I AM VIETNAMESE

Mmmmm this was simply well worth the trek. Found the famous...

Sat, 16 Jul 2011 12:42:46 +0800

Mmmmm this was simply well worth the trek. Found the famous Lunch Lady!! Details to come!

Goi Cuon at windows cafe 4. Always a favorite afternoon place

Fri, 15 Jul 2011 14:50:01 +0800

Goi Cuon at windows cafe 4. Always a favorite afternoon place

Let the weekend in Saigon begin….

Fri, 15 Jul 2011 13:49:19 +0800

Let the weekend in Saigon begin….

I don’t think raw liver is meant to be a dish… Maybe...

Wed, 25 May 2011 23:15:14 +0800

I don’t think raw liver is meant to be a dish… Maybe the chef forgot to cook it? C’est la vie en #Tokyo!!

Club Velvet - Saigon's Hip-Hop Club

Thu, 21 Apr 2011 23:00:00 +0800

If you happen to be one of the few individuals in Vietnam looking for some hip-hop music? You’re in luck… as you may or may not know, Vietnam is very into it’s house and techno music. Many clubs there can complete to the clubs in Vegas or New York City in terms of sound and flashing lights and such. Luckily, I knew of one place to take my friends to. Club Velvet - a very small yet popular club in District 1. The place is quaint… if you get lucky or plan ahead, get a booth. The club is one big circle with the bar in the middle of the room. Like most clubs in Vietnam, there is no dance floor… you make your own dance floor wherever you stand with your friends! :)

I will have to say this is a hit and miss crap shoot place. There are times I’ve been here and it is packed to the tee, and other times, it’s somewhat dead in comparison. But then again, if you crave the hip-hop (like a few of my friends in the group), then you really have no choice. The service is great. The drinks are usually a good deal here. Ask for the specials!! At the time, it was buy two bottles of Belvedere and get one free. I think the Johnnie Walker was the same. So its a great deal if you plan on coming back.

Probably one of the BEST things about clubbing in Vietnam? Is you don’t have to finish the alcohol!!! All the bottles come with a label on the side, your name and date you purchased it. Once you are ready to jump to another club, they’ll put your bottles away and give you a “coat check” on the bottles for next time. Why can’t the clubs in the States or Hong Kong do this?? The bottles run roughly $50 USD to maybe $70 USD depending on the clubs. Compare that with $300-$400 USD in Hong Kong or the US? It’s no rocket science why we stocked up here :)

The bouncers / security guards here are all very friendly. It’s customary to arm wrestle them and pretend you are stronger. (Just kidding.. don’t do that… you’ll just look stupid!) :) But it IS customary to have drinks with your host/hostesses and the security that surrounds you. They do a good job at keeping an eye on you and making sure other groups don’t invade your space. Tipping them is great, having them drink with you is better!! All in all, everyone has a good time!

Club Velvet also has Hookah Pipes which is a nice change in pace. I don’t think I’ve seen this at any other clubs in Saigon. So we decided to grab one of them at some ridiculously cheap price. (If memory serves me right, we had Sour Apple that night) Yes it was sanitary, everyone had their own disposable mouthpiece. Now I should mention that we were able to take pictures here. Why is that of such significance? Well most of the up-scale clubs frown big time on photos. Just taking a camera out at such places will have security running up to you to stop you before it even turns on. Club Velvet, however, is one of the few exceptions so it’s great to capture those memories of an epic night with your good friends!

This was a pretty upscale hip-hop club for Vietnam and a place I’ll definitely come back to. (Especially since I still have two bottles of Johnnie Walker Gold sitting there) The catch is? I have 60 days before they throw the bottles away! GASP! Better make another weekend trip to Saigon soon.

