out my hair. What can I do<br />
to tidy it up throughout the<br />
process?<br />
A. Try a texturized cut. This is<br />
an internal cut that will leave<br />
much of the existing length.<br />
The stylist will pick up the<br />
already layered sections and<br />
snip pieces of hair from the<br />
section, moving horizontally<br />
across. This can be done in<br />
a brick-like movement (up<br />
and down) or straight across.<br />
Either method creates a layer<br />
within a layer and, in most<br />
cases, gives movement and<br />
increases body. However, the<br />
effect depends on the length<br />
of the existing layers. If the<br />
layers are too long, it will only<br />
give a more textured effect—<br />
defeating the purpose.<br />
Q. Every time I get highlights,<br />
my hair feels dry. Why<br />
is that? I’m assuming that<br />
my stylist only colours my<br />
regrowth.<br />
A. The stylist is probably<br />
overlapping too much on the<br />
already lightened blonde hair.<br />
There are a few ifs here. If the<br />
stylist is using bleach, then<br />
he or she should be especially<br />
careful not to touch the<br />
bleached areas, as this will<br />
cause breakage. If your hair<br />
is really blonde, it will be more<br />
susceptible to breaking than if<br />
it’s closer to a gold tone. Also<br />
there will be less breakage<br />
if the stylist uses a high lift<br />
tint—but regardless, overlapping<br />
shouldn’t happen. If the<br />
breakage keeps occurring,<br />
then change your stylist.<br />
Q. Is leave-in conditioner<br />
OK to use, and how often<br />
should I use it?<br />
A. This depends on how dry<br />
and thick the hair is. Usually<br />
leave-ins are not as heavy as<br />
normal conditioners, but as<br />
with all topical approaches, the<br />
product will eventually build up<br />
and weigh the hair down. In<br />
some cases, it will make the<br />
hair look dull and feel gluggy.<br />
This of course depends on<br />
how often you use it.<br />
Many people living in<br />
humid climates over-wash<br />
their hair, as it always feels<br />
sweaty and dirty. When you<br />
over-wash, shampoo builds<br />
up and dries the hair out over<br />
time (usually because it’s not<br />
rinsed thoroughly enough). But<br />
remember that the dirt and<br />
sweat builds up only around<br />
the hair line.<br />
Here’s a little trick. As soon<br />
as you’ve wet your locks, apply<br />
a cheap conditioner from<br />
the top of the ear down to the<br />
ends. With the conditioner still<br />
in, apply your good shampoo<br />
(not a cheap one) to the top<br />
of your head and proceed<br />
to wash. The conditioner will<br />
gently cleanse the mid-lengths<br />
and ends, moisturize and act<br />
as a barrier so that the suds<br />
won’t get sucked into the<br />
already porous areas of the<br />
length when you rinse.<br />
Lloyd Morgan runs the Lloyd<br />
Morgan International Hair Studio<br />
at 234 Nguyen Van Huong,<br />
Thao Dien, D2. Contact him at<br />
0908 422 007 or lloydskate@<br />
hotmail.com.<br />
listings<br />
family<br />
ACTIVITIES<br />
Alpha Gallery<br />
10 Chu Manh Trinh, D1<br />
Printmaking classes for both adults and<br />
children run by Swiss artist Bernadette<br />
Gruber. Six-week courses start with the<br />
basics and swiftly move students towards<br />
producing proofs and final prints from<br />
copper plates they have created. Freedom<br />
of expression is encouraged and other<br />
mediums are also explored.<br />
Conservatory of Music<br />
112 Nguyen Du, D1<br />
The established training centre for professional<br />
musicians offers private piano and<br />
violin lessons to foreigners in the evenings.<br />
Helene Kling Painting<br />
helene_kling@yahoo.com<br />
Offers classes in oil painting to both<br />
children and adults for 150,000 VND and<br />
300,000 VND respectively. Classes are<br />
paced to suit each student.<br />
Rubba Duckies Swim School<br />
rubbaduckiesswim@hotmail.com<br />
Parent and infant water familiarisation<br />
classes in a group environment from six to<br />
48 months. Classes take place at Somerset<br />
Apts., D1; Riverside, D2; APSC, D2 or<br />
AI D2 and D3. Email for schedule.<br />
Saigon Movement<br />
An Phu Tel: 098 702 7722<br />
saigonmovement@gmail.com<br />
Sports and creative movement classes for<br />
kids 2 to 11. Classes improve children’s<br />
total body awareness through a variety of<br />
games and sports-based activities. Phu<br />
My Hung schedule starts in September.<br />
Saigon Pony Club<br />
Lane 42, Le Van Thinh, D2<br />
Tel: 0913 733 360<br />
Close to X-rock climbing centre, kids<br />
from three and upwards can ride one<br />
of the stable’s 16 ponies. Lessons with<br />
foriegn teachers last 45 minutes and cost<br />
350,000 VND for kids from age six.<br />
SaigonSports Academy<br />
An Phu and Phu My Hung<br />
Tel: 0862 819 790<br />
info@saigonsportsacademy.com<br />
Sports academy founded by pro tennis<br />
coach currently offering tennis, football,<br />
basketball and swimming training to kids<br />
4 to 18. Professional coaches integrate<br />
international concepts and systems to<br />
draw out athletes’ natural abilities. Also<br />
operates a youth football league.<br />
The Performing Arts Academy<br />
19A Ngo Quang Huy, D2<br />
Tel: 090 339 0675<br />
info@paa.com.vn<br />
www.paa.com.vn<br />
Enrolling aspiring learners 6 and up for<br />
instruction in guitar, singing, piano, flute,<br />
clarinet, saxophone and drums. ABRSM<br />
qualified. Group dance and drama<br />
session also available. Offering Tiny Tots<br />
music enrichment & dance program for<br />
ages 3-5.<br />
Tae Kwondo<br />
BP Compound, 720 Thao Dien, D2 and<br />
Riverside Villa Compound, Vo Truong<br />
Toan, D2<br />
phucteacherkd@yahoo.com<br />
Private and group classes are run after<br />
school three times a week by the friendly<br />
Mr. Phuc. Anyone over the age of five is<br />
welcome to join in the course, which costs<br />
USD $50 for 12 classes/month with a $25<br />
fee for non-members. Contact Mr. Phuc<br />
directly on 0903 918 149.<br />
BABY EQUIPMENT<br />
Baby<br />
66B Cach Mang Thang Tam, D10<br />
A large store stocking a good range of<br />
baby needs, including toys, buggies, cots<br />
and bottles. Prices are reasonable.<br />
Babyland<br />
Saigon Centre, 65 Le Loi, D1<br />
Quality products including car seats, buggies,<br />
prams and travel cots and a good selection<br />
of baby toys. Carries Avent bottles<br />
and sterilizer sets, and a small range of<br />
educational books. Prices are higher than<br />
the other places, but so is the quality.<br />
Maman Bebe<br />
Vincom Center, 70/72 Le Thanh Ton, D1<br />
Tel: 3825 8724<br />
www.mamanbebe.com.vn<br />
Stocks an assortment of modern strollers<br />
and car seats. Also sells various utensils<br />
and practical baby products. Small selection<br />
of clothing for ages newborn to 14<br />
years.<br />
Me & Be<br />
230 Vo Thi Sau, D3<br />
40 Ton That Tung, D1<br />
141D Phan Dang Luu, Phu Nhuan<br />
246 Nguyen Dinh Chieu, D3<br />
101-103 Khanh Hoi, D4<br />
287A Nguyen Van Troi, Phu Nhuan<br />
The closest thing to Mothercare the city<br />
has to offer. Stocks a substantial range<br />
of apparel for babies including bottles<br />
and sterilizers, cots (including travel cots),<br />
clothing, toys, safety equipment and more,<br />
all at reasonable prices.<br />
Me Oi<br />
1B Ton That Tung, D1<br />
A small shop adjacent to the maternity<br />
hospital bursting at the seams with everything<br />
you need for your baby. Clothing,<br />
footwear, bottles, nappies, nappy bags<br />
and toys all at reasonable prices.<br />
New Parent Street<br />
Nguyen Thong Street, D3 between<br />
Ly Chinh Thang and Ky Dong Street.<br />
An interesting array of baby formula and<br />
hard liquor. A one stop shopping cluster for<br />
first time parents.<br />
EDUCATION<br />
ABC International School<br />
2,1E street, KDC Trung Son, Binh Hung,<br />
Binh Chanh Tel: 5431 1833<br />
abcintschoolss@vnn.vn<br />
www.theabcis.com<br />
UK standards-based curriculum awards diploma<br />
with IGCSE’s & A Levels certified by<br />
Cambridge Universit examinations board.<br />
From playgroup to pre-university matriculation.<br />
Served by 80+ British teachers. Good<br />
facilities and extra-curricular activities.<br />
ACG International School<br />
East West Highway, An Phu, D2<br />
Tel: 3747 1234<br />
www.acgedu.com<br />
Part of the Academic Colleges Group’s<br />
international network of schools, ACG<br />
offers comprehensive education from<br />
kindergarten to senior high school and a<br />
range of extracurricular activities. International<br />
curricula (IB PYP and Cambridge<br />
International Examinations).<br />
The Australian International School<br />
Saigon<br />
Cherry Blossom 1 & Lotus 1, APSC Compound,<br />
36 Thao Dien, D2<br />
Tel: 3744 6960<br />
enrolment@aisvietnam.com<br />
www.aisvietnam.com<br />
An international curricula and PYP/MYP<br />
candidate school. Senior students follow<br />
IGCSE and Cambridge A levels. Only<br />
school in Vietnam authorized to deliver<br />
88 asialife HCMC asialife HCMC 89
University of New South Wales Foundation<br />
Studies grade 12 curriculum. Wellresourced<br />
classrooms, highly trained and<br />
experienced expatriate teachers, outfitted<br />
for academic, sport, creative activities.<br />
British International School<br />
An Phu Secondary Campus<br />
246 Nguyen Van Huong, D2<br />
Tel: 3744 2335<br />
www.bisvietnam.com<br />
With campuses all over the city and expansion<br />
underway, BIS offers a mixture of both<br />
English and International curricula-based<br />
education alongside excellent facilities and<br />
extra-curricular activities. Senior students<br />
follow the IGCSE and IB programmes.<br />
International School HCMC<br />
28 Vo Truong Toan, D2<br />
Tel: 3898 9100<br />
www.ishcmc.com<br />
One of 136 schools around the world<br />
to be accredited as an IB World School.<br />
Offers all three of the IB programmes from<br />
primary through to grade 12. The school<br />
is fully accredited by CIS and NEASC<br />
and has a strong focus on community<br />
spirit and fosters an awareness of other<br />
languages and cultures.<br />
International School Saigon Pearl<br />
92 Nguyen Huu Canh, Binh Thanh District<br />
Tel: 2220 1788/89<br />
www.issp.edu.vn<br />
Opening in August, 2011, the single<br />
purpose-built campus will cater for nursery<br />
through grade five. In the second year,<br />
sixth grade will be added. ISSP’s long-term<br />
strategic plan includes complete middle<br />
and high schools. In the spring of 2011<br />
ISSP will host the Western Association<br />
of Schools and Colleges (the largest<br />
American accreditation agency in Asia).<br />
Accreditation will allow children to easily<br />
transfer to schools abroad.<br />
The Little Genius International Kindergarten<br />
102 My Kim, Phu My Hung, D7<br />
Tel: 5421 1052<br />
Kindergarten with U.S.-accredited curriculum,<br />
modern facilities and<br />
attractive school grounds.<br />
Montessori International School<br />
42/1 Ngo Quang Huy, D2<br />
Tel: 3744 2639<br />
www.montessori.edu.vn<br />
Montessori utilizes an internationally recognized<br />
educational method which focuses<br />
on fostering the child’s natural desire to<br />
learn. The aim is to create an encouraging<br />
environment conducive to learning by<br />
developing a sense of self and individuality.<br />
A wide array of curriculum/extra-curricular<br />
activities are on offer including Bilingual<br />
programs.<br />
Renaissance International School<br />
74 Nguyen Thi Thap, D7<br />
Tel: 3773 3171<br />
www.rissaigon.edu.vn<br />
IB World school, one of Vietnam’s international<br />
schools operating within the framework<br />
of the British system. RISS provide a<br />
high quality English medium education in<br />
a stimulating, challenging and supportive<br />
environment. The purpose built, modern<br />
campus has excellent facilities.<br />
RMIT<br />
702 Nguyen Van Linh, D7<br />
Tel: 3776 1369<br />
Australian university located in District 7,<br />
offers a highly regarded MBA and undergraduate<br />
courses in various fields.<br />
Saigon South International School<br />
Nguyen Van Linh Parkway, D7<br />
Tel: 5413 0901<br />
www.ssis.edu.vn<br />
An International school environment offering<br />
an American/international program<br />
in a large, spacious campus, to children<br />
from age 3 to grade 12. Great facilities,<br />
extra-curricular activities and internationally<br />
trained teachers giving unique opportunities<br />
to learn.<br />
Saigon Star International School<br />
172 Nguyen Van Thu, D1<br />
Tel: 3822 0341<br />
www.saigonstarschool.edu.vn<br />
Offers a British primary curriculum approved<br />
by Cambridge University and integrated<br />
Montessori programme for nursery<br />
and kindergarten. Qualified, experienced<br />
teachers and small class sizes cater to<br />
individual needs and abilities.<br />
Singapore International School (SIS)<br />
No.29, Road No.3, Trung Son Residential<br />
Area, Hamlet 4, Binh Hung Ward, Binh<br />
Chanh District<br />
Tel: 5431 7477<br />
www.kinderworld.net<br />
Students play and learn in an environment<br />
where the best of Western and Eastern<br />
cultures amalgamate to prepare Kinder-<br />
World’s students for today’s challenging<br />
world drawn from both the Singapore and<br />
Australian curriculum. The school offers<br />
International Certifications such as the<br />
iPSLE, IGCSE and GAC.<br />
Smartkids<br />
1172 Thao Dien Compound, Thao Dien<br />
Ward, D2 Tel: 3744 6076<br />
www.smartkidsinfo.com<br />
International child care centre offers day<br />
care and pre-school to children from 18<br />
months to 6 years old. Fun and friendly<br />
environment focuses on learning through<br />
play.<br />
ENTERTAINMENT<br />
Diamond Plaza<br />
34 Le Duan, D1<br />
The top floor arcade and bowling alley is<br />
bound to keep your little ones entertained<br />
for hours with an impressive array of<br />
video games. Some child-friendly dining<br />
options too, with Pizza Hut on hand, a<br />
KFC and a New Zealand Natural ice cream<br />
concession.<br />
Gymboree Play & Music<br />
Somerset Chancellor Court<br />
21-23 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, D1<br />
Tel: 3827 7008<br />
www.gymboreeclasses.com.vn<br />
The Gymboree Play & Music offers<br />
children from newborn to 5 years old the<br />
opportunity to explore, learn and play in an<br />
innovative parent-child programmes.<br />
Parkson Plaza<br />
39-45 Le Thanh Ton, D1<br />
Arcade game after arcade game line the<br />
top floor here with a bowling alley and a<br />
decent food court thrown in on the floor<br />
below. A good place to take the kids after<br />
trawling through Parkson’s numerous<br />
concession stands.<br />
Vincom Center<br />
72 Le Thanh Ton, D1 Tel: 3936 9999<br />
A six-storey shopping centre that houses<br />
the world’s most famous luxury brands<br />
plus more than 250 fashion retailers and<br />
various restaurants. Each level has a coffee<br />
corner to help weary shoppers recoup<br />
while looking over the city. Open daily from<br />
9 am to 10 pm.<br />
PARTIES<br />
Beatrice’s Party Shop<br />
235 Le Thanh Ton, D1<br />
A lovely little shop selling everything you<br />
need to throw your little ones a good party.<br />
A catalogue of entertainers showcases a<br />
number of party favourites such as magicians,<br />
circuses and more.<br />
Nguyen Ngoc Diem Phuong<br />
131C Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, D1<br />
A curious shop stocking a range of handmade<br />
fancy dress costumes such as<br />
masks, superman outfits and much more.<br />
The stock changes seasonally, so this is<br />
a good place to stock up on Halloween,<br />
Christmas and other holiday-specific party<br />
costumes. Prices are also on the cheap.<br />
The Balloon Man<br />
Tel: 3990 3560<br />
Does exactly as his name suggests – balloons.<br />
Great service has earned this chap<br />
a reputation around town for turning up<br />
almost instantly with a superb selection of<br />
balloons. Also provides helium balloons.<br />
90 asialife HCMC asialife HCMC 91
ask auntie emily<br />
Coaxing Coordination<br />
By Emily Huckson<br />
Dear Auntie Em: My 4-year-old<br />
son’s hand-eye coordination<br />
seems to be underdeveloped.<br />
He gets very frustrated when<br />
trying to write his name or use<br />
a paintbrush. Do you have any<br />
ideas on how to improve these<br />
skills?<br />
- Catch The Ball!<br />
Dear CTB: When in doubt<br />
about your child’s abilities, the<br />
very first thing to do is make<br />
sure they are physically and<br />
mentally capable, so go and<br />
see a doctor.<br />
Assuming everything is OK,<br />
remember that the general<br />
list of development stages for<br />
children is just that—a general<br />
list. Not every child will develop<br />
at the same rate. The goal of<br />
both parents and teachers is<br />
to understand the capabilities<br />
and needs of the individual and<br />
use strategies that will lead to<br />
success.<br />
Your son is having problems<br />
with holding pencils and other<br />
tools. Are they the wrong size?<br />
Beginning with fatter crayons,<br />
pencils and brushes and then<br />
moving on to finer ones will<br />
give your son more confidence.<br />
Check with his teacher<br />
to make sure there is an assortment<br />
of sizes available at<br />
school.<br />
Weak pincer muscles (the<br />
area between the thumb and<br />
forefinger) may be the problem.<br />
There are many games you<br />
can play with your son that<br />
will strengthen them. Grasping<br />
and manipulating games<br />
in particular are great, as are<br />
sorting activities. Recently I<br />
found a variety of cute animalshaped<br />
plastic clothes pegs at<br />
a CitiMart that are perfect for<br />
sorting. Pegging items onto<br />
