{Luang Prabang Eats} Khai Pene

Liz / / 4 Comments

Not so much a restaurant review as per my usual ‘Eats’ but a dish in profile – a delicious Lao snack called khai pene. Ubiquitous on Luang Prabang’s menus, khai pene is basically dried river weed (think the Mekong River’s answer to seaweed), topped with sesame seeds, dried tomato and garlic then fried. It’s light, crispy, savoury and highly moreish, equally tasty eaten alone or with some kind of dipping sauce, like Lao chilli paste. Along with gracing most of the town’s menus, it’s also for sale by the packet at the local food market, so you can spread the khai pene love beyond Luang Prabang’s muddy shores!

{Cafe Crush} Trung Nguyen, Hanoi

Liz / / 4 Comments

I’ve mentioned how much I love Vietnamese coffee brand Trung Nguyen before (no, they’re not paying me!), but this time, it’s their coffee plus a gorgeous leafy setting that equals my first TN cafe crush.


In the vicinity of Hanoi’s Ho Chi Minh Mausoluem, this Trung Nguyen outpost is the perfect spot for a sweet and strong Vietnamese dripper coffee – their Legendee variety of course – while (unbelievably) breathing fresh air and escaping the city’s noise. There’s a cool indoor section with arched bamboo walls, but my pick is the outdoor part amongst the tropical plants and fishpond – Hanoi cafe heaven!


Go for: an iced coffee with milk (make sure its Legendee), and a completely different Hanoi cafe experience

Not for: the snappiest of service – something about the relaxed ambience?!

Trung Nguyen, 36 Dien Bien Phu, Hanoi

{Cafe Crush} Nola Cafe, Hanoi

Liz / / 1 Comment



A tranquil, bohemian coffee and culinary outpost in the charmless, backpackery end of Hanoi’s Old Quarter, Nola is one of my favourite cafe finds to date. Downstairs is dimly lit and a bit more bar-like, but head upstairs and it’s like an art students’ sharehouse meets quirky granny’s loungeroom. Mismatched vintage furniture, old gramophones and musical instruments, potted plants and a choice of loungeroom, rooftop terrace or two other cosy terrace rooms await.

The noise of the narrow, congested streets below could barely be detected as I settled in for a refreshing juice (real! no sugar!) and beef pho cuon Ha Noi – delicious fresh rice paper rolls filled with tender beef and fragrant herbs reminiscent of those found in famous Vietnamese soup dish pho. I’d only eaten pho cuon in Saigon before and these were a world apart, so I’m glad I’ve finally tried them at the source.

Go for: the peace, the pho cuon (38,000 dong – around US$2), the original decor

Not for: slick surrounds or the most hygienic kitchen (if the idea of a chef with a cigarette dangling out of his mouth while cooking offends, this isn’t the place for you!)

Nola Cafe, 89 Ma May, Old Quarter, Hanoi

{Saigon Eats} Banh Xeo 46A

Liz / / 11 Comments

Why has it taken me all this time to try Banh Xeo 46A?! That, I do not know – but what I do know is that this place is a must-try for those wanting an authentic, cheap and delicious local dining experience in Saigon. Its namesake banh xeo is the house specialty – a thin, light yet fluffy pancake reminiscent of a South Indian dosa folded over shrimp, pork and bean sprouts, all wrapped up in a selection of leafy greens (including mustard leaves and mint) and dipped in nuoc mam, Vietnam’s famous fish sauce based condiment.



Despite Banh Xeo 46A’s widespread popularity and listing in many guidebooks, it was jam-packed with Saigonites during our visit (as in the real kind, not expats!). The outdoor restaurant features long metal tables, little plastic stools and a boisterous atmosphere, with swift, efficient service better than that often encountered in far higher end places in the city. They even managed to whip up a non-meat option for my vego friend (yes, just bean sprouts in pancake – but with the accompanying greens and a special non-fishy dipping sauce, she swore she loved it!).

