Munching in Saigon

Vietnam is known for its Pho which is flavorful beef soup noodles.

When I came to Saigon 2 years ago, I usually had Pho or Bahn Mi or Prawn roll only. Kaya when I came back, sabi ng boyfriend ko, I have to try other dishes, which I bravely did. 

I want to list down the restaurants I've been to to refer it to my friends, and to not forget them :) 

1. Pho 2000
01 - 03 Phan Chu Trinh St., District 1 Ho Chi MInh

It is next to Ben Than market, on top of Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf.
This was my 1st dinner in Vietnam and what's the best to have?
None other than Pho Bo or the Beef Noodle Soup.

Well, I think it's fine. Nothing special though :)

Pho Bo (VND 67k) 

2. Pho Quynh Restaurant    
293 B, Tran Hung Dao, Phuong Go Giang, District 1 Ho Chi MInh

Ito ang tumatak sa akin the last time I came to Saigon.
It was near our hotel in Pham Ngu Lao. The receptionist told us it's famous to the locals.
We gave it a try and became our standard on the best Pho.

I visited it again this time. Love their generosity on veggies.
And I had a realization, it's just like the one in Pho 2000 pala.  hehe

Pho Bo (VND 60k)

3. Nha Hang Ngon
160 Pasteur, Ben Nghe District 1, Thanh Pho, Ho Chi Minh

I was so lucky that night that I got to see this restaurant.
Dahil nga sabi ng boyfriend ko na kumain ako ng iba bukod sa Pho, nagsearch ako online ano pa ang ibang sikat na pagkain sa Vietnam at nabasa ko na must eat ang Bun Thit Nuong. Ito ay grilled pork na may noodles at herbs.

Habang naglalakad at naghahanap ng restaurant, napadaan ako Pasteur Street at mukang may high end restaurant.. Mmm, may budget naman ang office sa dinner e. hahaha Why not give this a try.
The place is jam-packed. I was there at around 730pm. Luckily, I managed to get a seat instantly. After 10mins, dumating ang mga tour groups at ibang walk-in diners. Buti nalang!

The place is nice. It's really nice. Too bad I was not able to take a nice photo.

Pagkaupo ko, hindi na ako nahirapan mag isip pa ng kung anong kakainin ko. But when I ordered for the Bun Thit Nuong, it's not available. The waiter told me to try Bun Cha Gio rather, so I did.

Bun Cha Gio - VND 62k ONLY!
Vermicelli & fried pork and crab spring rolls served with fresh herbs and fish sauce. 

Why did I highlight on the "ONLY"?. Because it is so cheap for this kind of food and serving and service and ambiance. Panalo tong restaurant na to! 

I also tried their Tom Xien Nuong or Griller Shrimp - VND 43k and Che Suong Sa Hot Luu - VND 30k

Che Suong Sa Hot Luu is a kind desert / drink which is jelly, water chestnut - Tapioca Pearls & Coconut Milk. In short, parang Halo halo sa atin.

4. Quan Bui
    8 Nguyen Van Nguyen, Tan Dinh 1 , Ho Chi Minh

This restaurant was recommended by one of my agents.
I wanted to try anything grilled but they don't serve it for lunch so I just had soup.

Canh sau suon non - VND 119k
Tangy soup with "trai sau" and pork ribs

Para siyang sinigang sa atin pero mas masarap pa din ang sinigang. hehe
I think this place is a bit pricey.

5. I.D. Cafe
   34D Thu Khoa Huan Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh

At long last, I will be able to try the famous Bun Thit Nuong!
I was expecting the pork to be served hot but to my disappointment.

