issue 54 - AsiaLIFE Magazine

DeciBel
A simple menu of well-executed dishes in a unique and hip setting.
By Michael Tatarski. Photos by Nam Quan.
DeciBel, a versatile eatery
on the edge of District 1, is
the type of place one would
expect to see somewhere like
Brooklyn, not Saigon. The
owners have created a sort of
collective of creative people,
with indie films screened every
Wednesday night, live music,
and monthly exhibitions of
photography and graphic
design. Alternative music from
around the world drifts out of
the speaker system while hip
young patrons gaze at their
iPads.
The restaurant’s first floor
features a small stage and simple
seating, while the upstairs
is decked out in plush sofas to
create more of a lounge feel.
The bar features an impressive
array of cocktails crafted by an
international bartender, and
from 5pm to 8pm every day
they cost just VND 60,000.
The menu includes tapas, salads,
pasta and western mains
such as burgers and steak.
Nearly everything costs under
VND 150,000. These dishes
aren’t groundbreaking, but they
are very well-executed, and
more exotic selections will be
available in the coming months.
Our first dish is an appetizer
of Croquettas (VND 70,000),
fried potatoes stuffed with
chicken and béchamel. They
manage to be the right combination
of fluffy on the inside,
but crispy on the outside and
are a good, light way to start
the meal.
The 200-gram Australian
steak (VND 200,000) served
with a side of mashed potatoes
and gravy is next. The steak is
full of flavour and cooked to
medium-rare perfection, and
the potatoes perform admirably
as well.
Finally, we decide to make
this a large meal and go for
the chicken parmesan (VND
120,000) along with a side of
wedge fries. A huge slab of
chicken slathered with mozzarella
cheese and tomato sauce
shows up and it can easily be
split between two people.
DeciBel’s food isn’t quite
what one would expect from a
restaurant with such creative
ambition, but that isn’t a criticism.
The cooks aren’t trying to
be needlessly fancy or cute, and
the menu is very appealing as a
result. The dishes are good and
reasonably priced.
Of course deciBel isn’t just
about food, and its openness
to film, photography and other
creative outlets means it is more
than just a restaurant. That
being said, eating here is well
worth your time, particularly
if you’re in the mood for some
comfort food.
79/2/5 Phan Ke Binh, Da Kao
Ward, D1
Ph: 08 62 71 01 15
7am-12am seven days
44 asialife HCMC