The cha gio (fried spring rolls) were also amazingly tasty – some of the best I’ve had. Am thinking of making a weekly pilgrimage!
Banh Xeo, 46A Dinh Cong Trang, D1, Saigon

{Saigon Eats} MOF Japanese Sweets & Coffee

Liz / / 4 Comments



For a gelato fix (read – not frozen yoghurt, most Saigonites sweet cold treat of choice these days) my favourite place in the city is MOF (Ministry of Food). The Japanese dessert cafe is home to a gorgeous fish motif covered wall, a delectable display of gelato and an intriguing menu of mostly matcha flavoured desserts. Matcha rears its head in the gelato counter too, and the deep green result is strong and bitter – a glass of Japanese green tea brought to life in icy form. The Japanese tangerine is a little mild but tangy and delicious, but my absolute favourite is the Ferrero Rocher flavour. Bonus points for the well stocked magazine rack!

MOF, 30 Le Loi Blvd, D1, Saigon

{Saigon Eats} Red Hot Wok

Liz / / 10 Comments

I have a new Saigon food obsession that’s overtaken my cravings for fried chicken from the mosque, nemesis cake from Au Parc and set menus at Ty Coz – salt and pepper squid at Red Hot Wok!
Red Hot Wok opened a few months back down a pokey little alley way just round a corner from Nguyen Hue. It’s run by a friendly middle-aged Aussie-Vietnamese couple and the food reminds me very much of that found in Australian Chinatowns and cheap and cheerful Chinese food court restaurants. Think wok fried dishes served on sizzling cows (you know – the black iron kind), stir fried noodle dishes and plates of yummy Asian greens. The squid is my ultimate recommendation though – deep fried with a hint of szechuan pepper, topped with a mix of fried garlic, shallots and chilli. At Red Hot Wok it’s called something like ‘Deep fried squid with salt and chilli’ but really, it’s the dish we all know and love as ‘salt and pepper squid’. Am so happy to have finally found a good version of this dish in Saigon – yay!


Beef with black pepper (which is really, really tender) and my beloved squid
Red Hot Wok, 9/12 Huynh Thuc Khang, D1 (open 11am til…4am!)

Date night in Saigon #2 (Vino, Gia Dining Room & Cage)

Liz / / 5 Comments

First venue on our 2nd (on the blogging record) date was Vino – a cute little wine shop with a bar situated in The Refinery, the former opium den turned eating and drinking enclave accessed through a French colonial archway on Hai Ba Trung. A few glasses of a Shiraz Voignier in the leafy, tiny front courtyard and the evening was off to a great start. Vino is so low-key and gorgeous I think it’s my new favourite (I know, it changes all the time – I can be fickle like that!).

For dinner, we headed to new restaurant Gia Dining Room. A relatively small, contemporary bedecked space, Gia Dining Room serves up modern Vietnamese fare and French-influenced dishes with some great seafood and delicious duck with fresh green peppercorns (mmm…). Despite it being a Saturday night the restaurant was strangely devoid of customers. By the end of our meal we were actually the only people left in the room. Either Saigonites eat really early or the word just isn’t really out yet about how great this little place is (despite a review being featured in AsiaLIFE HCMC recently). Anyway – Gia Dining Room is well worth a visit if you happen to be in Saigon (and it’s great value for money – fine dining at a modest price!). Sold yet?! Wow, I should be on commission or something!

Moving on… time to sample some Saigon nightlife at Cage, a club and live music venue decorated with (you guessed it) elaborate bird cages with chandeliers inside. We had a few drinks but I think it was a little early or an off night as no-one had braved the dancefloor by the time we left. The funniest thing about Cage is the namebadges the staff wear, which flash ”Hello” in neon. So Saigon!
Romance factor: 9/10 (intimate Vino, chic Gia Dining Room and fun(ny) Cage were the perfect dateworthy combo)
Food factor: 8/10 (delicious baked scallops in a delicate cream sauce were a highlight, and our steak and duck mains were amazing. Points lost as nothing very unique or enticing on the dessert menu!)
Fun Factor: 9/10 (an overall great date and a reminder of Saigon’s stylish side – it does have one, promise!)

