Ice Cream Parlors in Saigon

When I was a kid, one of my favorite memories of traveling in Europe during the summer was eating from the ice cream carts wheeling around the city. When I'm traveling and it's so hot outside, I tend to have a craving for ice cream. From our guide books, we researched two ice cream parlors in Saigon.

Kem Bach Dang
This was a decent place, but not satisfying nor fun like an ice cream parlor should be.


Coconut Ice Cream
In a coconut shell with fruits, sweets and chocolate ice cream. The fruits and sweets were compatible and refreshing toppings, but the chocolate ice cream felt out of place with the coconut ice cream. The two didn't go together, and the taste of the coconut ice cream got lost. Nicely presented, but the execution wasn't there.


Fanny Ice Cream
Now this is an ice cream parlor! A fun, bright, and cool atmosphere. Check out the menu on their website to see their awesome ice cream presentations.


Vietnamese Coffee
With condensed milk. Yum...but I definitely was through with sugar for the rest of the day after this place.

La Campagne
Soursop, Anise, and Young Rice ice creams. We asked to choose our own ice cream flavors, and they readily accepted. Each scoop of flavor was creamy and full of taste!

Quan An Ngon

Before going on a trip, I usually research locals eats in the New York Times Travel section. The Times recommended Quan An Ngon. After reading about it in our guide books as well, we set out to have lunch there. This is a must try if you're a visitor or local in Saigon. The setting is beautiful, the variety of food choices is plentiful, and the food itself is authentic and delicious.

The Atmosphere
The design and decorations of the restaurant combine both French Colonial and Vietnamese. It's tasteful and classy.





The "Kitchen"
The concept of this restaurant is that all the kitcken prep and cooking is done outdoors, visible to the diners. It takes the street vendors into a classy restaurant setting. It's such a great, fun idea!






Pomelo Juice
Fresh blended pomelo, with sugar and ice.

Iced Coffee
I don't think I had one iced coffee that was disappointing. I need to buy a Vietnamese coffee drip filter so I can start making some of that at home.

Green Papaya Salad with Sliced Pig Ears
Topped with Peanuts, Basil, and Chilis. This came with a fish sauce-citrus dressing. Tasty and refreshing!

Fried Vietnamese Spring Rolls
These were probably the best fried spring rolls of the trip! A thin crispy wrapper filled with a little pork, glass noodles, and vegetables. Dipped in fish sauce. Mmm!

Vietnamese Pork Satay
A tasty marinade and a delicious grilled flavor.

Che Suong Sa Hot Luu
Coconut milk, tapioca pearls, water chestnuts, jelly worms, and crushed ice. Such a fun dessert! It reminded me of a less sweet version of the Filipino Halo Halo dessert.

Fried Bananas
The batter was cooked all the way through, and the frying wasn't oily. Deliciously crispy and steaming hot!

Local Eating in Saigon

The local food scene is everywhere in Saigon. And in many cases, it's mobile.





Banh Mi
Prior to coming to Vietnam, I had two dishes in mind that I had to eat: Banh Mi and Pho. For the most part, banh mi (Vietnamese sandwiches in French baguettes) is sold in street carts. We passed by many carts during our trip. Before checking in at the airport, we even enjoyed one last banh mi. I love the crunch of the crispy, flaky bread and the contrasts of flavors and textures inside. Soo good!





Ta Banh Mi Thit
After researching for a banh mi restaurant, I came across this site. It's located next to the Ben Thanh market, and it was right across the street from our hotel. The store is designed mainly for take out, as there are no tables to dine in. We ordered one sandwich each and ate it at the local park. It was so delicious that we walked back to order another round.

Ca Phe Sua Da
Vietnamese Coffee with Milk and Ice. I love the rich and bold taste of Vietnamese coffee! I had at least one iced coffee each day.

Banh Mi Thit
The classic banh mi. Ham, Pork Roll, and Pate with Cilantro, Carrots, Radish, Chili Peppers, Mayonnaise and Fish Sauce.

Banh Mi Ca Sardine
Sardine Sandwich.



Wrap and Roll
This is a local Vietnamese chain that specializes in fresh rice noodle rolls.

Pork Roll
With basil and lettuce.



Pho 2000
We had plenty of choices for where to eat a bowl of pho (Vietnamese noodle soup). Pho 24 is like McDonald's/Starbucks - it's in every block. (Speaking of McDonald's and Starbucks - we didn't see a single one! Well done, Vietnam! Keep your own food cultures and standards for taste and health.) We opted for Pho 2000 because it was not a chain like Pho 24.

Clinton Was Here
Bill and Chelsea helped bring The Slanted Door to fame. I'm a huge fan of that place, so that made me think this pho place was going to be pretty good.

Coconut Juice

Beef Pho
A thicker noodle than what I'm used to, but overall the broth was flavorful and the bowl was satisfying.

Garnishes
Fresh vegetables to add to our soup. I love how the aromas and the fresh taste adds so much depth to the dish.

Grilled Pork Chop over Rice
We're big eaters, so we ordered this plate to share.

Cho Ben Thanh

One of the must-see places in Saigon is the Ben Thanh Market, or the Cho Ben Thanh ("cho" meaning "market"). During the day time, the indoor market is filled with vendors selling everyday items like clothes, souvenirs, and food. At night, the indoor market closes, and the night market on the side streets open up with food stalls, tons of food stalls.

The Clock Tower
The main entrance and clock tower of the Cho Ben Thanh.

Inside the Market
We went on a weekday before the lunch time, and it was already this crowded.














The Night Market
This is a popular place to eat for locals and tourists.



Hai Lua
We chose to eat at this place in the night market because we saw a table that had a beautifully presented deep fried fish. I felt like Anthony Bourdain eating here (He actually did eat in one of these food stalls). TV Producers - My food traveling resume is developing. I'm ready for my own food show!
All the food stalls in this night market were similarly "decorated" with plastic chairs. Actually, all throughout the country, the local food stalls all have plastic chairs.

Bia Ba Ba Ba
Beer 333. I read about this beer in a New York Times article prior to this trip. It wrote about Vietnam's developing beer scene, and it mentioned this beer. It's a light local brew that is refreshing with the hot weather. It also pairs pretty well with Vietnamese food. Because of the heat, the beer gets warm so fast. When it gets warm, a bitter taste develops. In southeast Asia, I noticed that some local places give ice with beer. For me, this was a huuge no-no, especially growing up in Northern California where some fantastic brews are made. However, I gave it a shot. And, I have to admit that with some southeast Asian lagers, ice can be added. It mellows the bitterness and brings out the malt flavor.

Grilled Pork with Rice Noodles
A fun appetizer! The pork was nicely grilled, and the rice noodles were different from what I expected. Instead of long noodles, they were like thin, netted, sponges. Delicious!

Deep Fried Snapper
Look at that presentation! We ate the whole thing - from head to tail, and all the bones.

Fresh Greens and Rice Noodles
Along with the fish came this plate to balance the dish. After going to Thailand, I now love mixing hot foods with fresh vegetables. It's a delicious balance for health and for texture and taste.


Sticky Rice
For dessert, we stopped by a sticky rice vendor. She gave a small scoop of each color/flavor and then poured some sweet coconut milk on top. A tasty and fun ending for our first night's meal.