asialife HCMC 1 - AsiaLIFE Magazine

Hai Lua
An open-air Vietnamese restaurant serving country-style
cuisine. By Beth Young. Photos by Ho Quang.
Hai Lua translates as “hick”
in English and the alfresco
restaurant on Ngo Van Nam in
District 1 prepares traditional
Vietnamese delicacies in the
same rustic manner as those
who reside in the countryside.
With a history spanning more
than a decade from humble
beginnings on nearby Ly Tu
Trong, Hai Lua is a HCM City
institution and has a reputation
for serving quality local fare—
especially seafood. Plucked
live from large tanks, the vast
selection of marine life is as fresh
as can be.
The new location—opened
since last Tet—backs onto the
new Saigon Square and sports
an open kitchen at the forefront.
Here, patrons can request a
dish (made easier for foreigners
with pictures and an attached
English description), which is
then cooked straightaway in full
view. And judging by the mostly
Vietnamese crowd, the chefs’
prowess behind the wok can be
commended.
Adventurous eaters can
challenge their palates with
semi-hatched duck eggs (10,000
VND each), field mice or
stewed goat penis with Chinese
medicine (630,000 VND per
serve). Otherwise, the slightly
peppery squid steamed with
ginger (125,000 VND) is a great
place to start. Kept hot atop a
burner, the muc, as its known in
Vietnamese, is tender and tangy.
The Thai hotpot (205,000
VND) is another main worth
sampling. Absolutely bursting
with seafood—octopus,
prawns, clams—plus straw
mushrooms and morning glory,
the spicy broth is seasoned with
lemongrass. And sea cucumber
makes an interesting, yet not so
tasty, addition.
A definite must-try is the
grouper with soybean jam (prices
set at market rate). With mouth
wide-open and sharp teeth on
display, the fish is a macabre
sight but the soft flesh that falls
from its bones is delicious. Mixed
with the sweet sauce, nutty
soybeans and vermicelli that sits
on top, a visit to Hai Lua would
be remiss without ordering at
least one to share.
With options like this Hai Lua
gives an authentic Vietnamese
dining experience and a slice of
country life within the city’s core.
10 Ngo Van Nam, District 1
Tel: 3823 0306
Open 10 am to 11 pm
asialife HCMC 53