Saigon Eats: The Deck

Liz / / 11 Comments

The Deck’s deck – perfect for waterfront lounging
This is one of those ‘is this really Saigon?!’ kind of places. Situated in the expat enclave of An Phu – a world of gated compounds, huge villas, international schools and (gasp!) quiet streets – glass-walled, contemporary restaurant The Deck takes advantage of Saigon’s river setting. As you drink and dine, sand barges, small boats and clumps of plant matter drift by, and across to the other bank the view is nothing but tropical foliage. It’s as though you’re a million miles away from the city. From inside the restaurant you have a view out to the river from any of the tables courtesy of the glass frontage, or you can choose to sit on the namesake ‘deck’ for a more casual experience. The rattan seats (pictured) are very conducive to a sunset cocktail or two. 

Clockwise from L to R: prawn canneloni, lamb ravioli, chocolate tart,
chilli salt squid, lemongrass & vanilla creme brulee
The Deck uses alot of local produce (including delectable seafood) and flavour influences from Asia to Europe, creating a menu of fresh, modern cuisine. We had chilli salt squid to start, with tempura light batter and a perfect texture. For mains – prawn canneloni with a tomato and lobster sauce (which had a strong dill taste that oddly worked!) and lamb ravioli (French spring vegetable flavours and succulent meat). For dessert – a luscious chocolate tart and a lemongrass/vanilla creme brulee that I highly recommend to any lover of lemongrass. While The Deck is obviously not a ‘local’ experience it’s a worthwhile one for those looking to escape the city for a while and indulge.
The Deck, 38 Nguyen U Di, An Phu (D2)

A Sunday in Saigon: Bubble tea, banh mi and beer

Liz / / 9 Comments

Behind the bar at Hoa Vien Brauhaus

A Saigon cafe with a French vibe (inside and out!)

Look who’s serving Banh Mi (hehe!)

My latest Saigon food obsession is Banh Mi Bistro (yes, it’s a sandwich shop!) at 76 Vo Thi Sau, District 1. Their chicken sandwich is the best – shredded, barbeque chicken mixed with some kind of delicious seasoned mayo (maybe it’s msg that makes it so savoury and tasty?) and lettuce – simple but moreish. I also tried their mint bubble tea, like a dessert in a glass. It was basically a mint flavoured milkshake with ice, tapioca pearls (the ‘bubble’ bit), little cubes of colourful jelly and some grated coconut (but no tea!) – surprisingly refreshing and not as sickly as it sounds.

Then, it was onto Le Petit Cafe to check it out. It’s quite a hidden little spot down an alley off Dien Bien Phu (D1), but well signposted at either entrance to the street. Here, it was time for another cool drink – this time a tamarind juice with plenty of ice and topped with peanuts. A perfect blend of sweet and salty – yum! Le Petit Cafe has a grungy European vibe, dark inside with wrought iron tables and chairs, a chandelier, musical instruments propped against the wall, a bar, smoking patrons and a cat. Upstairs – a cozy room full of young, hip Vietnamese people lounging on cushions, and above that, a roof terrace.
After an aimless wander in the heat we came across an oasis in the form of Hoa Vien Brauhaus, a Czech brewery that’s so impressive, I can’t believe it’s taken me so long to go! There’s an amazing wooden bar with copper vats, with a light lager and two types of dark available. There’s a menu of delicious sounding grilled meats and seafood (like wasabi grilled prawns), and Vietnamese dishes too. The light lager was so good (and great value – less than $2 for half a litre!) – and I thought I’d gone off beer…

Cafe crush: Dolezza House

Liz / / 5 Comments

On my eternal quest for new and inspiring cafes, I came across Dolezza House – a colourful cafe with a cute clothing shop in Saigon’s District 3.
The on-site boutique houses a treasure trove of colourful dresses (think Mango, with better cuts and tailoring) and outside the cafe is full of whimsical touches, like colour co-ordinated coasters that match the pink and purple seats, dress-shaped menus and artfully displayed flowers and plants. The iced coffees, New Zealand ice-creams and mist-blowing fans are the perfect antidotes to Saigon’s heat, in one of the city’s most girly (but gorgeous) little cafes.

Dolezza House, 26 Le Quy Don, D3, Saigon

Saigon Eats: Tib Express

Liz / / 4 Comments


The new face of Saigon dining appears to be in the form of cheap eats in a cool, clean, contemporary setting. Tib Express is one such place. A step up from popular chains like Wrap & Roll and Pho 24, it offers Vietnamese snacks and street fare in a classy setting.