Club Velvet

26 Ho Huan Nghiep : District 1 : Ho Chi Minh

+84 8 3822 2262

The famous and very hidden "Banh Xeo 46A"

Thu, 21 Apr 2011 15:00:00 +0800

The famous spot has been on my things to do list forever now. Finally found time to venture out to this side alley street and discover the famous Banh Xeo 46A joint. Made famous recently by Anthony Bourdain himself with his show “No Reservations”. Since then, this local hotspot has been a well known destination for food lovers all over. This IS the place to go for banh xeo otherwise known as Vietnamese Crepes

What is Banh Xeo you may be asking? This is definitely not as popular as dishes like Pho, Goi Cuon, Cha Gio in most vietnamese restaurants around the world. Ask any Vietnamese and they’ll tell you it is a scrumptious flavorful dish with a wide range of flavors dancing away in your mouth. Banh xeo is a crepe stuffed with an abundance of pork belly slices, shrimp, bean sprouts and onions. The true and proper way of devouring a banh xeo is by wrapping up a piece of the crepe in greens and herbs and dipping it in nuoc mam (aka that fish sauce Vietnamese use for every other dish!) . As you can tell from above, the lady of the house cooking the banh xeos surrounds herself with 6-7 claypots filled with wood chips burning profusely as she pours batter into the skillets, throwing some beans, sprouts, shrimp and pork or whatever the order was customized to be, juggling everything from beginning to end.

Now being that we are in Vietnam, once doesn’t get the run of the mill green leaf lettuce. We get the local steroid injected ones… these wrap nicely with fresh crepes hot off the pan. Although some of my friends had other intentions for it…

There’s not much to say except if you find yourself yearning to try some different dishes of Vietnam? Make your way to this alleyway, grab a stool with some friends and enjoy an afternoon snack with good friends and just alone. I promise you won’t regret it!

Banh Xeo 46A

46A Dinh Cong Trang Street : District 1 : Ho Chi Minh City

+84 4 824 1110

Pho Hoa Pasteur …..where would you go for hangover food???...

Thu, 21 Apr 2011 12:49:37 +0800

Pho Hoa Pasteur …..where would you go for hangover food??? Check back for a more detailed post!

Pho Pasteur

Thu, 21 Apr 2011 11:00:00 +0800

Ahh… Pho…. What is Pho? To some… it is simply a cheap eats bowl of chicken or beef broth, rice noodles and topped with some leafy greens and spices and chili sauce. To others? it’s the staple food for Vietnam, today’s meal for the cost-conscious college student, or what I consider - the best hangover cure for anyone the morning after a good night out. Pho Pasteur is one of my favorite spots to take guests in Saigon. It’s not some big chain, not even close to fancy - I’d say if it was a place in the states, it would barely get a Grade B (I’d say C is a safe bet) but it’s just simply DELICIOUS!!!!

The menu is simple.. it’s Pho… there is a menu in English so don’t fret. On the table, hopefully, will be items you can snack on while waiting for your bowl of pho. Off the top of my head, I don’t remember what everything is but you have the chinese bread sticks, those long sticks wrapped in banana leaf are called Cha Lua (it’s a Vietnamese ham/sausage… or what I call Vietnamese Spam) and a few other things. Now you pay for what you eat, and the waitress in the end will calculate the costs. The menu here is pretty standard…. Pho with beef, tripe, tendon, meatballs, chicken etc… you pick what you want and it’s roughly $2 USD a bowl.

I love pho but what makes me love it more in Vietnam is the assortments of toppings to throw into your bowl. All sorts of lettuce and vegetables that you don’t seem to get anywhere else in the world. For some individuals, they tend to go overdo the vegetation! :P

All in all, there is not much to say about Pho Pasteur except it is an excellent place to come eat pho if you are ever in Saigon. Tip for the first timers, most likely it will be blazing hot as it IS southeast asia after all…. walk to the back of the restaurant and you’ll find a staircase. Head upstairs and there are two gigantic rooms WITH air conditioning to cool off the weary traveler while you enjoy a hot bowl of pho.

