Day 59: Foodie Adventures in Saigon

Before I left for my holiday, one of my colleagues said, "call my cousin, he'll bring you to eat all the best local food!" I was skeptical. A Singaporean expat in Ho Chi Minh, who I don't even know will bring me eat the best local food?

When I finally got his contact number in Ho Chi Minh, I dropped him a message, and he appeared at our hotel lobby minutes later, insisting that he take us to lunch, even though we just had a big hotel buffet breakfast an hour before. That was the beginning of or foodie adventure in Ho Chi Minh. My colleague was right. His cousin brought us to try food that wasn't on trip advisor or any food blogs. But they all tasted oh so good. Lesson learnt: Never doubt a Singaporean foodie. 

Lunch was at a restaurant that claimed to be the oldest restaurant in Vietnam. They were famous for small pieces of catfish in a slightly sweet and garlicky buttery sauce fried to perfection at your table with a lot of herbs and other greens.

Stepping in at lunch time, the place was filled with locals. First sign of good food. The place only serves 1 dish. 2nd sign of good food. You hear the sizzle at every table and your nose gets a whiff of the aromatic herbs and butter. 3rd sign of good food. When I finally savored the dish, I was sold. Prices are pretty steep though its worth a try.

Cha Ca La Vong

36 Ton That Theip, District 1

For dinner, we ventured to a local joint that looked more like a garage rather than an eatery. 

First up, DIY barbecued prawns. Sweet and tasty. Grilled to the point where the shells are edible. My favorite dish.

Then comes a squid dish and the stars of the night, goby fish, done 2 ways- grilled in bamboo and hot pot. I found the bamboo ones more tasty but looking around the eatery, the hot pot seemed more popular.

Goby fish are really ugly fishes, looking almost like eels. But just ignore that and enjoy the tasty little fishes that melt in your mouth. 

In between the feastings, we walked through the Ben Thanh Market. The place was chock full of stuff though many stores were selling the same things. 

The outfit of the day is a sundress a gift from Indonesia, my rainbow bag from China and Bata sandals. 

at 8:22 AM