a line will also strengthen his<br />
pincer muscles. Playdough is<br />
also a great way to strengthen<br />
that area. Eventually you could<br />
move up to modelling clay,<br />
which is a bit more difficult<br />
to manipulate. Making bread<br />
together is a great activity, too,<br />
as he'll use these muscles to<br />
knead the dough.<br />
Try puzzles that have a little<br />
grasping knob on each piece.<br />
These are great for encouraging<br />
hand-eye coordination.<br />
Most early learning classrooms<br />
should have a variety of them.<br />
Ask to borrow one or two of<br />
the simpler ones, and each<br />
time your child accomplishes<br />
one, borrow another more difficult<br />
puzzle.<br />
I may get some flack about<br />
this, but video games are also<br />
excellent for honing hand-eye<br />
coordination. Choose games<br />
that are age-appropriate and<br />
educational.<br />
Another hint that a mother<br />
shared with me: Teach your<br />
child how to use chopsticks.<br />
She attests that it not only<br />
improved her son’s hand-eye<br />
coordination and dexterity,<br />
but was also a fun learning<br />
experience.<br />
Last, but not least, always<br />
remember to give your child<br />
plenty of encouragement and<br />
praise!<br />
Email your questions about<br />
childhood development to<br />
auntie-em@asialifehcmc.<br />
com<br />
listings<br />
living<br />
BUSINESS GROUPS<br />
AmCham<br />
New World Hotel, 76 Le Lai, D1<br />
Business Centre, Room 323<br />
Tel: 3824 3562<br />
www.amchamvietnam.com<br />
AusCham<br />
TV Building, Suite 1A, 31A Nguyen Dinh<br />
Chieu, D1 Tel: 3911 0272 / 73 / 74<br />
www.auschamvn.org<br />
British Business Group of Vietnam<br />
25 Le Duan, D1 Tel: 3829 8430<br />
execmgr@bbgv.org<br />
www.bbgv.org<br />
CanCham<br />
New World Hotel, 76 Le Lai, D1<br />
Business Centre, Room 305<br />
Tel: 3824 3754<br />
www.canchamvietnam.org<br />
Eurocham<br />
257 Hoang Van Thu, Tan Binh<br />
Tel: 3845 5528<br />
www.eurochamvn.org<br />
German Business Group<br />
21-23 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, D1<br />
www.gba-vietnam.org<br />
Singapore Business Group<br />
Unit 1B2, 21-23 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai,<br />
D1 Tel: 3823 3046<br />
www.sbghcmc.org<br />
Swiss Business Association<br />
42 Giang Van Minh, Anh Phu, D2<br />
Tel: 3744 6996<br />
Fax: 3744 6990<br />
Email: sba@hcm.vnn.vn<br />
www.swissvietnam.com<br />
Hong Kong Business Association<br />
New World Hotel, 76 Le Lai, D1<br />
Business Centre, Room 322<br />
Tel: 3824 3757 / 3822 8888<br />
www.hkbav.com<br />
NordCham<br />
Bitexco Building, 19-25 Nguyen Hue, D1<br />
Tel: 3821 5423<br />
www.nordcham.com<br />
CAMERAS<br />
Hung Hai<br />
75 Huynh Thuc Khang, D1<br />
A good place to purchase hard-to-find<br />
gear and some rare equipment, mainly<br />
auto focus lenses.<br />
Le Duc<br />
5B Huynh Tinh Cua, D3<br />
A shop for all your professional accessory<br />
needs. From lighting equipment to tripods<br />
and reflectors, the shop offers the best<br />
equipment and service in HCM City.<br />
Pham The<br />
11 Le Cong Kieu, D1<br />
An authorized service centre for Nikon<br />
camera that also specializes in repairing all<br />
camera makes. Measurement equipment<br />
and spare parts also available.<br />
Shop 46<br />
46 Nguyen Hue, D1<br />
Small shop run by photographer and<br />
collector. The owner’s more collectible<br />
pieces are pricey, but entry-level manual<br />
focus SLRs from the 70s and 80s are<br />
affordable.<br />
COMPUTERS<br />
Computer Street<br />
Luong Huu Khanh, D1 between Nguyen<br />
Thi Minh Khai and Nguyen Trai<br />
This stretch of District 1 is literally wall to<br />
wall with small shops selling computers,<br />
printers, monitors and everything computer<br />
related, more so toward the NTMK<br />
end of the drag.<br />
iCenter<br />
142A Vo Thi Sau, D3<br />
Tel: 3820 3918<br />
Professional, polished Apple retailer<br />
and repair centre with an attractive<br />
showroom featuring some of the latest in<br />
accessories and audio. English-speakers<br />
on staff. Honours Apple service plans.<br />
Future World<br />
240 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, D3<br />
Authorized reseller of Apple computers<br />
and products, as well as some off-brand<br />
items like headphones. Excellent service<br />
and English-speaking staff. Accepts<br />
credit cards.<br />
Phong Vu Computer<br />
264C Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, D1<br />
Tel: 3933 0762<br />
www.vitinhphongvu.com<br />
The biggest and busiest of the PC<br />
stores in town. Known for good, efficient<br />
service, in-house maintenance and aftersales<br />
repair on the second floor.<br />
SYS Vi Tinh Saigon<br />
96C Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, D1<br />
www.vtsaigon.com<br />
A superb place with an excellent<br />
reputation for after-sales service with<br />
competent English speaking staff and<br />
a wide range of products and services.<br />
Freeware and shareware also available<br />
on the store website.<br />
CONSULTING<br />
Concetti<br />
33 Dinh Tien Hoang, D1 Tel: 3911 1480<br />
www.concetti-vn.com<br />
Consulting and research company for<br />
technology transfer and investment.<br />
Embers-Asia Ltd.<br />
Level 9, Nam Giao Building, 80-8 Phan<br />
Xich Long, Phu Nhuan Tel: 3995 9163<br />
www.embers-asia.com<br />
With a focus on experiential learning,<br />
Embers-Asia has been creating and<br />
delivering high-performance training and<br />
development solutions for<br />
corporations, embassies, international<br />
schools and NGOs throughout Southeast<br />
Asia since 2002.<br />
Ernst & Young<br />
Saigon Riverside Office Center, 2A-4A<br />
Ton Duc Thang, D1 Tel: 3824 5252<br />
www.ey.com<br />
Professional service firm specializing in<br />
advisory, assurance, tax, transactions<br />
and strategic growth markets.<br />
Flamingo Corporate Services<br />
Indochina Park Tower, Room 606,<br />
4 Nguyen Dinh Chieu, D1<br />
Tel: 2240 9662<br />
Email: info@flamingovn.com<br />
www.flamingovn.com<br />
Specializes in business immigration,<br />
providing services like visas, work and<br />
resident permits, police clearance, APEC<br />
cards, authentication and legalization of<br />
work experience certificates and degrees<br />
in Vietnam and abroad.<br />
Grant Thornton<br />
Saigon Trade Centre, 37 Ton Duc<br />
Thang, D1 Tel: 3910 9100<br />
www.gt.com.vn<br />
International business advisors specializing<br />
in auditing, management consulting,<br />
corporate finance, risk management and<br />
information technology.<br />
92 asialife HCMC asialife HCMC 93
finance<br />
Swim with the Fishes<br />
By Paul McLardie<br />
The holiday is over and<br />
it's back to work. I’ve just<br />
returned from a great week in<br />
Nha Trang learning to dive. As<br />
this was the first time for me,<br />
I found it amazing. But it also<br />
got me thinking. Why do small<br />
fish protect themselves like<br />
they do, and can we learn any<br />
financial lessons from them?<br />
Schooling. Small fish group<br />
together in a school to protect<br />
themselves from larger predators.<br />
They swim around with<br />
no real direction or leadership.<br />
In these collective groups,<br />
they feel safer than they<br />
would out on their own.<br />
In investment terms,<br />
schooling can be seen as following<br />
the crowd rather than<br />
stepping out on your own.<br />
This can be dangerous, as<br />
you are putting your trust in<br />
others who know and maybe<br />
understand less than you do.<br />
These are the people who<br />
sit down with friends over a<br />
beer and listen to investment<br />
tips and advice. It goes up,<br />
down and round in circles.<br />
Not a very stable investment<br />
environment.<br />
Anemones. Instead of<br />
schooling, clown fish of Finding<br />
Nemo fame swim inside<br />
the tentacles of anemones for<br />
protection. By using a large<br />
hiding place, the clown fish<br />
can get on with their lives<br />
not having to worry much<br />
about larger predators. This<br />
may not seem like such a<br />
grand gathering, but using<br />
the established anemones<br />
as protection reduces each<br />
clown fish's risk.<br />
The anemone is the large<br />
financial institution offering<br />
different types of investment<br />
and savings products to meet<br />
your individual needs. It offers<br />
knowledge, protection and<br />
most of all, flexibility. It allows<br />
individual investors to change<br />
their plans as and when<br />
needed.<br />
Cleaner Fish. Everyone<br />
needs cleaning once in a<br />
while, even fish. Cleaner fish<br />
stay close to larger predators,<br />
cleaning the parts that<br />
the bigger fish can’t get to.<br />
Big risk for a small fish. The<br />
predator can eat them whenever<br />
it wants, but the small<br />
cleaner fish know this is the<br />
risk they need to take.<br />
In investments, cleaner<br />
fish are people who are not<br />
deterred by the risk of an<br />
investment. They only see the<br />
reward at the end. It can be<br />
considered very short-sighted<br />
to lay all your investments<br />
in high risk areas, but the<br />
rewards can be spectacular.<br />
You just need to be aware<br />
that your money may get<br />
consumed without any prior<br />
warning.<br />
So what sort of fish are<br />
you? To me, it’s always best<br />
to find your inner Nemo.<br />
Paul McLardie is a partner<br />
at Total Wealth Management.<br />
Contact him at Paul.<br />
mclardie@t-wm.com.<br />
IF Consulting<br />
IBC Building, 3rd Floor<br />
1A Me Linh Square, D1<br />
4th Floor, 5 Ba Trieu<br />
Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi<br />
Tel: 3827 7362<br />
Fax: 3827 7361<br />
Email: pascal@insuranceinvietnam.com<br />
Private insurance and finance.<br />
Indochine Councel<br />
Han Nam Building, 65 Nguyen Du, D1<br />
Tel: 3823 9640<br />
www.indochinecounsel.com<br />
Business law firm specializing in legal<br />
services to corporate clients in relation to<br />
their business and investment in Vietnam.<br />
Inspired Image<br />
42/2A Ho Hao Hon, D1<br />
Tel: 091 635 2573<br />
www.inspiredimage.co.uk<br />
Image consultant and personal stylist.<br />
Previous clients include business leaders,<br />
TV presenters and busy professionals.<br />
Phuong Nguyen Consulting<br />
TPC Business Center, 92-96 Nguyen<br />
Hue, D1 Tel: 3829 2391<br />
www.pnp-consulting.com<br />
Specializing in business facilitation,<br />
conferences, education counselling,<br />
market-entry research and IT/business<br />
consulting.<br />
Rouse & Co. International<br />
Abacus Tower, 58 Nguyen Dinh Chieu,<br />
D1 Tel: 3823 6770<br />
www.iprights.com<br />
Global intellectual property firm providing<br />
a full range of IP services including patent<br />
and trade mark agency services.<br />
Star Management Limited<br />
92-96 Nguyen Hue, D1 Tel: 3897 2765<br />
www.starlimited.com<br />
Business advisory services for companies<br />
investing in Vietnam, business project<br />
advancement and a range of business<br />
development services.<br />
Total Wealth Management<br />
66/11 Pham Ngoc Thac, D3<br />
Tel: 3820 0623<br />
www.t-wm.com<br />
Specialists in selecting and arranging<br />
tax-efficient savings and pension plans<br />
for expatriates. Offers councel on private<br />
banking services, wealth protection in<br />
offshore jurisdictions, currency risks and<br />
hedging strategies.<br />
Towers Watson Vietnam (formerly<br />
Watson Wyatt and SMART HR)<br />
Sun Wah Tower, 115 Nguyen Hue, Suite<br />
808, D1<br />
Tel: 3821 9488<br />
Global HR consulting firm specializing in<br />
executive compensation, talent management,<br />
employee rewards and surveys,<br />
HR effectiveness and technology, data<br />
services and total rewards surveys.<br />
DECOR<br />
Antique Street<br />
Le Cong Kieu Street, D1 between<br />
Nguyen Thai Binh and Pho Duc Chinh<br />
A variety of antiques and faux antiques<br />
from Thailand, China and Vietnam<br />
including silverware, compasses, lighters,<br />
brass knockers, urns, vases, abacuses,<br />
religious and pagan statues, candlestick<br />
holders, furniture and watches.<br />
Anupa Boutique<br />
84 Pho Duc Chinh, D1 Tel: 3915 1473<br />
Retails in unique and affordable range<br />
of console and coffee tables, trays,<br />
mirrors and lamps in a range of different<br />
textures such as leather resin, bamboo<br />
and walnut.<br />
Asian Fish<br />
34 Mac Thi Buoi, D1<br />
Boutique-style arts and crafts store selling<br />
locally made gifts and souvenirs, all designed<br />
by the Japanese owner. Products<br />
include clothing, bags, crockery, sandals,<br />
chopsticks and jewellery.<br />
Aquarium Street<br />
Nguyen Thong Street, D3 between Vo<br />
Thi Sau and Ly Chinh Thang<br />
Dedicated street has everything one<br />
needs to display fish: tanks, decor, feed,<br />
filters and the fish themselves.<br />
Budget Housewares Street<br />
Corner of Pasteur and Nguyen Dinh<br />
Chieu<br />
Stock up on shower heads, kitchen<br />
supplies (juicer, spatula, grater, etc.),<br />
coat racks, clothes hangers, pots, pans,<br />
champagne flutes, bowls, coolers, trash<br />
bins, ironing boards, magazine racks and<br />
the like.<br />
Chau Loan<br />
213 Dong Khoi, D1 Tel: 3825 7991<br />
Gallery based in a colonial shophouse<br />
stocking mainly Vietnamese-themed oil<br />
paintings and images of Buddha. Also<br />
deals in better-known reproductions.<br />
Decosy<br />
112 Xuan Thuy, D2 Tel: 6281 9917<br />
Producer of a large selection of European<br />
styled furniture and interior fittings,<br />
specializing in wrought iron and patine<br />
(distressed) wood finishes. Also stocks<br />
a wide-range of decorative accessories,<br />
crockery and fixtures. Custom design<br />
services available upon request.<br />
Dogma<br />
175 De Tham, D1 Tel: 3836 0488<br />
www.dogmavietnam.com<br />
Located upstairs from Saigon Kitsch, this<br />
art gallery deals in Vietnamese propaganda<br />
posters, apparel, accessories and<br />
random paraphernalia. Large prints are<br />
sold at USD $60 each and small prints<br />
cost $25.<br />
Minh Boutique<br />
15 Nguyen Thiep, D1<br />
Lacquerware pieces, tea boxes, teapot<br />
warmers, ice buckets and sake drinking<br />
sets all handmade in Vietnam. Also sells<br />
a range of silverware, egg holders and<br />
ice tongs.<br />
OUT-2 STUDIO<br />
L6 Fafilm annex<br />
6 Thai Van Lung, D1 Tel: 3825 6056<br />
STUDIO@OUT-2.com<br />
www.out-2.com<br />
Studio space for independent designers<br />
to showcas their wares, sell their work<br />
and meet with clients. Open Monday t<br />
Saturday 10 am to 6 pm.<br />
Phuong Mai<br />
213C Dong Khoi<br />
www.phuongmai-gallery.com<br />
Gallery specializing in original oils by<br />
Vietnamese artists. The works here are a<br />
mish-mash of styles but do contain some<br />
standouts, particularly well-known local<br />
artists La Hon, Quy Tam and Pham Trinh.<br />
Sapa<br />
125 Ho Tung Mau, D1<br />
Offers a better selection of hill tribe<br />
handicrafts than most of its rivals.<br />
Concentrates mainly on the hand-woven<br />
clothing of the indigenous tribespeople of<br />
the region. There is also a line in ladies’<br />
shoes and the standard range of silk<br />
wraps and bags.<br />
Son & Then Photogallery<br />
94 Mac Dinh Chi, D1<br />
Adorning the walls of this gallery-cumcafé<br />
are a number of photographs by<br />
local photographers mostly focusing on<br />
tasteful female nudes. Smaller prints start<br />
at USD $20 while larger works can reach<br />
$500. Framing, consulting and delivery<br />
services are also available.<br />
Vietnam-Quilts<br />
64 Ngo Duc Ke, D1 Tel: 3914 2119<br />
www.mekong-quilts.org<br />
NGO enterprise specializes in quilts and<br />
sells a range of appealing handmade<br />
products created by underprivileged<br />
women in Binh Thuan Province.<br />
ELECTRONICS<br />
Hi End Audio<br />
84 Ho Tung Mau, D1<br />
A standout that stocks the very latest and<br />
greatest in home entertainment. Retails in<br />
everything from giant plasma-screen TVs<br />
to audio equipment. Most top brands are<br />
available.<br />
iDEAS Shopping Centre<br />
133-141AB Cach Mang Thang Tam, D3<br />
The largest of the electonics stores<br />
along the street, the three-storey iDEAS<br />
sells every type of electronic and home<br />
appliance imaginable. Offers proper warranties.<br />
Staff speaks some English.<br />
Nguyen Kim Shopping Centre<br />
63-65 Tran Hung Dao, D1<br />
Tel: 3821 1211<br />
www.nguyenkim.com<br />
Stocks DVD/CD players, cameras,<br />
TVs, hi-fis and more from Sony, Sanyo,<br />
Panasonic, Philips and other major<br />
manufacturers. Also a good place to pick<br />
up electronic kitchen supplies like coffee<br />
makers and rice cookers, as well as large<br />
and small appliances, from hot water<br />
heaters to regrigerators.<br />
Phong Vu<br />
125 Cach Mang Thang Tam, D1<br />
Tel: 6290 8777<br />
www.vitinphongvu.com<br />
Two-storey electronics store retails in<br />
international products conveniently<br />
grouped by brand. Carries computers,<br />
home audio, printers, hard drives<br />
and more, as well as a variety of mobile<br />
phones, handheld electronic devices and<br />
accessories.<br />
Savico<br />
117 Ho Tung Mau, D1 Tel: 3821 7993<br />
One-stop electronics and home appliance<br />
superstore. All products have a one<br />
to three-year warranty.<br />
Tech Street<br />
Huyen Thuc Khang Street between Ton<br />
That Dam and Nguyen Hue, D1<br />
Sells compact discs, DVDs, electronic<br />
money counters, video games and<br />
systems, Discmans, mp3 players and<br />
portable DVD players.<br />
FURNITURE<br />
Appeal<br />
41 Ton That Thiep, D1 Tel: 3821 5258<br />
A small, upscale shop that offers modern<br />
accents for the sleek dining room. The<br />
colours of the over-sized vases and<br />
fruit bowls are either glistening red or<br />