Anyway, the food is generally nice with the fish sauce :)
(I just wish the pork was hot)

Bun Thit Nuong - VND 70k

6. Runam Bistro     202 Pasteur District 3, Ho Chi Minh

This is a recommendation of one of my agents again.
He told me that it's nice to have a meeting here so I checked it our.
I saw it in Tripadvisor and this roasted pork belly is just so appetizing at mukang may class. Maitry nga. haha (social climber mode: ON)

Roasted Pork - VND 210k
This is my own photo of the food :)
took 30 mins to be served (I was advised though) 

I was awed when they served my plate.
I love the plating the the textures of the other things beside the pork
Actually, I got a bit disappointed with the pork crackling / skin. It was not that crunchy that I expected. It taste like an ordinary chinese recipe. (Hindi po ako food expert, personal insights lang)

I was not able to finish it :(

Pero ang sarap tumambay at matulala lang.

outdoor area

sat here but it was just too hot. transferred to indoor. hehe

outdoor area on the 2nd floor

Indoor where I sat. I want to go back there. :) 

7. Huynh Hoa
    26 Le Thi Rieng, Ben Than 1, Ho Chi Minh

When I was on my way to the grocery to buy pasalubong, I passed by this shop and there's a lot of people queuing so I got curious and join the que. This is one of the times that I appreciate travelling alone. I get to go wherever I want to and stop whenever I need to.
I just had Bahn Mi the other day but might as well try this. Long Que = it must be good :)

joining the bandwagon, blindly. hehe

keeping the baguette hot and crunchy

preparing the Bahn Mi - VND 35k [or 30k, i'm not sure :( ]

Too bad I didn't able to take a photo of the Bahn Mi.
It's expensive for a Bahn Mi but it has a lot of meat and stuff inside. Personally, I still prefer the Bahn Mi with the roasted pork. But their baguette is such a fun. One bite and I think the person beside you will hear it's crunch :)

8. Puoc Thanh Bakery
    183 An Duong Vuong, P8, Q5, Ho Chi Minh

It's just beside my agent's office so while I was having meeting, my mind is slowly drifting away. haha Amoy bakery sa loob ng office.

Bahn Mi - VND 17k

The Bahn Mi is nice but I was looking for that roasted pork type taste.
Too good and generous for its price though:)

9. Bahn Mi 37
   37 Nguyen Trai , Ho Chi Minh

Nagtanong ako a hotel receptionist kung saan ang famous Bahn Mi at itunuro niya nga itong Bahn Mi 37. Actually, wala siyang binigay na pangalan. Binigyan lang niya ako ng direction at nasa loob daw ito ng isang alley. He was not even sure if the number is 37 or 39.
So when I was walking, I keep on checking evry alley if there's a que for Bahn Mi and there I got it, its an alley near Pedro shop.

It's the stall further end where a man wearing a white shirt stands

One of the famous  Bahn Mi stalls

now you know why there's a long que?

She patiently grills all the patties and a Banh Mi has 4 or 5 patties inside. It costs VND 17k.
So that explains why there's a long que here. hehe
But I think the Bahn Mi with the roasted pork / pork crackling is still the best.

And speaking of Bahn mi, naalala ko iyong nabasa ko online. Apparently I was able to locate and try the 2 of the "best" Bahn Mi in Ho Chi Minh (No. 7 and 9).

Panghuli, sabi nga  nila, eat where the locals eat and do what the locals do.
And I also did my assignment!

This gave me a joy and capped off my night.
I was wearing my smile through out the ride.
Bragging right that I was able to join the motor traffic in Ho Chi Minh. Yohoo!
Pat on the shoulder for me.

Motor taxi - VND 30k but gave him 40k anyway. He gave me a lot of smiles :) 

Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam

July 2017

Coffee shops in Saigon

Have you seen M.I.B. (Men in Black) ?
If yes, do you remember the worm guys who always carry coffee mugs and are addicted with coffee?
I'm one of them in the real world.
I love coffee that I only stop drinking it if my acid reflux attacks.

When I was told that I will be going to Saigon for official business, I was so thrilled to go back to Saigon because of its cafes and its traditional coffees, aside from Pho which is another story.

Below are the list of the cafes that I visited and are worth remembering on this trip.

1. Window's Cafe

12 Alexandre-De-Rhodes , Ho Chi Minh

I saw this cool cafe when I was walking from Reunification Palace to the Post Office. 

I got excited because this will be the first coffee shop that I will be in on this trip. Yahoo!

Went in, got my perfect place, seating outside (non aircon) , facing the park. Happy kid in me!

