While Saigon is an easy place to enjoy a good walking tour, it may by no means be an easy walk; things can get hot and you may end up frantically searching for something to drink. If you happen to be in one of the tourist areas of the city you'll find no shortage of drink ladies who have set up shop right on the side of the road. But buying a drink from one of these vendors is likely to start a bargaining session that you may not be in the mood for and that you may not be able to win. If you're in a hurry, a simpler way to hydrate yourself is to hop into one of the city’s many 24-hour convenience stores.

A beacon of hydration!

There are many flavours of 24-hour stores in Saigon but the most common ones you’ll find are Circle K and Shop and Go. Inside you'll find cold, half-litre bottles of water starting at the 4,000 VND price point, as well as sodas, juices, milk and alcohol. These are also some of the better spots in Saigon to find some of the comfort, snack foods you’re used to back home, like Pringles and Snickers bars. Plus sometimes a 24-hour store may even have actual, non-snack food like sandwiches or banh bao. Really you can find anything that you would in a normal Western convenience store but the low prices may surprise you. Most drinks are less than 20,000 VND and snacks are rarely above 50,000 VND.

Transparent gold!

Also, these 24-hour stores are air-conditioned and some, like the 24-hour store on Nguyen Du near the Notre Dame Cathedral, have a small seating area. You can sit down, recharge your batteries, and prepare yourself for walking back into the heat. Really, these stores can be lifesavers if you’re not used to the weather in Vietnam. And did I mention they are open 24-hours a day? If you've been out late or you're catching a midnight bus these might be the only places open to buy any food or drink.

A 24-hour store in its natural habitat.

A few 24-hour stores are particularly strategic for tourists. If you’re at Ben Thanh Market, save yourself a few thousand dong and find the store toward the far end of Nguyen An Ninh. If you’re touring the area around the Notre Dame Cathedral and Reunification Palace there are a couple of stores on Nguyen Du, one right on the corner of Dong Khoi. In the Pham Ngu Lao area you can find a few on De Tham and one in the middle of Bui Vien.

Tags: 24-hour stores, Circle K, drinking water, drinks

Back when I used to live in the Western world I grew used to the fact that if I visited a restaurant I would be able to get a free glass of water with my meal. In fact, I grew so accustomed to it that you could probably say I took it for granted. But if you sit down at a restaurant in Saigon and ask for water nine times out of ten they’re going to give you a 10,000–30,000 VND bottle instead of a free glass. At first it may not seem like much but after a couple of days drink prices can add up when you're on a tight budget. Luckily, this isn't because there aren't cheap drinks in Saigon restaurants; it's because people here drink something different. If you want to eat out on a tight budget drink what the locals drink: tra (pronounced cha).

This is what a free glass of tra looks like.

Tra is Vietnamese tea and it can be served two ways: tra da, or iced tea, and tra nam, hot tea. While in the north and central areas on the country you may be more likely to get served hot tea, in Saigon you will predominantly see iced tea brought to your table. Typically the tea is a green tea made with a mixture of jasmine leaves. Occasionally you might find a fancier tea made from lotus or artichoke but these are more of a specialty item and will carry a higher cost. Usually, the tea will come to your table in a glass but sometimes you’ll get a pot of hot tea along with an order of coffee, which you use to fill the empty coffee glass after you’ve finished, kind of like a coffee chaser.

This is what a 5,000 VND glass of tra looks like.

You can find tra da almost anywhere that food is sold in the city, from the street cart to the finest restaurant. The price for tra da can vary greatly. For example, many cafes and restaurants throughout the city will give you a neverending glass for free, just for sitting down. Other restaurants, like Barbecue Garden, will charge a nominal fee of around 3,000-5,000 VND for each glass you drink. Then there are other restaurants, usually the more expensive places in town, that will charge a grievous amount compared to the rest. Usually this more expensive tra da will be a stronger brew in a bigger glass but sometimes it is basically the same thing that you’d get for free from a place like Bobby Brewers.