lacquered black.<br />
AustinHome<br />
20 Thao Dien, D2 Tel: 3519 0023<br />
Outstanding quality and style for your<br />
home. The shop says its products are<br />
hand-picked by an American furniture<br />
expert from the best factories in Vietnam.<br />
Upholstery, accessories, antiques and<br />
more.<br />
Catherine Denoual<br />
15C Thi Sach, D1 Tel: 3823 9394<br />
Beautiful showroom with clean lines and<br />
a sumptuous array of bedroom products<br />
including bedside lamps, linens, pillowcases<br />
and duvet covers.<br />
Decosy<br />
112 Xuan Thuy, D2 Tel: 6281 9917<br />
Producer of a large selection of European<br />
styled furniture and interior fittings,<br />
specializing in wrought iron and patine<br />
(distressed) wood finishes. Also stocks<br />
a wide-range of decorative accessories,<br />
crockery and fixtures. Custom design<br />
services available upon request.<br />
El Gallery<br />
23 Ly Tu Trong, D1 Tel: 3824 8306<br />
Traditional decor with a modern twist.<br />
Offers a variety of mid- to high-range<br />
furniture, rugs, lighting, art and accessories<br />
from around the world, plus interior<br />
design services. Also imports furniture<br />
to Vietnam for export to Europe and the<br />
United States.<br />
Esthetic<br />
2B Ngo Van Nam, D1 Tel: 3910 1996/7<br />
Design and manufacture as order with a<br />
mixture of antique and modern furniture.<br />
Friendly staff speak excellent English.<br />
Furniture Outlet<br />
3A Ton Duc Thang, D1<br />
Tel: 2243 7955/3911 0104<br />
Wide selection of well-crafted and carefully<br />
constructed pine wood pieces at<br />
good prices, aimed at customers craving<br />
a taste of Europe.<br />
Furniture Street<br />
Ngo Gia Tu, D10 between Ly Thai To<br />
and Nguyen Chi Thanh<br />
Very affordable furniture can be found on<br />
this stretch: couches, mattresses, desks,<br />
chairs, etc. It often takes some looking to<br />
find a gem. A connected sidestreet, Ba<br />
Hat, features woodworkers’ shops.<br />
Gaya<br />
1 Nguyen Van Trang, D1 Tel: 3925 1495<br />
www.gayavietnam.com<br />
Four-floor store featuring the work of<br />
foreign designers: home accessories and<br />
outdoor furniture by Lawson Johnston,<br />
Established since 2001<br />
Design, Interior/External Decorations of High Quality Wood Products<br />
Manufacturing for Export, Construction Projects, Retails,...<br />
Copy-Antique Productions, Modern Designs and Made to order<br />
More than 10 years experience<br />
Devoted premium services/after sales services, every time, every where<br />
linens by Corinne Leveilley-Dadda,<br />
furniture and lighting by Quasar Khanh,<br />
laquerware decor by Michele De Albert<br />
and furniture and decor by vivekkevin.<br />
Linh’s White<br />
37 Thao Dien, D2 Tel: 6281 9863<br />
Furniture shop that focuses on solid<br />
wood furniture and decorative items<br />
ranging from pillows and lamps to<br />
bedding. Also offers kids’ furniture and<br />
custom pieces.<br />
Mantra<br />
84 Pho Duc Chinh, D1<br />
Tel: 3915 1473<br />
www.mantravietnam.com<br />
Tables, photo frames, trays, stools are<br />
just some of the elegant vivekkevin items<br />
you will find at Mantra. If you’re looking<br />
for items that use Vietnamese materials<br />
but have a modern contemporary feel,<br />
Mantra is it. New items received daily.<br />
Rare Decor<br />
41 Hai Ba Trung, D1 Tel: 3822 2284<br />
137/1 Nguyen Huu Canh, Binh Thanh<br />
Tel: 3840 6304/5<br />
Leading home furnishings company in<br />
Vietnam, supplying high quality, unique<br />
products. Also offer custom made<br />
furniture, accessories and lighting for<br />
commercial projects and home use.<br />
Remix Deco<br />
222 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, D3<br />
Tel: 3930 4190<br />
www.remixdeco.com<br />
Boutique furniture store in sprawling white<br />
with modern furniture including sofas,<br />
tables and seating from around the world.<br />
Featured designers include Le Corbusier,<br />
Ray & Charles Eames, Philippe Starck<br />
and Ludwig Mies Van der Rhode.<br />
Shop 63<br />
63 Xuan Thuy, D2 Tel: 3898 2821<br />
Large, serene antique shop specializing in<br />
furniture in French colonial, Asian and art<br />
deco styles, as well as lamps, vases and<br />
other home décor from around the world.<br />
Also carries small collection of original<br />
paintings, fashion and jewellery.<br />
The Furniture Warehouse<br />
3B Ton Duc Thang, D1<br />
Tel: 6657 0788<br />
namtran121@yahoo.com, ttpnam@<br />
webtnl.com<br />
Offers a range of reasonably priced Italian,<br />
European and French colonial sofas,<br />
indoor/outdoor wooden furniture, lighting<br />
and interior décor, as well as custom<br />
designs based on clients’ specifications.<br />
All at international quality export.<br />
The Lost Art<br />
31 Nguyen Cong Tru, D1<br />
Tel: 3829 0134<br />
Extensive product range as well as<br />
comprehensive interior design service,<br />
from initial conceptualization to design,<br />
manufacture and installation of unique<br />
products.<br />
The Sixty Three<br />
63 Xuan Thuy Ward, Thao DIen, D2<br />
Tel: 0938 485 211<br />
www.let-us-do.com<br />
New show room concept store of architectural<br />
and interior design collective ‘Let<br />
Us Do.' Specializes in unique and original<br />
furnitures, interior decoration, lamps and<br />
women’s fashion and jewellery.<br />
Thien An Furniture<br />
90A Nguyen Dinh Chieu, D1<br />
Tel: 3910 5650<br />
A range of beautiful furniture with a<br />
distinct traditional flavor from colourful<br />
silk lampshades, wooden carved beds,<br />
screens, chests and more.<br />
LEGAL<br />
Allens Arthur Robinson<br />
Saigon Tower, 29 Le Duan, D1<br />
Tel: 3822 1717<br />
www.vietnamlaws.com<br />
Australian law firm for law translation<br />
services and legal advice on foreign<br />
investment and business in Vietnam.<br />
Baker & McKenzie<br />
Saigon Tower, 29 Le Duan, D1<br />
Tel: 3829 5585<br />
www.bakernet.com<br />
International law firm providing on-theground<br />
liaison and support services<br />
to clients interested in investigating,<br />
negotiating and implementing projects<br />
in Vietnam.<br />
Frasers International<br />
Saigon Centre, 65 Le Loi, D1<br />
Tel: 3824 2733<br />
www.frasersvn.com<br />
Full service commercial law firm providing<br />
international and Vietnamese legal advice<br />
to both foreign and local clients specializing<br />
in transactions in Vietnam.<br />
Indochine Counsel<br />
Han Nam Building, 65 Nguyen Du, D1<br />
Tel: 3823 9640<br />
www.indochinecounsel.com<br />
Business law practitioners specializing<br />
in mergers & acquistions, inward investment,<br />
and securities & capital markets.<br />
Limcharoen, Hughes and Glanville<br />
Havana Tower, 132 Ham Nghi, D1<br />
2B Ngo Van Nam, Dist.1, HCMC<br />
(Near the Mandarine restaurant)<br />
Tel: (84 8) 3910 1996 / 97 –<br />
Fax: (84 8) 3910 1995<br />
Hot line: Ms. Nhat Thu Director - 0903 849 232<br />
Email: esthetic@vnn.vn<br />
Website: www.estheticfurnishing.com.vn<br />
94 asialife HCMC asialife HCMC 95
Tel: 6291 7000<br />
www.limcharoen.com<br />
Full service international law firm with<br />
head office in Thailand. Main focus on<br />
real estate in Asia.<br />
Lucy Wayne & Associates<br />
17 Le Duan, D1 Tel: 3824 4395<br />
www.lwavietnam.com<br />
Law firm providing legal services across<br />
the board from entertainment and<br />
environmental law to health care and real<br />
estate.<br />
Phillips Fox<br />
Saigon Tower, 29 Le Duan, D1<br />
Tel: 3822 1717<br />
Full service law firm providing legal<br />
services in healthcare, education, crime,<br />
banking and hospitality among others.<br />
Pricewaterhousecoopers Legal<br />
Saigon Tower, 29 Le Duan, D1<br />
Tel: 3823 0796<br />
www.pwc.com/vn<br />
Part of a network of international legal<br />
and financial advisors, PWC gives both<br />
specialist and general legal advice with a<br />
focus on mutli-territory projects.<br />
Rödl & Partner<br />
Somerset Chancellor Court<br />
21-23 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, D1<br />
Tel: 3824 4225<br />
www.roedl.com<br />
European legal firm assisting foreign<br />
investors with structuring/establishing<br />
companies, investment projects, and<br />
mergers & acquistions.<br />
LIGHTING<br />
Caodong Design Boutique<br />
37bis Mac Dinh Chi, D1<br />
207L Vo Thi Sau, D3<br />
Saigon Centre, 65 Le Loi, D1<br />
Spanking new store with a range of<br />
beautiful items ranging from interesting<br />
lighting with decorative table lamps with<br />
hand-painted paper shades and some<br />
lovely leather boxes and gift ideas.<br />
Light House<br />
92 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, D1<br />
Tel: 3914 2662<br />
Vincom Center, 70/72 Le Thanh Ton, D1<br />
Small retail shop is packed with ceiling<br />
and wall light fixtures, and a good selection<br />
of desk and ceiling lamps. Most of<br />
the stock is decidedlly modern and sleak.<br />
Luxury Light<br />
1483 My Toan 1, Nguyen Van Linh,<br />
Phu My Hung, D7<br />
For those who really want to bring a<br />
touch of luxury to their homes, this place<br />
deals with Italian imported lighting from<br />
the ultra - modern to the traditional<br />
Murano style chandeliers. Extremely<br />
expensive reflecting the quality of the<br />
design and workmanship.<br />
Mosaique<br />
98 Mac Thi Buoi, D1<br />
One of the best and most diverse selections<br />
of lamps in town with everything<br />
from the ordinary decorative lotus silk<br />
lamp to more inventive and original<br />
designs in lacquer and silk.<br />
Treasure Light<br />
18A Bis Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, D1<br />
Tel: 3822 4315<br />
www.treasure-light.com<br />
High-end lighting shop specialising in fine<br />
lacquered lamps. Designs are sophisticated<br />
and minimilast. Wide selection of<br />
table lamps, wall lamps, floor lamps and<br />
ceiling lamps.<br />
MOTORBIKES<br />
Automotive Street<br />
Ly Thai To Street, D10 starting at Dien<br />
Bien Phu and running southeast<br />
Services include mending motorbike<br />
seats and sound system installation.<br />
Products range from zebra print motorbike<br />
seat covers to car and motorbike<br />
tyres, hubcaps, rims, subwoofers and<br />
sound systems by Xplode.<br />
Bike City<br />
480D Nguyen Thi Thap, D7<br />
Luxury motorcycle shop carries a range<br />
of accessories, including apparel. Sells<br />
Vemar helmets, a brand that passes<br />
rigorous European Union standards.<br />
Protec Helmets<br />
18bis/3A Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, D1<br />
248C Phan Dinh Phung, Phu Nhuan<br />
417B Nguyen Dinh Chieu, D3<br />
American nonprofit manufacturer makes<br />
helmets with densely compressed polystyrene<br />
shell with ABS, PVC or fiberglass<br />
exterior, available with polycarbonate<br />
shatter-proof shield. Lots of options for<br />
kids.<br />
Zeus Helmets<br />
Founded in Taiwan to manufacture cool,<br />
comfortable helmets that meet worldwide<br />
safety standards. Basic models feature<br />
thermo-injected shells constructed from<br />
lightweight ABS composite with interiors<br />
lined with moisture-absorbant brushed<br />
nylon. Shops selling authentic Zeus<br />
helmets are located on Pham Hong Thai<br />
near Ben Thanh Market.<br />
REAL ESTATE<br />
CB Richard Ellis<br />
Me Linh Point Tower, 2 Ngo Duc Ke, D1<br />
Tel: 3824 6125<br />
www.cbre.com<br />
International property consultants and<br />
developers with both commercial and<br />
private properties for sale, lease and rent.<br />
Chamber Property Consultants<br />
Tel: 0168 349 9991<br />
www.chamberproperty.com<br />
Chamber Property Consultancy has more<br />
than 100 houses and flats available for<br />
rent in HCMC. Contact them today for<br />
more information.<br />
Diamond Plaza<br />
34 Le Duan Street<br />
Tel: 3822 1922<br />
lntdung@diamondplaza.com.vn<br />
Located in the heart of District 1, connected<br />
to Diamond PLaza. Services<br />
1- to 4-bedroom apartments with gym,<br />
swimming pool and panoramic views of<br />
the city.<br />
EasySaigon.com<br />
www.easysaigon.com<br />
Real estate website helps expats find<br />
apartments in HCMC.<br />
InterContinental Asiana Saigon<br />
Residences<br />
Corner of Hai Ba Trung & Nguyen Du,<br />
D1 Tel: 3520 8888<br />
saigon@interconti.com<br />
www.intercontinental.com/saigonres<br />
Contemporary residential space in the<br />
heart of the major business and cultural<br />
area in District 1. There are 260 one, two<br />
or three-bedroom units plus health club<br />
and outdoor swimming pool.<br />
Namhouse Corporation<br />
24 Xuan Thuy, Thao Dien, D2<br />
Tel: 0989 007 700, 0989 115 511<br />
www.namhouse.com.vn<br />
Provides rental properties, construction<br />
services and interior decorating. Supports<br />
professional services and after-sales.<br />
The Nest<br />
Tel: 090 319 8901 (Laurence)<br />
Tel: 090 793 3000 (Thuong)<br />
laurence@thenest-vietnam.com<br />
thuong@thenest-vietnam.com<br />
www.thenest-vietnam.com<br />
Real estate agent maintains a well-organized<br />
and frequently updated website<br />
listing apartments, villas, townhouses<br />
condos and offices. Renters/buyers can<br />
receive regular updates via email.<br />
Nguyen Du Park Villas<br />
111 Nguyen Du, D1<br />
Tel: 3822 0788<br />
www.ndparkvillas.com.vn<br />
Boutique residence of fully-serviced,<br />
luxury downtown apartments designed<br />
to combine the atmosphere of a villa with<br />
ranges in size from one-bedroom apartments<br />
to four-bedroom duplex units.<br />
Platinum1<br />
Star Building, 33 Mac Dinh Chi, D1<br />
Tel: 3911 8193<br />
www.platinum1corp.com<br />
Your one-stop agency for housing and<br />
office space in the city with pre-viewing<br />
selection before the visit and full support<br />
throughout your lease.<br />
Riverside Apartments<br />
53 Vo Truong Toan, D2<br />
Tel: 3744 4111<br />
www.riverside-apartments.com<br />
One of the first luxury serviced apartments<br />
in town located next to the Saigon<br />
River set in lush tropical gardens.<br />
Saigon Village<br />
523 To Hien Thanh, D10<br />
Tel: 3865 7249<br />
www.saigonvillage.vnn.vn<br />
Fully furnished villas and apartments in<br />
a tranquil, leafy complex cordonned off<br />
from the pressures of HCMC.<br />
Savills Viet Nam<br />
Level 18, Fideco Tower, 81-85 Ham<br />
Nghi, D1 Tel: 823 9205<br />
www.savills.com.vn<br />
Savills Viet Nam is a property service<br />
provider that has been established in<br />
Vietnam since 1995 offering research,<br />
advisory services, residential sales, commercial<br />
leasing, asset management, retail<br />
advisory, valuation, investment advisory<br />
and more.<br />
Hotline: 0917470058<br />
leasing@sherwoodresidence.com<br />
www.sherwoodresidencecom<br />
Sherwood Residence is a luxury serviced<br />
apartment property and the first property<br />
certified by the Vietnam National Administration<br />
of Tourism. Modern living spaces<br />
meet prime location, comfort and class<br />
with 5-star facilities and service.<br />
Snap<br />
Tel: 0989 816 676<br />
www.snap.com.vn<br />
Online Real Estate service providing information<br />
on rental properties exclusively in<br />
District 2. Full listings online.<br />
RECRUITMENT<br />
First Alliances<br />
#609, Saigon Trade Center<br />
37 Ton Duc Thang, D1<br />
Tel: 3910 2080 Fax: 3910 2079<br />
www.firstalliances.net<br />
cv@firstalliances.net<br />
As Vietnam’s most established recruitment<br />
consultancy, First Alliances operates<br />
across all major industry sectors and<br />
at all levels of seniority. Also providing<br />
HR outsourcing solutions for staffing and<br />
payroll,overseas employment and education<br />
services.<br />
HR2B / Talent Recruitment JSC<br />
Thien Son Building, 5 Nguyen Gia<br />
Thieu, D3 Tel: 3930 8800<br />
www.hr2b.com<br />
HR consulting advises businesses on<br />
how to improve employee productivity.<br />
The search team specializes in matching<br />
senior level Vietnamese professionals and<br />
managers to top level opportunities in<br />
both major cities.<br />
Mekong Emerald Talent Recruitment<br />
68 Huynh Khuong Ninh, D1<br />
Tel: 0938 001 509<br />
www.mekongem.com<br />
Offers comprehensive manpower<br />
services including executive search and<br />
selection, employment outsourcing and<br />
HR management in a wide variety of<br />
industries.<br />
Navigos Group<br />
130 Suong Nguyet Anh, D1<br />
Tel: 3825 5000<br />
www.navigosgroup.com<br />
Recruitment agency offering a complete<br />
portfolio of HR services including<br />
executive search, HR advisory, training,<br />
online recruitment, and print recruitment<br />
advertising.<br />
Opus Vietnam<br />
2A Rolanno Offices, 128 Nguyen Phi<br />
Khanh, D1 Tel: 3827 8209<br />
www.opusasia.net<br />
Established in HCMC in 2005, Opus services<br />
local and multinational companies<br />
seeking to recruit high quality personnel.<br />
An Associate of Horton International, one<br />
of the world’s leading search groups with<br />
over 30 offices worldwide. For more info<br />
contact info@opusasia.net.<br />
Smart HR<br />
Capital Place Building, Suite 601, 6 Thai<br />
Van Lung, D1 Tel: 3823 5828<br />
www.smarthrvietnam.com<br />
Human resource consultants specialising<br />
in job search and selection, and human<br />
resource management.<br />
TMF Vietnam<br />
Saigon Trade Center, Unit 2811, 37 Ton<br />
Duc Thang, D1 Tel: 3910 9229 / 9222<br />
hang.bui@tmf-group.com<br />
www.tmf-group.com<br />
With more than 3,300 professionals<br />
working out of 86 offices in 65 countries,<br />
TMF provides independent accounting<br />
and corporate secretarial services to<br />
companies worldwide.<br />
Sherwood Residence<br />
127 Pasteur St., D3<br />
Tel: 3823 2288<br />
Fax: 3823 9880<br />
Vietnamworks.com<br />
130 Suong Nguyet Anh, D1<br />
Tel: 5404 1373<br />
www.vietnamworks.com<br />
96 asialife HCMC asialife HCMC 97
people matter<br />