Cafe Crush: Orchidee

Liz / / 2 Comments

Orchidee is a light and bright little hideaway down the same alleyway as La Camargue restaurant (off Hai Ba Trung, across the road from Tous Les Jours bakery). It offers the perfect pitstop when exploring Hai Ba Trung’s shops, and serves great iced coffees and ice-cream in martini glasses.


The ground floor feels a little like a cubbyhouse with its rounded windows and colourful stools. If a citrus colour theme isn’t your taste (and I can’t say I love the ‘tropical’ lime/yellow/orange combo) head upstairs to the cute terrace where orchid motifs decorate the cushions and chairs.

Go for: Sweet relief to escape the Saigon-sun mid-shopping spree/street exploration
Not for: The ultimate Saigon cafe experience – more of a cute and convenient pitstop than the next La Fenetre Soleil (this might be more of a short-term cafe crush than a full-blown love affair!)
Orchidee, 195B Hai Ba Trung, D3 (nb:it’s down an alley, not actually on Hai Ba Trung…this is just their address….gotta love Saigon addresses!)

Date night in Saigon #1 (Warda, K Cafe & O’Brien’s)

Liz / / 8 Comments


As promised (or at least vaguely conjured up) earlier, here’s the first in what could be a mini-series of ‘date nights’ in Saigon. Before you get all excited and think it’s some kind of Sex in the City-like analysis of Saigon’s single scene, said date and future dates are with my lovely husband!

So, first date on the record was not so planned in terms of venues – it was more of an on a whim, ”where shall we go next?” kind of thing. First up, we went to Middle Eastern bar and restaurant Warda for some drinks and mezze. The ground floor was busy but not too much so, and we were able to get a bench seat near the bar. Our shared mezze (dips, breads, olives, feta, tabouli…) was huge for a supposed pre-dinner snack and the cocktails (rose martini, favourite) went down well. Warda proved a fun place for people watching – the other patrons in the bar area were all Vietnamese, including a group of giggling 20-something girls in suits trying a shisha pipe for maybe the first time, and a businessman with his glamazon, modelesque girlfriend draped all over him. Don’t you just love people watching?!
Next, it was onto dinner at K Cafe, a Japanese restaurant with a not very Japanese-sounding name, but nonetheless a long running and popular spot. There are always lots of Japanese people there – an excellent sign! We decided to sit at the sushi bar (I have a thing about sitting at sushi bars) to see the chefs in action, and ordered beers and lots of dishes to share including spicy tuna rolls, soft shell crabs, scallop gyozas and salmon sashimi. A guy who was acting like the owner was sitting nearby and tried to insist we have dessert (“it’s free!”) but after a huge Middle Eastern spread then dinner we’d had enough.
But there was still room for more drinks! Next door to K Cafe is a bar called O’Brien’s, which for some reason neither of us had ever been to. We decided to check it out and found a small, cosy, exposed brick wall pub with a sports bar meets dive bar vibe. The air was a little smoky, the music very 90s and the crowd a mixed bag of young guys ordering burgers, old guys wearing shorts and t-shirts (so un-Saigon!) and generic people sitting at the bar. Not really my thing. Kind of boring. But we stayed for a drink anyway and it turned out to be a fun place to sit and talk – really unpretentious. And speaking of unpretentious I really should have ordered beer as they make the worst martini ever!

So…how did the date fare?
Romance factor: 6/10 (points deducted for non-dateworthy O’Brien’s)
Food factor: 8.5/10 (K Cafe has fantastic sashimi and I highly recommend the scallop gyozas. Actually pretty much everything we’ve ever tried there has been great)
Fun factor: 8/10 (definitely more of a casual night but lots of fun, conducive to good eats and good chats – even at O’Briens)