Although the wide variance in price can be frustrating, tra is something that you may come to enjoy and expect if you visit any café or restaurant in the city. The next time you sit down at a Saigon restaurant, drink what the locals drink by ordering a glass of tra!

Tags: tea

On the streets of Saigon you won’t have to look far to find someone selling food from a cart. From noodle dishes to sandwiches, you can find almost anything but you may find that soups dominate the landscape of HCMC’s street food. This might not be much of a surprise since pho is the most well known Vietnamese dish but there are seriously a ton of soups on the street. Most are noodle based but one soup has no noodles whatsoever and is a staple of local cuisine: the ever-popular soup called chao.

Can you spot the congealed blood?

Called congee in the Western world, chao is basically a type of rice porridge; rice is cooked in a large pot of water until it softens into a creamy soup. Usually, you’ll see chao coupled with a meat, which is cooked with the rice in the pot. The most popular versions are chao long, porridge with pork entrails and congealed blood, and chao ga, porridge with chicken and ginger. Luckily in Saigon, because of its close proximity to the water, you can also find a few seafood varieties of the soup; including chao ca, porridge with fish, or chao muc, porridge with squid.

The bread chunks make it look a lot better!

Since the meat is usually cooked with the porridge a street cart seldom has more than one version of chao. This means a market that has street food stalls could have a few chao stalls all selling a different version of the soup. Ordering a bowl is pretty straightforward as most of the dish is already prepared in the pot however you will have the option of adding bean sprouts, chillies and chunks of fried bread. Chao is popular throughout the country as a breakfast food, however it can be eaten all day. Many locals consider chao to be a cure for the common cold, like their version of chicken soup.

That's a fancy sign for a street cart.

Since one cart will only have a single version of chao they tend to be some of the better marked street foods in the city. If you see an unmarked cart a few indications that it sells chao will be the large pot, an absence of displayed meats, and a stack of fried break sticks. You’ll be able to find it almost anywhere in the city: mobile carts selling chao ga or chao long are regular sights, but if you’re looking for a seafood flavour head to a market or another area where street food congregates.

Chao is an inexpensive dish even by Saigon street food standards. A bowl is usually around the 10,000 VND mark and even seafood versions rarely run more than 20,000 VND. Plus, since the soup is on the thicker side, it is maybe a little more filling than the other soups on the street. Give chao a try and see what you’ve been missing; you don’t even have to be sick to enjoy it.

Tags: street food

Tucked away down a tight alley in the heart of Saigon, one of the city’s most pleasant cafes perches in an upstairs loft. Only a short walk from most of the city’s major sites, like the Notre Dame Cathedral and the Saigon Opera House, L’Usine is a quiet oasis. Although it's on the major shopping street of Dong Khoi it’s hard to find to the untrained eye. It will require a short walk down a dark alley lined by clothing and accessories boutiques; once at the end follow the signs up the stairs and you'll find the cafe.

Follow the sign!

Although it doesn’t look too grand from the outside, inside the simple yet chic black and white decor, so vintage that it's modern, lends a trendy feel to the cafeteria-style restaurant. The tables and chairs are sleek and fit the retro theme, one wall is a giant blackboard filled with specials and cupcake flavours, and even the menu’s typeface has an old-timey charm.

That's what I call a salad!

While it may be one of the hippest places in town, the real reason to visit L’Usine is to partake in some of Saigon’s best salads and sandwiches. Sitting down, you’ll notice that the menu isn’t huge -- actually, it's the placemat -- but I have yet to try something from it I didn’t enjoy. My favourite would have to be the mixed vegetable salad with feta cheese. Including eggplant, peppers and tomatoes, among others, the salad’s veggies are some of the freshest you’ll find in a Saigon salad; plus the vinaigrette is a welcome retreat from other salads in the city, some of which use mayonnaise. A cool twist to the menu is that most of the salad options are also available as sandwiches so you can get your mixed vegetables in a bowl or on a baguette.

I swear there's chicken in there.

If you’re looking for something with a little more meat to it, their mushroom and olive stuffed chicken salad/sandwich is also in my meal rotation, though I prefer it as a sandwich. Really, if you order it as a sandwich you basically get enough veggies for a salad anyway. To top it off the chicken is delicious, with heartier flavour than your run of the mill chicken breast sandwiches.

