Travel Channel

Dining and Drinking

So many cultures have entered and influenced Ho Chi Minh City, you are likely to find something to suit virtually every taste here. There are European restaurants (Givral), headed by some of the finest French food in Southeast Asia (Cordon Bleu and Mekong) and followed by fine representatives of Italian cuisine (Venezia and Terrazzo). Vietnam’s neighbors, Thailand (Chao Thai) and China (Saigon Square Shopping Center) have left their culinary marks, as have Japan (Sushi Bar) and even India (Tandoor).

Not surprisingly, perhaps, America’s presence is also readily apparent. Amigo Steak House, Cafe Mogambo and Wild Horse Saloon are just a few of the US-style spots you may want to visit during your stay. But no trip to this gastronomic enclave would be complete without a healthy sampling of the city’s domestic specialties, and there are plenty of restaurants waiting to serve you with the finest dining experiences the country has to offer.

Vietnamese cuisine is probably not as widely known as many of its Southeast Asian counterparts. It may even be mistaken for Thai or Chinese, since the ingredients it employs are quite similar. The defining qualities are a prevailing lightness (little fat or oil is used), blending of complementary textures (peanuts with noodles, for example), and the ubiquitous use of a pungent, salty sauce made of fermented anchovies called nuoc mam. Indeed, nuoc mam-based fish sauce is to meals in Ho Chi Minh City what soy sauce is to dining in Beijing or Kyoto.

Among the city’s many representatives of local cuisine are the very traditional Nam An, downhome Com Nieu Sai Gon and country-style Huong Dong. The cost per person of your lunch should run you no more than a couple of bucks. Dinners depend somewhat on your hunger, but a budget of USD5-USD10 should be quite reasonable for your evening repast. Perhaps the only problem you will have when ordering a meal in a local restaurant will be “eyes bigger than your stomach.” There is so much choice and it is so inexpensive! But the Vietnamese are fond of dining in large groups, so you would be wise to join one in order to have access to a wide range of dishes at a single sitting.

Start with some mon an choi (appetizers) like chao tom (barbequed shrimp on sugar cane) or banh cuon (steamed ravioli). Follow up with a tasty soup, such as the spicy and sour Vietnamese bouillabaisse called canh chua tom or one made of crab meat and asparagus known as mang tay nau cua. For your main course, select two or more entrees of fish, meat or fowl to complement your mood and tastes, from vit nuong roast duck to sweet-and-sour fish ca rang chua ngot and pork simmered in caramel sauce thit kho. Another option is to order a Vietnamese fondue, such as bo nhung giam—vegetables, noodles and beef sliced paper-thin, all dipped in a delicious, steaming vinegar broth. Such fondue is often the starting dish in a seven-course all-beef dinner served at celebrations. For dessert, try fried banana or pineapple flamed with rice wine, or else a traditional coconut pudding called che.

If you are fortunate enough to be visiting the city during Lunar New Year (Tet Festival), be sure to sample some of the festive foods prepared for this occasion. These include cha gio (fried spring rolls), banh trung (banana-leaf-wrapped glutinous rice cakes filled with beans/meat) and mut (candied fruits). Abalone and shark’s fin soups are often served at this special time of year, too.

To accompany your meal, there are more than a few beverages to choose from. Locals prefer tea, but there are always plenty of Asian beers and indigenous soft drinks on hand, including sugar cane juice, sweet soy milk and iced soda sua hot ga, combining club soda with milk and egg yolks! French coffee, hot or cold, is offered almost everywhere, but it may surprise you a bit—the blend is commonly served in water glasses, not cups, and often with a heavy dose of sweet condensed milk in place of cream and sugar.

For serious drinking with or after your meal, beer halls known as bia hois make en masse seating easy, with their adjoining tables, large menus and low prices. Among the best in town is meaty Tay Nam Bo. Another fine brew house is the sports-themed Blue Gecko. You may also want to try out the local pub scene, with Chu Bar, Saigon Saigon Bar, and Allez Boo among the many watering holes you can visit on your way to the wee hours of the morning.

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