Rumors have it, THIS is the inspiration for the infamous worldwide chain Pho Hoa. It is funny though since there are signs in the restaurant disclaiming that and any affiliation to the chain. I’m sure somewhere back then this was how Pho Hoa started. If you do plan on making a trip out here, don’t worry - EVERY cab driver knows of Pho Pasteur. This has been around for more than 40 years and hopefully it’ll be around for another 40 years!

Pho Pasteur

260C Pasteur Rd : District 3 : Ho Chi Minh

+84 8 3829 7943

Welcome to Saigon, Vietnam!!! Fat One Style!!! and how not to get ripped off by taxis

Wed, 20 Apr 2011 22:14:00 +0800

So after months of planning… the epic “Diving with the Fat Ones” trip got under way…. Let me preface by explaining what that means. The dodgeball team in Hong Kong that I am apart of is “Goin for the Fat Ones” and since many of them were interested in getting their scuba diving lessons… you get the rest. So with that? Nha Trang would be the perfect location for a dive trip with friends, good food and activities!

Here my friend Joe Vu is being questioned at customs…. once getting your luggage, EVERYTHING has to go through another xray machine. Apparently poker chips are frowned upon as it motivates you to gamble…. (really Vietnam?!!?) so there goes the chips.. CONFISCATED. (My group and I don’t believe that though… we blame it on his HAT!!)

So first tip for new travelers…. even the experienced ones will get ripped off… not the ideal way to start a trip yelling and cursing the taxi driver off but…. c’est la vie. When departing the airport, the FIRST thing you should know about Vietnam? It’s DAMN HARD TO FIND AN HONEST TAXI DRIVER. The queue of taxis is a mixture of the good and bad. If you don’t have all day to wait and are anxious to leave… like we were then you’ll have to take the first taxi available. If you want to wait? well Mai Linh Taxi and Vinasun Taxis are the one to be trusted but it could come or it could not so pretty much good luck. Make sure the first thing you do is tell them or remind them to run the meter. Often times they “forget” and will charge their own made up prices. In my case.. meter was on… started at 9.5 which means 9,500 dong. However in ten minutes it jumped to 140!!!! Our ending price was 205,000 dongs….. I mean that is only $10 USD but still.. the average cost from airport to the center of town should be 100,000 - 120,000 dongs. With traffic maybe slightly more. After cursing the bastard out, I just gave up and threw him a 200k bill and was ready to start the night. (the other taxi with my other friends… 134k bill) FAIL

So… just a note to the wise… the airport will be the first place you will get ripped off :) Welcome to Vietnam! Reason to go drink it off! Next up… Club Velvet review and pics!! Now.. its time to go eat Pho first… Priorities man..priorities :)

A very funny Vietnamese ad…

Mon, 28 Mar 2011 11:45:38 +0800

A very funny Vietnamese ad…

Just a quick glimpse into the South Stand …. Farmville,...

Sun, 27 Mar 2011 15:10:00 +0800

Just a quick glimpse into the South Stand …. Farmville, Jamaican Bobsledders, a Fraulein, Glory’s randomness and …Blanka

Hong Kong Sevens....adding that "Vietnamese twist" to things ....

Sun, 27 Mar 2011 10:27:40 +0800

People ask me “What IS Sevens?” Sevens… the Hong Kong Sevens… is an annual weekend of drunken debauchery with grown ass adults in costumes screaming and yelling and singing and once in awhile.. the occasional rugby match! 24 nations competing …matches back to back…. it is THE biggest sporting event in Hong Kong each year. But I still find it amazing how many people dress up! And it’s usually not just random outfits you throw on… it’s a planned event. Groups get together and sort their ideas out and you see hoards of themed groups everywhere. This being the first time truly participating.. (my first time was …. like any ol rookie not knowing better… came dressed as a normal civilized adult)… we were Farmville!! Of course there are a slew of unique ideas… from Angry Birds to Street Fighter to Black Swan? Yes grown men in black leotards and a tutu…. very disturbing.

