Restaurants of District 1
Saigon or District 1 is the heart of Ho Chi
Minh's tourist area, with accommodations ranging from luxury suites to
backpackers' hostels. Not surprisingly, its restaurants run the same gamut, and
during our brief stay we sought to sample a little bit of everything in terms of
both cuisine and price range. Below are the restaurants we visited, listed in
alphabetical order. [Bear in mind that this was nearly ten years ago, so they may not all be still in business]
Augustin:
Augustin was located on a side street off Le
Choi, just minutes from the hotel. It was a moderately expensive restaurant,
specializing in French and continental cuisine, served in a bustling, homey
atmosphere, very popular with visitors. This place was recommended to us by
several people, and when we arrived without a reservation, we realized we'd do
better returning another night! This we did, and were warmly received. In the
end, we probably enjoyed the experience/ambience at least as much as the food;
expect to enter into conversations with others, as the seating is close!
Blue Ginger:
Blue
Ginger is a very popular restaurant specializing in Vietnamese dishes,
particularly seafood. It is located at the basement level, but its use of light
colors and uncrowded seating arrangement give it a wide open feel. The wait
staff is excellent, and our shrimp spring rolls and crab entree were delicious.
Like Augustin, Blue Ginger was a moderately expensive but excellent dining
experience. The restaurant featured two musicians, one playing an instrument
that very closely resembled a petal steel guitar, on which she was plucking out
Christmas songs. That's traditional Christmas carols played on traditional
Vietnamese instruments -- not something you hear every day. The photo to
the left shows the dining room as viewed from our table, while in the photo to
the right, Tracy is invited by the musicians to try her luck with their
instruments!
Broadard Cafe:
The
Broadard, located a few blocks down Le Choi Street from the Caravelle, is a
popular lunch spot and watering hole in District 1. It boasts a menu that would
put Howard Johnson's to shame, with just about every sort of soup, sandwich,
meat or pasta dish available, and all at very reasonable prices. It seems that
there is a price to pay for the impressive breadth of the menu, however, as the
sandwiches and pasta we ordered came up lacking. However, it is likely that the
drawing point of the Broadard is more along the lines of socialibility than
gastronomic delight. Still, every time we passed by, it was crowded, with large
groups of people apparently enjoying themselves...Perhaps the Broadard is Ho Chi
Minh City's answer to Chili's?
Camarque:
The
Camarque Restaurant is located about a 10 minute walk northeast of the Caravelle,
and is a lovely old two-story French colonial restaurant (part of a small hotel,
itself). It
offers fine dining, with a price to match. We decided to make Camarque our
"splurge" meal during our stay in Ho Chi Minh City, which proved to be
a good choice. Most of the restaurant is open air, with the tables set up on its
expansive second story porch. With subdued lighting, the proliferation of tropical
plants, and the small teak tables, Camarque affords guests an intimate dining
experience. Featuring continental cuisine with a strong Vietnamese accent, we
dined on lobster bisque and
fresh fish, both of which were superb. Then we were able to walk off our excesses
in the balmy night air on the return to the Caravelle. The awkward photo to the
left shows the second floor dining area from the courtyard below, while the
photo to the right shows the dining area of the Camarque. In the photo at the
bottom right we take a break after polishing off the lobster bisque. I wouldn't
mind having that meal again!
Restaurant 13:
Three blocks down Le Choi from the Caravelle
(turn left) is a row of budget restaurants that are popular with backpackers,
students, and anyone traveling on a tight budget. In this case, inexpensive does
not mean mediocre food; it was delicious and a great value. One such example is
Restaurant 13. A little storefront restaurant with a four-person staff and two
crowded rows of plastic tables and tablecloths, it features an amazingly
comprehensive
menu of Vietnamese and Southeast Asian dishes--spring rolls, prawns, crabs, rice
and noodle plates--at incredibly low prices. We stopped in one day for lunch and
never got past the spring rolls. The whole meal (including beer) set us back less than six US
dollars. If we'd gone to Restaurant 13 sooner, we'd probably have made it there
twice.
Restaurant 19:
Exactly six doors down from Restaurant 13 was,
surprisingly, Restaurant 19. Still very inexpensive but a bit more upscale,
Restaurant 19 boasted an equally extensive Asian menu. The food here was also
delicious. Innovators that we are, we once again dined on spring rolls and
shrimp. The photo to the left shows the unassuming exterior of Restaurant 19,
while the photo to the right shows the interior. What makes Restaurant 19 more
upscale then its neighbor? Simple: the "Mustang" mural, the Christmas trim below
the mural, and the tasteful plastic tablecloths and wooden chairs (yes, it's
obvious we recognize quality!) All in all, a
treat not to be missed.
Vietnam House:
Our favorite restaurant in Ho Chi Minh
City was the Vietnam House, located about four blocks down Le Choi Street (on
the right) from
the Caravelle. It is a very moderately priced restaurant with a nice balance of
western (largely French) and Vietnamese cuisine. Located in beautiful French
colonial building (aren't they all?), we ate there several times. The interior
has the feel of an old-time expat watering hole, complete with the large bamboo
bar at the end of the dining area. Both the French offerings and the Vietnamese
dishes were superb. The dining area is bustling, due to both
the
volume of diners and their relatively close proximity to one another. The
hostesses are all dressed in traditional Vietnamese garb, 
with long silk dresses
and the golden headband, as shown in the photo to the lower left. As we were
there during the Christmas holiday season, the restaurant had a tree in the main
entryway. At the photo to the lower right, Tracy and two Vietnamese girls pick
up gifts from the "lucky draw" in which all customers are automatic winners.
The
girls were more than a little intrigued by her stature
and golden hair, and a bit wary at first, but quickly warmed up to her. My
guess is that we will frequent the Vietnam House any time we return to Ho Chi Minh
City; it's probably our strongest recommendation!
Santas on Parade:
One
of the things that makes traveling so enjoyable are the serendipitous and
thoroughly unexpected events...For instance, returning from the Vietnam
House to the Caravelle on the 26th of December. The congested Le Choi
Street was now home to a sea of scooter-riding Santas. Hundreds of Vietnamese
families had dressed their children in Santa Claus suits and taken them for rides
on the family scooter. The photo to the left shows two such Santas riding with
proud parents, while in the photo to the right, a small pedestrian
Santa posed for a picture by his mother. This will always be one of our favorite memories of Saigon.
