Brett Davis - AsiaLIFE Magazine

Cham Charm
3 Phan Van Chuong, Phu My Hung
Tel: 5410 9999
The highlight of this upscale, beautifully
decorated Asian restaurant is a special
seafood buffet that includes Portuguese
oysters, Alaskan crab, lobsters, sushi,
sashimi, Japanese-style seafood, Langoustine
prawns, American Angus beef
and much more. Errazuriz wines are also
included in the buffet. Part of the Khai
Silk chain.
The Deck
38 Nguyen U Di, D2 Tel: 3744 6632
Serves upmarket takes on regional
specialties made with fresh local and
imported products. Well-designed,
minimalist dining space and bar on the
river are a serious draw.
The Elbow Room
52 Pasteur, D1 Tel: 3821 4327
elbowroom52@yahoo.com
American-style bistro offering a wide
range of appetisers, soups, salads,
sandwiches, mains and desserts, plus
an extensive wine menu. Open daily
7.30 am to 11 pm. Breakfast served
all day.
Gartenstadt
34 Dong Khoi, D1 Tel: 3822 3623
Opened in 1992, it’s the first venue in
town to offer German food with specialities
such as pork knuckle and authentic
German sausages prepared fresh each
day. Also offers imported German
draught beer.
Gia Dining Room
5A Nguyen Sieu, D1 Tel: 3827 9399
www.giadiningroom.com
Serves a mid-range slate of mainly
grilled Western mains, single-entree
Asian dishes and wide range of soups,
salads, appetisers. Three intimate
dining spaces pair modern design with
Indochina-era sophistication. Extensive
list of Old and New World wines.
Good Eats
NTFQ2, 34 Nguyen Dang Giai
Thao Dien, D2 Tel: 3744 6672
Easteran and Western dishes are low in
saturated fat and made from all-natural
ingredients. Organic vegetables, herbs
and spices accompany meals. Even the
French fries are healthy.
Halal@Saigon
31 Dong Du, D1 Tel: 3824 5823
www.halalsaigon.com
Serving up a range of Vietnamese and
Malaysian dishes prepared according to
halal guidelines including ban xeo, pho
and roti chennai and seafood favourites
such as shrimp, squid and mussels.
Hard Rock Cafe
InterContinental Asiana Saigon, corner
of Hai Ba Trung and Le Duan, D1
Tel: 3520 9099
www.hardrockcafe.vn
Popular theme restaurant/live music
venue serves large portions of pub fare
including salads, fajitas and burgers.
Rock ‘n’ roll memorabilia adorns the
walls in classic Hard Rock-style and the
rock shop sells themed shot glasses,
T-shirts and jewellery.
Hideaway Cafe
41/1 Pham Ngoc Thach, D3
Tel: 3822 4222
www.hideawaycafe-saigon.com
Stylishly decorated and relaxing restaurant
and cafe serving an eclectic range
of tasty European-style food. Dine al
fresco in the charming courtyard.
Jaspa’s
33 Dong Khoi, D1 Tel: 3822 9926
www.alfrescosgroup.com
Unpretentious brasserie-style restaurant
specializes in Australian-influenced
international fusion cuisine. Full range of
drinks including Australian and French
wines and good cocktails. Hosts monthly
Spam Cham networking event.
Juice
49 Mac Thi Buoi, D1 Tel: 3829 6900
Bright and stylish deli-style restaurant
serving salads, sandwiches, quiches
and meat pies with French fries and
potato salad. Also has daily lunch and
dinner menu. Excellent smoothies and
juices, as well as novelty drinks like
wheatgrass shooter and Cannonball
cocktail.
Kita Coffee House
39 Nguyen Hue, D1, Tel: 3821 5300
Four-level restaurant serving a wide
menu of mains, pastas, salads, sandwiches,
soups and appetizers for lunch
and dinner, as well as a variety of coffee
and fresh fruit juices. Includes a bright
ground floor cafe, sophisticated Old
World second floor bar and rooftop dining.
Also in Vincom Center.
Market 39
InterContinental Asiana Saigon
Ground Floor, Corner Hai Ba Trung and
Le Duan, D1 Tel: 3520 9099
dine@icasianasaigon.com
Seven interactive live kitchens offering
French, Vietnamese and Southeast
Asian cuisines, including a bakery,
French patisseries, pancakes, tossed
salads, grilled steak, seafood, wok-fried
items, noodles and pasta dishes.
Mekong Merchant
23 Thao Dien, D2 Tel: 3744 4713
Set in a courtyard, this rustic Australianstyle
brasserie has brought modern
international cuisine to suburban An
Phu. Popular for weekend brunches.
Weekly specials and seafood flown in
from Phu Quoc.
New York Dessert Cafe (nydc)
Restaurant and Cafe
NOWZONE 235 Nguyen Van Cu, D1
Metropolitan 235 Dong Khoi, D1
Parkson Flemington 184 Le Dai Hanh,
D11
Vincom Center, 70/72 Le Thanh Ton,
D1
The Crescent. Phu My Hung, 107 Ton
Dat Tien, D7
New York themed menu offering a wide
selection of Western dishes and desserts,
including a variety of cheesecakes.