It's not bad for you because it has fruit inside. Really.

Aside from sandwiches and salads, L’Uisne also offers a selection of coffees and juices as well as some of the finest, fresh baked goods you’ll find in Saigon. Drop in at breakfast or lunch and you’ll bear witness to a large selection of tasty, 50,000 VND cupcakes and, my personal favourite, the 35,000 VND fruit muffin. And, as icing on the cake, this is one of the few places in the city that serves free glasses of iced water [ed: we wish all restaurants did this!].

You’ll see all sorts of customers at L’Usine, from business professionals to backpackers to people working on their computers, as prices, around 100,000 VND a dish, are affordable for such a setting. If you have time to spare, browse through their boutique, which features unique clothes, bags and accessories for bearable prices.

My only gripe with L’Usine is that they only make their salads and sandwiches for breakfast and lunch, so get here before 17:00 or you will only be able to order drinks and cheese platters. During breakfast and lunch expect there to be a constant buzz of people; I’ve never been turned away but there have been some busy days. If it's too crowded or you’re in need of somewhere to eat dinner, you’re within walking distance of Barbecue Garden or for finer, more expensive dining you can stroll over to Xu Restaurant.

L'Usine
151 Dong Khoi, 1st floor
District 1, Saigon
T: (08) 6674 3565
Daily 10:00–22:00; breakfast and lunch until 17:00
www.lusinespace.com

Tags: Cafes, l'usine

As an avid fan of Saigon’s street food scene, I try to encourage everyone who visits the city to try at least one dish on the streets; but I’m not kidding myself, street food can be a little scary. Before most people come to the country one of their friends or someone on a travel forum will tell them to watch out for street food. And even though a Western chef may tell you that street food is just as safe as food in restaurants, even the bravest of souls might not be the first to grab some hot vit lon. To initiate yourself into HCMC’s street food culture I recommend trying a simpler dish, like mi xao (pronounced mee sao).

That's a big mess of noodles!

Mi xao looks about as simple as a dish can look. It starts with an instant ramen-type noodle that is pan-fried on a wok or a large skillet. As the noodles cook they are mixed with some vegetables, morning glory and onions being popular choices, that soften in the heat. On top of the veggies you will get a choice of meat and/or egg that will be mixed into the noodles.

Every vendor of mi xao seems to have his or her own recipe and preferred cooking method. Some cook slippery, soft noodles while others fry them to crispiness. The way toppings are added is also different. Sometimes the egg is scrambled into the noodles; sometimes an unbroken, fried egg will be placed on top of the finished dish. In a restaurant you may have all the meat and seafood options you can think of but on the street you’re usually limited to mi xao bo, or noodles with beef.

If ramen noodles aren’t your favourite, most street carts will give you the option to replace them with large macaroni noodles, called nui xao, which is a thicker, heartier noodle. Upon delivery your dish will most likely be topped with a healthy shake of pepper and chilli sauce if you’re into spicy food.

This is a noodle substitution!

Mi xao carts are by no means rare; any place where street carts congregate will probably have a resident mi xao vendor. The cart will stand out, if unmarked, as they are one of the few to carry a wok or large cooking surface. Mi xao is an all-day dish, but I seem to have better luck at night. A plate will cost between 15,000 and 30,000 VND depending on topping and luck. Extras, like the fried egg on top, usually cost an additional 5,000 VND.

This where the magic happens.

There isn’t anything too scary about a plate of noodles, meat and a few veggies and that’s why I think if you’re trying to introduce yourself to Saigon’s street food it’s a good place to start. Just remember to not fall in love with it too much because you’ll be coming back to the street for more and you need to try other things, such as this for starters!

Tags: mi xao, street food

Saigon has no shortage of places of worship; some of these temples, pagodas, and churches are among the oldest sites in the city while others are worth a stop for a quick shot of local culture. If you have time to spare, when you’re not running off to Cu Chi or the Mekong, here are some of the city’s must-see places of worship.