Syempre, inorder ko ang traditional drip coffe, but this time, I had iced coffee dahil mainit ang panahon.
Nang unang sipsip, awww.... heaven!
Ansarap. anlinamnam. I'm not joking.
Go there and try it :)

Ca Phe Da (VND 60k)

2. Anh Coffee Shop
194 Ben Thanh Quan 1 , Le Thanh Tonn, Ho Chi Minh

I like this place because of it's cozy balcony showcasing the busy street of Ban Than night market.
The 1st time I came here, I was not able to get thee spot that I wanted.
I tried to wait for a few minutes but it's just too late and I have to go for a meeting the next day so I decided to come back, and hopefully, get the perfect spot.

Cafe Anh 

My 1st try. Failed!   I want that seat! :(

Iced Green Tea Latte

I had Iced Green Tea Late that night because I already had coffee in the afternoon.
I was not very happy with my tea latte, buti nalang the place supplements everything.

This is how the cafe looks inside 

and I had the perfect spot on my 2nd comeback! 

Tiramisu Coffee (VND 48k)

3. ID Cafe 

34 Thu Khoa Huan, Ben Than, District 1, Ho Chi Minh

This is one of the recommended coffee shops in TripAdvisor. It is also very near to Ben Thanh market. But the lighting is just too dark for me.

They have an open balcony for smokers which is a good thing for a non-smoker like me :)
Aside from coffees and cakes, they also serve pasta and other heavy rice meals.

Bun Thit Nuong (VND 70k) & Ca phe sua nong (VND 45k)

4. Mylife Coffee 

22A Truong Dinh, District 3, Ho Chi Minh

Dito ako napa wow!.
It is well decorated. The plants inside make it more relaxing and cozy except for the smokers inside the air-conditioned area. grrrr
There's also a flower shop beside  and a glass door separates them.
Additional flower decoration for the cafe.

speechless....wahhh, ang ganda :) 

smoking area :( inside the air-conditioned room
But it still looks so nice..

I had traditional iced milk coffee at VND 42k. 

6. M2C Cafe

4B Le Quy Don St., District 3. Ho Chi Minh

Modern meets culture is the theme of this cafe.
It's beside the War Remnants Museum.

plants inside really work

a great place for meetings

Cafe Latte and Carrot Cake (VND 89k)

7. Phuc Long Tea and Coffee
29 Ngo Duc Ke, Ben Nghe, District 1, Ho Chi Minh

This is recommended by one of my agents so I tried one of their flavored milk tea.. Too bad, I don't remember what I ordered.

Com Suon Non Kho To (Pork Ribs) - VND 58k and Phuc Long Tea Latte Cold - VND 35k

Cafe is too busy during lunch time and a lot of people are waiting to be seated

8. Unknown coffee shop (I didn't able to get the name)  

Along District 5

Sa kadahilanang masyado akong maaga para sa 1st meeting ko, I decided to go to nearest coffee shop near my agent's office. Dahil sa katatapos ko lang mag agahan at ayoko na magkape, nakakita ako ng white colored drink, assumed that it's milk shake so I ordered it. I just pointed it out because they don't understand what I was trying to order.

When I sip on it, too bad it's not what I was expecting of. 

My 1st time to seat on this chair and it's quite relaxing..

Soursop shake (VND 42k) 

9. Trung Nguyen Coffe 

219 Ly Tu Trong, Ben Thanh, District 1, Ho Chi Minh

Very quiet and spacious than other coffee shops I went to.

Intimate place

"NO COFFEE,
              NO LIFE"

Trung Nguyen - Creative 4

I tried the Sang Tao 4 (Creative 4) - A specially excotic blend of cult beans : Arabica, Robusta, Excelsa and Catimor create a very strong and lasting aroma, full-bodied and great depth of flavor.

One sip and wow! It's just too strong.
Give it another try, mmm... it's still strong :(
Last one, wah...sorry but I can't take it.


9 Cafes in my 5 day stay
Favorites : Cafe Anh because of the balcony ;
                Mylife Cafe because of the interior decorations;
                Window's Cafe because of it's outdoor seats at malinamnam na kape :)
All of the coffee shops serve iced tea while waiting.

Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam
- July 2015

babbling...

Sad!

It' been 2 years since I published an article here.
I think I didn't have a lot of creative juices these past few years.