New York Steakhouse & Winery
25-27 Nguyen Dinh Chieu, D1
Tel: 3823 7373
New-york@steakhouse.com.vn
www.steakhouse.com.vn
Chic dining venue designed in a classic
New York City Art Deco. Open every
day until late. Specializes in certified
U.S. Black Angus steak, and features
a fully stocked wine cellar. Guests are
invited to bring their own wine on BYOB
Mondays.
Orientica
Hotel Equatorial, 242 Tran Binh Trong,
D5 Tel: 3839 7777
www.equatorial.com/hcm
Top-end seafood and grill restaurant
boasting modern decor. Good service
and excellent food presentation make
this a pleasant alternative to the downtown
scene.
Pacharan Tapas and Bodega
97 Hai Ba Trung, D1 Tel: 3825 6024
This tapas restaurant and bar serves
up superb Spanish fare crafted from
authentic imported ingredients. The
exclusively Spanish wine list is extensive
and Sangria is half price during happy
hour from 5 pm to 7 pm and all day
Wednesday.
Pinocchio Restaurant
Vincom Center, 70/72 Le Thanh Ton,
D1
Com Tam
street gourmet
Broken rice (com tam) is one
of the most popular dishes in
Southern Vietnam, especially
in HCM City. As its name
suggests, broken rice is
made of rice that is broken.
Traditionally it is a breakfast
dish, but now many
Vietnamese enjoy it for both
lunch and dinner.
Com tam needs sweet
fish sauce (nuoc mam ngot).
It really makes the dish.
However, other accompaniments—grilled
pork chop,
Doner Kebab, Shish Kebab, Homemade
Kofte, Homemade Turkish Pide & Pizza’s
omelet, shredded pork
and skin (bi) and Chinese
sausage—are entirely up to
the diner. Com tam appears
everywhere from roadside
inns to luxurious restaurants
and an average plate goes
for 20,000 VND. The price
depends on how much rice
you want and what delicacies
it is topped with. Com
tam is a uniquely Vietnamese
dish and one that you can’t
leave HCM City without trying.
Stephy Thai
Tel: 3993 9199
Email: info@pinocchio.vn
A quiet place in the Vincom Center
to indulge in pizza, pasta, salad and
international and Vietnamese mains for a
reasonable price.
The Refinery
74/7C Hai Ba Trung, D1 Tel: 3823 0509
Authentic bistro with cane furniture outside,
informal indoor restaurant section
and a bar area. Cuisine is light, modern
European. The menu spans a price
range to suit most budgets.
Reflections
Caravelle Hotel, 19 Lam Son Square,
D1 Tel: 3823 4999
Contemporary fine dining that combines
Asian flavors with classic Mediterranean
cuisine in an ambiance of understated
elegance and European style. Special
culinary events include guest chefs from
Michelin-star establishments around the
world. Private rooms are available.
Riverside Cafe
Renaissance Riverside, 8-15 Ton Duc
Thang, D1 Tel: 3822 0033
International venue opening onto the
bustling river sidewalk, open for breakfast,
lunch and dinner, and particularly
noted for its sumptuous buffet selection
which combines Asian, Western and
Vietnamese cuisine.
Sandals
93 Hai Ba Trung, D1
www.sailingclubvietnam.com
Casual dining in evocative 3-floor space
with blonde wood accents and cosy
seating throughout. Kitchen turns out
elegant and inspired fare at surprising
value for money: meal-sized salads; filling
burgers, wraps and sandwiches.
Signature Restaurant
Level 23, Sheraton Hotel, 88 Dong
SHISHA BAR & TURKISH FUSION CUISINE
call 0907129430 / 08 629 136 77
25 Dong Du, D1, HCMC
WWW.PASHA.COM.VN
Khoi, D1 Tel: 3827 2828
Fine dining with panoramic views over
central HCM City. Food is stunningly
presented, top-end European cuisine
with Asian influences cooked by German
chef Andreas Schimanski. A la carte or
five-course set menu available.
Skewers
9A Thai Van Lung, D1 Tel: 3822 4798
www.skewers-restaurant.com
Rustic Mediterranean restaurant where
subtle colours and exposed brickwork
combine with jazzy tunes. Serves tabouleh,
falafel, couscous and kebab. Highly
rated for its grilled meats, bread and dip
combos, soups and pastas.
Square One
Park Hyatt Saigon, 2 Lam Son Square,
D1 Tel: 3520 2359
Specializing in high-end Western and
Vietnamese cuisine, Square One serves
charcoal-grilled meats and seafood,
as well as steamed and wok-cooked
Vietnamese fare.
Texas BarBQ
15/1 Le Thanh Ton, D1
The flavour and feel of the Wild Wild
West is evoked by both the food and
décor at this perennially popular eatery.
Quarter rack ribs are a mainstay. .
VillaFB
79 Suong Nguyet Anh, D1
Tel: 3823 3822
www.villafb.com
Refurbished villa with a spacious designled
indoor dining room and an elegant
enclosed courtyard. Serves bun noodle
dishes for breakfast and lunch before
switching to a menu of Eastern and
Western fine dining for dinner.
Warda
71/7 Mac Thi Buoi, D1 Tel: 3823 3822
Chic, middle-eastern themed eatery
Our Ingredients Are Imported
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