If you don't visit you'll make her cry... again!

Probably the most famous religious site in the city is the Notre Dame Cathedral. Just a few blocks away from some of Saigon’s most prominent landmarks, including the Reunification Palace, the cathedral has occupied its current site since Easter Sunday of 1880. The building made of materials imported from France certainly stands out from the surrounding area, drawing many locals and tourists alike for a photo opportunity. Most of these photographers crowd into the cathedral’s front courtyard which is also home to a statue of the Virgin Mary that many claimed shed tears in 2005 (this has however been refuted by Catholic Church officials). While you’re in the area, pop over to the near by park, grab a café sua da and watch the photo shoots and the passing traffic.

An entire room of this on the walls.

If you’re up for an adventure out of downtown you should visit what is considered to be Saigon’s oldest place of worship, Giac Lam Pagoda. Constructed by Vietnamese Buddhists in 1744, the temple occupies a complex that includes a tall stupa and garden/graveyard as well as the temple itself. Although Giac Lam doesn’t scream 1744 as it has been completely renovated at least twice, the last time being 1906, I think the temple is worth a visit just to see the Altar of Patriarchs, a room lined with thousands of pictures of those who have passed on. It’s dark and moody, setting an atmosphere that is unlike any other temple I have visited in the city. If you’re lucky, you may also witness a chanting ritual performed by the temple’s monks in the complex’s main hall.

Incense overload!

Although you should visit the Cholon area, HCMC’s Chinatown, no matter what, a good reason to make the journey is to visit the Thien Hau Pagoda. This temple is one of the more popular among the city’s tour groups and for good reason: not because the pagoda itself is overly large or elaborate but because they have taken the use of incense to the next level. Incense coils, some taking more than a month to completely burn, hang from the ceiling and, for a small fee, you can add you own to the collection. While you’ll probably go to partake in the glory of all things incense, the pagoda is also home to a series of elaborate dioramas that line the roofs and walls and are worth a good gaze.

Saigon is home to plenty more pagodas worthy of visits, including the Jade Emperor Pagoda and its turtles, the Tomb of Le Van Duyet, and the always-active Vinh Nghiem Pagoda -- but these three get my vote for temples that are can’t-miss.

Tags: churches, Giac Lam Pagoda, notre dame cathedral, pagodas, temples, Thien Hau Pagoda

Within walking distance of many of Saigon's more popular sites, such as Ben Thanh Market and Notre Dame Cathedral, barbecue restaurant Barbecue Garden is located in a surprisingly peaceful spot considering it is in the middle of some prime real estate. Barbecue Garden isn't a fancy looking spot; it's about a hundred tables on an outdoor terrace shaded by some big trees. If you're worried about eating outdoors, a retractable tarp roof is extended to cover you from the midday heat or the occasional spell of bad weather. Plenty of fans help compensate for the lack of air-con, keeping things from getting unbearable.

Not the fanciest place in the city.

At night things cool down considerably and they flick on the lights, helping the whole place become a little more romantic; the tall trees are draped with white string lights and the floor's main lighting comes from rustic street lamps. A bar sits in the middle of the restaurant while the small kitchen is actually located at the other end of the parking lot, separate from the seating area. I guess there is no need for a big kitchen though when each table is equipped with its own grill and propane tank.

It kind of looks like a movie set.

At Barbecue Garden, as with other Asian barbecues, you do your own cooking. Their menu consists mostly of raw meats and vegetables, served on a big plate, that you will prepare yourself. If you're struggling, the staff will usually help out, especially when things are slower. The highlight of their menu has to be the beef with cheese, a strip of beef wrapped around a small piece of cheese and onion. It sounds simple, but it's addictive; I feel a little like a broken record ordering it over and over again. The beef with cheese, like most of their meat dishes, comes in two sizes: small, a serving for one person, and big, two smalls combined on one plate.

Be careful not to burn yourself!