Anyway, I decided to write again because when I discuss some places that I visited and doesn't remember it, my sister always tells me, "See, dapat blino-blog e para hindi makalimutan". So that is what I will be doing :)

I'm excited to publish all my past due trips and stories.
I hope I can give justice to all my experiences.

** Again, I am doing this , more of , for my personal reference. 
(Aug 2015)

Coin Keeper machine

I am a fan of piggy banks and coin saving. 

Actually when I was hoarding these coins, or saving rather, I didn't think of how to convert them into blills but when the time came that I had to put them back to circulation, I had a difficulty of thinking how. I can't bring these coins everytime I needed them because they are just heavy. I had a total of less than S$ 600, all were S$ 1 coin. First, my housemate told me to bring it to 711 store nearby but the man wants $50 only. Next stop is the hawker stall and fortunately changed the S$ 200 I brought with me. hehe

I posted pictures in my facebook account and so one of my friends told me about this amazing thing  that POSB/ DBS is offering - a coin deposit machine. The only requirement of this procedure is for you to have a POSB/ DBS account and it will go smoothly. As for me, I don't have an account so I asked my sister's account for this. (Charges of this process is very minimal, .75 cent per coin if I recall it right)

After finding a coin deposit machine, the fun process begins...

- Entering the account number
- Drop the coins (it can be a mixture of 1 cent, 5 cents, 10 cents, 20 cents, 50 cents and 1 dollar)
- Watch while the machine is counting your gold coins (it shows the figures)
- Wait for the excess coins if any (incase you have drop a coin that the machine can't recognize like other currencies)
- Collect the printed receipt and
- Wait for the next business day for bills

one excited kid 

setting my coins free

back in circulation once more...see you again

look at that amazing machine..also tried putting in our 5 cents to test its accuracy ;)

tada!! printed receipt

Isn't that fun?

I was very amazed because it's my first time to do it, to actually see a coin deposit machine and to know about this.

Walang ganito sa pinanggalingan kong bansa. hehe


Singapore, May 2014

Unexpectedly Great!

I have been living in a Durian loving country for quite some time now and I have't tried this intriguing fruit when I was still in the Philippines. I heard a lot of words regarding its pungent smell and its goodness as well.

When my boss bring Durian in the office, everyone is excited to eat it so I was like, ok, let's give it a try. So I gave it a shot. And it went ok, I was able to stomach it and finished maybe 3 seeds. That's it on my 1st try. And eventually progresses but maximum 6-8 seeds because it will make you feel full and heaty

We actually have this in the Philippines but it is not as widely available as here. It is mostly grown in the southern part of the country, particularly Davao and I came from the Northern part. I blame it on geography why we were not able to meet :)

Anyway, last week, I was surprised that there were 2 men bringing this big baskets of Durian inside the office. I was thinking that since both boss love Durian then they might eat some eat some, store some and give some to their friends and have a Durian Festival and that is what happened. On top of this, they told us to start the Duarian Festival and east all you can Durian in the office. hehe They really love and adore this fruit that they bought a hundred kilo to feast.  They bought it at S$5/ kilo and it's a good price as it is not very cheap in the market.

Bagong pitas, mainit init pa.

I like the yellow (sweet) than the bitter sweet.

Durian on my desk

It was really a fun experience.

You will eventually get used of the smell and will enjoy it's heaven sent goodness. It is addicting!


August 2013

Marina Bay Sands Sky Park

Stunning view from 57 floors above the ground. 

View @ around 6:30 pm

View @ around 7:30 pm

Not the highest building/ view I have been/seen but personally, it has the best panoramic view. 

Marina Bay Sky Park is open at 9:30am  - 10pm on Mondays to Thursdays and 9:30 am – 11pm on Fridays to Sundays. Entrance fee is SGD 20 = PHP 670 (ROE as 33.50).  They have a special area for tourists to savor and enjoy the view of the Central Business District of Singapore. It is on the same floor of the infinity pool but too bad, the pool is exclusively for the in house guest (which we were able to access). 

There is also the Ku De Ta restaurant on the same floor but I didn’t bother to even look at the menu. :p 

There's the Singapore Flyer

The DNA inspired Helix Bridge

For more information about the place, check this one :)

Marina Bay Sands Sky Park, Singapore - April 2012