Flying Rice @ Com Nieu Sai Gon

Location: 59, Ho Xuan Huong St, District 3, HCMC

Though I've been to another restaurant with the same theme, "flying rice", I think this is more authentic. We just finished our workshop where I asked my customer for direction to the restaurant. Not sure whether the taxi driver brought us to the intended restaurant or not, but still we able to see this special culinary in HCMC.

Waiter will smash the claypot and throw the rice across from one end to another end in the restaurant. Don't be surprised or shocked whenever the waiter start to smash the claypot. Once the waiter at the other end able to catch the rice, it will be served to the customer. Before it is served, the rice will be cut into quarters. The rice is topped with sesame seeds and vegetable. It is crispy as need to make the rice solid before the waiter able to throw it. It's just an ordinary rice, but special due to the process of serving the food.


Besides that, we also ordered other dishes. However, we feels that it's just an ordinary dish. We've ordered pork knuckle. Another dish should be crab stuffed with some vegetable, couldn't remember what was it actually.

One should try out at this restaurant to see yourself on how the rice is served, which is quite unique in HCMC.

Food around Ben Thanh Market

Location: Food stalls beside Ben Thanh Market at night.

We just dropped by at one of the stall available along the street. Today we try to get something different, as we have came to this stall before this. As there is limited photo available in the menu, we just ordered according to our instinct.

We ordered "turned egg roasted with salt tamarind". We thought this is just another egg with some local cooking style. When the food came, it was to our surprise. Actually this is the "balut" version of Philippine, where the egg has embryo in it served with gravy. Though the egg is tasteless, the gravy taste sweet. At first we hesitate to eat, but since Serene decided not to eat it, I've decided to finish it all rather than wasting it. Wow.... I just couldn't believe I've finish the whole thing. Speechless...... OMG!!!

Besides that, we also ordered "rice omlette with bean antiger". I've tried to order this many times, but I just couldn't order the correct dish except whenever I'm with my local friend. This time around, I just make sure to remember the name and can order it in future. It taste good for this. One can try with the sauce available.

This is BBQ pork. Sweet in taste. Simple and tasty, that's what I can describe it.

Thanh Binh Restaurant

Location: At the junction besides Ben Thanh Market. Easily spotted.

I've been here during my first business trip to HCMC, where my customer brought me to try out the noodle. I try to find again this spot after that, but I couldn't recognise it since it was quite some time after my last visit. However, still manage to get to this restaurant after few tries, and furthermore has promised Serene to try something different.

We ordered the pork stick to the sugar cane, and together with other vegetables such as cucumber, star fruits etc to make the spring roll ourselves. Typical Vietnamese food, but it taste really good. One need to smash the meat to small pieces and start to roll it. Dip the food onto the peanut sauce. This size of dish should be enough for 3-4 persons as we still ordering other stuff to eat.

We also order the shrimp spring roll (ready rolled). Another local foods which I like a lot. If look at the shrimp, it is very fresh as still reddish in color. This should be dip to another sauce, a clear color sauce. Another yummy stuff that should try out.

Finally, we ordered the shrimp and crab meat nooddle. This very much to our delight. The size just suitable for us, and not that oily.

Last but not least, we ordered our favourite juice. I've ordered the sapodilla fruit juice, which I think is famous in HCMC. Hard to find this juice at other SEA countries. I love this juice very much which I make it a must have list everytime for my HCMC trip. Another juice is strawberry juice.

Overall, this is a must try restaurant whenever in HCMC. It is very easy to find restaurant and one can try lot of local cuisine over here, not to mention the reasonable price.

Phở 24 a.k.a Pho 24

Location: District 1, Ho Chi Minh City

Phở is a Vietnamese noddles soup, which usually served with beef or chicken. This restaurant is a chain restaurant, where it can be easily spotted around in HCMC area. Apart from being delicious, I like the original taste which of course only can be found in the "home" turf.

Usually I would order the beef pho soup, while my wife will takes the chicken pho soup. Personally, it taste better with beef. However, it depends on individual what taste they would like.
When eating over here, usually I would order the mango fruit juice, as I love this fresh juice whenever in Vietnam. It is very fresh.
The nooddle soup is served with the vegetable, where one can mix the vegetable into the soup to make it more tastier. Generally, the local likes to serve the dished with raw vegetable, which I think make them more healthier.
We also ordered some side dishes, like fried spring roll. I'm not sure we are hungry or likes the local food over here. Just found that generally the food in this restaurant is well served and delicious.

With the environment in the restaurant, would recommend to try out the foods in this restaurant. From the website, found out this restaurant available on other countries such as Hong Kong, Philippines, Korea etc.

More information can be found in their website: http://pho24.com.vn/htmls/index.php?cur=1&language=en.

