Ben Thanh Night Market: Hai Lua Food Countryside, HCMC

 

 

Few images scream Saigon like the classic District 1 market, Cho Ben Thanh.  There's a lot to see here during the day but if you've not been there for the night market you're missing out.   The building at Ben Thanh Market is closed but in the early evening vendors and restaurants set up their shops on the streets on either side.     One of these make-shift restaurants, Hai Lua Food Countryside has become a mandatory stop for us while in HCMC.  Evidently, for a lot of others too.  

To find Hai Lua at the Night Market, walk down Phan Boi Chau street on the east/right-hand side of Cho Ben Thanh.   You'll see Hai Lua on the left (against the market building) about half way back.   They'll be easy to spot... look for the giant smoking grill filled with red fish, Snapper I think, set up right on the street.   Hai Lua has a lot of great food, but it is the thought of the grilled red fish that keeps me longing for my return.   Do yourself a favor...

Eat it!

Hotel Majestic Saigon, HCMC Vietnam

I usually don't spend a lot on hotels in Vietnam, since you can get a good room in Saigon for well under $90 per night, but I wanted to try the Majestic. I had seen the classic hotel situated downtown overlooking the river many times, and had heard great things about it, but with rooms from about $165 per night (and up from there) I was not in a hurry to stay there.

Eventually I had my opportunity to spend the night at the Majestic.  What a treat.  I was not all that impressed upon check in. I mean, it was nice, but the French Colonial style doesn't really excite me nor does the history of the 1925 building (though it probably should).  But the longer I stayed the more the beauty of the Majestic came through; I ended up there 4 nights.

The service was excellent! I can not say enough good things about the staff... awesome. I think that this is the difference in the 5-star rating compared to other nice hotels.  Not only were there a lot of staff to handle every little thing in lightning fast speed, but the attitude of each individual was exceptional.

The hotel is loaded with amenities: a pool and pool-side bar, a restaurant, piano bar in the lobby, and 2, yes 2, roof-top bars.   Even if you don't stay at the Majestic, you should have a drink there.   Several nights of the week they have live music too.   The drinks are pricey, yes, but in this case I feel the value it there.   There are few places I'd rather be than the Majestic's roof-top bar, perched over the river with a cold drink in hand as the cool breeze brings relief to the Saigon heat.   Calgon, take me away.

Another very impressive feature that makes we long for the Majestic... breakfast. I love to eat and generally skip the free hotel food, but the breakfast buffet at the roof-top patio was great (as long as you stick to the Vietnamese food and fruit).

There are three reasons why I'll be back to the Majestic: service, location, and breakfast.

http://www.majesticsaigon.com.vn/index.html



Sleep there.

Pho Le, HCMC

Pho Le, HCMC

Call me a pho fanatic. I love it, and the pho at Pho Le is great. I think I like Pho Le so much because the broth is not overpowered by the traditional supporting flavors of ginger, anise, or cinnamon. The beef flavor is the star and comes through loud and clear. I could drink the broth and be happy.  

Of course it is served with the traditional accompaniments of a huge pile of fresh herbs, bean sprouts, and a lime wedge.   They have all of the meat choices you would expect, and all of them have been great.

The noodles are a little wider than some, and if I had to offer a criticism it would be that they were a little over cooked. Service is what you'd expect: not great but adequate. The staff was doing a pretty good job of keeping the floor clean, which is often a challenge for restaurants in Vietnam.

The location we frequent while in HCMC is on Nguyen Trai street in District 5.   It's a short ride (about 15 minutes depending on traffic) from District 1 but worth the effort.   This location has an open first floor and an air-conditioned second floor.   English is not always understood by the staff but that's never stopped me from getting a great bowl of pho at Pho Le.

Eat it!

Kem Bach Dang, HCMC

Do you ever find yourself going back to a place that doesn't have great food and is overpriced? Kem Bach Dang is one of those few for me.


So many people, both local Vietnamese and tourists, frequent this 3-story ice cream shop that they occupy the space on both sides of Pasture street. They must be doing something right. Right? I don't think that Kem Bach Dang would draw a crowd except for the location. Ah, but the location is great.

We love to sit overlooking the busy street, Le Loi, near downtown Saigon. It seems the entire city drives by this busy intersection. The smoothies and ice cream are fine, sometimes approaching good. The price is high for what you get, yet we go back every time we're in HCMC just to sit and watch the traffic go by.

Kem Bach Dang is really about the experience and for that I'm willing to pay and feel like I'm getting a good value for my investment.



Eat it!

Restaurants on China Beach, Da Nang

China Beach is one of my favorite places.  Among its attributes that keeps me returning time and time again, is the bounty of great seafood.  These China Beach seafood options fall into 3 basic categories:

1.      on the beach, with your feet in the sand, sitting under an umbrella

2.      moderate joints just off the beach

3.      the row of large, high-end restaurants located along the beach just south of Pham Van Dong Street

You can get great seafood at all three varieties, but the service, ambiance, menu choices, and pricing varies greatly.  Today I'm going to write about a couple of my favorites in the third category.  Yes, pricing is on the high side for Vietnam, so expect to pay a little more at these restaurants than other local joints, however the value is good. Often, you get what you pay for, and these are no exception.