A recent edition to the Tib family of restaurants (there’s also Tib on Hai Ba Trung, D3 and Tib Chay – a vegetarian restaurant on Tran Nhat Duat, D1), Tib Express is located across the road from bustling Ben Thanh market, offering respite from the crowds and heat and a delicious array of tasty snacks.


We tried a random selection of fresh rolls and rice noodle based dishes, including Hue rolls with pork and prawn (presented like sushi rolls) and another wrapped in mustard leaves, which provided a slight wasabi flavour, minus the heat.

Hue rolls with pork and prawn – Vietnamese sushi?!

Glutinous goodness
Everything tastes better rolled!

Fresh and flavoursome food aside, the decor is cool (think polished concrete floors, an open kitchen, lots of white and warm wood) and the vibe is busy and fun – a great place for a quick and tasty lunch!

Tib Express, 54 Phan Boi Chau, D1

Sozo in Saigon

Liz / / 1 Comment


Sozo is a Saigon cafe staffed by disadvantaged locals – similar in concept to Phnom Penh’s Friends and Hanoi’s KOTO. It can be found in Pham Ngu Lao – the backpacker district – housed amongst cheap hotels, budget travel agencies and ubiquitous bars, cafes and shops. This was the first time we’d ventured to the area since moving to Saigon (but we’re familiar with it, having stayed there a few times in the past). Being back there only reminded me how I don’t miss backpacker ghettos, and that travellers who only hang around Pham Ngu Lao except for a few excursions to the tourist sites are really missing out on the rest Saigon has to offer! Anyway, rant over – back to Sozo… 

The menu featured a mix of standard ‘western’ fare (nowhere near as innovative as the global/gourmet offerings at Friends and KOTO) so we stuck to the more enticing looking desserts. One slice of carrot cake, one of chocolate cake and two coffees later (they do great Vietnamese iced coffees by the way – but then, it’s hard to find a bad one) we were satisfied with both the sweet fix and Sozo’s feel good factor.

The staff were fantastic too, really friendly and efficient. I love this type of cafe – the service is always great as the staff are making are real effort to improve themselves. As for why the cafe is named SOZO – apparently it’s a Greek word meaning ‘saved’. Now that’s getting a bit too deep – just bring on the cake!
Sozo, 176 Bui Vien, D1, Saigon

Lunch at the mosque

Liz / / 6 Comments

Saigon’s central mosque is an old-world outpost in the the centre of the city, and once in the grounds you feel a world away from the city’s noise and traffic-clogged streets.

The mosque was built in 1935 by south Indian traders, and today the inner courtyard is home to a fantastic (and cheap!) restaurant that’s not only a peaceful spot but serves up delicious fare – Southern Indian with a Malaysian twist.

The vegetarian curries in particular reminded me alot of the single-veg dishes we ate (and loved) while travelling around Sri Lanka, such as the savoury green beans cooked with curry leaves and mustard seeds. The okra curry and the potato cubes had a real Sri Lankan taste too, while the paratha (bread) was distinctly Indian. We tried a mildly-spiced beef curry in addition to all the veg, but the fried chicken was the real standout with its crispy, tangy tasting skin (providing more travel flashbacks – this time of Penang).

Great food aside, I loved the faded blue walls, old bicycles and rustic outdoor kitchen at the mosque. Very atmospheric – and highly authentic.

The central mosque, 66 Dong Du Street, D1, Saigon

In search of weasel poo coffee…and other culinary adventures

Liz / / 1 Comment

On the weekend we had friends visiting from Phnom Penh, so spent alot of time wandering from place to place eating and drinking. Here’s where we went and what we tasted:

First stop: Trung Nguyen, Vietnam’s best-known coffee chain – think a local version of Starbucks. We went to the huge branch across the road from Diamond Plaza, which has mostly outdoor seating. Some of the tables are actually shaped like Vietnamese coffee drippers! Trung Nguyen coffee comes in various arabica and robusta blends but the type we were seeking out was that made from weasel poo! Rumour has it that weasels (or civets) digest the beans, which produce a really smooth tasting coffee, among the best in the world. Whenever we’ve gone to Trung Nguyen and tried to order it they’ve said they don’t have it. So we tried again, and they still said it wasn’t available but pointed to the Legendee coffee (my favourite) instead. So we stuck with the Legendee and I’ve since discovered that it’s made using the animal’s digestive enzymes without the coffee actually passing through a living creature. So – I guess we kind of had weasel poo coffee, in a much more palatable way.

