Ho Chi Minh City Restaurant Tips by Audia

Pho 24: Great!

Pho (Vietnamese Noodle Soup) is my long time favourite. My first experience of having Pho is back into the early 1990s when the first Vietnamese Pho Restaurant - Pho Hoa - opened its franchised restaurant in Jakarta. The slices of beef flank, sirloin cuts, brisket, and sometimes with meatballs, are somehow just perfectly matched with the clear soup, fresh bean sprouts and thin white noodle.

The popularity of Pho in Jakarta made the Vietnamese food is widely accepted. After Pho Hoa, the Pho 24 came, and recently was Pho 2000.

Even if I have to eat Pho every day, I think I won't get bored... ^^

Favorite Dish: 1. Beef noodle soup with well-done flank, fat brisket, soft tendon and tripe (Dong 38,000)
2. Chicken noodle soup with baby eggs (Dong 40,000)
3. Vietnamese Ice Tea (Dong 4,000)
4. Caramel Pudding (Dong 10,000)
5. Pho 24 Sugar Cane drink (Dong 10,000)

Address: Many Places in District 1

Comparison: about average

Price: less than US$10

Rating: 4

Theme: Local

Website: http://www.pho24.com.vn

Highlands Coffee, Tax Shopping Centre: Good Coffee, Nice View Highland Coffee Review

Try the authentic Vietnamese Coffee which match perfectly with the cheesecake. Worth to try, worth the price.

And nice view as well.

Favorite Dish: Vietnamese Ice Coffee and the cheesecake.

Address: 135 Nguyen Hue, Ho Chi Minh City

Comparison: less expensive than average

Directions: Tax Shopping Centre (Tax Trade Centre), top floor.

Price: less than US$10

Rating: 4

Theme: Coffeehouse

Website: http://www.highlandscoffee.com.vn

Halal Restaurant inside the mosque complex: Halal Food

This is the Indonesian/Malay food place located within the mosque complex. The price for two persons (big portion of rice, one veggie and two meats) is at around 100 thousand Dong.

A bit pricey, though.

Favorite Dish: Anything.

Address: Dong Du Street

Comparison: more expensive than average

Directions: Inside the Dong Du mosque complex. You can ask the Jamaah (prayers/worshippers) there.

Price: less than US$10

Rating: 3

Theme: Kosher/Halal

Windsor Plaza Hotel Cafe: Nice scenery, good music

The photo is shown the free welcome drinks from the hotel. I forgot the names of the drink.

Taste ok for a welcome drink (mixed juice or something) and if we order another drink it's about USD4 (non-alcoholic). The nice scenery of HCMC city and the oldest music from the live band were just fit one another.

Address: Windsor Plaza Hotel

Comparison: about average

Price: less than US$10

Rating: 3

Theme: Other

Gloria Jeans Coffee: Great for people watching

If you feel tired after a long walk around District 1, try Gloria Jeans Coffee. The cafe is located opposite the Sheraton hotel in Dong Khoi street. Though I prefer to have an authentic Vietnamese coffee in either Highlands, Trung Nguyen, or Java cafe but this one is not to be missed for its strategic location.

Favorite Dish: Chai Ice Tea (for coffee better in Highlands, Trung Nguyen, or Java).

Address: Dong Khoi street

Comparison: about average

Price: less than US$10

Rating: 3

Theme: Coffeehouse