 Syrena

  

We been to Syrena several times and have always had great meals. On our last visit we had some excellent steamed clams in a lemongrass broth. We could really taste the freshness of the sweet clams. Also we had their rice porridge with seafood and it was excellent too. Service was great. Of course there is the exceptional view of the beach. The entire first floor of Syrena is open to the beach. As a result the breeze rolls through their contempory dining room keeping things cool even on warm days.

My Hanh

This is the kind of restaurant you'd expect in a beautiful setting like China Beach in Da Nang, including very fresh seafood cooked to order. The menu is huge with lots of variety. We had grilled clams, grilled shrimp (really big), rice porridge with seafood, and a wonderful grilled fish. The dining room is 2-stories tall; we enjoyed the sea breeze as we sat upstairs on the balcony overlooking the beach.

China Beach.   Eat it.

Banh Mi & Vietnamese sandwiches

In Vietnamese, banh mi can mean "bread" or "sandwich", depending on context.  I don't think the Vietnamese even had their own version of bread until the French occupied the region for about 100 years (if they did it is not represented in their food now).   Once the French left the Vietnamese adopted several culinary items, most notably the French bread.  But if you think that the Vietnamese version is inferior to the original, you'd be wrong.   Even the famous TV chef Anthony Bourdain said that the best French bread he's ever eaten was in Vietnam.

The Vietnamese commonly serve their banh mi with a variety of traditional dishes, including beef stew (bo kho), curries, and steak & eggs (bit tet).  But the most common use, by far, is for Vietnamese sandwiches which can include a variety of grilled or sliced meats, fresh and pickled veggies, fresh herbs, pate, fried eggs, etc...  and generally include a slathering of homemade mayo.  Despite many commonalities, the unique combinations are endless.

Below are two of my favorite places to eat great banh mi while in Vietnam:

Banh Mi Phuong, Hoi An

I've enjoyed my share of banh mi and this one is among the best I've found. One thing a like about this version is it's really messy. The juice runs down your hands and eating it requires you to hunch over to avoid having the juice all over your shirt. Despite the internal "juice factor", the bread exterior stays crunchy. The toppings are the standard fare but the sum of the parts results in a product far above an average banh mi.

Banh Mi Phuong is located at the east end of the market on Hoang Dieu Street, Hoi An.

4/2014 edit: Banh Mi Phuong has moved up the hill on north side Tran Phu Street (just west of Hoang Dieu Street), just a block away from its old location.   It now includes a small dining room for your banh mi enjoyment.

Banh Mi Quynh Nhi, Da Nang

Not all great banh mi comes from a restaurant or sandwich shop; often Vietnamese sandwiches are made and sold from portable carts as street food.  Case in point, Banh Mi Quynh Nhi.  How good can it be coming from a cart?  Great. 

It starts with great bread of which Quynh Nhi offers 3 different varieties: the traditional "sub style", a round "bun style", and skinny, long "torpedo-style".  Each piece of bread spends a few minutes in a small firebox to get a little toasty just before getting its tasty fillings.  Since it is a streetside cart, there's not a physical address, however, you can often find this cart near 2 Phan Chu Trinh Street. 

4/2014 edit:  New name: Banh Mi Co Nhi.   Same location and same owner.

Eat it.

Durian, King of Fruits

Ah, durian.  Love it or hate it, you probably have a strong opinion of this southeast Asian fruit if you've ever come near one.   And if you've only smelled the durians' repugnant stench then you probably fall into the "hater" category.  I understand.  It took me several years of putting up with the foul odor before I could bring myself to actually eat a bite.   Yes, I was told how tasty it was and how the taste was not reflected in the nauseating smell.  But despite these reassurances I just could not fathom that something that smells like durian could be enjoyable, at least not for me.  How wrong I was.

Durian for sale

Truth be told, I finally tasted durian on a dare, of sorts.  I was pretty vocal in my disdain for the durians assault on my sense of smell.   "Oh that's disgusting.  How can you eat that?" I'd say.  On one such occasion the response was "If you're not going to try it you need to keep your (ignorant) opinion to yourself."  Damn.  Good point.  So with that line drawn in the sand, I grabbed a piece of the stinky soft fruit and took my first bite.  I figured that if I'm jumping into the durian pool I don't want to just get my feet wet, I want to dive in head first.  I totally expected to be validated in my disgust, however, that was not my first reaction.   I clearly recall thinking "Wow, that is not near as bad as I thought it would be."  Nothing tastes like it or has that creamy texture.  Have you ever had a perfectly toasted marshmellow with a slightly firm outside and a creamy inside?   That's about the only comparison I think of to describe the unique texture.  I took a second bite.  And that is how my love affair with the king of fruits started. 

Today durian and I are well acquainted.  I love it.  I crave it.  I even like the smell.  I know, weird.  How can a fragrance once so repulsive now smell so sweet?  Ah durian.

Eat it.