asialife HCMC 1 - AsiaLIFE Magazine
asialife HCMC 1 - AsiaLIFE Magazine
asialife HCMC 1 - AsiaLIFE Magazine
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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 Huong, 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 vong,<br />
fish pan-fried at the table with turmeric<br />
and dill and served with cold noodles and<br />
peanuts.<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 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 a<br />
contemporary, classy twist. Expect to find<br />
your local favourites as you’ve never experienced<br />
them before. Beautifully plated,<br />
this is Vietnamese cuisine at 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 />
Lang 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 beef,<br />
chicken and fish to porcupine, weasel and<br />
field mouse. Great destination for intrepid<br />
gastronomes. Has standard hot pot, rice<br />
and noodle dishes too.<br />
Mandarine Restaurant<br />
11A Ngo Van Nam, D1 Tel: 3822 9783<br />
Fine dining Vietnamese-style courtesy of<br />
two sumptuously decorated colonial villas,<br />
an antique wooden stair and a menu<br />
spanning all regions of Vietnam. Traditional<br />
music performances are available for<br />
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 upmarket<br />
Vietnamese dishes. Features 10<br />
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 location on<br />
Le Thanh Ton, Nam Phan continues to serve<br />
modern Asian cuisine including asparagus<br />
and crab meat soup, stewed bellyfish in<br />
pineapple and grilled duck breast in orange<br />
sauce. Set in a restored colonial villa, the interior<br />
is 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 Ba<br />
Trung, featuring an attractive open first-floor<br />
and upstairs dining rooms with dark wood<br />
furniture and carved woodwork. Serving Hue<br />
staples, crab and prawn spreads and an<br />
impressive array of wines and cocktails.<br />
Ngon Vietnamese<br />
Thao Dien Village 195 Nguyen Van<br />
Huong D2 Tel: 3744 6857<br />
Located at the picturesque Thao Dien<br />
Village, Ngon offers authentic Vietnamese<br />
cuisine including alfresco cooking and<br />
dinning with traditional music on Thursday<br />
nights and traditional water puppet<br />
show on Saturday nights.<br />
Papaya<br />
68 Pham Viet Chanh, 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, fresh<br />
ingredients set Papaya's menu apart. 10<br />
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 />
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. Call<br />
for reservations.<br />
Tib Express<br />
162 Nguyen Dinh Chieu, D3<br />
Tel: 3822 5038<br />
Serves a large selection of Tib’s Hue-food<br />
menu in a more casual dining rooom and<br />
at significantly lower prices. Specializes in<br />
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 and<br />
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 eat.<br />
Boston Sports Bar<br />
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. Takeout and free delivery.<br />
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 but<br />
the atmosphere is great with live music<br />
throughout the week and a live DJ every<br />
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 a punch.<br />
Owners Annie and Ms. Van are never too<br />
busy to check on their patrons, and the<br />
busy bartenders are quick with a smile.<br />
<strong>asialife</strong> <strong>HCMC</strong> 73
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