Closing the Deal<br />
By Gary Woollacott<br />
Here’s an often overlooked<br />
aspect of recruitment: closing<br />
the candidate, using the<br />
company’s resources to make<br />
sure that the best candidate<br />
accepts the offer and starts<br />
work. So much effort goes<br />
into identifying the right candidates,<br />
wooing them, creating<br />
exactly the right package and<br />
so on, that some fundamental<br />
elements can still be forgotten<br />
at this critical stage.<br />
Taking the candidate’s point<br />
of view, he or she is going to<br />
be concerned about some<br />
or all of the following: the<br />
extent to which candidate<br />
and employer share common<br />
values and ambitions,<br />
the effect of changing jobs<br />
on the candidate’s home life,<br />
the latitude the candidate will<br />
have on the job, short- and<br />
long-term financial incentives<br />
and company-specific cultural<br />
considerations that will determine<br />
whether the candidate<br />
actually enjoys coming to<br />
work.<br />
An employing manager—or<br />
better yet, his or her superior—who<br />
takes the time to<br />
address each of these points<br />
is going to have a greater success<br />
rate in securing talented<br />
individuals. And, of course,<br />
what the employing manager<br />
tells the potential employee<br />
must be truthful; we have<br />
all heard stories of people<br />
who have been misled at the<br />
recruitment stage.<br />
When the hiring process is<br />
tarnished by mistruths, it won’t<br />
take long for the truth to be<br />
discovered and you may find<br />
that the star recruit quits just<br />
as quickly as he or she arrived.<br />
Worse, the reason for the<br />
sudden departure will spread<br />
around the market. That kind<br />
of gossip doesn't do anyone<br />
any good, and rumours of a<br />
bad employer who misleads<br />
recruits will get around quickly.<br />
This will undoubtedly lead to<br />
difficult times when candidates<br />
refuse point blank to consider<br />
a certain employer: they all<br />
know what happened to their<br />
colleague when he or she<br />
went there. You get the idea.<br />
What it comes down to is<br />
honesty in the recruitment<br />
process. If there are skeletons<br />
in the cupboard, bring them<br />
out and explain them. You<br />
don't want your new recruit to<br />
find out unpleasant history at<br />
the water cooler on his or her<br />
first day. Take the time to bring<br />
people on board properly—<br />
with respect—and you will<br />
have better results. The best<br />
candidates always have other<br />
options. Smart employers<br />
need to make sure they are<br />
the first choice.<br />
As usual, let me know if<br />
you have any particular topic<br />
you would like to see covered<br />
here.<br />
Gary Woollacott is the chief<br />
representative for Opus Executive<br />
Search in Vietnam and<br />
Thailand. He can be reached<br />
at 3827 8209 or via gary@<br />
opusasia.net. Opus is an<br />
associate of Horton International.<br />
Excellent section on advice for jobseekers<br />
focusing on topics such as resume<br />
writing, cover letters, interview technique<br />
and more.<br />
RELOCATION AGENTS<br />
Allied Pickfords<br />
Satra Building, Room 202, 58 Dong Khoi,<br />
D1 Tel: 0122 5141 848<br />
aurelien.jouve@alliedpickfords.com.vn<br />
http://vn.alliedpickfords.com<br />
Moving and relocating services company<br />
specializing in business and office moves.<br />
Overseas and specialist movers also<br />
available.<br />
Asian Tigers Transpo International<br />
Room 201 and 202, 216 Nguyen Thi<br />
Minh Khai, D3 Tel: 3930 9484<br />
Tel: 3945 0891<br />
matt.king@asiantigers-vietnam.com<br />
www.asiantigersgroup.com<br />
International moving agency, homesearch,<br />
orientation, settling in programs and work<br />
permit assistance.<br />
Crown Worldwide Movers<br />
48A Huynh Man Dat, Binh Thanh<br />
Tel: 3823 4127<br />
www.crownrelo.com<br />
International moving company serving<br />
diplomats and private customers, employees<br />
and expats, providing domestic and<br />
iternational transportation of household,<br />
office and industrial goods.<br />
JVK International Movers<br />
Saigon Port Building, 3 Nguyen Tat<br />
Thanh, D4 Tel: 3826 7655/6<br />
chris.honour@jvkasia.com<br />
www.jvk.com<br />
International agengy with a full range of<br />
services including sea/air freight services<br />
and worldwide transit coverage.<br />
Mekong Emerald (MEK) Relocation<br />
68 Huynh Khuong Ninh, D1<br />
Tel: 09800 1509<br />
www.mekongem.com<br />
Full range of services including pet move/<br />
care, car rental, pre-move consultation,<br />
cross-cultural training and visa/immigration<br />
support.<br />
Resident Vietnam<br />
187/9/1 Bach Dang Street, Tan Binh<br />
Tel: 3848 8443 / 3848 8285<br />
www.residentvietnam.com<br />
Specializes in immigration management,<br />
destination services and cross-cultural<br />
training and car leasing assistance.<br />
Santa Fe Relocation Services<br />
Thien Son Building, 5 Nguyen Gia Thieu,<br />
D3 Tel: 3933 0065<br />
www.santaferelo.com<br />
Provides a range of services including<br />
home/school search, language/cultural<br />
training, tenancy management and immigration/visa<br />
support.<br />
STATIONARY<br />
Custom Signage Street<br />
Le Lai, D1 between Truong Dinh and<br />
Nguyen Thai Hoc<br />
Offers custom-designed signs and custom<br />
engraving on trophies and plaques made<br />
of plastic, wood, metal and glass.<br />
Fahasa<br />
40 Nguyen Hue, D1 Tel: 3822 5796<br />
Bookstore chain carries an expansive<br />
stock of office and home stationary; a onestop<br />
shop for basic needs.<br />
Pi-Channel<br />
45B Le Thanh Ton, D1 Tel: 3822 0253<br />
www.pi-channel.com<br />
Boutique shop carries up-market collections<br />
of pens and notepads, as well as<br />
desktop organisers, clocks, calendars and<br />
frames. Corporate services offered.<br />
Stationary and Printing Street<br />
Ly Thai To Street, D3 starting at Dien<br />
Bien Phu and running southeast<br />
More than 25 stores providing photocopying<br />
services, from business cards to flyers<br />
and colour prints to invitations.<br />
listings<br />
fashion<br />
ACCESSORIES<br />
Accessorize<br />
48 Dong Du, D1, Tel: 3822 1081<br />
Vincom Center, 70/72 Le Thanh Ton, D1<br />
www.monsoon.co.uk/icat/accessorize<br />
Fashion-forward accessories including<br />
necklaces, handbags, wallets, flip-flops,<br />
sunglasses, hair accessories, belts and<br />
more.<br />
Alfred Dunhill<br />
Diamond Plaza, 34 Le Duan, D1<br />
A timeless style in male luxury providing<br />
formal and casual mens accesories<br />
tailored for the discerning man. Also<br />
stocking handcrafted leather goods.<br />
Anupa Boutique<br />
17/27 Le Thanh Ton, D1 Tel: 3825 7307<br />
anupaboutiquevietnam@anupa.net<br />
The ever-changing boutique retails in<br />
the elegant design of anupa accessories<br />
made from high-quality leather. Collections<br />
available range from men, women,<br />
executive, travel, spa, yoga, board games,<br />
boxes and semi-precious stone jewellery.<br />
Collection changes on weekly basis. Also<br />
carries childrens wear, toys, furniture and<br />
homewares.<br />
Bally<br />
Rex Hotel, 141 Nguyen Hue, D1<br />
Diamond Plaza, 34 Le Duan, D1<br />
www.experience.bally.com<br />
Flagship store in the Rex Hotel providing<br />
luxury Italian-made accessories for men.<br />
Among these are shoes, belts, wallets and<br />
a collection of male jewellery.<br />
Banana<br />
128 Ly Tu Trong, D1<br />
Women’s accessories and more, from<br />
bags, clutches and belts to clothes and<br />
jewellery, all at reasonable prices.<br />
Cartier<br />
Diamond Plaza, 34 Le Duan<br />
This well-known designer brand displays<br />
a wide range of accessories for men. Famous<br />
for its watches, Cartier also stocks<br />
pens, key rings, belts and sunglasses.<br />
Cincinati<br />
177P Dong Khoi, D1<br />
www.cincinati.vn<br />
info@cincinati.vn<br />
Vietnamese brand of genuine leather<br />
bags, shoes, accessories and personal<br />
goods for men and women such as notebooks<br />
for a classic vagabond look. Quality<br />
leather from crocodile, horse, snake and<br />
fish made with excellent local craftsmanship.<br />
Cleo-Pearls<br />
30 Nguyen Dang Giai, An Phu, D2<br />
Tel: 091 3587 690<br />
Jewellery designer Birgit Maier operates<br />
Cleo-Pearls from her home, specializing in<br />
necklaces, bracelets, earrings, key holders<br />
and bag accessories. All pieces created<br />
with gemstones, fresh water pearls and<br />
beads.<br />
Coconut<br />
100 Mac Thi Buoi, D1<br />
Bags of all shapes and sizes rule the<br />
roost in this small shop. Made of silk and<br />
embroidered to the brim, these unique<br />
bags start at about USD $30, and many<br />
are suitable for both day and night.<br />
Creation<br />
105 Dong Khoi, D1 Tel: 3829 5429<br />
A two-storey shop selling scarves, intricate<br />
handbags (from USD $30), tailor-made<br />
silk dresses and tops. Has a wide range<br />
of materials on the second floor. Prices<br />
start from $65 for an ao dai with simple<br />
embroidery.<br />
Deanh Jewellery<br />
Eden Mall, 106 Nguyen Hue, D1<br />
Tel: 3827 6039<br />
Gorgeous selection of gold accessories<br />
imported from Turkey and Italy. Also has a<br />
selection of simple ring designs to set your<br />
precious stones in.<br />
Gallery vivekkevin<br />
FAFILM Building, 6 Thai Van Lung, D1<br />
Tel: 6291 3709<br />
info@vivekkevin.com<br />
www.galeryvivekkevin.com<br />
Handcrafted pendants, necklaces, rings<br />
and bracelets. The gallery’s focus is on<br />
design, craftsmanship and finish, as well<br />
as educating clients on the intricacies of<br />
each piece.<br />
Gucci<br />
88 Dong Khoi, D1 Tel: 3827 6688<br />
Located on the main shopping street in<br />
HCMC, this flagship store brings Florentine<br />
fashion to an array of luxury leather<br />
goods such as briefcases, luggage and a<br />
selection of men’s shoes for office or more<br />
casual occasions.<br />
Ipa-Nima<br />
85 Pasteur, D1 Tel: 3824 3652<br />
New World Hotel, 76 Le Lai<br />
Well-known Hanoi-based fashion brand.<br />
Founder Christina Yu is a former lawyer<br />
turned designer who produces eclectic<br />
and eye-catching handbags. Also stocks<br />
costume jewellery and shoes.<br />
J. Silver<br />
803 Nguyen Van Linh Parkway, D7<br />
Tel: 5411 1188<br />
Make a statement without being ostentatious<br />
with handcrafted silver jewellery from<br />
the boutique store. Expect big, interesting<br />
pieces that are simple yet glamorous.<br />
Laura V Signature<br />
11 Dong Du, D1<br />
Tel: 7304 4126<br />
www.laurav.net<br />
Vintage designs aplenty with everything<br />
from jewellery and hair accessories to<br />
funky styled sunglasses, umbrellas and<br />
colourful maxi dresses.<br />
Lovely Lien Jewellery<br />
20 Le Loi, D1<br />
A small and unassuming jewellery store<br />
with beautiful and reasonably-priced<br />
necklaces, bracelets and earrings. You<br />
can also bring your own precious stones<br />
or ask the designers to make something<br />
unique for you.<br />
Louis Vuitton<br />
Opera View, corner of Dong Khoi and Le<br />
Loi Tel: 3827 6318<br />
Designer brand name housing traditional<br />
craftsmanship of luxury leather goods for<br />
men and women. An array of bags, wallets,<br />
cuff links and watches are available.<br />
Mai O Mai<br />
4C Dong Khoi, D1 Tel: 3829 4007<br />
A superb little place with beautiful jewellery<br />
and accessories to suit all budgets. Silver<br />
necklaces, bracelets, rings and more in<br />
both classic and imaginative designs, as<br />
well as gorgeous hand-embroidered bags.<br />
Mont Blanc<br />
Diamond Plaza, 34 Le Duan<br />
Notable for fine writing instruments, Mont<br />
Blanc also houses cuff links and other<br />
male accessories<br />
Therese Jewellery<br />
Sheraton Hotel, 88F Dong Khoi, D1<br />
www.theresejewelry.com<br />
Small, glitzy retail outlet. Sells everything<br />
from diamond earrings to gold and silver<br />
wedding rings. Of special note is the<br />
selection of jade Buddhas in varying sizes,<br />
with the larger ones costing USD $250.<br />
The friendly staff speak excellent English.<br />
Scorpion<br />
Vincom Center B1, 70 - 72 Le Thanh<br />
Ton, D1<br />
Tel: 3993 9889<br />
www.scorpionbag.com<br />
Selling high-end leather products for<br />
both men and women, including shoes,<br />
handbags, belts and other accessories.<br />
Features a variety of leather in bright<br />
colors and styles.<br />
Tic Tac Watch Shop<br />
72 Dong Khoi Tel: 0838 293519<br />
www.tictacwatch.com<br />
Elegant show room displaying some<br />
of the world’s most recognized Swiss<br />
brands such as Rolex, Tag Huer, Baume &<br />
Marcer, Omega and Hirsch. On-site watch<br />
repair service and complementary watch<br />
evaluation available. Also carries a small<br />
collection of vintage Rolexes.<br />
Tombo<br />
145 Dong Khoi, D1<br />
Of all the embroidered and sequined bags,<br />
shoes and tidbits (or “Zakka” shops) that<br />
can be found in Dong Khoi, this shop’s<br />
has products that are prettier than most.<br />
Shoes can be custom-made and the sales<br />
staff is friendly.<br />
Tumi<br />
Rex Hotel, 151 Nguyen Hue<br />
www.intl.tumi.com<br />
Tumi houses an opulent selection of<br />
Italian-made luggage geared towards<br />
men. Briefcases, messenger bags and<br />
backpacks are among those on display.<br />
Umbrella<br />
35 Ly Tu Trong, D1 and 4 Le Loi, D1<br />
Tel: 6276 2730<br />
www.umbrella-fashion.com<br />
Houses & Villas<br />
For rent in Dist.2, HCM: An Phu,<br />
Thao Dien, & Tran Nao<br />
Save time:<br />
See all pictures<br />
& details online.<br />
Updated daily.<br />
www.snap.com.vn<br />
112 Xuan Thuy<br />
Ward Thao Dien<br />
District 2<br />
Ho Chi Minh City<br />
Tel/Fax. (+84) 8 62.819.917<br />
shop-hcm@decosy.biz<br />
98 asialife HCMC asialife HCMC 99
sartorial conundrums<br />
The Return of the Navy Blazer<br />
By Luis Antonio Torres<br />
Gentlemen, this week I am<br />
answering a question that was<br />
emailed to me on the nature<br />
of the navy blue blazer. The<br />
question: “How do I choose<br />
the proper cut, for example<br />
DB (double-breasted) or SB<br />
(single-breasted)? What is the<br />
real colour navy, and what can<br />
a good blazer be paired with?”<br />
Here are my answers to the<br />
gentleman who wrote in.<br />
Right now, we are being<br />
informed that the best way to<br />
trick out your wardrobe is by<br />
returning to the tried and true.<br />
Serious, stylish clothing with a<br />
slightly dandyish bit of colour<br />
is enjoying an uptick. This includes<br />
dressy dark suits, pinstripes<br />
and double-breasted<br />
silhouettes with elegant and<br />
sophisticated shirts and ties.<br />
About four or five seasons<br />
ago (about a year and a half<br />
in human time), tradition was<br />
still looked on as a commodity<br />
of décor. Now, it seems to be<br />
returning in earnest. Witness<br />
the growing number of blogs<br />
concerned with American Ivy<br />
League style, to name but one<br />
example.<br />
The blazer is back in<br />
fashion and this time around<br />
in decidedly luxury fabrics—<br />
featherweight worsted<br />
cashmeres for those going<br />
for top-shelf quality. Options<br />
are also available in denim,<br />
raw silk, linen and cottons<br />
for the warmer climates. For<br />
those who really are looking<br />
for something smoother and<br />
lighter, 9-ounce versions are<br />
available, although an 8-ounce<br />
tropical hopsack worsted or<br />
fresco (open weave) cloth<br />
can’t be beat.<br />
No question about it, the<br />
blazer is the most international,<br />
civilized, easily adaptable,<br />
all-purpose and essential<br />
tailored garment in the wardrobe.<br />
The multipurpose jacket<br />
can be worn with a classic<br />
polo shirt, jeans and loafers<br />
or with a pristine broadcloth<br />
dress shirt and tie, dark grey<br />
worsteds and suede shoes;<br />
virtually anything in between<br />
works when it comes to the<br />
bottoms: twills, gabardines,<br />
linens, fine whales, khakis.<br />
Regardless on how a man<br />
is going to wear his blazer,<br />
there are three important considerations<br />
to keep in mind<br />
when we’re talking about the<br />
real thing: the fabrics, the cut<br />
and the buttons. Fabrics for<br />
cooler-weather jackets mean<br />
flannel, twill or cashmere. For<br />
warmer weather dressing,<br />
lightweight cashmere, silk,<br />
linen, serge or tropical worsted<br />
weaves. And of course,<br />
the true colour is navy blue.<br />
True navy blue falls between<br />
the almost black of midnight<br />
blue and a simple dark blue.<br />
So the next time you’re out<br />
visiting tailors or searching<br />
for a great blazer, make sure<br />
the tailor knows his cuts and<br />
forms, the fabric compositions<br />
and origins and the quality<br />
and the construction of the<br />
garment.<br />
Luis Antonio Torres is a<br />
designer and the creative<br />
director of Massimo Ferrari<br />
Bespoke. Email your sartorial<br />
conundrums to a.torres@<br />
massimoferraro.com.vn.<br />
Sophisticated boutique showcasing a<br />
diverse range of imported women’s accessories.<br />
Also houses women’s garments<br />
from office wear to cocktail and party<br />
creations.<br />
Luggage Street<br />
Le Lai Street, D1 between Ben Thanh<br />
Market and Truong Dinh.<br />
Duffle bags, backpacks, messenger bags<br />
and carry-on suitcases are all available on<br />
this stretch of District 1.<br />
ACTIVE WEAR<br />
China Beach Surf Club<br />
Diamond Plaza, 34 Le Duan, D1<br />
Stocks famous surf and surf-inspired<br />
brands like Reef, Rip Curl and men’s wear<br />
from Volcom. It has everything you’d need<br />
for a visit to the beach and more. There<br />
are string bikinis, tees, board shorts, caps<br />