Now I just couldn’t put on a normal chicken outfit and be content…. so I add that Vietnamese touch to it and voila! Vietnamese Chicken! :P (Good thing too since I did run into a gang of people wearing the same outfit!) You have to love Hong Kong….. $20 USD gets you a whole chicken outfit!! This place is CRAZY I tell you. If you have to plan a trip to Hong Kong, come during the Sevens time… usually the last weekend in March. You will be in for the time of your life! Guarantee it! In true Kimson fashion, I went all out and had this on when I left my door. Walking through the streets of Hong Kong and the MTR (subway system here) was fun! I saw people drop their utensils at their table as I walked past restaurants …. oh I wish I took a picture of myself at McDonald’s as I ordered the Chicken McNuggets!

So here are my two good friends Vlad and Jessica in their M&Ms gear! Their group was all decked out in all the colors!

The South Stand…. what is it? it’s the South end of the stadium…. that’s all… what makes it so special?? well if you arrive in the middle of the day like we did.. it takes about 1-1.5 hours to queue up just to get in for starters. Oh let’s not forget .. it’s an 18 and up section only!! Why you might ask? Know what you are getting yourself into when you step foot into the South Stand. Beer jugs are not allowed in here anymore… as empty beer jugs are thrown around in the past now are replaced with semi empty cups of beer. (the Vietnamese hat came in VERY handy for this) Drunken brawls are likely. I learned the lesson the hard way (as I usually do) not to wear new shoes!! The stands are FLOODED with beers, cups, wet newspapers and magazines and just crap everywhere. To my southern California fans… this is the Electric Daisy Carnival sans the ecstasy, techno music, teenagers and half naked people raving their minds away. Instead its beers beers beers, hip hop and rock music and crazy adults in crazy outfits. From watching American football and buying beers at $10 USD a bottle to $12 USD for a LITER of beer here? I was loving it!

There’s Blanka…. the rest of the Street Fighter gang was about somewhere.

This guy’s smurfing away on his phone… would have loved to seen a Smurfette.

I like Purple Crayons…..

Wonder Women…. not so wonderful…

the German Beer Fraulein…… come to think of it… she never brought beers for anyone!!

Harry Potter and Waldo… one of the few random people passed out in the South Stands…. and it IS kinda hard to do that when everyone’s jumping up and down and dancing and throwing their beers around. Kudos to this chap for doing so!

and THAT is how you do Hong Kong Sevens…. with great friends and lots of booze!!

One month from now, I’ll be spreading the love of Vietnam to TWENTY of my friends as we embark...

Tue, 22 Mar 2011 07:53:27 +0800

One month from now, I’ll be spreading the love of Vietnam to TWENTY of my friends as we embark on an epic, drunken, memorable, gastronomical 4 days in Saigon and Nha Trang!!! We’ll be hitting up the hot spots and I’ll be posting my reviews and tips as we go so come back and see what happens when we charter our private diving boat, take over the Sailing club, and zip through Nha Trang on our scooters!! Oh wait.. did I forget to mention the slew of live Uni I’ll be devouring throughout this trip? Oh yeah… bring on Easter in Vietnam!!

Just a reminder to my very small fanbase here… spread the word.. follow me on twitter and/or...

Thu, 17 Mar 2011 11:56:11 +0800

Just a reminder to my very small fanbase here… spread the word.. follow me on twitter and/or facebook and one lucky contestant from each site will win a free flight to Saigon, Vietnam!!!!!!!! Yes… free means you don’t pay for that big mechanical machine that zips through the skies!!! So spread the word and retweet and do what you have to do… those who promote?? You’ll be rewarded!!!

Fool for Love movie trailer… a must watch Vietnamese...

Wed, 16 Mar 2011 13:15:34 +0800

Fool for Love movie trailer… a must watch Vietnamese romantic comedy!

