District 1

District 1 is the beating heart of Saigon and, naturally, the center of the restaurant scene. The majority of the restaurants serving international fare are located here (especially in the previously discussed Pham Ngu Lao), along with many of the most expensive tables in town. The options are bewildering: you can find sushi and all kinds of other Asian, or choose from one of the many cheap stalls at Benh Thanh Market, or splash out at a 5-star masterpiece. I haven't done any "splashing out" yet, but I've done most of my eating in District 1, so here come the majority of the reviews. Oh and I should point out that I don't have a freakish memory that allows me to remember the name and address of all of these joints. Many restaurants have a stack of business cards on every table, and I always make sure to grab one so I can remember where I've been. Without further ado:

I've decided to do away with the price divider, since I've really never spent more than $7 anywhere.

1) Alibaba - 43 Mac Thi Buoi St. As I said in my previous post, I know almost nothing about Indian food, so this is far from an expert review. This place claims to have The Best Indian Cuisine, and although I've only tried one other Indian restaurant I'd have to agree with them. I had some sort of spicy lamb masala with vegetable rice and it was fantastic - and fantastically filling. The table also split three orders of naan - garlic, cheese, and regular. This was also great, and very useful for sopping up the masala sauce. My part of the bill came out to 130,000 dong but, if you're not a bread addict and only order 1 helping of naan, you could escape for under 100,000. There are some rather expensive dishes, but when the 70,000 dong ones are so delicious, what's the point? The menu is extensive, so even the pickiest of eaters should have no problem finding something to nibble on. 5/5

2) Mexico Lindo - 149 Ton That Dam St. Widely considered to serve the best Mexican food in the city, my two trips there have me agreeing with the majority opinion. The chef/owner is American, and he may surprise you by simply plopping down in a chair at your table before articulately explaining the night's special, without even introducing himself. He did this last time we ate there, and at first I thought, "What a strange fellow, he must really be into Mexican food." Then he stood up and walked into the kitchen, and the lightbulb in my head switched on. Anyways, the food is pretty excellent. Nachos with salsa and guacamole as an appetizer are a must, and my two entrees have been faijitas and a special (the chef was very passionate about it), the name of which I've forgotten. Both were delicious and on par with solid Mexican food in the U.S. If you don't order alcohol, you could keep the bill under $5. Most entrees cost between 70,000 and 90,000 dong, a few are more like 130,000, and are definitely big enough to fill you up. The menu isn't huge but it offers all of the usual Mexican highlights: tacos, burritos, quesadillas, etc. Highly recommended if you're a fan of Mexican. 5/5

3) Pho 2000 - This is one of several pho chains located in the city, although the one right across from Benh Thanh market is the most famous because Bill Clinton ate there in 2000 when he became the first American president to visit Vietnam since the end of the war. The usual pho varieties, such as beef, pork, seafood, beef meatball, etc. are served. If I remember correctly most of them were around 50,000 or 60,000 dong. The pho was good, although not quite presidential, and it did cause me to almost ruin a bathroom later that night. That doesn't seem to be the norm though, since my roommates were fine and, presumably, Clinton didn't explode all over the Prime Minister. 3/5

4) Pho 24  - Another pho chain with locations throughout the city, as well as places like Indonesia and Hong Kong. Serves excellent fried spring rolls as well as an array of pho, prepared either as a big bowl or a normal bowl. I ordered one that came with beef (or maybe pork?) and some nasty bits, such as muscle tendon and tripe. I wasn't a fan of the tendon but the rest was fine. Again, not the best pho I've ever had, but it certainly gets the job done, especially once you add the usual condiments of fish or hoisin sauce, beensprouts, greens, and hot sauce. Basically in the same price range as Pho 2000. You could consider them the McDonalds and Burger King of Saigon, since those fast-food chains don't exists here (hooray!). 3/5

5) Quan Com Viet Ngon - 160 Pasteur St. If you're coming down Pasteur from Le Loi St., it's in between Ly Tu Trong St. and Nguyen Du St., on the right. This palatial restaurant apparently used to be a simple garden eatery with tables surrounded by food stalls. The setting has definitely moved upmarket, with multiple levels of well-appointed furniture and walls, as well as a reflecting pool inside the entrance, making for a memorable setting. There is outdoor seating as well and, despite the massive number of seats, we actually had to wait a few minutes here. Despite the beauty of Quan Com, the prices are surprisingly affordable. The kitchen dishes out an extensive menu focused on regional Vietnamese specialities - there are two pages of spring rolls alone! You can get Hanoi-style noodle dishes, Hue Imperial cuisine, Mekong Delta-style seafood dishes, and everything in between. I went for a regional Delta dish and was thoroughly impressed. The spring roll appetizer was delicious as well, and my friends enjoyed their dinners as well. The majority of the dishes were under 60,000 dong, a steal considering the setting and quality of the food. Highly recommended. 5/5

6) The Food Stalls at Benh Thanh Market - Benh Thanh could be considered the center point of Saigon, so it is impossible to miss, especially since so many tourists flock there. In addition to clothes, electronics and souvenirs, you can find dirt-cheap food stalls lining one section of the market during the day. At night, after the market closes, the action moves outside, as tarps are erected and plastic tables and chairs are set out to welcome in the throngs of tourists. Each temporary restaurant has its own promoter, who comes up with a menu and tries to persuade you to come to try their food. Many of these places have enormous menus, although they all serve nothing but Vietnamese food (not that that's a problem). I've eaten at a couple of these places, and they are delicious, especially considering how affordable they are. Many dishes are under 40,000, although you can go big and order a whole fish for 100,000. You can also watch your meal get made, since the grills and other cooking appliances are right in front of you if you eat inside or set up behind the tables outside.

7) Tokyo Deli - 240 Le Thanh Ton St. Le Thanh Ton is one way, so this is about a block past Benh Thanh the only direction you can go, on the right. My roommates and I had been jonesing for some sushi, and some other teachers told us about this gem. The decor is completely white and spotlessly clean, and the sushi is simply inredible - at prices that will blow your mind. I ordered a miso soup (excellent) and split a variety platter and and an order of Spicy California rolls with someone and payed about 120,000. That meal would've cost at least $20 back in the U.S. The variety platter included Nigiri-style salmon, tuna, and some other things I didn't recognize but were amazing. However, the spicy California rolls were the star of the show. I usually consider California rolls a bit of a cop out when ordering sushi, since they are served everywhere, but the spiciness of this dish was perfect, and the flavor was addicting. I like to try different things each time I go to a restaurant, but I'll have a hard not ordering these again when I go back. Prices range from 20,000 dong for soup to around 50,000 for a basic roll to over 100,000 for platters and fancier rolls. 5/5

8) Wrap & Roll - Another high-quality chain. I've been to the one on Hai Ba Trung, behind the Opera House. As you can probably infer from the name, Wrap & Roll specializes in spring rolls and dishes that are wrapped in various vegetables. A word of warning: they will run out of food later in the evening because the place is so popular. I tried to order two different dishes that were no longer being served that night. The spring rolls I did get, however, were excellent, and the dipping sauce that comes with them is one of the best sauces I've had here. Serving sizes are smallish, hence why I was trying to order two dishes. Most of them cost around 40 or 50,000 dong. I definitely plan on returning, despite the ordering difficulties. 4/5