OK, I know the title is a little
catchy. I am in no position to say what are the best restaurants in
SàiGòn since I don’t live there. What
I can tell you is what I think about the food that I have tried while staying
in SàiGòn for 22 days in Dec. 2011. I hope to
have weeded out all the bad restaurants for you. As the saying goes…my mistakes
are your benefits, Enjoy your stay in SàiGòn and more importantly enjoy the food especially street
food.
PHỞ:
Note:
The Phở that I tried
were ALL beef Phở. I’m not a big fan of chicken Phở.
1) Phở Bò Viên Quốc Ký
Address:
52,
Ngô Đức Kế, District 1
Close
to corner of Nguyễn Huệ and Ngô Đức Kế.
Comments:
The Sate Pho is not bad. Very different
from the Pho that I used to.
Rating: OK
2)
Phở 25
Address:
25, Nguyễn Thị Minh Khai, District 1
between Phung Khc Hoan and Mac Dinh Chi
Comments:
This is the place that Anthony Bordain ate in Food porn. Not sure what the name of the
restaurant.
Beef Pho here tasted like Chicken Pho.
Rating: Poor.
3)
Phở Lệ
Address:
On Nguyễn Trải,
District 5
Comments:
Very sweet and tasted like chicken Pho.
Rating:
Poor.
Address:
260C, Pasteur St., District 3
Comments:
Tasted like chicken Pho nd not very tasty.
Their Pho used to be very good the last
time I tried…8 years ago.
Rating:
Poor.
5)
Quán
Dậu
Address:
in
khu cư xá 288 Nam Kỳ Khởi Nghĩa, District 3
Comments:
Very salty from the fish sauce. Open from
4am to noon or when they run out of Pho.
Rating:
Poor
TIỆM BÁNH (Bakery):
1)
Nhà Hàng
Paris Deli
Address:
65
Le Loi, District 1
Rating:
OK
2)
Bakery Brodard
Address:
95 Nguyễn Huệ, District 1
Comments:
Wow, their cakes are soo good. The right
texture, sweetness and taste.
Rating:
Excellence
3)
Tous Les Jours
Address:
34 Lê Duẩn, District 1
Comments:
This is a chain bakery. They have many branches around the city.
Rating:
Good
BÁNH MÌ:
4)
Bánh
Mì Huỳnh
Hoa (Bánh Mì Ô môi)
Address:
26,
Lê Thị Riêng, District 1
Comments:
The
taste is just ok for me. There s something in there that make it tasted a
little weird but ok to eat. Open from
4pm to
midnight
Rating:
OK
5)
Bánh
Mì Nhu
Lan
Address:
Corner
of Ham Nghi and Ho Tung Mau, Opposite to Bitexco building)
Comments:
We
passed by this place during lunch time and saw tons of people eating. First
thought came to our mind was that it must be good. But, as
it turned out. It’s just ok to fill up our stomach. Didn’t have a chance to try
their Banh Mi.
Rating:
OK (for non-Banh Mi food)
BUFFET:
1)
Khu
du lịch Bình Quới 1 – Southern food
As
of Dec. 2011
Price:
220,000 đồng/adult – 120,000 đồng/kid ( under 1,2m )
Opening time:
Friday and Saturday: 5-8pm - Sunday and
Holiday: 11 am-2pm and 5-8pm
Comments:
They have tons of food to choose from.
Lots of grilled stuff and southern
specialties.
Gotta try the grilled rice field mouse.
I had it for the first time in my life and
it was good.
Just close your eyes and take a bite. J
Rating:
Excellence
2) Bong
Sen Hotel Buffet
Address:
117-123,
Dong Khoi Street, District 1
Comments:
This
is another good buffet place. Not as many selections as Binh Quoi 1 but they
have roasted baby pig. YUM.
Rating:
Excellence
BÚN BÒ HUẾ (Central Noodle):
1)
Quan
Nam Giao
Address:
136/15 Le Thanh Ton, Q1
Comments:
Just an average Bún Bò
Huế. Not any better than 3A3.
