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Hu Tieu Pho Le Bam Skate ShopMercury CaféBam Skate ShopNam PhanStreet Smart:Vo Van Tan, District 3Stretching between Hai Ba Trung and Cao Thang in District 3, Vo Van Tan is hometo countless Vietnamese restaurants; some with histories spanning decades. BethYoung investigates with help from Hanh Nguyen. Photos by Alex Belikov.War Remnants Museum28 Vo Van TanThe War Remnants Museumoffers an insight into the AmericanWar and the many atrocitiesthat were committed. Outside,various war craft are assembledand inside photographs aredisplayed, many graphic,depicting the pain and sufferingthat unfolded throughout. Upstairs,a video plays on a loopand mostly describes the war’saftermath; the effect of AgentOrange features heavily. A visitis essential for anyone touringHCM City and especially forexpatriates living here.Nam Phan34 Vo Van Tankhaisilkcorp.comAnother Khai Silk enterprise,Nam Pham specialises in authenticVietnamese-style cuisinewith a keen focus on seafood.It’s an imposing four-storeystructure painted pale yellowwith teak shutters on theoutside and opulent furnishingsinside. A timber staircase windsall the way up and each floor isgorgeous in its own right. Orientalrugs adorn the slate-greyfloors and terracotta bowls arepiled atop each other to create auniquely Asian feel.Hu Tieu46/102 Vo Van TanMiss Hoang has been servingup piping hot bowls of hutieu—Chinese rice noodle soupwith pork and seafood—for twodecades. Her tiny restaurantscales a wall down an alley offVo Van Tan and foldout stainlesssteel tables and red plasticstools are the décor of choice.According to Miss Hoang thesecret to tasty hu tieu is all in themeasurements: too much waterand the broth loses its concentration.A bowl goes for 27,000VND. Open 6 am to 1 pm and 3pm till late.Mercury Café65 Vo Van TanMercury Café is an absolutetack-fest. Still, it’s a popularhaunt for young Vietnamese—males especially—who fill theair with cigarette smoke andchatter. A fake rock wall with attachedwaterfall features prominentlyas do neon-coloured fairylights. Up and coming Vietnamesesingers like Bao Thy, QuangVinh and Dong Nhi performhere often, as well. However, it’swell worth a visit just to checkout the manager—a man whorocks what is surely the slickestmullet in town.Bam Skate Shop228 Vo Van Tanbamskateshop.com.vnBam stocks all that’s hip inthe skating scene: streetwearfor men and women, funkyfluorescent hi-top sneakers and,of course, skateboards. All theparaphernalia needed to keepthe nifty mode of transportmaintained and rolling isavailable, too. Bam Skate Shopis also located at 174 Bui Vien,District 1.Pho Le303-305 Vo Van TanPho Le has been ladling beefpho for more than two decadesand has earned a reputation asone of the best joints in HCMCity. And it’s a plaudit ownerMiss Le agrees with fully. Whatmakes her noodle soup so good?It’s all her, she says. Accordingto the lady herself, she’s a darngood cook and what’s more,doesn’t scrimp on ingredients.Try a bowl for 35,000 to 40,000VND.Marc347 Vo Van Tanmarc.com.vnMarc stocks adorable designsfor women including brightsummer dresses that begin atabout 200,000 VND. Colourfulprinted fabric is a favourite ofthe chain store, whose designsare popular among young Vietnamesegirls. The cuts are greatand there’s a vast array of cuteblouses on offer, too.Lien Hua381 Vo Van TanHere, Phnom Penh-style hu tieuis served. Hailing originallyfrom China, then Cambodia,the Vietnamese embraced thedish, tweaked it slightly andNam Phan16 asialife HCMC asialife HCMC 17