District 3

My two weeks of teacher training back in September took place in District 3. I also call this district home, so I've done a fair amount of eating here, especially on Vo Van Tan St. I'd like to take this opportunity to give a shout out to Hien, the LanguageCorps Vietnam manager, for either taking us to or recommedning many of the restaurants listed here. I would've done a lot of aimless, hungry wandering without her tips. This district is very Vietnamese, so most of the restaurants serve only Vietnamese dishes, and there are some real gems in this area.

1) Banh Xeo - Cao Thang St. - I'm not sure if this is the right name, but there is a huge sign over the entrance that says "Banh Xeo" in yellow lights, so that's what I call it. Not sure of the street number either, but it's about 4 blocks down Cao Thang, if you're coming from Nguyen Ti Minh Kai St., on the right. The interior is lovely, and the tables actually have little wood-model scenes of rural life set inside them and covered by glass. The menu is dedicated solely to banh xeo, and it's amazing. Page after page of options are available - you choose either beef, chicken, or seafood, and then narrow it down from a dizzying array of mushrooms, beensprouts, and other vegetables to come up with you final combination. Sizes are either normal or large, and the waiter looked at us funny when all three of us ordered a large. Large they were, as the banh xeo was easily bigger than my head. The way to eat banh xeo is to cut it into individual pieces, wrap it in a lettuce leaf, and dip the wrap into sauce. This is a messy process, but totally worth it, as this has quickly become one of my favorite Vietnamese dishes. A huge dish of said lettuce, along with other greens, is provided. Prices for the large are around 70,000, and the smalls are more like 50-60,000. Probably the best banh xeo I've had here, and definitely worth traveling for. 5/5

2) BBQ 101, Vo Van Tan St. - This definitely isn't the name of this restaurant, but there is a sign out front that says BBQ 101. A block or two past Beto, on the left. I think the staff here wanted to mess with us, since they seated us at one of the tables out front that seems to be made for small children, so my legs were sprawled all over the place. Luckily, the food made up for posture-destroying chairs. The menu has almost any kind of meat you can think of on it, in BBQ form. I went for the deer, and it was amazingly flavorful. A friend got the grilled Tiger prawns, which were huge, and she was very happy, if a tad bit messy. Meals come with a bowl of tasty rice as well. Most dishes are around 70 or 80,000, although certain meals are well over 100,000. The beer, however, is very cheap, and they keep it in a cooler right by the entrance, so there's only about a 5 second lapse between you ordering it and the brew entering your mouth. If you're in the mood for grilled meat, check this place out. 4/5

3) Beto, 57 Vo Van Tan St. - Beto sits a couple blocks past the War Remnants Museum, on the left. There are three floors of seating, so this place can accommodate a lot of diners. By far the best time to go is mid-day, because Beto has an awesome business lunch special: a salad, soup, entree, and vegetable dish for 36,000 dong. The options in each category are numerous, although the kitchen does seem to get a little confused when there are a lot of orders. Twice I've gotten the wrong soup and one time they just never bothered to send out the salads. Still, this is a killer deal, and the food is really good. My favorite salad is the Russian salad, which basically seems to be coleslaw. The soups are the weak point, so I'll leave it at that. I've had two different types of green beans and they were both addictive; the other options look good as well. The entrees are the star of the show, namely the Fried Basa fish. I'm not sure what Basa is, but it's spectacularly good. Definitely a must-try. The grilled squid is excellent as well. Highly recommended overall, especially for lunch, considering how great of a deal Beto offers. 4/5

4) Ga Nuong, 354-356 Vo Van Tan St. - A few blocks before Vo Van Tan meets Cao Thang, on the right. This place seems to have several names, although I think this is the one displayed outside. On the business card there's a picture of a chicken as well as the phrase "Poulet de France." I'm not sure what the chicken business is all about since there is a lot more on the menu besides chicken. I had lamb (this is one of the only places I've seen that glorious animal on the menu) with vegetables and bread. The funny thing about the meal was that they served in a stainless steel tray that reminded of something you would see in a school cafeteria. The food, though, is far better than a cafeteria. I enjoyed my lamb and my dining mates enjoyed their meals as well. I'm not sure what the exact price was but I think it was in the 70,000 range, although there are cheaper dishes on the menu. A solid meal. 3/5

5) Hong Phat, 389-391 Vo Van Tan St. - Just a block or so from Cao Thang, on the left. Has a diverse menu, with all of the usual Vietnamese hits. They also serve a mystery dish at every table when you sit down. It was some sort of meat wrapped around...something. I still don't know what the middle was but the outer meat was pretty delicious. I got a soup of some sort, as did my dining companions, and we were all satisfied. There's plenty of seating inside, and prices are reasonable. 3/5

6) Muoi Xiem, 190 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia St. - Muoi Xiem is very inviting, with a lovely bamboo interior setting the scene for great food. In front you can watch your meal cooking at the out-in-the-open ovens. This place specializes in banh xeo, and the options are extensive. There are many vegetarian options as well as dishes with beef, chicken, and seafood stuffings. The portions are pretty good, and the banh xeo is served on the usual banana leaf accompanied by a huge bowl of greens.  Muoi Xiem's dishes are excellent, and prices are very reasonable as well. 4/5

7) Pho Le, 303-305 Vo Van Tan - Close to Ga Nuong, although a littler farther away from Cao Thang, on the left. This bare-bones joint serves nothing but, you guessed it, pho. There is an open front and all of the furniture is plastic, but the pho is serious business. Actually, if I had to pick the best pho I've had, I would vote Pho Le. It's that good. There are about 30 items on the menu, so you can get almost anything you can think of in your pho, from the basic beef, pork, chicken, or seafood to all kinds of nasty bits and other intriguing options. Your pho is served with a heaping pile of beansprouts, lettuce, and other greens, along with a plate of hot chilis. Throw all of that in, combine it with a liberal squirt of hoisin sauce, and viola, you've got some of the best pho in the city. The magic here is in the broth, which is much more oily than normal. You have to hit this place if you're in Saigon. Expect brusque service. 5/5

There are several other places I've eaten at in District 3 that deserve mention, but I've forgotten their names. This doesn't mean the food wasn't memorable, I just can't remember them all, especially the ones that don't have business cards. I'll talk about them another time.