Places to eat in Ho Chi Minh City

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It is not only a delightful coffee shop with many coffee choices but a great bar that is also wifi. Looking back, I would usually find my usual afternoon spot in this hotel outlet and find my fave waiter who already knows my fave afternoon snack. The guys know their stuff really well and can speak fairly well. Connection to wifi is easy and free.

I avoid the evening crowd as it gets pretty noisy with the arrival of bar hoppers and the music is turned up louder. During the afternoon, I get my sugar rush plus videocall my kids. :)

The sweets are great. Cookies and breads fresh. I can't leave this outlet without taking at least a bite of any of their cakes.

By the way, they do not offer a slice of cake from the whole cakes. You can only choose from the ones that have been partly consumed.

Favorite Dish: Hazelnut mousse is creamy and very flavorful.

Decaf caramel macchiato can be taken hot or cold. It is sweet enough so taste before adding more sugar.

The blueberry cheesecake is also delectable. This is the chilled version and not the baked variety.

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A more formal Chinese restaurant than your regular dimsum place.

We sampled the dimsum lunch buffet and was very impressed. Prompt service despite the cooked by order style. Easy conveyance of order with the staff who spoke very good english.

I learned that their Vietnamese chef knows Suzhou, HongKong and Shanghainese cuisine. And I can attest to that. I've been to all 3 places and the chef had his dimsum perfected. Here is what i sampled: Fried prawn wrapped in beancurd skin, Pork bbq wrapped in fried puff, steamed duck bbq bun, egg yolk custard bun, portugese egg tarts, steam pork shomai with chives, etc. Jasmine tea to wash it down smoothly.

Favorite Dish: Friend prawn sinfully wrapped in beancurd skin.

Eggyolk custard bun. I can eat 2-3 of this easily. Yum!

Starbucks is banned in Vietnam so that it will not compete with local vietnamese coffee. But if you have a craving for some frappucino then you can head out to this cafe that serves these types of coffee.

Favorite Dish: Mocha Frapuccino (45,000 VND) - It is ok, but still not the Starbucks version.
Various cakes - Ugh. Dry and tasteless. Waste of money.
Legendee Coffee (36,000 VND) - This is quite good. Milky, almost dessert-like.

You can see various Banh Mi vendors all around Ho Chi Minh. Just note that most of the vendors do not understand English. So they either have a menu showing the various combinations of the fillings for sandwich or do what I do --- I just point to them what I like to put inside my sandwich and ask how much would it cost. I usually point to every single item in the cart... thus my personal creation everything-inside-banh-mi is born!

Word of caution though, they do not use gloves to handle the bread. But don't worry, I've eaten one or two of these each day I was there and heck I am still alive eh? :)

It's funny that we had to travel to Vietnam just to eat at Jollibee. But I tell you, seeing that bee in front of the store made me smile with such joy. :)

Favorite Dish: Chickenjoy (69,000 VND) - comes with drink. No rice and gravy though. Boo
Champ (69,000 VND) - instead of one 1/3 pound patty, it came with two patties ala double cheeseburger. It's ok, not the same as the one in the Philippines
Choco Mallow Pie (18,000 VND) - good! I wish they did not run out of Peach Mango pie that day though.

Pho 2000 is a simple restaurant opposite Ben Thanh market. What makes it famous is that it once served to Bill Clinton. The atmosphere is much more humble than Pho 24 but the food is larger, yummier and cheaper!

Favorite Dish: Pho Bo Lon (36,0000 VND) - beef noodle stew with meatballs, flank, tendons. This is quite good!
Shrimp Spring Rolls (31,000 VND) - 5 pieces of large spring rolls. Perfect accompaniment to the pho.
Shrimp Spring Rolls with Vermicelli and fish sauce (31,000 VND) - This is a dish in itself. Pour the fish sauce over the dry vermicelli, mix and eat with the spring rolls. Yum!

Decided to stop for coffee after walking around Notre Dame and Reunification Palace. We found this quaint shop with an open area. The logo looks a lot like Starbucks (by the way, there is no Starbucks in Vietnam).

Favorite Dish: Mocha Frapuccino (65,000 VND) - It was ok. But it ain't no starbucks version.

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There are many branches of this establishment all over Saigon. Prices are more expensive than Pho 2000 and the servings are a bit smaller but it is quite enough to feed an hungry stomach! :)Choose the combo meals so that you can taste everything the restaurant has to offer.

Favorite Dish: Combo Meal
Pho Bo (beef noodle soup) / Shrimp spring roll / Vietnamese iced coffee with milk (69,000 VND) - GOOD! YUMMY! I would wanted more spring rolls though (2-pc on the combo only)

Creme Caramel (12,000 VND) - quite ok. But nothing beats our leche flan.