Fool for Love (Để Mai Tính) - Vietnam's Movie of the Year in 2010

Wed, 16 Mar 2011 13:12:00 +0800

Recently I came across this movie from a posting of my cousin Linh. Now how did I never hear of this movie before…. this is a GREAT romantic comedy movie and truly a display Vietnam’s progressive cinematic abilities. Directed by Charlie Nguyen (who has done a number of great movies so far) and starring a beautiful actress by the name of Kathy Uyen and yes… that IS the Dustin Nguyen. For those of you my age, you all know him… close your eyes… think back a decade…or two. No? Nothing? Maybe this will help…

Does this help? That’s right our lil 21 Jump Street star has really gotten old but still a great fit for this movie. I really enjoyed the soundtrack to this movie especially the song by Antoneus Maximus “You So Dep” (meaning you so pretty!). Cracks me up being Vietnamese and hearing that but still very catchy. The movie is subtitled in English and I think it’s a great movie for anyone to watch if you are into romantic comedies.

The movie takes place primarily in Nha Trang, Vietnam. Beach resort north of Saigon (which makes me look forward to my upcoming vacation even more). The movie is full of humor as the bathroom clerk Dung goes on an adventure to follow his heart… ending up working as a driver for this flamboyant gay wealthy guy on business in Nha Trang. I could not stop laughing at his antics nor believe what Dustin would do to earn a paycheck in this movie (if you’ve seen it you know what I’m talking about.. the “pool scene at the party”) Wow. Speechless. I would have preferred a bit more detailed ending but that’s just me.

I was surprised to see Dustin’s brother Johnny play a cameo in the movie. I’m a big fan of his films since The Rebel. Here’s a fact for you all - everyone in world has seen Johnny Tri Nguyen in the movies…well almost everyone…. stunt actor for Spiderman in Spiderman 2 AND the Green Goblin. He is supposedly playing a real role in the upcoming X-Men: First Class movie. Looking forward to it Johnny!

SYNOPSIS: Fool for Love (De Mai Tinh) follows the travails of earnest bathroom clerk Dung (played by Dustin Nguyen) as he falls in love and quits his job at a five-star hotel to pursue the affections of a beautiful lounge singer, Mai (played by Kathy Uyen). The problem is, she’s already being chased by a wealthy real estate tycoon whose willingness to employ her depends on her willingness to date him. Comedy ensues as the penniless clerk, in order to finance his pursuit of love, is forced to shack up with a very rich but very gay businessman named Hoi (in a hilarious performance by Thai Hoa) looking for male companionship. Through it all, boy and girl are both tested as they find themselves in the same predicament – having to choose between true love and financial security. Faced with unexpected choices, will love prevail in the end?

All in all, I rate this movie simply as this… I would buy this on a Bluray and watch it again. Sadly I bought this the day it came out on DVD because Vietnamese movies just aren’t there yet to be produced on Bluray!

We’re about 5 weeks away before the most EPIC trip ever. Somehow I’ve been able to...

Tue, 15 Mar 2011 13:43:34 +0800

We’re about 5 weeks away before the most EPIC trip ever. Somehow I’ve been able to finagle 20 of my good friends and dodgeball teams to a trip to Nha Trang for a 3 day scuba diving excursion!! Vinpearl? Zipping around in mopeds? Sailing Club? just pure utter chaos!! Should be a great trip… stay tuned here for the details and of course… the Nha Trang reviews and tips!

How to Make Cha Gio (Vietnamese Egg Rolls)

Tue, 15 Mar 2011 13:02:47 +0800

What’s the first thing that comes to mind here? I’ll give you a hint… these are the components you need to make Cha Gio (also known as Vietnamese Egg Rolls). Well… maybe not in your case… but in my world where I believe to eat well, one must share it with his friends? So here are the ingredients pictured to feed an army… or a small party and everyone gets to take home leftovers!! ah don’t fret because I will be giving the recipe in a much smaller dosage!! This is also a great fun dish to make amongst friends while having a good beer or two! An egg roll rolling party… it sure would beat doing this all by yourself right?