If you're in the mood for seafood, the Garden has you covered but instead of sizes you'll order by 100-gram increments. The price listed is for 100 grams, but they'll make you buy at least 200 -- still, even at 200 grams, prices are reasonable. A dinner for two can be easily done for under 200,000 VND, but splurging toward the 300,000 VND mark should give you more than enough to ensure you don't leave hungry.

I'm also a fan of their lotus root salad with prawns.

Barbecue Garden sits in that sweet spot of restaurants in Saigon: it's cheap enough for backpackers to grab a bite but still nice enough for business meetings, romantic dinners, or big family meals. Actually, everything here is served family-style so large groups are better suited to experience more of the menu.

It's a popular spot, and things can get crowded even with so many tables. Your best practice would be to call ahead for a reservation if you want to go for dinner just to be safe, otherwise you might have to wait a few minutes to be seated. If you can't find a seat, you could try the other Vietnamese barbecue in town, 3T Quang, which is nearby but a bit louder and a bit more expensive. You're also close to Ben Thanh Market so you could hop over there if you're looking for more budget fare. Or if you're after budget, you're just around the corner from Xoi Number 1.

Barbecue Garden
135A Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, District 1, Saigon
Open daily 11:00 - 23:00
T: (08) 3823 3340
www.barbecuegarden.com

Tags: Barbecue Garden, barbecue restaurants

Saigon has street food on every corner and restaurants down every street and tight dark alley; some alleys have seemingly nothing but restaurants, not just local hole-in-the-wall spots but pleasant new restaurants. One such alley, filled with higher end eats, is 71 Mac Thi Buoi.

It may not look the part but restaurants are down there.

Also known as Hem 71, the alley in the middle of downtown District 1 is packed with a wide variety of restaurants -- some of the better in the city -- and covers Vietnamese and Western cuisine. The anchor of the alley is the Warda, a Mediterranean restaurant where the decor is perfectly matched with its location in the back of the alley. At Warda you have the option to either partake in the delicious food, from kebabs to shwarmas, or you can sit back and enjoy a selection of flavoured tobacco. The tobacco, smoked from either a shisha or hookah, makes Warda a place where you can hang out late into the night.

Too nice to be down an alley.

For a proper Vietnamese meal you can try Quan An Am Vietnamese Bistro. The restaurant has a fun atmosphere, with red lanterns lighting the dining area and pictures plus hundreds of hand fans decorating the walls. The food is also quite good -- not the best you'll find in Saigon but not nearly the worst. For a Vietnamese restaurant that caters more to tourists than locals it’s a decent place to experience the country’s culinary exploits and really, it's worth a visit for the interesting decor.

The green is a little much.

The alley is also home to Lac Thai Restaurant. In general, Thai food is hard to find in Saigon and here they do a solid job filling the Thai food gap. Like the other spots in the alley, the restaurant is clean and atmospheric, and has a rustic wooden styling that fits the space. Food here is a little pricey compared to other Thai spots in HCMC but the portions are on the larger side. In fact, most of the places in Hem 71 will price out on the higher side in Saigon terms, probably setting you back around 400,000 VND for a dinner for two.

These are just the highlights of Hem 71; there is more to be found. The alley's central location makes it easy to reach. From Pham Ngu Lao, it is reachable with a 20-minute walk by foot or a much quicker taxi or motorbike ride. Don't let the dark alley spook you; it's filled with some great eats.

Although I love Saigon's street food, some of the dishes that you're served streetside can have portions on the small size; some of them are plenty for one person, but others may require a second serving. When I'm feeling extra hungry and I want to make sure that I'm going to be full, I go for Saigon's most filling street food: xoi.

I like my xoi heavy on the chicken.

Xoi (pronounced soi), or Vietnamese sticky rice, is an extremely popular dish in Vietnam that can be combined with many ingredients, and comes in both sweet and savoury versions. If you're looking for the savoury version you're most likely to find xoi ruoc, sticky rice mixed with stringy dried pork, or xoi ga, sticky rice mixed with shredded chicken. Unlike a regular rice dish, like com tam, the sticky rice isn’t served on the side. Instead the meat and the rice are mixed together. There are other variations as well, like egg or even plain xoi with peanut and vegetable, but they aren't quite as tasty in my opinion.

