Rough Guide to Vietnam - Jan Dodd [73]
Warda 71/7 Mac Thi Buoi. Middle-eastern dishes such as kefta kebab and duck with apricot tajine for around $10, with shisha pipes on hand as well. 11am–midnight.
Wrap & Roll 62 Hai Ba Trung. Handy outlet of a chain doing for spring rolls what Pho 24 does for pho – serving street food in a sanitized, a/c environment. Choose from a host of ingredients, peel off a rice wrapper and get rolling. 10am–11pm.
Ho Chi Minh City and around | Eating | Restaurants |
De Tham and around
The following are all marked on the map opposite, except Ngoc Suong, in "Ho Chi Minh City, and Tin Nghia and Pho 2000 in "Eating and Drinking: Central Ho Chi Minh".
Akbar Ali 240 Bui Ven. Delicious Indian food served up in a simple, shophouse setting, where you can get a meal and beer for around $5. Try the Chicken Jalfrezi. 10am–11pm.
Allez Boo 195 Pham Ngu Lao. It may be better known as a watering hole (see "Bars and pubs"), but this place also turns out very acceptable Vietnamese, Thai and Western dishes at about $5 each. 6am–late.
Asian Kitchen 185/22 Pham Ngu Lao. Tucked away down the alley east of De Tham, this laidback place features well-priced Vietnamese, Japanese and vegetarian dishes. 7am–midnight.
Cappuccino 258 De Tham 08/3887 5701. Serves up good pizzas at around $5 as well as reasonable Mexican and Vietnamese fare and wines by the glass too. There’s another branch at 86 Bui Ven, and delivery service too. 6am–11.30pm.
Coriander 185 Bui Ven. Great Thai food at reasonable prices. 7am–11pm.
Dinh Y 171B Cong Quynh. Cheap but tasty vegetarian food prepared by Cao Dai adherents in a convenient location by Thai Binh market. 6.30am–9pm.
Dynasty New World Hotel, 76 Le Lai. Overlooking the lobby of the hotel. The noise may irritate but there’s no faulting the elegant decor (porcelain and bonsai), nor the splendid food, featuring delicious dim sum every lunchtime. Set menus start at around $20 and two can dine well for $30, but the sky’s the limit if you plump for delicacies like bird’s-nest soup or shark’s fin. 11am–2pm & 6–10pm.
Good Morning Vietnam 197 De Tham. Part of an Italian-run chain of restaurants that serves dependably good pizza and pasta in a cosy environment. 9am–midnight.
Kim Café 268 De Tham. Besides breakfasts and veggie meals galore, there’s guacamole, garlic bread, mashed potatoes and a fantastic chicken curry ($4). 7am–late.
Lac Thien 207 Bui Vien. An opportunity to try Hué Imperial food at this unassuming, reasonably priced restaurant. 7am–11pm.
Lucky Café 224 De Tham. A choice of Western, Thai or Japanese food in this popular, a/c restaurant. Sports on satellite TV too. 7am–late.
Margherita 175/1 Pham Ngu Lao. Some of the cheapest and tastiest pizzas and pasta dishes in town ($3–4), not to mention the burritos and shepherd’s pie that make this a good choice for cheap eats. 7am–midnight.
Milwaukee 275–279 Pham Ngu Lao. Bringing a touch of class to the budget district, this place serves imported New Zealand steaks for under $10 in an attractive, plant-strewn environment. 7am–midnight.
Minh Duc 100 Ton That Tung. It’s worth escaping the tourist enclave around De Tham at lunchtime to join the scrum of locals at this point-and-eat place, where great food is served up for a few thousand dong a dish. 6am–9pm.
Ngoc Suong 106 Suong Nguyet Anh 08/3925 6939. The most atmospheric branch of this hugely popular chain of seafood restaurants, drawing big crowds every evening. 10am–10.30pm.
Pepperoni’s 111 Bui Ven 08/3920 4989. A cut above your average restaurant in the backpacker district, serving pizzas, pasta, steaks and daily specials, with frequent offers such as two pizzas for the price of one. Delivery service too. 8.30am–11pm.
Pho 94 94 Bui Ven. Reliable spot to savour a tasty bowl of pho in the budget district. 6am–10pm.
Pho 2000 1–3 Phan Chu Trinh 08/822 2788. Located next to Ben Thanh Market. Clean surroundings and big bowls of delicious noodle soup and other Vietnamese staples for around $2. 6.30am–11pm.
Sasa Café 242 De Tham.