Cha Gio is a great appetizers served hot and fresh wrapped in lettuce, or cut into pieces and spread over a bowl of rice noodles, veggies, and fish sauce. We’ll get to that later as that will be the reward after all right?

Cha Gio is a fairly simple recipe requiring ingredients found in most Asian supermarkets. But I’ll start by pointing out two things I find most people get confused or not too familiar with. The fungus and the vermicelli noodles: The fungus is simply a type of dried mushroom but usually is called Chinese fungus or black fungus. Regular mushrooms would cut the cake here so try and get the fungus. Secondly, vermicelli noodles… aka bean thread. This is not the same as rice noodles, rice vermicelli or anything of that sort so make sure you get the clear looking noodles at the store. If all else fails? Show them the picture below!

Let’s get down to business. Ready to make your grocery list and head out to the store? Here is the typical recipe however, as you can see I’ve omitted a few things (ok fine one thing…. I’m not a fan of carrots but hey I upgraded by adding crab!!)

Makes about two dozen egg rolls:

1 lb ground pork
1/2 to 1 lb shrimp, minced by hand
1-2 packages spring roll or rice paper wrappers
1 small pack of bean thread vermicelli
1 cup dried black fungus mushrooms, soaked and sliced
1 large onion, minced or grated
1 or 2 carrots, peeled and grated (let’s omit this if you hate carrots too)
1 egg, beaten
1 cup of crab meat (fresh if possible, but imitation crab will suffice)
1 tsp salt, adjust to taste
1 tsp sugar, adjust to taste
1 tsp black pepper, adjust to taste
2 tsp nuoc mam (fish sauce) adjust to taste

First let’s prep the bean thread and the fungus. Put them in two bowls filled with warm water for about 20 minutes or so until they have been fully re-hydrated. Next, using scissors, cut the thread up so it will mix well and will fit nicely as part of the mixture to be rolled up into an egg roll. Drain both the bean thread and the fungus thoroughly. Slice the fungus into thin strips and set this aside.

Take all the ingredients above except the wrapper (including the fungus and bean thread) and mix them in a giant mixing bowl. This is where it gets messy. If you have your friends over? Have them do this! Get your hands in there and mix this up real well! Taste to see what you need to adjust (and if you aren’t looking to get sick? Take a small piece and pop it in the microwave and see you it tastes)

Looks good? Let’s get this party rolling… Plop this big bowl of mixture in the middle of the table. Break out the spring roll wrappers and get your friends rolling. Now before you start let me point out that most spring roll wrappers will come frozen so have this at room temperature by the time you begin rolling.

Start with a good spoon full of the mixture towards the lower half of your wrapper. Have the wrapped positioned in a diamond like setting because the next thing is to take the bottom tip and flap it over the mixture. The left and right will follow suit… the roll away slowly. Try to make it as tight and tucked as possible. A good tip here is to have a bowl of broken egg yolk handy. Dip your fingers in it then seal the roll like you would with an envelope. Tada! The hard part is over!

Keep rolling and soon you’ll have enough to have someone start deep frying this away while the rest of the party continues on until there is no more mixture left!

Here you see I have my friends making egg rolls like a factory! (Except for Vince… he’s “supervising” while he drinks his beer)

Now as you are frying the egg rolls away? Begin to boil a pack of rice sticks if you would like to feast your hard work over a bowl of noodles and veggies. You’ll find rick sticks are very common in any Asian grocery store. Just don’t over cook them.