Nice food besides Bến Thành Market II

Location: Stalls besides Ben Thanh Market, HCMC

1. Prawn with Coconut
This is another delicious food, where it served with fresh prawn. Then, it will be heated up by burning it with fire blocks. Once it is hot, the waitress will come and help to peels off the skin of the prawns for you. By then, you can enjoy the delicious hot prawn. We like this dish due to the fresh prawn provided. One can see from the picture the reddish color of the prawn.

2. Fried prawn
This fried prawn (forgot the name), is a good recommended food. Forgot the name though, but have been searching for the name for quite some time. Previously, have been recommended by my Vietnam's friend, but for this trip, I tried to order it by myself, but I just be lucky to get it correct.

3. Dish like a taugeh, but it is pancake
This is for a light dish, where it can be eat like that serve together with the local beer here. Suggest to try this out here, if you have a big group travelling together and could enjoy more delicious food over here.

Wrap & Roll @ Saigon

Location: District 1, Ho Chi Minh City. There are few restaurants in the city, easily can be found. One of the address is 111 Nguyen Hue St.

This restaurant is famous for the delicacy that need to wrap and roll. Best of all, you can try it which they the restaurant has done it for you.

1. Fresh Spring Rolls with Pork & Prawns
As describe, this is made of pork and prawns. It is nicely rolled for you. It is delicious when it is dipped into the peanut sauce provided.

2. Northern Sytle Spring Rolls with Pork & Vegetable
Another roll. However, this is fried which must be ate while it is hot. Another nice dish that we would like to have while here.

This food also provided with the vegetable, and comes with the wrapper made from rice. One can try it with your hand to wrap it as nicely as possible.

3. Com Goi - Wrapped crispy rice with sun dried squid & flavoured ham
Nicely cooked rice. Maybe we are used to eat rice while having our lunch or dinner.

4. Others
Forgot what's the name for this dish. However, it's does looks like 'nasi lemak' for us. It comes together with pork.

5. Fruit Juice
When comes to HCMC, it would be good to try different kind of fresh fruit juice.

Phở Hùng... Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup

Location: 241-243 Nguyễn Trãi, P. Nguyễn Cư Trinh, Q.1 - TP.HCM
Tel: 3838 5089
Operating Hours: 6am - 3am

My friend took me for breakfast at one of the famous beef noodle house, called "Phở Hùng", pronounce as 'fur hung'. This is the local franchise of the noodle house. There are another 2 restaurant of the same type:

Location 2: 288, Nguyen Tri Phuong, P.4, Q10, TP.HCM
Location 3: 371 Hai Ba Trung, P.8, Q3, TP.HCM

As I entered to the restaurant, I found out that this is one of the most hygiene. I would say that it spacious as well inside the restaurant setup. When the waiter gave us the menu, it has a very long list of all types of the beef noodle. I ordered the "Eye of round steak, well-done flank, soft tendon and honeycomb tripe".

It is quite a big bowl for me for breakfast. However, since the meat so soft and tendon, I manage to finish noodle. It is very delicious, served together with the soup. As usual, one can add the vegetable which already served on the table.

Besides the beef noodle, the restaurant also served multiple type of fruit drinks. Of course I've ordered my favourite fruit drink, ripe mango juice. My friend told me that he has brought me to the same restaurant during my previous visit few years back, but I totally can't remember that I came in before.

When I search through internet for this restaurant, I found out that this restaurant is not only famous in Vietnam, but also famous in States. There is website for the restaurant: http://www.pho-hung.com/index.php

Barbecue Garden.... midst of city

Location: 135A Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, Dist. 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Tel: (84-8) 3823 3340
Operating Hours: 7am - 11pm

I was planning to take my dinner Nam Bộ, but the plan changed last minute. When my counterpart came to my hotel to pick me up, he told me he will bring me to another nice place, similar to Nam Bộ. Since it is a new place for me, I don't mind to try it out.

The restaurant was somewhere near to the Ben Thanh market. It is an open air concept, which resembles a big garden with lighting lit-up at night. It is quite romantic I would say.

My friend ordered the dishes for us, about 6 of us. This time around, I didn't take any photo as it is too dim to take photo. I just enjoying the foods. This restaurant is targeting both the local and tourist, offering Western-Vietnamese taste. Whatever put on the table, I just tried it out.

There is one dish, where my Vietnamese friend asked me to eat first without knowing what it is exactly. I just put it into my mouth, chew and swallow it. However, all the dishes almost looks like the same for me, fried meat, either goat or beef. I just can't believe when my friend told me I just swallowed the goat part where it is use for milk production... OMG... since it is nice, I just continue eating. Yummy!!

Nice food besides Bến Thành Market

Location: Besides Bến Thành Market
Operation: The stall owner will only setup the stall during evening time, about 5pm.

