Nam Ky Khoi Nghia - Asialife HCMC

Street Smart:
Nam Ky Khoi Nghia
Many Saigonites traverse this inner-city
thoroughfare daily, but few take the time to
explore it. Beth Young takes a slow ride down
Nam Ky Khoi Nghia to see what it has to offer.
Photos by Nam Quan.
Cutting through the city, Nam
Ky Khoi Nghia facilitates transport
from points A to B for many
HCM City residents. However,
the long street, which stretches
between Districts 1 and 3 and
almost to Phu Nhuan, is home
to countless attractions—beside
the well-known Reunification
Palace of course—including
two different styles of Buddhist
temples, funky retailers and
restaurants to suit all tastes.
Subramaniam Swamy Temple
98 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia
Worshippers at this temple
practice Indian Buddhism,
made obvious by the Hindistyle
artwork hung on the walls
and a penchant for flashing
red neon lights. The space is
cavernous, except for a small
prayer room located at its core.
Inside, white flower garlands
interspersed with handwritten
notes are hung around bright,
detailed paintings of deities.
Many offerings have been presented
to Buddha here; bananas,
coconut, rice and the lingering
scent of incense are omnipresent.
Surprisingly, it is not the
only Indian Buddhist temple in
the city. There’s another close by
on Pasteur.
Le Fenetre Soleil
2nd floor, 135 Le Thanh Ton (entrance
on Nam Ky Khoi Nghia)
A dingy winding staircase
leads to this hole-in-thewall,
Parisian-inspired cafe
where fusion is at its best. The
Japanese owner-slash-handbag
designer (his handbags are
sold at the cafe) created the
French Colonial-style restaurant
in the 60s-era building. The
space is adorned with kitschy
mismatched furniture—cushy
lounges and a love bed beneath
thick, purple drapes—and
complemented with sturdy
antique wooden dining tables.
Wide French doors that frame
the streetscape allow light to
enter, illuminating the crystal
chandeliers that hang from
the ceiling. The cafe opened in
2001 and is a popular place for
trendy, young Vietnamese to
gather. Meals go for between
35,000 and 110,000 VND.
Sandwich
125 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia
Funky candy-striped walls
encase a hoard of clothes and
accessories for the fashion conscious.
A cartoonish candelabra
and mirror have been painted
on one wall and a colourful
retro bicycle takes pride of
place in the window. A range of
clothes are available; however
the bright t-shirts emblazoned
with cheeky statements like
“Don’t look me, don’t touch
me, don’t take me” or “Last
night, Last Virgin” are winners.
A men’s polo shirt printed with
the slogan “Root Guys” would
have an entirely different conno-
tation in Australia, though. It’s
also a one-stop shop for lensless
rhinestone framed novelty
glasses, black vinyl jackets and
denim slip-on shoes.
BBQ Garden
135A Nam Ky Khoi Nghia
If you’re new to HCM City and
haven’t yet hit grill-it-yourself
joint BBQ Garden for a birthday
or farewell party, you surely
will someday. The restaurant
occupies a huge open space
shaded by leafy trees that are
lit with countless fairy lights
come dark. At night, it is literally
packed to bursting point
with diners grilling up obligatory
staples like succulent beef
rolled with onion and cheese
and tasty salmon and bacon
skewers. Similar to 3T on Ton
That Thiep, the BBQ Garden
provides the same cuisine in a
decidedly less frantic atmosphere.
HCM City Museum
65 Ly Tu Trong (entrance on Nam
Ky Khoi Nghia)
This huge colonial-style building
is set among a lush garden
that is home to American
War-era relics. Rusted antiaircraft
artillery, an F5 fighter
that bombed the Independence
Palace (now Reunification
Palace) and a massive tank sit
alongside a collection of classic
cars that were used in the war
effort. A Renault on display
transported wounded soldiers
from Go Vap to Cu Chi in the
1968 Tet General Offensive. It is
also said that a secret underground
tunnel runs between the
museum and the Reunification
Palace and various other key
sites in HCM City. There’s no
burrowing anymore though.
This alternative exit is safely
gated and under lock and key.
HCM City Court
60 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia
Perched atop this imposing
mustard-coloured, French-built
structure is a statue of the God
of Justice. On either side of
him sits a traditionally dressed
Vietnamese couple, a woman in
an ao dai and a man wearing a
conical hat. From the building’s
precipice, a pointed metal rod
shoots skywards. It’s a lightning
conductor that’s meant to
signify the god’s ability to dole
out justice through the court
system.
Y Ngoc Gallery
135 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia
Famous Vietnamese ao dai
designer Si Hoang displays his
elaborate creations at his twostorey
gallery, right next to the
Reunification Palace. Hoang has
been designing ao dai for more
than 20 years, and it shows. The
ornately designed traditional
dresses are spun from highquality
silks, cottons and regal
velvets. Many are embellished
with glittering beads and
jewels, and others are painstakingly
hand painted. At USD
$700 a pop, Hoang’s creations
are wearable artworks.
Oriental Medical Clinic
162 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia
This Korean-run clinic specialises
in traditional Chinese
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