Now this is the result of all your hard work…… or your friend’s hard work! (I should say THANKS to Joe, Julie and Constance for their efforts because it was a delicious meal in the end). Grab some lettuce and wrap up a hot fresh egg roll. Dip it in some already mixed Nuoc Mam (Vietnamese Fish Sauce for Dipping) and you are set to go. Here’s a tip for you. Don’t dip this in Fish Sauce… pure fish sauce is just too strong… search for Nuoc Mam Pha San in your Asian stores. It’s a challenge but if you can, its already premixed for you and will save you the trouble. If you are still up for it? (and I have failed miserably many times … my mother when she comes visits redoes my batches of fish sauce) Here is a quick recipe:

1 part lime/lemon juice. Vinegar has also been known to be used in a pinch
1 part fish sauce (nước mắm)
1 part sugar
2 parts water

After all that? You should have a bowl in front of you that looks something like this.

And if you are able to prepare this dish successfully? Your egg rolls or your bowl of noodles and egg rolls will not be the only indication of your conquest…. take a look at your friends and see :)

Bon Appetit

Quán 94 - Simply, that really good crab place…

Fri, 04 Feb 2011 19:00:00 +0800

Now this was one of my latest discoveries thanks to a tip from my friend Casey. She had mentioned of a place known for their crab egg rolls but she had never been there. A local favorite I heard….. time for a new adventure! I did some digging around and found the address. When I got there, I knew instantly this was the spot to be and the type of restaurant I prefer when I’m in Vietnam. If you truly are a gastronomically inclined individual, you’ll understand that the local joints are usually the most authentic and best food spots. I don’t believe in the doormen, cloth napkins, silverware, waiter pouring my water, blond haired blue eyed patrons out numbering the locals type of restaurant. Give me a plastic chair, geckos running around on the ceiling, table next to the parked mopeds, pray you get a clean fork restaurant any day of the week!

This was a bit different then the places I’ve been to in the past. Their outdoor seating area seems to be in use after hours. Meaning when the businesses next door closes for the day, the tables come sprawling out. It’s interesting sitting there in front of someone’s place of business eating and making a mess – glad it’s not my office. Not sure how I’d feel everyday walking into work through a layer of crab stench. This place was hectic and blatantly obvious that organization and order was not in their employee handbook. Then again, it was Tet and it seems service goes out the window during this week as most employees take off to spend it with their families in the countryside. So any restaurants daring to open to feed the masses hire whatever last minute help they can get.

We ordered the Chả Giờ Cua (Crab Eggroll) right off the bat. If my memory serves me right, it was roughly $4 USD a plate. It was obvious that it was the most popular dish… that and everyone around us had a plate or two. As Craig and I were waiting for our friends Case and Ryan, I tried really hard to relish in each bite slowly as it was truly orgasmic. The crab was fresh and plentiful as they did not skimp out on each eggroll here. The flavor and taste was something I don’t think I ever had before. So as I finished one roll… then another.. then another.. I shrug my shoulders and thought.. too bad.. they’re and we can order more!

We went on to order the soft shell crabs which were decent, the tamarind crab claws (definitely would not recommend this one as the taste was just off). One of my other two favorite dishes were the Cơm Chiên Cua (Crab Fried Rice) and Miến Cua (Crab Noodles). The crab noodles dish is also their other local favorite dish here comprising of bean thread noodles (also known as cellophane noodles) and crab. Just writing this up and looking at the picture is making my mouth salivate. The fried rice was just as extraordinary!!!

The Cua Nướng (Grilled Crab) was the priciest dish in the house at 480,000 dongs ($22 USD). The meat was good, it was fresh, but just messy and I think I would have preferred to have stayed clean since we were heading out to the clubs after this. J

I’m sitting here eating this and wondering.. “Hey Anthony Bourdain! Why haven’t you been here yet!?!” Sure a lot of the places I go to have been because Anthony Bourdain has paved the road less travelled a bit easier in the city of mopeds but is it possible he simply dropped the ball Quan 94??! I’m sure he’ll be here soon… This was a great success and a new place to add to my arsenal of food joints to take my friends to when they visit Saigon.