and thongs, just to name a few.<br />
Pinko<br />
Rex Hotel, 146-148-150 Pasteur, D1<br />
Tel: 3827 2240<br />
Spacious and simple store displaying<br />
women’s sportswear imported from Hong<br />
Kong and China. Body lotion and perfume<br />
imported from America.<br />
Roxy and Quiksilver<br />
Parkson Plaza, 39-45 Le Thanh Ton, D1<br />
The original active living and extreme<br />
sports brands, Roxy and Quiksilver products<br />
combine form and function. Choose<br />
from outdoor gear to cool indoor clothes.<br />
TBS Sports Centre<br />
102 Nguyen Van Troi, Phu Nhuan<br />
This store stocks a range of good sports<br />
clothes and equipment from big name<br />
brands such as Puma, Adidas, Ecco, Nike<br />
and Converse.<br />
Volcom<br />
Diamond Plaza, 34 Le Duan, D1<br />
Chic and funky ladies’ apparel brand from<br />
America. Lots of tank tops, minis and<br />
shorts for day tripping with girlfriends or<br />
lazing on the beach.<br />
READY TO WEAR<br />
unisex<br />
2bling<br />
246 Huynh Van Banh, Phu Nhuan<br />
Specializes in urban streetwear, with a<br />
range of t-shirts, sneakers, baseball caps,<br />
hoodies and more. Tees are both imported<br />
from around Asia and designed in-house.<br />
BAM Skate Shop<br />
174 Bui Vien, D1 Tel: 0903 641 826<br />
In addition to a range of decks, wheels<br />
and trucks, this small shop is stocked<br />
with bookbags, skate sneakers, track<br />
jackets and t-shirts emblazoned with your<br />
skateboard company of choice.<br />
Bo Sua Local Streetwear<br />
Vincom Center, 70/72 Le Thanh Ton, D1<br />
Tel: 3993 9599<br />
www.bosua.vn<br />
An offshoot of the Boo street-style skater<br />
fashion brand made popular in Hanoi, this<br />
brand translated as “Cow Milk” features<br />
fun colourful t-shirts, women’s casual wear<br />
and sneakers that celebrate the quirky<br />
street life of Vietnam.<br />
“ello<br />
263 Huynh Van Banh, Phu Nhuan<br />
This tiny little shop on Phu Nhuan’s hipster<br />
fashion strip is stocked with some of the<br />
coolest trend items in HCMC. Carries a<br />
frequently refreshed selection of T-shirts,<br />
skinny pants and women’s tops.<br />
FCUK<br />
127 Le Thanh Ton, D1<br />
Diamond Plaza, 34 Le Duan, D1<br />
Saigon Centre, 65 Le Loi, D1<br />
Vincom Center, 70/72 Le Thanh Ton, D1<br />
Tel: 3914 7740<br />
www.frenchconnection.com<br />
Trendy UK brand with a selection of<br />
fashion-forward dresses for women and<br />
smart workwear and funky casual wear for<br />
men, all at middle-market prices.<br />
Hagattini<br />
1A Pham Ngoc Thach, D1<br />
Tel: 2244 8105<br />
www.hagattini.com<br />
Vietnamese brand housing clothing for all<br />
occasions. Normal to office wear, casual<br />
to party outfits using materials imported<br />
from Hong Kong and designed and made<br />
in Vietnam.<br />
Konheo<br />
32 Dinh Tien Hoang, Binh Thanh<br />
Tel: 6653 4187<br />
info@konheo.com<br />
www.konheo.com<br />
Founded and run by a group of local<br />
Vietnamese guys, this T-shirt store flaunts<br />
simple-cut T-shirts with playful prints and<br />
humorous printed texts. Also does custom<br />
made t-shirts for 160,000 VND.<br />
Levi’s Flagship Store<br />
19–21 Dong Khoi, D1 Tel: 3500 1501<br />
The 320-square-metre retail space spread<br />
over three levels offers the city’s largest<br />
and most exclusive collection of Levi’s<br />
bottoms, tops and accessories.<br />
L’Usine<br />
151/1 Dong Khoi, D1<br />
Lifestyle store and cafe housed in a period<br />
building restored to evoke the aesthetic<br />
of an early 20th-century garment factory.<br />
Carries an exclusive, frequently refreshed<br />
line of imported men’s and women’s fashion,<br />
including T-shirts and footwear, and a<br />
range of unique accessories. Entrance via<br />
the street-level Art Arcade.<br />
Lu.Xu.Bu<br />
320 Huynh Van Banh, Phu Nhuan<br />
Well known among the HCMC hipsterati,<br />
this trendy shop is mostly given over to<br />
T-shirts (many by young, Bangkok-based<br />
designers), but also carries jeans, button<br />
shirts and more.<br />
Miss Sixty & Energie<br />
13 Ngo Duc Ke, D1<br />
Local outlet of the Miss Sixty brand hugely<br />
favoured by Hollywood’s young starlets.<br />
Also stocks clothes from its men’s label,<br />
Energie.<br />
Orange<br />
238 Pasteur, D3<br />
Funky little boutique carries unique<br />
accessory pieces a good selection of<br />
T-shirts with quirky, unique graphics for<br />
very reasonable prices. A smaller outpost<br />
is located at the corner of Pasteur and Le<br />
Thanh Ton in District 1.<br />
Rok Factory<br />
382 Huynh Van Banh, Phu Nhuan<br />
www.rokexchange.com<br />
Small shop founded by local artist/<br />
photographer carries streetwear for the<br />
rock-oriented lifestyle, including T-shirts,<br />
hoodies, socks and accessories.<br />
Replay<br />
Vincom Center, 70/72 Le Thanh Ton, D1<br />
116 Nguyen Trai, D1<br />
187 Hai Ba Trung, D3<br />
Tel: 3925 0252<br />
Wide variety of shoes, clothing, denim for<br />
teens and university-age men and women.<br />
Carries boots, sandals, pumps and sneakers<br />
at mid-range prices.<br />
Runway<br />
Vincom Center, 70/72 Le Thanh Ton, D1<br />
Tel: 3993 9988<br />
runway.sg@global-fashion.vn<br />
Massive and minimalist design-led interior<br />
lets ultra high-end designer garments<br />
stand out. Carries men's, women's and<br />
children’s clothing, swimwear, shoes, accessories<br />
along with home décor. Brands<br />
include Chloe, Marc Jacobs, Balenciaga,<br />
Sergio Rossi and Eres.<br />
See By Harajuku<br />
130 Nguyen Dinh Chieu, D3<br />
Tel: 090 986 8622<br />
Small, friendly store stocking both men’s<br />
and women’s streetwear, channelling Japanese<br />
and Korean fashion trends. Bright<br />
and funky T-shirts and maxi dresses, as<br />
well as accessories and footwear. New<br />
stock every month.<br />
Versace<br />
26 Dong Khoi<br />
Designer brand in men’s formal wear.<br />
Houses suit jackets and trousers, shirts<br />
as well as an array of men’s accessories.<br />
Also stocks womens clothing and shoes.<br />
VOV<br />
Saigon Centre, 65 Le Loi, D1<br />
403 Huynh Van Banh, Phu Nhuan<br />
www.vovietchung.com<br />
Retail base for Vo Viet Chung, one of<br />
Vietnam’s best-known designers. VOV is<br />
known for blending traditional form with<br />
contemporary cuts, colours and textures.<br />
men<br />
Lucas<br />
69A Ly Tu Trong, D1 Tel: 3827 9670<br />
Fashion store housing contemporary<br />
designs in casual, office and evening wear<br />
imported from Hong Kong.<br />
Massimo Ferrari<br />
42-A1 Tran Quoc Thao, D3<br />
Tel: 3930 6212<br />
Bespoke menswear shop also boasts<br />
its own brand of contemporary preppy<br />
attire tailored for the tropics. Carries a<br />
line of European-quality shoes, bags and<br />
accessories designed in-house, as well as<br />
exclusive Orobianco unisex bags, designer<br />
fragrances and eyewear.<br />
Mattre<br />
19 Nguyen Trai, D1 Tel: 3925 3412<br />
This local men’s clothes shop has some<br />
funky tops and jeans for more fashionforward<br />
males. Apparel in sizes that fit<br />
the typical Western man’s frame are often<br />
available. Another store is located on Hai<br />
Ba Trung and Ly Tu Trong<br />
Milano<br />
Sheraton Hotel, 88 Dong Khoi<br />
www.milanogoods.com<br />
A conjoining shop with D&G offering a<br />
selection of men’s shoes and accessories<br />
with a sideline in women’s clothing. D&G<br />
provides a collection of menswear, from<br />
casual jeans and T-shirts to uniquely<br />
designed suit jackets.<br />
Mizada<br />
150 Ly Tu Trong, D1 Tel: 3822 2508<br />
mizada07@yahoo.com<br />
An A-to-Z collection of men’s clothing<br />
with an influx of new fashion arriving on<br />
the racks regularly. Carries smart, casual<br />
shirts, trousers, jeans and jackets, as well<br />
as bags and scarves.<br />
New Urban Male<br />
226 Ly Tu Trong, D1 Tel: 3824 4416<br />
www.newurbanmale.com<br />
Caters to a wide range of consumer tastes<br />
from beach duds to streetwear. The goods<br />
include international men’s brands such as<br />
Havaianas, C-IN2, Jabs Waterboys, Rebel<br />
Jeans and aussieBum. Also carries men’s<br />
grooming products.<br />
Timberland<br />
Parkson Plaza, 39-45 Le Thanh Ton, D1<br />
Sells everything the brand is known<br />
for, from heavy-duty boots to tops and<br />
trousers that are both smart and casual.<br />
The emphasis is on muted tones and<br />
unobtrusive logos for men who don’t like<br />
to show off.<br />
women<br />
Axara<br />
Vincom Center B1, 70 - 72 Le Thanh<br />
Ton, D1<br />
Saigon Centre, 65 Le Loi, D1<br />
21 Nguyen Trai, D1<br />
Tel: 3993 9399<br />
www.axara.com<br />
Carries women’s clothing suitable for<br />
work, weekends or evening. Luxurious<br />
fabrics and simple cuts and styles all at<br />
reasonable prices. Also carries handbags<br />
and accessories.<br />
Balenciaga<br />
Rex Hotel, 155 Nguyen Hue<br />
Tel: 6291 3572<br />
Sporting modern shapes and elegant<br />
items crafted from natural, raw and<br />
artificial materials.<br />
BCBGMAXAZRIA<br />
Vincom Center, 70/72 Le Thanh Ton, D1<br />
American brand sells women’s day<br />
dresses and tops, evening gowns and<br />
wear-to-work attire in many prints and<br />
colours. Also carries a small selection of<br />
accessories, sunglasses and watches.<br />
Bebe<br />
Saigon Center, 65 Le Loi, D1<br />
Tel: 3914 4011<br />
www.bebe.com<br />
An international brand that specializes<br />
in contemporary, modern tees and sexy,<br />
elegant dresse, tops and party attire.<br />
Bon Mua Boutique<br />
Vincom Center, 70/72 Le Thanh Ton, D1<br />
Tel: 3993 9888<br />
www.itamoda.com.vn<br />
Luxury women’s clothing store with racks<br />
organized by designer. Carries small<br />
collection of unique pieces from designers<br />
such as Jean Paul Gaultier, Alberta Ferretti,<br />
Blumarine, Valentino, Philosophy and<br />
Brunello Cucinelli.<br />
Caro<br />
Zen Plaza, 54-56 Nguyen Trai, D1<br />
Local designs and tailoring of elegant tops<br />
and dresses with a distinctly Eastern influence.<br />
Provides a range of attire for both<br />
the office and a night out. The friendly<br />
staff is eager to help find an outfit for any<br />
occassion.<br />
Chloe<br />
Rex Hotel, 155 Nguyen Hue, D1<br />
Tel: 6291 3582<br />
Parisian-influenced fashion house specializes<br />
in simple, traditional designs with a<br />
feminine and fashionable twist. Jeans,<br />
satin dresses and a wide array of accessories<br />
are on display.<br />
Contraband<br />
Parkson Plaza, 39-45 Le Thanh Ton, D1<br />
Ready-to-wear brand for hip, modern<br />
women. Range includes office wear to<br />
evening wear. The collection is updated<br />
each month with new international trends.<br />
Dieu Thanh<br />
Vincom Center, 70/72 Le Thanh Ton, D1<br />
140 Pasteur, D1 Tel: 3824 5851<br />
www.dieuthanh.com<br />
Experienced tailor shop also carries its<br />
own line of clothing. Once specialized in<br />
swimwear and cotton clothing but has<br />
expanded to sell business suits, evening<br />
dresses, luxury fabrics and accessories.<br />
ER-Couture Boutique<br />
43 Thao Dien, D2 Tel: 3744 2411 www.<br />
er-couture.com<br />
erolskov@er-couture.com<br />
Exclusive Scandinavian brand offering<br />
designer garments. Versatile fashion for<br />
women in European sizes 34-44. Each<br />
style is released in limited quantities and<br />
can be tailored to individual taste.<br />
Esprit<br />
58 Dong Khoi, D1<br />
Outpost for the international brand of<br />
colourful, preppy men’s and women’s<br />
casual wear.<br />
Etam<br />
188 Hai Ba Trung, D1<br />
Famous all over the world for their French<br />
style. There’s a large range of shirts, T-<br />
100 asialife HCMC asialife HCMC 101
femme fashion<br />
Falling for Fall<br />
By Adrian Nguyen<br />
Fall is here at last, and it’s<br />
that time of the year to try on<br />
new trends, create some new<br />
looks and reinvent yourself.<br />
The weather might not be<br />
changing much here, but that<br />
shouldn’t stop you from being<br />
fashionable. Here are a few<br />
starter tips for the season.<br />
Camel Classic. Camel is an<br />
important trend this season.<br />
This time around, you can<br />
even go head-to-toe camel:<br />
evening dresses, skirts,<br />
blouses, tailored pants,<br />
shoes, hats—just go for it! It’s<br />
not often that you can rock a<br />
head-to-toe look, so if you’re<br />
into it, now is the time.<br />
Sixties Siren. The mini is so<br />
yesterday; it’s all about longer<br />
hemlines and fuller figures<br />
this fall. The 60s silhouettes<br />
have swung back into modern<br />
times, so get your Mad Men<br />
DVD and start looking for the<br />
same thing Joan is wearing!<br />
Amazing Lace. Lace always<br />
brings out the sexiness in<br />
a woman, and season after<br />
season lace can be found<br />
somewhere in designers’<br />
collections. This fall, mix<br />
sex-appeal with elegance.<br />
Instead of opting for a dress<br />
that screams, “look at my<br />
junk,” go for a subtle lacey<br />
top with a jacket and tailored<br />
pants and red-hot lips. It’ll<br />
work—whatever it is you’re<br />
working for.<br />
Gentlemen’s Club. This look<br />
is all about the juxtaposition of<br />
masculine tailoring with softer,<br />
womanly lines in jackets,<br />
pants and even loafers. To pull<br />
this look off you need to inject<br />
your femininity into the outfit,<br />
for example, by pairing your<br />
tailored pinstriped jacket with<br />
a strapless floral underneath.<br />
Drape It. If you’re into high<br />
fashion then this should be<br />
your way to strut through fall.<br />
Draping is simply making a<br />
multi-layered masterpiece<br />
from a simple piece of fabric.<br />
Opt for hand-made fabrics—<br />
they always have that luxury<br />
feel, and of course, a luxury<br />
price tag, too. But who cares<br />
about money when you want<br />
to project sophistication.<br />
Leopard. What’s fall without<br />
some animal prints? Currently,<br />
leopard is having a major<br />
moment. The classic way to<br />
wear this is to limit yourself<br />
to one print per outfit, but the<br />
modern rendition allows you<br />
to just put everything on and<br />
call it a “style.” I still prefer the<br />
old way; it was so fabulous<br />
when Audrey Hepburn accessorized<br />
her red-hot coat with<br />
that leopard pillbox hat in the<br />
movie Charade in 1963.<br />
That should be enough tips<br />
for you to get started for the<br />
season, so dress up, take<br />
some pictures and send them<br />
to me!<br />
Adrian Nguyen is a designer<br />
and the owner of the<br />
Valenciani brand. Email your<br />
fashion questions to Adrian.<br />
ngn@gmail.com.<br />
shirts, dresses and more. Also available in<br />
Zen Plaza and Diamond Plaza.<br />
Gaya<br />
1 Nguyen Van Trang, D1 Tel: 3925 1495<br />
Carries a range of couture and pret-a-porter<br />
garments and silk and organza dresses<br />
in vibrant colours created by Cambodiabased<br />
designer Romyda Keth.<br />
Geisha Boutique<br />
43 Ton That Thiep, D1 Tel: 3821 8272<br />
enquiry@geishaclothing.com<br />
Facebook: Geisha Boutique<br />
Australian fashion label offering a contemporary<br />
range of casual and evening<br />
wear with an Asian influence. Printed tees,<br />
singlets, shorts, skirts, jeans, summer<br />
scarves, dresses, silk camisoles and satin<br />
maxi dresses.<br />
Tracey Kociuruba Fashion Gallery<br />
2nd floor, 43 Ton That Thiep, D1<br />
Australian designer Tracey Kociuruba<br />
creates intricately embellished statement<br />
pieces in her Easten-European inspired<br />
shop slash studio.<br />
Kiwi<br />
74/1 Hai Ba Trung<br />
Tel: 3822 1191<br />
Small and intimate shop with a modern<br />
collection of fashion items geared towards<br />
the young and active urban female. The<br />
showroom has a wide collection, from<br />
casual clothing to office wear.<br />
Kookai<br />
Saigon Centre, 65 Le Loi<br />
French brand stocking classic, feminine,<br />
styles with a twist. Gypsy day dresses and<br />
classic little black dresses at mid- to highrange<br />
prices are perfect for twenty- and<br />
thirty-something women.<br />
La Senza<br />
47B–47C Nguyen Trai, D1<br />
Tel: 3925 1700<br />
65 Le Loi, Saigon Centre, D1<br />
Tel: 3914 4328<br />
www.lasenza.com<br />
Boutique carrying a wide range of bras,<br />
panties, pyjamas, accessories and lounge<br />
wear.<br />
Labella<br />
85-87 Pasteur, D1<br />
This three-storey shop will take care of all<br />
your wardrobe needs: affordable clothes,<br />
shoes, bags and lingerie, all well made<br />
and fashionable.<br />
Le Samedi<br />
21 Nguyen Trai, D1 Tel: 3925 5013<br />
Boutique retailing in clothes imported<br />
mainly from Italy and France, from cocktail<br />
dresses to chiffon skirts.<br />
Lulu Lacy<br />
www.lululacy.com<br />
Boutique label featuring retro designs in<br />
high-quality fabrics. Website frequently<br />
refreshed with latest offerings, including<br />
maxi-dresses, tailored blouses and shorts.<br />
Shop online or request a party at your<br />
house.<br />
Mai Lam<br />
132-134 Dong Khoi, D1 Tel: 3827 2733<br />
www.mailam.com.vn<br />
Boutique store housing an eclectic mix of<br />
vintage designer clothes and accessories<br />
made in Vietnam. Specializing in handsewn,<br />
multi-dimensional embroidery, the<br />
re-design of the traditional ao dai and an<br />
army vintage collection.<br />
Mango<br />
96 Mac Thi Buoi, D1 Tel: 3824 6624<br />
Saigon Centre, 65 Le Loi, D1<br />
Vincom Center, 70/72 Le Thanh Ton, D1<br />
A favourite with fashion-conscious<br />
women, this mid-range store stocks<br />
clothes from simple tees and jeans to<br />
evening wear.<br />
Marc Jacobs<br />
Rex Hotel, 155 Nguyen Hue , D1<br />
Tel: 6291 3580<br />
This spacious shop with high-ceilings carries<br />
up-market clothes, shoes and accessories<br />
from the internationally recognized<br />
designer brand.<br />
Minh Hanh<br />
24 Dong Khoi, D1 and 114B Nguyen Hue<br />
Tel: 3824 5774<br />