This place actually is one of the tourist spots in Ho Chih Minh City. Many tourist will come over here for dinner, due to the local foods offered over here. It has lot of stalls selling local foods from north to south as well as seafood.

Besides food, there is also some stalls selling clothes, bags, shoes and souvenir around the corner.

1. Tilapia fish + vegetables
The fish is totally fresh, as I discovered when they start to grill the fish. It still moving. As when you order this dish, be expected to wait for about half an hour, as this is one of the signature dish around this area. Once the fish is served, it should be eat together with the vegetable. One has to roll the fish meat together with the vegetable in a soft, thin paper-like crepe. Once you roll it like 'popiah', one need to dip it to fish sauce before put into mouth. If you tried the fish meat just like that, it is very tasty due to the freshness of the fish.

2. Steamed prawn

When the prawn is served, actually it is cooked. However, it still need to be steamed for a while in front of us. What make me amazed what the waitress will peels off the shell from the prawn for us. This really helps us a lot, fully concentrate to enjoying the food.

Foot Massage Salon 137

Location: 137 Ham Nghi Str, Dist 1, HCM
Tel: (08) 3821 7362
Operating Hours: 9.30am - 11pm

This massage center was recommended by my friend, as I am here for the trip, so why not just try it out. It is very near to Ben Thanh Market. If you were at the market, one will see a big roundabout just right in front. Scout for Highlands Coffee shop, it is located at the same row with the coffee shop.

From outside the shop, it is lit up with red-light, seems something fishy here. Anyway, it is a pure massage center. Once entered the shop, I get a copy of the name card for the shop. Printed on the card, it telling me the massage will last for 90 minutes, served with ginger tea and gingersnap at the end of the session.

What stand out the most for me is the HOT STONE massage, one of the few massage style offered here. I never tried massage with stone before, of course I'm very excited about the whole process. This place is jammed by both the local as well as tourist.

The session includes:

• Herbal Foot Soak
• Facial and scalp
• Cucumber Facial
• Herbal Foot Wash
• Pressure Points (reflexology)
• Hand / Arm
• Shoulder
• Back / Bottom
• Hot Stone
• Walk on Back
• Back Extension
• Ginger Tea / Gingersnap

What can you ask more, when it will cost you about USD$10 per session. The whole session really amazing, totally different from the massage I had in Bangkok.

Củ Chi Tunnels

Just came back from Vietnam today... while waiting for my flight, suddenly "Chu Chi Tunnels" struck in my mind. I remember I had visited this place on 14th Feb (Valentine's Day) this year, instead spending more time with my then girlfriend (my wife now).

Though I have visited Ho Chi Minh many times, but this is my first visit to the tunnel. The is entrance fee, but I've forgotten how much it cost me. Hehe. In fact, in my personal opinion, this place is worth the visit. I did really experience how does the Viet Cong (known as VC) fighting with the Americans during the Vietnam War era.

These tunnels was once a network connecting underground tunnels across the Cu Chi district. It is used by the VC as hiding spot as well as hospitals, meeting points, kitchen, food storage, weapon cache etc. From another website, it stated that at its height, the tunnel with parts of it which were several levels deep, stretched over 200kms from Saigon to the Cambodian border.

During the visit, we are allowed to see what it looks like in the bunker. Some of it have fake VC doing their daily routine such as dismantling the bombs, digging tunnels etc.... which it can bring you back to the time where they are having the war.

Besides that, you may also see the remains of bombs, bomb crater, granite, old tanker etc. Others than that, there is a shooting range where one can choose which weapon they would like to use for shooting. Most of the visitors like M16, and some even choose machine gun. Different weapons come with different price, and will be provided with the bullet for shooting.

The tour guide showed us how the tunnel is working, and even enter the tunnel himself to show the size of it. However, the tunnel has been modified to cater for the larger size of tourist who can experience to enter the tunnel. In reality, the size of the tunnel is really small and this has prevented the American soldier from entering the tunnel during the war.

Besides that, the tour guide also explained in details how the booby trap is setup by the VC, made of bamboo spikes. There are lot of variances of the booby trap, about 10 different types. The tour guide explained how each trap is working and the consequences if someone falls into the trap. I only can say GOD BLESS should you falls into the trap.

At the end of the trip, I saw smoke came out from the ground. I was wondering why there is smoke suddenly came out from nowhere. The tour guide explains that there is underground kitchen. The smoke will came out when someone is cooking.

On the way out, there is lot of "showroom" where the bunker is decorated as hospital, kitchen, meeting room etc etc.... You can visit each of it. Besides that, there is video show which explains the whole story of the tunnel and also the Vietnam War. Oh yea... they make use of the car's lorry tyre to make their sandal, and it is very lasting...