Rating: OK
2) Bún Bò Huế 3A3
Comments:
This is a chain restaurant that you can find everywhere in the
city. Their Bún Bò Huế is
just OK.
Rating: OK
Cà Phê (Coffee):
1) Highlands Coffee
Address:
43-45 Lê Thánh Tôn, District 1
Comments:
Tried their Coffee and Cakes. Just OK.
Rating:
OK
CHINESE:
2) Dìn
Ký
Address:
On Nguyễn Trải close to District 1
Comments:
I think this is a chain restaurant. Food
was just normal but expensive.
Rating:
Poor
Cơm Gà (Chicken Rice):
1)
Hai
Chị Em
Address:
On Nguyễn Công Trứ between Phó Đúc Chính and Calmette.
District 1
Comments:
This is not really a restaurant. It’s just
a stand on the side walk. We saw this accidentally when we were in the neighbor
looking for food. The funny thing is there were 2 other stands next to this
one. By chance, we just walked up to this stand and ask them for the roasted duck.
They said the last one was being bought by a customer standing next to me and they
only have a small piece left. Looking to the side, without knowing they’re not
together, I asked them for the duck in the next stand and they quietly replied “No,
we’re not together”. My wife and I looked at each other and think, wow. At
around 7pm and they already sold out their Ducks and the 2 stands next to them
still have a full stand. Their duck must be good. So we decided to get what
they have left. Wow. After taking one bite of the duck, we knew why they sold
out so early. It was the best Roasted Duck ever.
BTW, I think they only open at night.
Rating:
Excellence
2)
Cơm
gà Thượng Hải
Address:
Intersection of Võ Văn Tầng and Trần Quốc Thảo
Comments:
Their boiled chicken and
Roasted duck are good but pricey comparing to other places.
Rating:
Good
3)
Cơm
gà Hồng Xương
Address:
On Nguyễn Trải near District 1
Comments:
Their chicken is not fresh.
Rating:
Poor
4) Cơm gà Hải Nàm
Address:
379 Nguyễn Trị
Phương
Comments:
Their Hải Nàm Chicken
is the best I have tasted anywhere.
Rating:
Excellence
IMPORTANT note:
If they
asked you to combine dishes into 1, ask them if it costs extra. Apparently, we either didn’t know the local rule or they tried
to cheat us. We ordered 1 Hải Nàm
chicken and 1 Roasted pork on rice dishes, they combined the two and
charged us triple the price. I argued with the manager/owner and told them that
the price they charged us was not on the menu and I refused to pay them. I just
gave them enough money for the dishes as if they didn’t combine them and
walked away. So watch out.
Fast
Food:
1) Sen Viet
Address:
34
Le Duan, District 1
in
Diamond Plaza Food Court
Rating: OK
HỦ TÍU (aka
Hủ
Tiếu, Pork based rice noodle soup):
2) Hủ
Tiếu Võ Văn
Tần
Address:
46/102
Vo Van Tan St., District 3
Comments:
This place is
right at the entrance to an alley. I forgot the alley name and/or number.
Rating: OK
3) Hủ
Tíu Quỳnh
Address:
On Nguyễn Trải
Rating: OK
4) Hủ
Tiếu Mì
Address:
62 Trương Định, District 1
Comments:
Ask for extra fatty stuff. It makes the soup tastes really good.
Rating: Good
Traditional
Vietnamese:
1) Làng
Nướng Nam Bộ
restaurant
Address:
285/C145,
Cách Mạng Tháng 8, District 10
Rating: OK
2) Quán Thanh Bình
Address:
On Lê Thánh Tôn across from Bến
Thành Market.
Rating: OK
Night
Snacks:
1) Quán
ốc Vân (snails)
Address:
on
Nguyễn
An Ninh Street close to Phan Chu Trinh, District 1
on
the West side of Bến Thành market
Comments:
Open at night only. All
kind of snails, clams.