www.mhminhhanh.com<br />
Hand- and machine-embroidered fashion<br />
made from natural fabrics and materials<br />
wed traditional Vietnamese elements with<br />
modern trends. Local celebrities frequent<br />
this shop.<br />
Muse Boutique<br />
Saigon Centre, 65 Le Loi, D1<br />
Boutique store carries well-known international<br />
brands like Miss Sixty, BCBG, Rock<br />
Republic, True Religion, Tbags and Killah.<br />
Nang Boutique<br />
181 Dong Khoi, Room 209, D1<br />
iheartnang@gmail.com<br />
Houses an assortment of mix-and-match<br />
skirts, floral dresses, chiffon lace-trimmed<br />
gowns and accessories, such as hats,<br />
shoes, bags, scarves and jewellery.<br />
Ngan<br />
23 Ly Tu Trong, D1<br />
The Ngan collection includes high-quality<br />
evening gowns and swimwear made<br />
locally. Also stocks a new line of men’s<br />
casual wear.<br />
Nino Max<br />
189B Hai Ba Trung, D1<br />
A local popular brand of active-casualwear<br />
t-shirts, jeans and khakis. Local pricing.<br />
You can also find their other outlets in<br />
Zen Plaza and Diamond Plaza.<br />
Peacock<br />
35 Ton That Thiep Tel: 3829 7045<br />
Moulin Rouge-themed boutique housing<br />
an interesting selection of women’s<br />
clothes designed and produced in Vietnam,<br />
including dresses, shirts and t-shirts,<br />
as well as jewellery.<br />
Rana Abodeely<br />
Villa Anupa, 17/27 Le Thanh Ton, District<br />
1, Tel:3825 7307<br />
Luxury resort wear in soft, feminine styles.<br />
Made with 100% Vietnamese silk with<br />
signature glass bead detailing. Comfort,<br />
ease and elegance are the main forms of<br />
the collection.<br />
Shae<br />
101-103 Nguyen Trai, D1<br />
www.shaeny.com<br />
New York brand housing streetwear<br />
such as cardigans, dresses, shorts and<br />
accessories.<br />
Signature Boutique<br />
154 Dong Khoi, D1<br />
Houses some of the world’s most recognized<br />
luxury fashion brands: Roberto<br />
Cavalli, Versace, D&G and Missoni.<br />
Song<br />
Saigon Centre, 65 Le Loi, D1<br />
76D Le Thanh Ton<br />
Offers women’s fashion designs by Valerie<br />
Gregori McKenzie, including evening<br />
dress, tops and hats.<br />
Tracey Kociuruba Fashion Gallery<br />
43 Ton That Thiep in District 1, 2nd fl.<br />
Tel: 3915 3242<br />
www.traceykociuruba,com<br />
Eastern European-inspired fashion<br />
boutique with eclectic yet elegant designs<br />
with intricate hand-spun details—50s-style<br />
jumpsuits with bustier necklines, silk kaftans<br />
and high-waisted shorts and skirts.<br />
Valenciani<br />
Saigon Centre, 65 Le Loi, D1<br />
Tel: 3821 2788<br />
66-68 Nguyen Trai, D1 Tel: 7302 4688<br />
valenciani.sg@gmail.com<br />
www.valenciani.com<br />
Homegrown luxury boutique carries silk<br />
dresses, velvet corsets, chiffon shawls<br />
and a range of accessories, all designed<br />
in-house.<br />
CHILDREN<br />
Children Planet<br />
90 Vo Thi Sau, D1<br />
Mid to high-range prices for quality apparel,<br />
imported material from Singapore.<br />
Offering from the age of 5 to 14 years old<br />
boys and girls.<br />
Dabs Kids Fashion<br />
222 Nguyen Dinh Chieu, D3<br />
A good selection of both casual and<br />
formal clothing for kids aged five to ten.<br />
Party dresses, simple T-shirts, trousers<br />
and more are all good quality and very<br />
reasonably priced. Backpacks and other<br />
accessories are also on sale.<br />
DLS Paris<br />
17/5 Le Thanh Ton, D1<br />
Diamond Plaza, 34 Le Duan, D1<br />
Parkson Plaza, 39-45 Le Thanh Ton, D1<br />
Saigon Centre, 65 Le Loi, D1<br />
Vincom Center, 70/72 Le Thanh Ton, D1<br />
A superb range of unique and beautiful<br />
clothing for young children (from newborns<br />
to pre-school age) at high to midrange<br />
prices. The quality compensates for<br />
the price. Bedding, baby equipment and<br />
furniture and organic and natural supplies<br />
also kept in stock.<br />
Little Anh – Em<br />
41 Thao Dien, D2<br />
A French brand made in Vietnam offering<br />
a wide selection of colourful, simply packaged<br />
and thoughtfully collated “sets” of<br />
garments for girls and boys from newborn<br />
to 10 years old. Lifestyle pieces also<br />
available include sleeping bags, bedroom<br />
accessories and bags.<br />
Ninh Khuong<br />
44 Le Loi, D1 Tel: 3824 7456<br />
83 Dong Khoi, D1 Tel: 3827 9079<br />
220 De Tham, D1 Tel: 3920 3224<br />
222 Nguyen Dinh Chieu, D3<br />
Tel: 3930 9183<br />
www.ninhkhuong.vn<br />
Well-known hand-embroidered children’s<br />
clothing brand using 100% cotton. Newborn<br />
to 10 years old (girl) and fourteen<br />
years old (boy). Also stocking home linens.<br />
Prices are reasonable.<br />
Small is Beautiful<br />
227 Le Thanh Ton, D1<br />
Tel: 38 23 87 54<br />
contact@smallisb.com<br />
www.smallisb.com<br />
This newly opened boutique aims to be<br />
the chic shop for kids in the city. There is a<br />
selection of brand name clothing, accessories<br />
and creative toys. Clothing comes<br />
from international designers such as Baby<br />
Dior, Sonia Rykiel and DKNY.<br />
Tuti Bella<br />
Vincom Center, 70 - 72 Le Thanh Ton,<br />
District 1<br />
75 Mac Thi Buoi, D1<br />
49A Nguyen Trai, D1<br />
Tel: 3993 9088<br />
www.tutibella.net<br />
Self-described as a “chic and trendy<br />
children boutique.” Carries high-end<br />
causal clothes, formal wear, shoes and<br />
accessories for ages 1 to 12 years.<br />
SHOES<br />
Aldo<br />
157 Dong Khoi, D1<br />
Offering a wide selection of affordable<br />
footwear from mid- to high-range prices.<br />
Carries office-appropriate and party-ready<br />
heels and flats, as well as a range of accessories<br />
and bags.<br />
Catwalk<br />
80 Pham Hong Thai<br />
Tel: 3829 6819<br />
www.catwalkshoes.com<br />
Carries a unique range of Spanish shoes<br />
and bags.<br />
Charles & Keith<br />
10 Mac Thi Buoy, 18-20 Nguyen Trai<br />
Tel: 3925 1132<br />
Vincom Center, 70/72 Le Thanh Ton, D1<br />
www.charleskeith.com<br />
Singapore brand housing youthful and<br />
trendy shoes of a contemporary, high<br />
fashion design.<br />
Converse<br />
186 Hai Ba Trung, D1<br />
148 Nguyen Trai, D1<br />
122 Ba Thang Hai, D10<br />
Tel: 3827 5584<br />
www.converse.com.vn<br />
Sells iconic Chuck Taylor, Jack Purcell and<br />
All-Star sneakers and Converse brand<br />
clothing and accessories. Also at department<br />
stores around HCMC.<br />
Dr. Marten’s<br />
173 Hai Ba Trung, D3 Tel: 3822 4710<br />
Air Wair sandals and shoes here feature<br />
the classic yellow stitching and chunky<br />
rubber soles. Also stocked with clothes<br />
and accessories by Replay and Kappa<br />
tracksuit tops.<br />
Nine West<br />
Saigon Centre, 65 Le Loi, D1<br />
Vincom Center, 70/72 Le Thanh Ton, D1<br />
Stocks an extensive range of designer<br />
footwear for women. Handpicked by a<br />
global community of independent trendsetters<br />
and stylists.<br />
Sergio Rossi<br />
146AB Pasteur, D1<br />
Rex Hotel, 141 Nguyen Hue, D1<br />
World-renowned Italian brand stocks a<br />
diverse European-style collection of upmarket<br />
shoes and bags made of quality<br />
materials, from crocodile and python<br />
skin laterals to garnishings of Swarovski<br />
crystals and colourful beads.<br />
Star Polo<br />
97B Nguyen Trai, D1<br />
Mix of imported shoes and locally made<br />
footwear crafted from Australian leather<br />
for men and women as well as imported<br />
ones. Sizes from 38 to 42 for men, and<br />
from 34 to 40 for women.<br />
TAILORS<br />
Dieu Thanh<br />
140 Pasteur, D1 Tel: 3824 5851<br />
www.dieuthanh.com<br />
Experienced tailor shop specializes in<br />
swimwear and cotton clothing, as well as<br />
business suits, evening dresses, luxury<br />
fabrics and accessories.<br />
Dzung<br />
221 Le Thanh Ton, D1<br />
One of the most reliable and respected<br />
men’s tailors in town with prices and production<br />
time to reflect the quality of the<br />
workmanship. Shirts start from US $30.<br />
Fabric Street<br />
Hai Ba Trung, D1 across the street from<br />
Tan Dinh Market.<br />
Spools upon spools of fabric manufatured<br />
locally and abroad, with more than<br />
ample variety of textures, colours and<br />
materials to choose from.<br />
Massimo Ferrari<br />
42-A1 Tran Quoc Thao, D3<br />
Tel: 3930 6212<br />
Traditional Italian sartorial techniques<br />
are employed to offer a full wardrobing<br />
service and custom tailoring for men.<br />
Stocked with imported fabrics primarily<br />
from Italy. In-office and workplace fittings<br />
available.<br />
Thuy Nga Design<br />
7 Lam Son Square, D1<br />
Conveniently located at the Opera<br />
House, this local boutique is a one-stop<br />
shop for both men and women. The<br />
range includes clothes, men’s and<br />
women’s accessories and costume<br />
jewellery.<br />
LINH‘S WHITE<br />
PLEASANT LIVING MINIMALISM<br />
37 THAO DIEN<br />
(OPPOSITE AN PHU SUPERMARKET)<br />
67 XUAN THUY - DISTRICT 2<br />
PHONE: (84) - 62819863<br />
- 62818488<br />
E : linhnguyen@hbdecor.com.vn - www.linhfurniture.com<br />
102 asialife HCMC asialife HCMC 103
Amber Room<br />
Everyone is a DJ at Factory<br />
Ladies Night at Lush<br />
Mexico Lindo<br />
The Housekeeper at Alibi<br />
Vasco, By Invitation Only<br />
Photos by Fred Wissink &<br />
Jordan Howard<br />
104 asialife HCMC asialife HCMC 105
Street Guide<br />
3 Thang 2 D1<br />
Alexandre de Rhodes<br />
C4<br />
Ba Huyen Thanh Quan C1, C2, D2, D3<br />
Ban Co<br />
D1<br />
Ben Chuong Duong<br />
E4<br />
Ben Van Don<br />
E4, E5<br />
Bui Thi Xuan<br />
D3<br />
Bui Vien<br />
E3<br />
Cach Mang Thang Tam C1, D2, D3<br />
Calmette<br />
E4<br />
Cao Ba Nha<br />
E3<br />
Cao Thang<br />
D1, D2, E2<br />
Chu Manh Trinh<br />
C4, C5<br />
Co Bac<br />
E3<br />
Co Giang<br />
E3<br />
De Tham<br />
E3<br />
Dien Bien Phu B4, C3, C2, D1, D2<br />
Dinh Cong Trang<br />
B3<br />
Dinh Tien Hoang<br />
B3, B4, C4<br />
Do Quang Dau<br />
E3<br />
Do Thanh<br />
D1<br />
Doan Nhu Hai<br />
E5<br />
Doan Van Bo<br />
E4, E5<br />
Dong Du<br />
D5<br />
Dong Khoi<br />
C4, D4, D5<br />
Hai Cua<br />
B5<br />
Huynh Tinh Cua<br />
B2<br />
Huynh Van Banh<br />
B1<br />
Khanh Hoi<br />
E4<br />
Ky Con<br />
B3, C3, C4, D5<br />
Hai Trieu<br />
C5<br />
Ham Nghi<br />
D4, C5<br />
Han Thuyen<br />
C4<br />
Ho Hao Hon<br />
E3<br />
Ho Huan Nghiep<br />
D5<br />
Ho Tung Mau<br />
D4, D5<br />
Ho Xuan Huong<br />
C3, D2<br />
Hoa Hung<br />
B1<br />
Hoang Dieu<br />
E4, E5<br />
Hung Vuong<br />
E1<br />
Huyen Tran Cong Chua<br />
D3<br />
Huynh Man Dat<br />
B5<br />
Huynh Thuc Khang<br />
D4<br />
Ky Dong<br />
C1, C2<br />
Le Cong Kieu<br />
D4<br />
Le Duan<br />
C4, C5<br />
Le Hong Phong<br />
D1<br />
Le Lai<br />
C3, C4, D3<br />
Le Loi<br />
D4<br />
Le Quoc Hung<br />
E4, E5<br />
Le Quy Don<br />
C3<br />
Le Thanh Ton C4, C5, D3, D4<br />
Le Thi Hong Gam D4, E3, E4<br />
Le Thi Rieng<br />
D3<br />
Le Van Phuc<br />
B3<br />
Le Van Sy<br />
C1, C2<br />
Luong Huu Khanh<br />
D2, E2<br />
Luu Van Lang<br />
D4<br />
Ly Chinh Thang<br />
B2, C2<br />
Ly Thai To<br />
E1<br />
Ly Tu Trong C4, C5, D4, D5<br />
Mac Dinh Chi<br />
B3, C4<br />
Mac Thi Buoi<br />
D5<br />
Mai Thi Luu<br />
B4<br />
Mai Van Ngoc<br />
B1<br />
Me Linh<br />
B5<br />
Nam Ky Khoi Nghia B2, C2, C3, D4, E4<br />
Ngo Duc Ke<br />
D5<br />
Ngo Thoi Nhiem<br />
C2, D2<br />
Ngo Van Nam<br />
C5<br />
Nguyen Binh Khiem B4, B5, C5<br />
Nguyen Cong Tru<br />
E4<br />
Nguyen Cu Trinh<br />
E2, E3<br />
Nguyen Dinh Chieu B4, C3, C4, D1, D2, D3<br />
Nguyen Dinh Chinh<br />
B1<br />
Nguyen Du<br />
Nguyen Hai Tu<br />
Nguyen Hue<br />
Nguyen Huu Canh<br />
Nguyen Huu Canh<br />
Nguyen Huu Cau<br />
Nguyen Khac Nhu<br />
Nguyen Khoai<br />
Nguyen Ngoc Phuong<br />
Nguyen Phi Khanh<br />
Nguyen Sieu<br />
Nguyen Son Ha<br />
Nguyen Tat Thanh<br />
Nguyen Thai Binh<br />
Nguyen Thai Hoc<br />
Nguyen Thi Dieu<br />
Nguyen Thien Thuat<br />
Nguyen Thong<br />
Nguyen Thuong Hien<br />
Nguyen Trai<br />
Nguyen Trung Ngan<br />
Nguyen Trung Truc<br />
Nguyen Truong To<br />
Nguyen Van Cu<br />
Nguyen Van Hai<br />
Nguyen Van Lac<br />
Nguyen Van Thu<br />
Nguyen Van Troi<br />
Pasteur<br />
Pham Hong Thai<br />
Pham Ngoc Thach<br />
Pham Ngu Lao<br />
Pham Viet Chanh<br />
Pham Viet Chanh<br />
Phan Dinh Phung<br />
Phan Ke Binh<br />
Phan Van Han<br />
Pho Duc Chinh<br />
Phung Khac Khoan<br />
Suong Nguyet Anh<br />
Tan Vinh<br />
Thach Thi Thanh<br />
Thai Van Lung<br />
Thi Sach<br />
Thu Khoa Huan<br />
Ton Duc Thang<br />
Ton That Dam<br />
Ton That Thiep<br />
Ton That Tung<br />
Tran Binh Trong<br />
Tran Canh Chan<br />
Tran Cao Van<br />
Tran Dinh Xu<br />
Tran Hung Dao<br />
Tran Khac Chan<br />
Tran Khanh Du<br />
Tran Minh Quyen<br />
Tran Minh Quyen<br />
Tran Nhan Ton<br />
Tran Nhat Duat<br />
Tran Phu<br />
Tran Quang Dieu<br />
Tran Quang Khai<br />
Tran Quoc Thao<br />
Tran Quoc Toan<br />
Tran Van Dang<br />
Truong Chinh<br />
Truong Dinh<br />
Tu Xuong<br />
Vinh Khanh<br />
Vo Thi Sau<br />
Vo Van Tan<br />
Vuon Chuoi<br />
Xo Viet Nghe Tinh<br />
Yersin<br />
C4, D3, D4<br />
B4<br />
D4, D5<br />
B2<br />
C5<br />
B3<br />
E3<br />
F3<br />
B5<br />
B3<br />
C5, D5<br />
D2<br />
E5<br />
D4, E4<br />
D3, E3, E4<br />
D2, D3<br />
D1, E1, E2<br />
C1, C2, D2<br />
D2<br />
D3, E2<br />
C5<br />
D4<br />
E4, E5<br />
E2<br />
B3<br />
B5<br />
B4, C3, C4<br />
B1<br />
C2, C3, C4, D4<br />
D2, D3<br />
C3<br />
D3, D4, E3<br />
B5<br />
E2<br />
B2<br />
B4<br />
B4, B5<br />
D4, E4<br />
C3, C4<br />
D2, D3<br />
E4<br />
B3<br />
C5<br />
C5<br />
D4<br />
C5, D4, D5, E4<br />
D4<br />
D4<br />
D2, D3<br />
E1<br />
E2<br />
C4<br />
E2, E3<br />
D4, E2, E3<br />
B3<br />
B2, B3<br />
D1<br />
C1<br />
E1<br />
B3<br />
E1<br />
B1, B2<br />
B3, B2<br />
C2, C3<br />
B2, B3, B2<br />
C1, C2<br />
C3<br />
C2, D3<br />
C2, C3, D2<br />
E4, E5<br />
B3, C2, C3<br />
C3, D2, D3<br />
D2<br />
B4, B5<br />
E4<br />
AA<br />
Airport Airport<br />
3km 3km<br />
BB<br />
Tran<br />
Tran<br />
Van Dang<br />
Van Dang<br />
CC<br />
Tan Binh Tan Binh<br />
0.5km 0.5km<br />
Huynh Huynh Van Banh<br />
Van Banh<br />
District District 11 11<br />
2km 2km<br />
Tran Minh Quyen<br />
Tran Minh Quyen<br />
Tran Nhan Ton<br />
Le Hong Phong<br />
Saigon<br />
Saigon Train Station<br />
Train Station<br />
Tran Minh Quyen<br />
Tran Minh Quyen<br />
Hoa Hung<br />
Hoa Hung<br />
Lan Anh<br />
Lan Anh Sports &<br />
Sports Leisure & Club<br />
Leisure Club<br />
Dien Bien Phu<br />
Dien Bien Phu<br />
11<br />
Tran Quang Dieu<br />
Tran Quang Dieu<br />
Ly Thai<br />
Ly<br />
To<br />
Thai To<br />
Hung Vuong<br />
Hung Vuong<br />
Nguyen Van Troi<br />
Nguyen Van Troi<br />
Th Nguyen<br />
Th Nguyen<br />
ong<br />
ong<br />
Cach Mang Thang Tam<br />
Cach Mang Thang Tam<br />
3 Thang 2<br />
3 Thang 2<br />
Ban Co<br />
Ban Co<br />
Nguyen Thien Thuat<br />
Nguyen Thien Thuat<br />
Tran Binh Trong<br />
Ng Dinh Chinh<br />
Ng Dinh Chinh<br />
PHU NHUAN<br />
Le Van Sy<br />
Le Van Sy<br />
Quyen<br />
Quyen<br />
Tran<br />
Tran<br />
Minh<br />
Minh<br />
DISTRICT 10 10<br />
DD<br />
EE<br />
Tran Nhan Ton<br />
Le Hong Phong<br />
Tran Quang Dieu<br />
Tran Binh Trong<br />
Tran Phu<br />
Tran Phu<br />
Dang<br />
Dang<br />
Van Van<br />
Tran<br />
Tran<br />
Do Thanh<br />
Cao Thang<br />
Cao Thang<br />
Huyn h Van Banh<br />
Nguyen Van Cu<br />
University<br />
of Natural<br />
University<br />
Sciences<br />
of Natural<br />
Sciences<br />
Vuon<br />
Chuoi<br />
Vuon Market<br />
Chuoi<br />
Market<br />
Teacher<br />
Training Teacher<br />
University Training<br />
University<br />
Re-unification<br />
Palace Palace<br />
106 asialife HCMC asialife HCMC 107<br />
An Duong Vuong<br />
An Duong Vuong<br />
Ky Dong<br />
DISTRICT 5 5<br />
Tran Quang Dieu<br />
Do Thanh<br />
Huyn h Van Banh<br />
Ky Dong<br />
V<br />
Ng. Thuong<br />
. Chuoi<br />
Ly Chinh T hang<br />
Hien<br />
Nguyen Trai<br />
Nguyen Trai<br />
22<br />
Phan Dinh Phung<br />
Phan Dinh Phung<br />
V<br />
Truong Dinh<br />
Truong Dinh<br />
Ng. Thuong<br />
. Chuoi<br />
Nguyen Van Cu<br />
Ly Chinh T hang<br />
Nam Ky Khoi Nghia Nam Ky Khoi Nghia<br />
Nam Ky Khoi Nghia Nam Ky Khoi Nghia<br />
Thai Binh<br />
Market<br />
Thai Binh<br />
Market<br />
War War<br />
Remnants Remnants<br />
Museum Museum<br />
Cultural Cultural Park Park<br />
Cach Mang Thang Tam<br />
Cach Mang Thang Tam<br />
Le Van Tam<br />
Le Park Van Tam<br />
Park<br />
Vo Thi Sau Vo Thi Sau<br />
Vo Thi Sau Vo Thi Sau<br />
Tu Xuong<br />
Tu Xuong<br />
Hien<br />
Dien Bien Phu<br />
Dien Bien Phu<br />
Nguyen Thong<br />
Nguyen Thong<br />
Nguyen Son Ha<br />
Nguyen Son Ha<br />
Nguyen Thi Minh Khai<br />
Nguyen Thi Minh Khai<br />
Pham Viet Chanh<br />
Pham Viet Chanh<br />
Tran<br />
Tran Khanh Tran Khanh Du Du<br />
Huynh Tinh Cua<br />
Huynh Tinh Cua<br />
Ba Huyen Thanh Quan<br />
Ba Huyen Thanh Quan<br />
Nguyen Dinh Chieu<br />
Nguyen Dinh Chieu<br />
Ngo Thoi Nhiem<br />
Ngo Thoi Nhiem<br />
Luong Huu Khanh<br />
Luong Huu Khanh<br />
Nguyen Trai<br />
N. V. Hai<br />
N. V. Hai<br />
Quoc ToanTran Quoc Toan<br />
Tran<br />
Tran Quoc Thao<br />
Tran Quoc Thao<br />
Nguyen Thi Dieu<br />
Nguyen Thi Dieu<br />
Suong Nguyet Anh<br />
Suong Nguyet Anh<br />
Ton That Tung<br />
Ton That Tung<br />
Cong Quynh<br />
Cong Quynh<br />
Tran Dinh Xu<br />
Tran Dinh Xu<br />
Rieng Rieng<br />
Le Thi<br />
Le Thi<br />
Cao Ba Nha<br />
Ng. Huu Cau<br />
Nguyen Trai<br />
Nguyen Trai<br />
Do Q. Dau<br />
Thach Thi Thanh<br />
Thach Thi Thanh<br />
D. C. Trang<br />
D. C. Trang<br />
Truong Chinh<br />
Truong Chinh<br />
Le Lai<br />
Le Lai<br />
Bui Vien<br />
Bui Vien<br />
Nguyen Thai Hoc<br />
Nguyen Thai Hoc<br />
De Tham<br />
Pham Ngu Lao<br />
Pham Ngu Lao<br />
Tran Quang Tran Quang Khai Khai<br />
Pham Ngoc Thach<br />
Pham Ngoc Thach<br />
Ng Kh Nhu<br />
Ng Kh Nhu<br />
Co Bac<br />
Co Bac<br />
L. V. Phuc<br />
L. V. Phuc<br />
Vo Van Tan Vo Van Tan<br />
Vo Van Tan Vo Van Tan<br />
Cao Thang<br />
Cao Thang<br />
Cu Lao<br />
Cu Lao<br />
Tran Nhat Duat<br />
Ho Xuan Huong<br />
Ho Xuan Huong<br />
DISTRICT 1 1<br />
