If you want international food in Saigon, PNL should be near the top of your list of areas to check out. In addition to places dedicated solely to Indian, Turkish, Italian, Mexican, etc. food, many restaurants have menus that would make the UN proud. The most common multi-ethnic menu is one that is split into Vietnamese, Western, Mexican, and Italian sections, allowing you and your mates to order stir-fried shrimp with garlic and beansprouts, a cheeseburger, beef fajitas and pasta quattro formaggio all in one place. Thanks to this diversity you will often have about 347 options to choose from. That's a rough guess. I have no idea how these restaurants stock the ingredients for so many totally different dishes while staying profitable. Often times, the result of these absurd menus is somewhat sub-par food, although almost everything I've had has been completely acceptable, and there are places that stand out above the crowd. I spent my first two weeks in Saigon at a hotel in PNL, so I've done a lot eating there, and I still go back to the area at least once a week to eat. It deserves it's own section. Oh and a note about the addresses: many restaurants in PNL are on two small alleys that connect Pham Ngu Lao St. and Bui Vien St. So if an address is, for example, 175/10 Pham Ngu Lao St., it is not on the main street but in an alley. Sounds confusing at first but it's not that hard to figure out once you see it.
$1-$5 (almost anything you order to eat in PNL will cost under $5)
1) Bread and Butter - 42/24 Bui Vien St.. Nestled in a tiny alley, this appropriately tiny restaurant is a favorite expat enclave thanks to its British-inspired menu. Don't be put off by the sight of one lonely table when you walk in, as there is more seating upstairs...all of four tables. Oh and when I say "stairs" I actually mean "very steep ladder that is almost impossible to use even when stone sober." Hey, at least the food is worth the death-defying ascent. A popular choice is the Sunday dinner roast, which includes roast beef, roasted potatoes, roasted vegetables and a Yorkshire Pudding, all for just under 100,000 dong. One of my dining companions reports that the hamburger is simply outstanding, so I will definitely try it next time I go. There is only one type of beer served: Huda, a brew from Hue, Vietnam's old imperial capital on the central coast. It goes well with the roasted food. Give this place atry if you're hankering for some heavy Western food. 4/5
2) Chi's Cafe - 40/31 Bui Vien St. Down the same narrow alley as Bread and Butter - in fact they're right across from reach other. I've been here for breakfast on a morning when I was absolutely famished. Luckily, one of the items on the menu is a fully satiating breakfast of eggs, hash browns, toast, fruit, bacon, and ham. The hash browns were rather plain and somewhat tasteless, but everything else was great. It's also one of the few places I've found a chocolate milkshake on the menu - and it was spectacularly refreshing. All of this came in under 100,000 dong. Everyone else I ate with was happy with their breakfasts as well. If you're staying in the area, consider Chi's when you're venturing out for breakfast. 4/5
3) Huong Viet - 175/10 Pham Ngu Lao St. This place is a definite cut above its neighbors. Although it has followed the trend of having enough dishes on its menu to feed a medium-sized country without anyone having the same dish, Huong Viet doesn't fall prey to the problem of average food. I've been there twice: the first time I had a seafood banh xeo, which is basically a Vietnamese pancake made out of yellow rice paper. On the second trip I had stir-fried chicken with chile, lemongrass and rice. The banh xeo was excellent, and massive, but the chicken dish was spectacularly good. Both of my dining companions have loved the place as well. If you're staying in PNL be sure to check it out. It's on the right if you're coming from Pham Ngu Lao St., and easy to pick out because its lovely wooden furniture and gray stone walls stick out among its shabbier neighbors. Prices vary from 40,000 for an appetizer of spring rolls to a little over 100,000 for the big seafood dishes. 5/5
4) La Cantina - 175/3 Pham Ngu Lao St. Down the same alley as several of the places reviewed here. Also has a massive menu, but the food is definitely above average. As you would guess from the name, Mexican is their specialty, and the decor matches. The furniture looks like it could be from a Mexican beach bar, and the music makes me feel like I should be sitting in a hacienda smoking a cigar after ordering the execution of my rival drug gang. I've had the fajitas, which were tasty, and my friends have had the enchiladas and chicken burrito, both of which earned positive reports. Last time I actually got a cheeseburger, and it was surprisngly quite excellent. Easily the best burger I've had here so far, and it was pretty damn big. Prices for almost every entree are around 75,000, and drinks are affordable as well. 4/5
5) Le Pub - 175/22 Pham Ngu Lao St. A popular restaurant/bar with a Quiz Nite on Tuesdays and distinctive red walls. Your ultimate bill will depend on how much you feel like drinking that night, since Le Pub has some great specials - $2 for any cocktail (and they are strong!) on Thursday, anyone? The food however, is pretty affordable, and it's good enough for a place that emphasizes the drinking. I've had a burger - it was fine, although the beef here does taste a bit different, and a falafel with hummus wrap - I consider myself a bit of a connoisseur when it comes to falafel, and this one was a tad disappointing, to be honest. It certainly wasn't bad, I've just had much better, although it will satisfy your falafel craving if need be. All sandwiches come with fries, and they are tasty. Other food options include traditional Vietnamese dishes, breakfast, and other Western staples. 3/5
6) Mumtaz Indian - 226 Bui Vien St. I know next to nothing about Indian food, except that it is delicious. At Mumtaz I ordered mutton jalfrezi because the description: mutton (sheep) cooked in a spicy curry sauce and served with rice sounded quite excellent. My gut instinct served me well, as the meal was delightful. The waiters were Indian and there were also Indians eating there, which is always a good sign. We ordered some naan as well and my total was under the magic number of 100,000. I don't remember exactly where on Bui Vien this is since there is a restaurant about every 5 feet on the street, but it has a large sign and an inviting wooden interior. There may have been some orange paint inside as well, if that helps at all. 4/5
7) Stella - 119 Bui Vien St. On the left if you're walking away from downtown. Claims to have the "Best Coffee in Town," although I can't comment on that since I hate coffee. I do however, love the breakfast and Italian food. I've had a wonderful hazelnut pancake, along with an equally wonderful orange juice, as well as pasta and a pizza (not all at the same time). The pizza was actually rather boring - perhaps my standards are too high. Defnitely a great place to go for breakfast though, and I'm looking forward to trying the lasagna next time I go for dinner. Extensive breakfast menu, Italian dishes include many kinds of pizza and pasta, and there is a Vietnamese section to order from as well. The fancier Italian dishes like gnocci and lasagna are just a smidge under 100,000 dong. 4/5
There are a handful of other places I've eaten at in this area, but I don't remember their names, since they all kind of run together. I remembered these because I took one of the business cards that they provide on every table. I'll get the names eventually and add them to the list.
No comments:
Post a Comment