We then headed next-door to Bamizon for their banh mi (sandwiches). I had the chicken baguette which comes with salad, coriander and chilli (my favourite Vietnamese sandwich) but unfortunately it also had a thick layer of sweet tasting butter. Will forego the butter next time and just have a drier (but healthier!) sandwich.
For lunch (the banh mi was just a snack!) we went to Annam Gourmet Foods on Hai Ba Trung. A gorgeous, gourmet supermarket packed with imported goods and beautifully packaged Vietnamese spices, teas and coffees, it has an upstairs cafe where you can help yourself to a Belgian beer from the fridge and order cheeses and meats at the deli counter. It’s one of my favourite places in Saigon and it never fails to impress visitors! With some Chilean wine and Belgian and Kiwi beers we shared some cheese and meat platters, featuring proscuitto, Serrano ham, salami, parmesan, brie and more. This is the best place for a charcuterie fix, and you can pick up interesting things to take home afterwards.

Our delicious lunch at Annam
Post-lunch dessert – time for chocolate nemesis cake at Au Parc, my favourite dessert to date in Saigon. So rich it’s hard to finish one by yourself (but I usually manage!).
Dinner – Vietnamese fare at Quan An Ngon, one of Saigon’s best-loved restaurants where stations are set up around a courtyard (with a French colonial building on the grounds) dishing up the best of Vietnam’s street snacks. We had chilli salt beef, prawns on skewers, banh xeo (pancakes with pork, prawns and bean sprouts), lemongrass clams and much, much more. A feast for the princely sum of around US$7 per person.
And somewhere in the midst of all this eating and drinking was a trip to La Fenetre Soleil, one of my favourite Saigon cafes for it’s decor, ambience and great ginger juice (read my blog post about it here). And there was also a trip to Wrap & Roll (how could I forget?) for more delicious Vietnamese snacks (the highlight – sundried beef in fresh spring rolls).
Next time out and about -will perhaps check out new dumpling bar Steam, have a drink at favourite wine bar Qing (its new location that I haven’t been to yet) and try a curry at the mosque, another thing on my to do list!
Coffee photo courtesy vncoffeeinc.com

Cafe crush: Kita Coffee House

Liz / / 10 Comments


Kita Coffee House seems to fly under the radar a bit when it comes to Saigon’s western-style cafes. Others like Au Parc, Juice and La Fenetre Soleil are justifiably popular and you always see them mentioned in local mags and guidebooks, but Kita’s – not so much (it is fairly new though). It serves really great, healthy sandwiches and salads (especially yum – the goat cheese and roast red pepper salad on brown baguette), a deli counter for takeaway gourmet goods, and excellent Lavazza coffee at slightly cheaper prices than the norm (30,000 dong for a cappuccino or latte – a bit less than US$2). I really like the decor too – it’s fresh, contemporary, bright (yellow/white/browns) and tiny. I’m obsessed with tiny places at the moment – I guess it’s the cute and cosy factor, which Kita’s has in droves. New favourite!

[Update: as of February 2010, Kita can no longer be described as tiny! It underwent extensive renovations that transformed the decor from contemporary to Parisian, plus the ground floor was expanded and two more floors were added!! While it’s no longer a cosy bolthole, it remains one of my favourites, retaining the same great menu with new additions. And the coffee’s still the best!]

Kita Coffee House, 39 Nguyen Hue, D1, Saigon

Barfly: The Amber Room

Liz / / No Comments


The Amber Room is a chic little bar that just opened shop on Saigon’s bustling Dong Du Street, which is home to diverse restaurants, the Sheraton hotel, the Mosque and a Belgian chocolate shop. Over Tet we decided to check it out and have a drink. Needless to say we were the only customers, but it was also daytime so that could explain it! I tried an espresso martini – delicious. The dark moody walls, colour co-ordinated decor (shades of chocolate and of course, amber) and dramatic light feature hanging overhead make for a sophisticated set-up.

The Amber Room is my type of bar – small, intimate and perfect for cocktail imbibing. And unless there are some I haven’t seen yet, I wonder why there aren’t more simple, tiny shophouses converted into cool bars here?

The Amber Room, Level 1, 59 Dong Du Street, D1, Saigon