That's some sticky rice!

If you'd rather try the sweet version you'll be asking for xoi vo, a mixture of sticky rice, mung beans, coconut, peanuts, and condensed milk. Some vendors sell a multi-coloured variety of sweet variations of xoi; order one flavour or ask for a mix of all of them! This dish makes a great dessert, but keep in mind how filling it is. I've ordered a serving of xoi plenty of times, only to hit a stomach speed bump at the halfway point.

This guy has a prime Ben Thanh location.

Finding xoi is pretty easy. Mobile carts are all over the Pham Ngu Lao and Ben Thanh market areas. Several vendors sell xoi right off the back of their bicycles; they tend to be the sweet variety. Their multi-coloured rice displays tend to stand out, with very few other street foods having such bright colours. It seems a little easier to find people selling the sweet version because they require less hardware, as they don’t have to cook meat.

My preferred xoi stop.

Savoury versions usually stay in more stationary locations. One of the easier to find and better quality street restaurants is Xoi Ga Number 1 at the end of Nguyen Trung Truc. Here you can find an affordable array of many varieties of xoi, both savoury and sweet, within a short walk from Ben Thanh market.

For a helping of sweet xoi expect to pay somewhere around 10,000 VND, for savoury meat versions the norm is 15,000 to 25,000 VND, but especially around Ben Thanh prices can creep up to the 30,000 to 40,000 VND level.

Tags: sticky rice, street food, xoi

Over the past couple of months temperatures have been rising in Saigon; this usually isn't much of an issue because there are so many ice cream shops... but now that I'm planning to run a half marathon I need to start eating a little healthier. So I've switched from ice cream to frozen yogurt, meaning I've some tips for finding your own fro-yo fix.

It's healthier when you add chocolate, right?

If you're in the Pham Ngu Lao area, take a walk down De Them and you will run into Yogurt World, where you'll find a wide variety of some of Saigon's cheapest frozen yogurt. Unlike an ice cream parlour where you order by the scoop, Yogurt World puts you in charge by letting you fill your own cup with a selection from dozens of soft-serve flavours of yoghurt and a large assortment of toppings, like fruit or chocolate chips; then they charge you by the gram. At 23,000 VND per 100 grams, you can get quite a bit of yogurt before you break the bank and you can rest easy knowing you're paying one of the best prices in town.

That's a pretty big space for yogurt.

For a more commercialised fro-yo experience stop by one of the four Yogen Fruz establishments sprinkled throughout the city, with their Pasteur or Vincom Centre locations being the easiest to find. With more than 1,000 worldwide franchises, Yogen Fruz knows how to deliver frozen yogurt. They go by the parlour method, where you pay by size and number of toppings. The yogurt here is a little more expensive, with a cup starting at 50,000 VND, but you do get a better quality for the increased price. The toppings are a little fresher and I think yogurt also tastes slightly better too.

Nothing says yogurt quite like Christmas lights.

I reckon you'll find the best of both worlds at my favourite frozen yogurt spot in Saigon, Yofana. Yofana combines the quality of Yogen Fruz with the serving style of Yogurt World. They don't have quite as many yogurt flavours as other establishments but taste and freshness are top notch. Plus, at 30,000 VND per 100 grams the price isn't too much higher than the city's budget options. The biggest problem is that Yofana is a little out of the way, tucked away on Ky Dong in District 3, and it's a little hard to justify a 10-minute taxi ride out of downtown just for some frozen yogurt.

Is frozen yogurt really that much healthier than ice cream? Actually I doubt there is that much of a difference but if you don’t say anything, neither will I. Personally, I’ve always liked it better. Either way, healthier or not, it is still delicious and a great way beat the Saigon heat.

Yogurt Space
147 Tran Hung Dao, District 1, Saigon
T: (08) 3290 6985
www.yogurtspace.com

Yogen Fruz
118 Pasteur, District 1, Saigon
www.yogenfruz.com

Yofana
10 Ky Dong, District 3, Saigon
T: (08) 6290 4013
www.yofana.com

Tags: frozen yoghurt