Rating: Excellence
2) Chicken and Duck specialties
Address:
On
Nguyen Du, across from Post Office. District
1
Bet.
Dong Khoi and Hai Ba Trung
Comments:
Not sure what the name
of the restaurant. Only open at night. Love their grilled chicken feet. Other
dishes were good too but chicken
feet was to die for. It
is now the best part of the chicken for me (only from this restaurant of course).
Rating: Excellence
3) Phỏ Hương Bắc.
Address:
75
Nguyễn Thái Bình,
District 1
Comments:
We ate Hủ Tiếu Xào,
Fried rice and Mì Xào Giòn there at night. I think they sell Phở in the morning since the name of the restaurant is Phỏ
Hương Bắc.
Rating: Good
4) Cơm Xào (Fried Rice), Hủ Tiếu Xào (Chow
Fun)
Address:
On Nguyễn Công Trứ between Phó Đúc Chính and Calmette.
District 1
Comments:
This is not really a restaurant. I think
they rented the space at night.
This
place is next to the Hai Chị Em Roasted Duck stand. Just OK.
Rating: OK
OTHERS-Mix:
1)
Bánh Bao Cả Cần
Address:
110,
Hùng Vương, District 5
On the corner
of Nguyễn Tri Phương và Hùng Vương
Comments:
I think the
powder they used are not freshly made by them. The texture and taste were not
good.
Rating: Poor
2) The Lunch Lady (Nguyen Thi Thanh )
Address:
23 Hoang Sa Street, District 1
between Nguyen Dinh Chieu and Nguyen
Thi Minh Khai – on the north side of the Zoo. It’s inside an alley. Someone mark her on Google map so check it out.
Comments:
We tried her Bún Bò
Huế, Mì Gà Tiềm( this is her version of the Mì Vịt Tiềm) and Bún Thái. They were all good. She must have a talent in cooking. Note that she only sell 1 dish a day. I remember Bún Bò
Huế was on Friday but not sure about the other dishes.
Rating:
Excellence
KEM (ICE CREAM) and Chè (Sweet):
1) Bach Dang (Ice Cream)
Address:
26-28
Lei Loi St, District 1
corner
of Le Loi and Pasture - a few block from hotel. Near REX hotel
Comments:
This
ice cream shop is more for people watching at night than eating ice cream. Kind
of pricey for ice cream.
Rating: OK
2) Tapiocup
Address:
45
Lê Thánh Tôn,
District 1
in
Parkson Mall Food
Court
Comments:
We
tried the Chè 7
Mau. Barely ok to eat.
Rating: Poor
3)
Snow Town
Address:
35
Lê Thánh Tôn, District 1
in
Parkson Mall Food
Court
Rating: OK
Street Food:
1) Crab Soup
Address:
On Nguyễn Du
near Nhà thờ
Đức Bà (Church),
Comments:
The lady sell
it on the side walk. Very cheap too.
Rating:
Excellence
2)
Bò Bía Ngọt
Comments:
The guy
selling it from his converted
bicycle. 5k đồng each.So good and so
cheap.
Rating:
Excellence
3)
Bánh Bò and Bánh Da Lợn
Comments:
The lady
selling it at a corner near Bến Thành Market. 5k đồng each. Yum.
Rating:
Excellence
4) Bánh Tráng Nướng
Comments:
Lots of people
selling this on the streets. We bought it from a kid selling on the side walk across from Bến Thành Market. Basically, it’s
grilled rice paper with quail eggs, dried shrimps,
scallions and butter (I think). Must try.
Rating:
Excellence
5) Bánh Tráng nướng+Kẹo Mạch Nha+Dừa Bào
Comments:
Bought it from
a lady near Bến Thành Market. Tasted just like what I remember eating when I
was little. Basically, it’s a
different kind of rice paper. In between are shreded coconut and homemade
caramel. Very simple yet extremely yummy.
Rating:
Excellence
Note:
We
have tried many more but didn’t note them down. There is an open air BBQ place
near Ben Thanh Market which was really good. It was always packed at night.
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