Ngu yen Huu Canh<br />
140 Hoa 140 Lan Hoa Lan<br />
District District Phu Nhuan Phu Nhuan<br />
33<br />
Hoa Lan<br />
Hoa Lan<br />
Nguyen Gia Thieu<br />
Nguyen Gia Thieu<br />
Bui Thi Xuan<br />
Bui Thi Xuan<br />
Nguyen Cu Trinh<br />
Nguyen Cu Trinh<br />
Phan Xich Phan Long Xich Long<br />
Tran Khac Chan<br />
Hai Ba Trung<br />
Hai Ba Trung<br />
DISTRICT 3 3<br />
Nguyen Trai<br />
Ngu yen Huu Canh<br />
Quoc ToanTran Quoc Toan<br />
Tran Nhat Duat<br />
Le Quy Don<br />
Le Quy Don<br />
Cao Ba Nha<br />
Tran Khac Chan<br />
Ng. Huu Cau<br />
Do Q. Dau<br />
Ho H. Hon<br />
Ho H. Hon<br />
Truong Dinh<br />
Truong Dinh<br />
Ng. Phi Ng. Khanh Phi Khanh<br />
Huyen Tran Cong Chua<br />
Huyen Tran Cong Chua<br />
Co Giang<br />
Co Giang<br />
Nguyen Van Thu<br />
Nguyen Van Thu<br />
Huan<br />
Huan<br />
Thu Kh<br />
Thu Kh<br />
Pham Pham Hong Hong Thai Thai<br />
De Tham<br />
Ly Tu Trong<br />
Ly Tu Trong<br />
Tran Hung Dao Tran Hung Dao<br />
Tran Hung Dao Tran Hung Dao<br />
Vo Huy Vo Tan Huy Tan<br />
Pasteur<br />
Pasteur<br />
De Tham<br />
Dinh Tien Hoang<br />
De Tham<br />
Gia Dinh Gia Dinh<br />
Hospital Hospital<br />
Dinh Tien Hoang<br />
Tu<br />
Tu<br />
Ng Hai Ng Hai<br />
Mac Dinh Chi<br />
Mac Dinh Chi<br />
Nguyen Dinh Chieu<br />
Nguyen Dinh Chieu<br />
Alexandre De Rhodes<br />
Alexandre De Rhodes<br />
Ben<br />
Thanh<br />
Ben<br />
Market<br />
Thanh<br />
Market<br />
Central<br />
Central Post Office<br />
Post Office<br />
Bus<br />
Station Bus<br />
Station<br />
Nguyen Binh Khiem<br />
Nguyen Binh Khiem<br />
Le Loi<br />
Le Loi<br />
Hoa Lu<br />
Hoa Stadium Lu<br />
Stadium<br />
Dinh Tien Hoang<br />
Dinh Tien Hoang<br />
Hai Ba Trung<br />
Hai Ba Trung<br />
Town Hall<br />
HTV<br />
HTV television<br />
television<br />
Le Duan Le Duan<br />
Le Duan Le Duan<br />
Pasteur<br />
Pasteur<br />
Nguyen Trung Truc<br />
Nguyen Trung Truc<br />
Nguyen Du<br />
Nguyen Du<br />
Nguyen An Ninh<br />
Nguyen An Ninh<br />
Ky Con<br />
Ky Con<br />
Le Thi Hong Gam<br />
Le Thi Hong Gam<br />
Yersin<br />
Mai Thi Luu<br />
Mai Thi Luu<br />
Phan Ke Binh<br />
Phan Ke Binh<br />
Tran Cao Van<br />
Tran Cao Van<br />
Han Thuyen<br />
Han Thuyen<br />
L. V. Lang<br />
L. V. Lang<br />
Nguyen Thai Binh<br />
Nguyen Thai Binh<br />
44<br />
Dong Khoi<br />
Dong Khoi<br />
Pho Duc Chinh<br />
Calmette<br />
Ng. Cong Tru<br />
Ng. Cong Tru<br />
BINH THANH<br />
Nguyen Du<br />
Hoang<br />
Hoang<br />
Sa<br />
Sa<br />
Ham Ham Nghi Nghi<br />
Xo Viet Nghe Tinh<br />
Xo Viet Nghe Tinh<br />
Le Loi<br />
Le Loi<br />
Ton Duc Thang<br />
Ton Duc Thang<br />
Chu Manh Trinh<br />
Chu Manh Trinh<br />
Nguyen Hue<br />
Nguyen Hue<br />
Ton ThTon Th<br />
at Thiep<br />
at Thiep<br />
T. T. Dam<br />
Ly Tu Trong<br />
Ly Tu Trong<br />
Thi Sach<br />
Thi Sach<br />
Le Quoc Hung<br />
Le Quoc Hung<br />
Pham Van Pham Han Van Han<br />
Mac<br />
Mac<br />
Ngo<br />
Ngo<br />
Zoo & Botanical<br />
Zoo & Botanical Gardens<br />
Gardens<br />
Nguyen Binh Khiem<br />
Nguyen Binh Khiem<br />
Thai Van Lung<br />
Thai Van Lung<br />
Ng Sieu<br />
Ng Sieu<br />
Cao Ba Quat<br />
Cao Ba Quat<br />
Le Thanh Ton Le Thanh Ton<br />
Pasteur<br />
Le Cong Le Kieu Cong Kieu<br />
Don<br />
Don<br />
Ben Van<br />
Ben Van<br />
Sa<br />
Sa<br />
Truong Truong<br />
DISTRICT 1 1<br />
Yersin<br />
Pho Duc Chinh<br />
Calmette<br />
Nguyen Du<br />
Town Hall<br />
Ho Tung Mau<br />
Huynh Thuc<br />
Huynh Thuc<br />
Khang<br />
Khang<br />
Vinh Khanh<br />
Hoang Dieu<br />
Hoang Dieu<br />
T. T. Dam<br />
Ng. Cong Tru<br />
Ng. Cong Tru<br />
Ng Truong To<br />
Nguyen<br />
Trung Ngan<br />
Nguyen<br />
Trung Ngan<br />
Le Thanh Ton Le Thanh Ton<br />
Pasteur<br />
Vinh Khanh<br />
Ho Tung Mau<br />
Dong Du<br />
Dong Du<br />
Phan Van Dat<br />
Thi Buoi<br />
Thi Buoi<br />
H.H.Nghiep<br />
H.H.Nghiep<br />
Duc Ke<br />
Duc Ke<br />
Hai Trieu<br />
Hai Trieu<br />
Ng Truong To<br />
Ngo V<br />
Ngo V<br />
an<br />
an<br />
Nam<br />
Nam<br />
Ton Duc<br />
Thang Museum<br />
Ton Duc<br />
Thang Museum<br />
Nguyen Tat Thanh<br />
Doan Nhu Hai<br />
Doan Nhu Hai<br />
Doan Van Bo<br />
Doan Van Bo<br />
DISTRICT 4 4<br />
55<br />
Nguyen Cuu Van<br />
Nguyen Cuu Van<br />
Phan Van Dat<br />
Nguyen Ngoc Phuong<br />
Nguyen Ngoc Phuong<br />
Huynh Man Dat<br />
Thu Thiem Thu Thiem<br />
Ferry Ferry Port Port<br />
(for District (for District 2) 2)<br />
Huynh Tinh Cua<br />
Huynh Tinh Cua<br />
Saigon Saigon Bridge Bridge<br />
& Highway & Highway 1 1<br />
3km 3km<br />
Nguyen Huu Canh<br />
Nguyen Huu Canh<br />
HCM HCM City City<br />
Boat Quay Boat Quay<br />
(for Vung (for Vung Tau) Tau)<br />
Nguyen Tat Thanh<br />
Nguyen Van Lac<br />
Huynh Man Dat<br />
Me Linh<br />
Cat Lai Cat Ferry Lai Ferry<br />
9km 9km<br />
Vung Vung Tau Tau<br />
District District 7 7<br />
& Nha & Be Nha Be<br />
Nguyen Van Lac<br />
Me Linh
oxoffice<br />
bookshelf<br />
Being Wrong:<br />
Adventures in the<br />
Margin of Error<br />
Fat Vampire: A Never<br />
Coming of Age Story<br />
Kathryn Schultz<br />
Ecco/Harper Collins<br />
Alex Rex<br />
Balzer + Bray<br />
Miley Cyrus stars in the comingof-age<br />
story The Last Song, a<br />
film adapted from the novel by<br />
Nicolas Sparks (The Notebook).<br />
Following her parents’ divorce,<br />
17-year-old New Yorker Ronnie<br />
Miller (Cyrus) becomes<br />
estranged from her father (Greg<br />
Kinnear), who has relocated to<br />
the quiet Southern beach town<br />
of Tybee Island. Hoping to help<br />
her overcome her anger, Ronnie’s<br />
mother sends Ronnie and<br />
her brother to Tybee, where she<br />
learns lessons about life and love<br />
on the brink of adulthood.<br />
Art imitates life in Grown Ups,<br />
as former 90s Saturday Night<br />
Live Cast members Adam Sandler,<br />
Chris Rock, David Spade<br />
and Rob Schneider reunite to<br />
play a group of old friends who<br />
get back in touch 30 years after<br />
winning a junior high basketball<br />
championship. Reflecting on<br />
their deceased coach’s advice<br />
to live their lives like they played<br />
the game, they are forced to<br />
confront their failures and move<br />
opening dates<br />
CINEMAS<br />
C: Cinebox<br />
www.cinebox212.com.vn<br />
G: Galaxy<br />
www.galaxycine.vn<br />
L: Lottecinema<br />
www.lottecinemavn.com<br />
M: Megastar<br />
www.megastarmedia.net<br />
T: Thang Long<br />
www.giaitrithanglong.com/<br />
cinema<br />
forward by re-learning the lessons<br />
of their past.<br />
In Charlie St. Cloud, Zac<br />
Efron plays a young man caught<br />
between a new love and an old<br />
promise. After his younger brother<br />
Sam dies in a car accident,<br />
Charlie becomes reclusive and<br />
gains a reputation among his<br />
small port town as an eccentric.<br />
What his neighbours don’t know<br />
is that Sam visits him to hold him<br />
to a promise: that Charlie would<br />
play catch with him every day<br />
until he left for school. When he<br />
begins to fall for Tess, the new<br />
girl in town, Charlie must decide<br />
whether to let the past go and<br />
sail away with Tess or give up<br />
his future to honour his promise<br />
to Sam.<br />
Following up on his success<br />
with Passport to Love, Vietnamese-American<br />
director Victor Vu<br />
brings suspense to Vietnamese<br />
theatres with the Hitchcockian<br />
thriller Giao Lo Dinh Menh<br />
(Inferno). When Manh (Tran Bao<br />
Son) awakes from a surgery to<br />
September 2<br />
The Last Song<br />
September 3<br />
Grown Ups<br />
September 10<br />
The Runaways<br />
Charlie St. Cloud<br />
September 17<br />
Inferno<br />
Resident Evil: Afterlife<br />
3D<br />
September 24<br />
Devil<br />
treat injuries sustained in a car<br />
accident, he cannot remember<br />
who he is. Taken in by his wife,<br />
mother, best friend and underworld<br />
co-workers, Manh soon<br />
begins to suspect that his reality<br />
is anything but. With a mysterious<br />
stalker on his trail, Manh<br />
must uncover the secret behind<br />
his accident and his reconstructed<br />
appearance.<br />
Based on a story by M. Night<br />
Shyamalan, Devil puts new<br />
fear into a common phobia.<br />
Five individuals find themselves<br />
trapped in an office elevator, but<br />
one of them is not who they say<br />
they are. As a terrifying series of<br />
events unravels in the enclosed<br />
space, it becomes clear that<br />
one of them is the devil himself.<br />
With nowhere to run, the elevator<br />
car is soon consumed with<br />
paranoia.<br />
Based on the memoir by<br />
Cherie Currie and executive produced<br />
by Joan Jett, The Runaways<br />
tells the true story of the<br />
two rock icons and their bandmates,<br />
whose brief career from<br />
1975 to 1977 was as groundbreaking<br />
as it was tumultuous.<br />
Though marketed as underage<br />
sex objects, The Runaways<br />
gain a following on the merit of<br />
their music and become the first<br />
all-girl act to break into the world<br />
of hard rock. The biopic traces<br />
their rise from the suburbs of<br />
California to the arenas of Japan,<br />
serving as historical document<br />
and cautionary tale.<br />
In the fourth film in the series<br />
and the first shot in 3D, Milla<br />
Jovovich reprises her role as<br />
the superhuman zombie-fighter<br />
Alice in Resident Evil: Afterlife.<br />
On a mission to Los Angeles to<br />
find signs of human settlement,<br />
Alice reunites with an amnesiac<br />
Claire Redfield (Ali Larter), who<br />
last appeared in Resident Evil:<br />
Extinction. Together with a band<br />
of survivors, they take the fight<br />
to those responsible for the<br />
zombie outbreak, the Umbrella<br />
Corporation and its mastermind,<br />
Albert Wesker.<br />
The information on this page was<br />
correct at the time of printing. Check<br />
cinema websites for screenings.<br />
Being Wrong, penned by journalist Kathryn Schultz, takes a stab<br />
at unveiling why mankind insists on being right, can’t cope when<br />
proven wrong and feels the urge to say, “I told you so.” According<br />
to Schultz, “We can’t enjoy kissing just anyone, but we can relish<br />
being right about almost anything.” In the first section of the book<br />
Schultz conducts a scientific tour of everyday wrongs, touching on<br />
optical illusions, memory failures, neurological deficits and irrational<br />
beliefs. She then explains how they arise, get perpetuated and<br />
most importantly, why it is so difficult to see them for what they<br />
really are. The second half serves up personal stories as evidence,<br />
including a case study that documents a sexual assault victim<br />
whose mistaken testimony sent an innocent man to prison—an<br />
example of just how serious being wrong can be.<br />
Super Sad True<br />
Love Story<br />
Gary Shteyngart<br />
Random House<br />
Lenny Abranov, a 39-year-old of Russian heritage who has a bald<br />
spot shaped like Ohio, lives in author Gary Shteyngart’s futuristic<br />
America, an image-focused nation crumbling in debt and reliant<br />
on China’s financial assistance. Abranov is what’s known as an<br />
“ancient dork.” He likes books of the non-digital variety, referred to<br />
by his contemporaries as “printed, bound media artefacts.” In contrast<br />
to his health-conscious peers who are in constant search of<br />
immortality, his cholesterol levels promise an early end. Regardless<br />
of his downfalls, Abranov meets and falls in love with Eunice Park,<br />
a 24-year-old Korean American, who’s just graduated from college<br />
with a major in images and a minor in assertiveness. Park does<br />
her best to mould Abranov into a prime specimen worthy of her<br />
attention. However, the pair soon discover that despite the world’s<br />
infatuation with beauty and longevity, there’s still some value in being<br />
a real human being, flaws and all.<br />
Illustrator turned author Alex Ray’s take on the current vampire<br />
craze is a unique one. Rather than a dashing and handsome<br />
Twilight-esque figure, the protagonist of Fat Vampire is a 15-yearold<br />
nerd named Doug, who is turned into a bloodsucker before he<br />
has a chance to lose some extra pounds. As a result, he is forced<br />
to walk the earth for all eternity as an overweight and unattractive<br />
loser. Working with what he’s got, he sets out in search of a gothic<br />
chick keen on the undead, but on his quest falls in love with Sejal,<br />
an Indian exchange student. To make matters even more complicated,<br />
the star of Vampire Hunters—a TV show that finds and kills<br />
vamps—is in hot pursuit of Doug, determined to stake him on air<br />
to boost ratings. Throughout, Doug tries to adapt to vampire life,<br />
with only a copy of Dracula as his guide.<br />
The Fever: How<br />
Malaria has Ruled<br />
Mankind for<br />
500,000 Years<br />
Sonia Shah<br />
Farra, Shah & Giroux<br />
The title of Boston-based investigative journalist Sonia Shah’s<br />
malaria exposé reads like a horror story and it’s not far off. The<br />
Fever chronicles the infectious disease across the ages. It’s a<br />
bug that has killed more people than any other natural force,<br />
and has mutated to the point that it’s become resistant to many<br />
modern medicines. Throughout, Shah details malaria’s many<br />
casualties and, curiously, some of its advantages. While the<br />
mosquito-borne virus claims an estimated one million lives per<br />
year, in Julius Caesar’s time an outbreak on the outskirts of his<br />
empire helped to protect it from intruders. Shah also explores<br />
the disjuncture between the West’s effort to eradicate malaria<br />
and the developing world’s reluctance to consider it as anything<br />
more than a common cold. She goes further, explaining how<br />
insecticide-doused mosquito nets donated from the West are<br />
often used to catch fish. Shah touches on this and much more in<br />
a fact-based journey that is neither dry nor too scientific.<br />
108 asialife HCMC asialife HCMC 109
soundfix<br />
album review<br />
ARCADE FIRE<br />
THE SUBURBS<br />
Win Butler and his enigmatic<br />
troop have delivered what could<br />
well be the album of the year.<br />
Nine months into 2010 and<br />
The Suburbs stands head and<br />
shoulders above any other major<br />
release so far. Why? Simple. The<br />
chemistry of the album is right.<br />
The number of songs and overall<br />
duration (16 tracks, 60 minutes,)<br />
bestows the record with an epic<br />
grandeur, while the sequencing<br />
of the songs (you will not<br />
hear a stronger opening trio to<br />
an album than “The Suburbs,”<br />
“Ready To Start” and “Modern<br />
Man”) is precisely mapped and<br />
perfectly paced. It rises when it<br />
needs to rise and falls when it<br />
needs to fall. However, it’s the<br />
concept that seals the deal.<br />
The best albums are the ones<br />
that manage to speak to you on<br />
a personal level while remaining<br />
universally relevant. Hence,<br />
Arcade Fire’s ode to bittersweet,<br />
suburban childhood memories,<br />
modern anxieties and middleclass<br />
dreams both realized and<br />
unfulfilled, penetrates the soul<br />
with an undeniable truism.<br />
KLAXONS<br />
SURFING THE<br />
VOID<br />
For all intents and purposes,<br />
Surfing The Void isn’t exactly<br />
the album Klaxons wanted to<br />
make. The three-year gestation<br />
period of the follow-up to the<br />
2007 Mercury Prize-winning<br />
Myths of the Near Future has<br />
been frustrating for the (now)<br />
quartet. Early efforts with Tony<br />
Visconti and Simian Mobile<br />
Disco’s James Ford were<br />
rejected by the band’s label<br />
for being “too experimental.”<br />
Bizarrely, Nu-Metal production<br />
guru Ross Robinson (Limp Bizkit,<br />
Korn, Slipknot) was drafted<br />
to oversee Klaxon’s transition<br />
from uncontrollable prog-rock<br />
experimentalists to space-pop<br />
titans in a similar mould to Muse.<br />
The result is a compromise as<br />
intriguing and hypocritical as the<br />
Tories and Lib Dems sharing the<br />
reigns of power in the British<br />
Government. Sometimes it actually<br />
works (“Echoes,” “Surfing<br />
The Void,” “Venusia”), other<br />
times it doesn’t (“Cypherspeed,”<br />
“Extra Astranomical”) and never<br />
could. Overall, Surfing The Void<br />
suffers from an identity crisis<br />
that has Klaxons confusing their<br />
strengths and weaknesses. As<br />
they say, you can’t please everybody<br />
all of the time.<br />
INTERPOL<br />
INTERPOL<br />
The fourth album by the New<br />
York-based post-punkers is<br />
largely a massive disappointment.<br />
Considering this is the<br />
last Interpol record to feature<br />
bassist and creative lynchpin<br />
Carlos Dengler, a final and<br />
grand gesture was expected.<br />
Indeed, a return to the stylistics<br />
of their benchmark debut was<br />
even claimed by Paul Banks<br />
in interviews anticipating the<br />
release of this record. Apart from<br />
Daniel Kessler’s reverb-drenched<br />
guitar tone and Dengler’s throbbing<br />
bass, there aren’t many<br />
similarities to be found with the<br />
spellbinding brilliance of Turn On<br />
The Bright Lights. Much of Interpol<br />
feels weighed down by a<br />
sense of lethargy. Gone are the<br />
moments of stark beauty and<br />
frenetic blasts of rhythmic dynamism.<br />
Too many tracks, such<br />
as “Memory Serves” and “Safe<br />
Without” plod along aimlessly.<br />
There’s a lot of scene setting but<br />
little in the way of pay off. Even<br />
standout tracks, “Lights” and<br />
“Barricade,” sound average in<br />
comparison with former glories<br />
like “NYC,” “Evil” and “The Heinrich<br />
Maneuver.”<br />
by John Thornton<br />
DJ SHADOW<br />
THE DJ SHADOW<br />
REMIX PROJECT<br />
The remix album, aka the last<br />
chance saloon for once great<br />
artists now bereft of inspiration<br />
and looking to others to reignite<br />
that old creative spark that<br />
once burned so brightly. Funny<br />
then that DJ Shadow should<br />
