Paris1972-Versailles2003

Ok so this one have several posts in my blog, just redoing some older text and some new photos for HCMC or Ho Chi Minh City ,Vietnam. I would spare you the history of the city and just go right into the text and photos. Always amazed on how a war torn country can come back and be so alive and working. Vietnam is spoken less than other Asian countries when it comes to infrastructure and tourism but its a sleeping giant awaiting to catch the Asian boom. Let me tell you about the culinary delights of Ho Chi Minh City !!! Hope you enjoy the post as I

Once there I went to my  Hotel Grand Silverland, in district 1 ,right in the middle by the great famous market of Ben Thanh (see post). This is as a classic hotel as you can find, old look, and modern facilities throughtout, with a great breakfast,and easy walking to the market, muséums,and lively street life of the city.  It has a wonderful rooftop pool and resto with fabulous views of Saigon (now HCMC). And of course, was my first hotel stayed here so cannot find photos!!! yikes!!! More on the hotel here: https://grand-silverland-spayikes.hotel-rn.com/index.htm

From here ,I tasted the nightlife best for action, and the best looking women of Vietnam locals or expats try the Beirut Gardens with belly dancing shows after 20h.  Just be there and you will see ,enough said! More info here: http://beirut.com.vn/

I was surprise to be invited to a restaurant where President Bush (USA) even visited while there,and his pictures still hang on the walls lol!!  TIB restaurant , at Hai Bà Trưng. You go at the end of a narrow passage street. This has great dishes in a colonial setting even with pictures of Vietnam last queen and king(1945). I guess the decoration was done for me lol!!! More info here in Vietnamese, sorry but the real thing: https://www.tibrestaurant.com/about

However, here is the translation from the premise I visited taken from their site: TIB Restaurant, established in 1993 in Ho Chi Minh City, is the first restaurant in Vietnam to revive vinegar, shrimp rolls, lettuce rolls, Hue rolls , methodically and systematic. The TIB brand has lived a strong life for more than 14 years thanks to always maintaining the authentic quality of the food and thus has kept customers from the very beginning.  November 2007 US President George Bush chose TIB restaurant to invite Australian Prime Minister Howard to dinner as a proof of brand value.

For lunch, on another day locals took me to 94 Quan Thuy crab seafood restaurant and it was a full meal with fried rice and shredded crab that was delicious and true local food. More on Foody VN here: https://www.foody.vn/ho-chi-minh/mien-cua-94

At night went to the Barbecue Garden, a wonderful terrace garden where each table has an oven to cook your meals, nice fish and shrimp dishes with local saigon special beers.  More on their site here: http://barbecuegarden.vn/address

I came back for lunch to Rosa Palace, this is rented out for wedding and events with a big event of models parading that was awesome, but it is a restaurant too, very nice. Once again seafood is great here and fried rice with some good Saigon Special beers.  Very special places I have come like 3 times! The food is good and the service is great so seek it out when in town. The
Foody VN reviews on Rosa Palace:  https://www.foody.vn/binh-duong/trung-tam-hoi-nghi-tiec-cuoi-rosa-palace-tinh-lo-743 

For dinner we went to Vietnam House resto, again great seafood and nice service.  This is a gourmet place and very refine, a great for an evening with company too. More info on their site here: http://vietnamhousesaigon.com/

Almost every day here came to the The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf  for a nice cup of coffee as it was near the place I was doing work, yes did work too ::)  They have other branches but this one in District 1 was great. See them all at official webpage here: https://coffeebean.com.vn/en

Before leaving on way to the airport ,I had lunch at a wonderful place taken by a local.  Com Nieu Sai Gon, at 59 Ho Xuan Huong Street, where the dishes are done with playing servers on the rice paddies thrown at a distance plate to plate, and the shrimp dish with fish in sauce and saigon special beers were the delight in a nice ambiance and great decoration. More in Foody VN: https://www.foody.vn/ho-chi-minh/nha-hang-com-nieu-sai-gon-ho-xuan-huong

I, also, tried comga Van Xuong at 74 Hàm Nghi, Dist 1 (gần bánh mì Như Lan), famous for its Hunan chicken style food of China. just ask for it. They now have a Facebook page in Vietnamese here:  https://www.facebook.com/comgahainamvanxuong/

Several evenings and came back in another opportunity to HCMC , went to the Gartenstadt Downstairs German style pub for a nice Krombacher pils German beer (same I have in France!). The Gartenstadts was great , full length bar with plenty of imported beers and of course Germans.  At the bar I stayed on the street level which I was told is better than the Noisy smokey lower level floor. Great spot recommended not far from the hotel but photos were in a personal mode ….The Facebook page on Gartenstadts: https://www.facebook.com/GartenstadtRestaurant/

I continue my culinary search into HCMC =Saigon, at Ngọc Sương  106 Sương Nguyệt Ánh,district 1. Here we had a nice fireup shrimp dish that was superb. And it has a webpage in English now!! I must have given it fame lol!! http://www.ngocsuong.co/

The official Vietnam tourist office on Ho Chi Minh City: https://vietnam.travel/places-to-go/southern-vietnam/ho-chi-minh-city

So there you go a culinary trip to exotic Ho Chi Minh City in up and coming Vietnam, a destination worth trying it out. I know would love to be back, waiting for the virus…. Again, hope you enjoy this post on the culinary delights of Ho Chi Minh City !!! as I.

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!