Quán 94 : 94 Dinh Tien Hoang : DaKao Ward : District 1

+84 (0)933860033

Nhà Hàng Ngon (formerly known as Quan An Ngon)

Thu, 03 Feb 2011 19:00:00 +0800

First off, not many know that this is the same place as Quan An Ngon but the owner recently changed the name and moved to a much more spacious location. So if you are looking for Quan An Ngon? This is it.. now Nhà Hàng Ngon. What IS Nha Hang Ngon and what is all the hype? Ever go to a foreign city and see all those street foods and vendors roaming around the city? Ever want to try them all or didn’t know where to begin? Maybe you were a bit precarious as to what stomach ailment you’ll receive the next morning? Well… put your Pepto Bismo away because you are in luck. The owners of Nhà Hàng Ngon came up with a brilliant idea .. what happens when you round up the city’s BEST food hawkers and put them under one roof…. preferably a cleaner more sanitized roof? You get the best dishes from the north to the south at AMAZING prices and I do mean AMAZING! Let’s get down to it shall we?

The restaurant is surround by these former street vendors who still focus on their specialties. You can walk around the perimeter and still see signs of their dishes from Banh Xeo (Vietnamese Crepes) to Bun Oc (Escargot Noodles) to Pho. The menu is vast and it can easily fulfill anyone’s taste buds. There’s so much character here with in this French-Vietnamese Colonial establishment. Throw the chaotic ambiance and great service, you’ll wonder why you never came here sooner.

I usually tend to take my 1st time guests to Saigon here because it’s easy to try half a dozen or so dishes and sample the amazing gastronomical delicacies of Vietnam for pennies to the dollar. I remember one trip where I brought a party of five here… 12 dishes and 3 rounds of beers later, the bill totaled only $30 or so US dollars. Only in Vietnam….

Every meal should start off with a cold beer. I’m not sure if I’ve explained thoroughly the techniques of drinking beer in Saigon. Come back for that one. It’s interesting the Vietnam way of drinking beer! (or maybe it’s southeast asia… to my knowledge and experience I’ve only seen it in Vietnam so far) Back to the food!!

Great dish to ease any foreigner into the local cuisine…. (in this case it would be the Aussie guy..although I’m starting to think he’s more Vietnamese than Caucasian) I ordered a simple traditional Bo Luc Lac dish. It’s a French-Vietnamese dish… simply potatoes and cubed beef…. very very soft cubed beef. (salivating as I type these but I’ll refrain from hitting the fridge for food and continue onwards!)

Mmmmmm here we ordered the clams in Thai sauce I believe or was it lemongrass? I think lemongrass… either way… it was so …yummy! and for $2!??! Seriously?!?! I do remember a time when I came here and we ended up order 4 of those because it’s just too cheap and SO flavorful! Not even sure what to say about this…. the picture says it all.

Ahh… Bánh Xèo… Vietnamese Crepes or also known as Vietnamese Pancakes. I love this dish and to be honest, I don’t think many people are familiar with it. I mean I’m sure you all have heard of Pho and eaten that or Banh Mi (Vietnamese sandwich) but this here is a true treat I think. It’s a scrumptious pancake made of rice flour, water and coconut milk, stuffed with slivers of fatty pork, shrimp, and bean sprouts then pan fried. Cut off a piece, wrap it in lettuce and dip it in fish sauce and you are set to go! I only wish more restaurants would try to make this. :(

“Ngon” means delicious in Vietnamese and it truly lives up to it’s name. I guess my friend Casey here sums that up pretty well (sorry Casey.. don’t hate me for this picture haha). There are dozens of dishes but I’ll just give you a word of advice. MAKE RESERVATIONS because this place, as big as it is, gets crowded quickly! Come early also - sometimes I don’t get the dishes I want because these stalls run out of their night’s planned portion. Lastly - Saigon is pretty damn hot during the summer so if you are one that can’t bare with the humidity, luckily Nha Hang Ngon has some rooms upstairs with AC for the weak! :)

Nhà Hàng Ngon (Ngon Restaurant)
160 Pasteur Street : District 1 : Ho Chi Minh City
Tel: +84-8-38277131