release an album consisting<br />
solely of fan-made remixes. On<br />
the whole, most of the remixes<br />
are pretty good, particularly<br />
FUSO’s stuttering glitch-dub<br />
take on “Midnight In A Perfect<br />
World,” Economic’s smoked-out<br />
version of “What Does Your Soul<br />
Look Like? Part 2” and Tiger<br />
Mendoza’s “Missing On The<br />
Motorway,” which successfully<br />
blends Shadow’s “Blood On The<br />
Motorway” with “Missing” by<br />
Everything But The Girl. However,<br />
bearing in mind that DJ<br />
Shadow had the final say on the<br />
remixes that made it onto the<br />
album, it’s mind boggling that<br />
Ruby My Dear’s and NiT GriT’s<br />
awful drum ‘n’ bass remixes of<br />
“Building Steam With A Grain Of<br />
Sand” are included. In any case,<br />
let’s hope that these remixes<br />
inspire DJ Shadow to rediscover<br />
his mojo.<br />
Official xoneFM Vietnam Top 10<br />
this last title artist<br />
week week<br />
1<br />
2<br />
3<br />
4<br />
5<br />
6<br />
7<br />
8<br />
9<br />
10<br />
1<br />
3<br />
2<br />
5<br />
6<br />
8<br />
4<br />
10<br />
7<br />
9<br />
Something Bout Love<br />
If I had You<br />
Doi yeu<br />
Chay theo anh mat troi<br />
The Mirror<br />
Suy nghi trong anh<br />
5:00 pm<br />
Bang Bang Bang (Radio<br />
Edit)<br />
Billionaire<br />
Dynamite<br />
US Top 10<br />
this last title artist<br />
week week<br />
1<br />
2<br />
3<br />
4<br />
5<br />
6<br />
7<br />
8<br />
9<br />
10<br />
1<br />
2<br />
4<br />
5<br />
9<br />
7<br />
8<br />
3<br />
6<br />
10<br />
Love The Way You Lie<br />
Dynamite<br />
California Gurls<br />
I Like It<br />
Teenage Dream<br />
Cooler than Me<br />
Dj Got Us Fallin In<br />
Love<br />
Mine<br />
Airplanes<br />
Ridin Solo<br />
UK Top 10<br />
this last title artist<br />
week week<br />
1<br />
2<br />
3<br />
4<br />
5<br />
6<br />
7<br />
8<br />
9<br />
10<br />
xoneFM top ten<br />
NEW<br />
2<br />
1<br />
4<br />
5<br />
6<br />
3<br />
7<br />
9<br />
8<br />
Airplanes<br />
Love The Way You Lie<br />
Club Cant Handle Me<br />
We No Speak Americano<br />
Beautiful Monster<br />
Billionaire<br />
Missing You<br />
Airplanes<br />
Pack Up<br />
All Time Low<br />
David Archuleta<br />
Adam Lambert<br />
My Tam<br />
Lan Trinh<br />
Lil' Knight<br />
Duy Khoa<br />
Lieu Anh Tuan<br />
Mark Ronson & The<br />
Business Intl.<br />
Travie McCoy feat.<br />
Bruno Mars<br />
Taio Cruz<br />
Eminem feat. Rihanna<br />
Taio Cruz<br />
Katy Perry feat. Snoop<br />
Dog<br />
Enrique Igleasias<br />
Katy Perry<br />
Mike Posner<br />
Usher Feat Pittbull<br />
Taylor Swift<br />
BoB feat.Hayley Williams<br />
Jason Derulo<br />
B.O.B Feat Harley<br />
WIlliams<br />
Eminem feat. Rihanna<br />
Florida Feat David<br />
Guetta<br />
Yolanda Be Cool & D<br />
Cup<br />
Ne-Yo<br />
Travie Mc Coy feat<br />
Bruno Mars<br />
Saturdays<br />
BoB feat. Hayley Williams<br />
Eliza Doolittle<br />
Wanted<br />
endorsed<br />
The Radio Dept.<br />
By Tom DiChristopher<br />
I was first exposed to The<br />
Radio Dept. in 2006 while<br />
watching Sofia Coppola’s<br />
Marie Antoinette. The use of<br />
New Order’s “Age of Consent”<br />
in the teaser trailer had roped<br />
me in, and I left the theatre<br />
eager to explore the rest of the<br />
film’s soundtrack. The Radio<br />
Dept. track I recalled (“Keen<br />
on Boys”) fit squarely among<br />
the mélange of 80s post-punk<br />
and New Wave bands. Having<br />
heard just a clip, I assumed<br />
they were lesser-known contemporaries<br />
of Coppola’s other<br />
muses: The Cure, Bow Wow<br />
Wow, Siouxsie and the Banshees,<br />
New Order, Adam and<br />
the Ants and Gang of Four.<br />
Turns out they weren’t. The<br />
Radio Dept. first formed in<br />
Lund, Sweden in their current<br />
incarnation in 2001 with Johan<br />
Duncanson on guitar/vocals,<br />
Martin Larsson on guitar and<br />
Daniel Tjader on keyboards.<br />
The trio self-released their first<br />
EP and a couple of 7 inches<br />
in 2002, before Labrador Records<br />
backed their acclaimed<br />
first LP, Lesser Matters, in<br />
2003.<br />
By now, some reviewers<br />
have written off the too-easy<br />
nu-gaze label and denounced<br />
comparisons to Pet Shop<br />
Boys and My Bloody Valentine<br />
as lazy. While Duncanson’s<br />
ethereal vocals were submerged<br />
beneath the fuzz of<br />
instrumentation, The Radio<br />
Dept. weren’t just rehashing<br />
the lo-fi indie pop of the early<br />
90s shoegazers. Tracks like<br />
“1995” wedded sparse form<br />
and content to produce ambiguous,<br />
dreamy songs that<br />
resonate like forgotten memories<br />
recalled (“1995 is cutting<br />
classes / It’s sitting over<br />
coffee talking indie treats”).<br />
What Duncanson, Larsson<br />
and Tjader were doing was<br />
sublimating their reminiscence<br />
of post-punk subgenres into<br />
songs so convincing, they<br />
seem of the time.<br />
A three-year gap between LPs<br />
would set the pace for the<br />
band’s output, but they kept<br />
fans happy with two satisfying<br />
five-track EPs that played like<br />
companion pieces to Lesser<br />
Matters. Coppola plucked<br />
two songs from these for her<br />
soundtrack: “I Don’t Like It<br />
Like This” from This Past Week<br />
and the title track from Pulling<br />
Our Own Weight.<br />
Synths and guitars emerged<br />
out of second LP Pet Grief,<br />
particularly on the tracks<br />
“What Will Give?” and “Tell.”<br />
These are spacious songs out<br />
of which Duncanson’s vocals<br />
emerged with more fidelity.<br />
Still, there was some backlash;<br />
The Radio Dept. is at their<br />
best when lyrics are abstract<br />
rather than playfully trite (“Betrayal<br />
is always sad / Needless<br />
to say what you could have<br />
had”).<br />
Fans waited four years<br />
before the next LP, Clinging<br />
to a Scheme, came out this<br />
spring. “Heaven’s On Fire” and<br />
“This Time Around” are almost<br />
disarmingly up tempo, though<br />
tracks like “Video Dept”<br />
root the album to The Radio<br />
Dept.’s early work. It’s a logical<br />
progression—and a improvement<br />
upon—Pet Grief, but it<br />
also taps into the resonance of<br />
Lesser Matters and its satellite<br />
EPs. Hopefully it won’t be<br />
another four years before the<br />
follow up.<br />
110 asialife HCMC asialife HCMC 111
this month in history<br />
Hosting pains are a right of passage<br />
for expatriates in Southeast Asia.<br />
<strong>Brett</strong> <strong>Davis</strong> goes through his.<br />
eing away from home, it is<br />
Bnice to receive things from<br />
our old life: a letter, a postcard,<br />
some favourite foodstuffs, a<br />
drunken buffoon.<br />
This can be a slippery<br />
enough town at the best of<br />
times when it comes to the path<br />
of overindulgence, but nothing<br />
tests your powers of restraint<br />
like a houseguest on holiday.<br />
Hazy though my memory<br />
might be, I have calculated that<br />
in the last six months my wife<br />
and I have had seven people<br />
stay at our home. It has felt at<br />
times as if we were running a<br />
hostel. All we needed was a<br />
pool table and some bad 1990s<br />
dance tunes. I thought perhaps<br />
things were getting out of hand<br />
when I began collecting pamphlets<br />
advertising interesting<br />
attractions and leaving them<br />
around the apartment.<br />
The main problem of course<br />
is one of synergy, if I may<br />
borrow a bit of managementspeak<br />
wankery for a moment.<br />
Your beloved houseguest is in<br />
Vietnam, on holiday; and you<br />
are not. Needless to say, those<br />
on holidays and those going<br />
about their everyday lives<br />
have different priorities. They<br />
want to have fun and party<br />
constantly, while you just want<br />
to get through the working day,<br />
watch a DVD and go to bed.<br />
We had a couple of guys visit<br />
a few weeks ago, my wife’s old<br />
high school friends. It was like<br />
resurrecting the ghosts of Jim<br />
Morrison and Charles Bukowski.<br />
I did not think it humanly<br />
possible to consume alcohol on<br />
that scale. How do you know<br />
when you are past this kind of<br />
behaviour? Here’s a tip: If you<br />
have to ask “Am I too old to<br />
have beer for breakfast?” you<br />
are too old to have beer for<br />
breakfast. At least if you intend<br />
to do it more often than a<br />
once-a-year trip down youthful<br />
inebriation lane.<br />
Before I start to receive hate<br />
mail from friends and family,<br />
I would like to make the point<br />
that it is always fun to have<br />
visitors, and despite the damage<br />
to the liver there are some<br />
unexpected benefits.<br />
If you spend any amount of<br />
time in a place it is easy to become<br />
complacent and overlook<br />
the things that make it special.<br />
But when you are showing<br />
someone around your town<br />
you see it with fresh eyes and<br />
remember a bit of the magic<br />
you felt when you first arrived.<br />
Vietnam is an exotic destination<br />
and can feel a little<br />
overwhelming to someone<br />
just stepping off a plane. The<br />
frenetic pace of traffic, the<br />
language, sounds, smells all<br />
assault the senses. So it can<br />
never fail to impress your<br />
visitors as you display your<br />
mastery (at least as far as they<br />
are concerned) of this strange<br />
environment.<br />
I have a theory though, that<br />
what impresses many visitors<br />
about our new life in Vietnam<br />
comes down to simple economics.<br />
In Australia or the UK for<br />
example, the cost of living<br />
is stratospheric, and I don’t<br />
just mean in comparison to<br />
Vietnam. The last decade or so<br />
has seen a number of factors,<br />
such as a skyrocketing housing<br />
market, combine to make it<br />
harder and harder to live the<br />
life we want to. Most people’s<br />
credit card bills are a testament<br />
to this.<br />
So it is not really surprising<br />
that our visiting friends want<br />
to get in every beer, cocktail<br />
and meal they can manage<br />
while here. Then gleefully tote<br />
up the bill and think about<br />
what that same evening would<br />
cost once the holiday is over.<br />
It has felt at times as<br />
if we were running a<br />
hostel. All we needed<br />
was a pool table and<br />
some bad 1990s dance<br />
tunes.<br />
NZ Gives Women the Vote, Vietnam Airlines Plane Crashes, New York Times Published and more<br />
September 3, 1997<br />
Vietnam Airlines Plane Crashes<br />
Enroute to Cambodia<br />
A Soviet-era Vietnam Airlines'<br />
plane, Flight 815, crashes in a<br />
rice paddy just 800 metres short<br />
of Phnom Penh’s international<br />
airport. Only the tail section of<br />
the plane and a portion of the<br />
fuselage remain intact. All six<br />
crewmembers die, along with 65<br />
passengers. The lone survivor,<br />
1-year-old Thai boy Chanayuth<br />
Nim-Anong, escapes with a<br />
broken leg, but his mother<br />
dies. His father is waiting for<br />
the pair when he sees their<br />
plane plummet and explode<br />
on impact. Other Phnom Penh<br />
residents and police officers also<br />
witness the crash and converge<br />
on the scene to rifle through<br />
the victims' pockets and steal<br />
whatever luggage they can.<br />
The cause of the crash remains<br />
unknown.<br />
September 9, 1976<br />
Chinese Chairman Mao Zedong<br />
Dies<br />
Founder of the Chinese Communist<br />
Party, Mao Zedong, dies<br />
at 82. In 1949, he became the<br />
chairman of the People’s Republic<br />
of China and quickly began<br />
implementing economic policies,<br />
most notably the Great Leap<br />
Forward in the 1950s and the<br />
Cultural Revolution, which began<br />
in 1966.<br />
September 18, 1851<br />
New York Times’ First Edition<br />
Published<br />
Henry Jarvis Raymond and<br />
George Jones found The New<br />
York Times, nicknamed the “Gray<br />
Lady,” to provide an alternative<br />
to the partisan newspapers that<br />
dominated the city’s journalism<br />
at the time. In 1896, Adolph<br />
Ochs takes over the reigns and<br />
the paper’s slogan “All the News<br />
That’s Fit to Print” is coined. Ochs<br />
made it his business to establish<br />
The Times as an international<br />
standard publication, lowering<br />
the cover price to 1 cent and in<br />
doing so tripling circulation within<br />
a year, and pushing advertising<br />
revenue way up. The New<br />
York Times is still regarded as a<br />
newspaper of record.<br />
September 19, 1893<br />
NZ Gives Women the Vote<br />
New Zealand becomes the first<br />
country to allow women the right<br />
to vote. The Electoral Bill, signed<br />
by Governor Lord Glasgow, is a<br />
turning point for women worldwide.<br />
Kiwi ladies first vote in the<br />
national elections on November<br />
28, 1893, and their counterparts<br />
in Australia, the United States<br />
and Great Britain follow suit in<br />
1902, 1920 and 1928, respectively.<br />
While opponents worry<br />
that drunken male voters will<br />
harass the ladies at the polling<br />
booths, the election is described<br />
as the “most orderly” ever<br />
held. As the first to enfranchise<br />
women, New Zealand becomes<br />
known as a trailblazing and<br />
progressive nation.<br />
September 26, 1960<br />
Fidel Castro Gives Longest UN<br />
Speech<br />
Notoriously long-winded public<br />
speaker Fidel Castro gives the<br />
longest speech in record before<br />
the United Nations, winning him<br />
a Guinness Book of Records<br />
title. Lasting 4 hours and 29<br />
minutes, the lengthy spiel is<br />
primarily concerned with the<br />
United States’ interference in<br />
Cuba. He gives an even longer<br />
speech (7 hours and 10 minutes)<br />
in 1986 at the third Communist<br />
Party Congress in Havana. In<br />
a completely unrelated matter,<br />
Castro indirectly earns another<br />
record for a cow called Ubre<br />
Blanca, or “White Udder.” The<br />
cow, which is subsequently used<br />
as a propaganda tool to promote<br />
collectivized agriculture in the<br />
80s, produced 110 litres of milk<br />
in just one day.<br />
112 asialife HCMC asialife HCMC 113
Actual Size<br />
pub quiz<br />
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general knowledge<br />
1) What is the nautical term for<br />
the rear of a boat?<br />
2) Members of the OPEC cartel<br />
export what?<br />
3) In a four-part choir, which<br />
vocal range is second highest?<br />
4) How many months of the year<br />
have 30 days?<br />
5) A joule is a measure of what?<br />
world history<br />
6) In what U.S. state was John F.<br />
Kennedy assassinated?<br />
7) Israel gained control of the<br />
Gaza Strip, West Bank and<br />
Golan Heights during what<br />
1967 conflict?<br />
8) Between 1963 and 1965,<br />
Singapore was part of what<br />
country?<br />
9) The period of strikes in<br />
England at the end of 1978<br />
that helped put Margaret<br />
Thatcher in power is referred<br />
to as what?<br />
10) From the 13th to 16th<br />
century, the Aztecs occupied<br />
what modern-day Latin<br />
American country?<br />
sports<br />
11) Would a male or female<br />
gymnast perform on parallel<br />
bars?<br />
12) What Latin word for “boat”<br />
now commonly refers to a<br />
boat race?<br />
13) Of the eight teams that have<br />
won the FIFA World Cup,<br />
how many have only won<br />
once?<br />
14) How many strokes under par<br />
is an albatross, also known<br />
as double eagle?<br />
15) What Olympic sport<br />
combines fencing, pistol<br />
shooting, freestyle swimming,<br />
horseback show jumping and<br />
cross country running?<br />
american directors<br />
114 asialife HCMC<br />
16) What was Orson Welles' first<br />
feature film?<br />
17) What iconic American<br />
director broke into the<br />
mainstream after directing<br />
Jaws?<br />
18) Kathryn Bigelow became the<br />
first woman to win an Oscar<br />
for best director in 2009 with<br />
what film?<br />
19) What art house director<br />
began his career with the<br />
experimental student film<br />
Eraserhead?<br />
20) What director promoted<br />
Nikes as Mars Blackmon?<br />
geography<br />
21) Santiago is the capital<br />
of what South American<br />
nation?<br />
22) In what Italian city would<br />
you visit the Uffizi, the Pitti<br />
Palace and il Duomo?<br />
23) How many states make<br />
up the U.S. region of New<br />
England?<br />
24) What sea is situated on the<br />
west coast of Thailand?<br />
25) The Ganges and<br />
Brahmaputra rivers converge<br />
in what East Asian nation?<br />
number 1 in the 1970s<br />
26) “50 Ways to Leave Your<br />
Lover” was the only #1 that<br />
what legend scored in the<br />
1970s?<br />
27) What female-fronted band<br />
had its first #1 in 1978 with<br />
“Heart of Glass”?<br />
28) What ode to an older woman<br />
off Rod Stewart’s Every<br />
Picture Tells a Story hit #1<br />
in 1971?<br />
29) Styx scored its first and only<br />
#1 with what song, named<br />
after a term of endearment,<br />
off Cornerstone?<br />
30) “The Long and Winding<br />
Road” was the Beatles<br />
second #1 in the 1970s off<br />
what album?<br />
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Ngaøy 16/06/2010<br />
In taïi Coâng ty ITAXA, ñòa chæ 126 Nguyeãn Thò Minh Khai, Q.3.<br />
In xong vaø noäp löu chieåu thaùng 09/ 2010<br />
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1. stern 2. petroleum 3. alto 4. four 5. energy 6. Texas 7. Six-Day War 8.<br />
Malaysia 9. The Winter of Discontent 10. Mexico 11. male 12. regatta 13.<br />
three (England, France, Spain) 14. three 15. pentathlon 16. Citizen Kane 17.<br />
Stephen Spielberg 18. The Hurt Locker 19. David Lynch 20. Spike Lee 21.<br />
Chile 22. Florence 23. six 24. Andaman Sea 25. Bangladesh 26. Paul Simon<br />
27. Blondie 28. “Maggie May” 29. “Babe” 30. Let It Be<br />
Pub Quiz Answers<br />
Featured by cnn.com top ten must eat experiences in the world