Lost In Translation

Huong Lai

Huong Lai deserves special mention for a couple of reasons: 1) All of the staff are from disadvantaged families or are former street children and receive on-the-job training, education and a place to stay 2) It is an a charming French colonial building with great tasting food 3) the manager Shirai-san, a Japanese citizen is the owner. I was surprised to hear the manager speaking to Japanese customers in Japanese. It turns out he's from Tochigi and graduated from Meiji Gakuen University and has been in Vietnam 17 years (one year longer than I have been in Japan). Certainly, this is a great cause that anyone can get behind.

Deep fried pork spring rolls.

Stir fried beef with lemongrass and chili.

Eating and Drinking In Ho Chi Minh City

The atmospheric Temple Club, housed in an old colonial shophouse.

Hue style (pork and shrimp) salad wrapped in mustard leaves.

Shrimp cooked in Tamarind sauce.

I stumbled onto a very cool, modern cafe, M2C, when a restaurant I wanted to eat at closed in between lunch and dinner. There's outside seating and three floors-each with its own vibe.

Fried spring rolls.

Lemongrass BBQ pork and noodles.

Outside Cuc Gach Quan, which gained notoriety when Brad and Angeliana ate here in 2010. It has a great atmosphere and some tasty food, so worthwhile to seek out.

In the front chicken stewed with ginger, rice, and pork and shrimp salad.

Chill Sky Bar on the 52nd floor.

New friends in the backpacker district.

 Lunch at the famous (from Anthony Burdain's No Reservations TV show) Lunch Lady food stall.

Fresh spring rolls, fried spring rools and the soup of the day, which was spicy and had squid, shrimp, and beef in it.

Vietnamese kebabs, served in a baguette.

I decided to meet some new friends at a favorite from my last trip to Ho Chi Minh in 2010, Hoa Tuc. The menu is modern Vietnamese with a wonderful old French colonial building that used to be an Opium factory.

The appetizer was fresh shrimp spring rolls.

One of the mains was grilled Sea bass with avocado mango salsa and sweet potatoes and cassava. Some of the other dishes included: chili marinated BBQ prawns with salt, pepper, and lime, coconut prawn fritters with mango, mint and spring onion sauce, clam and star fruit soup with tomatoes and dill, sauteed flowers, bok choi, and spinach with garlic.

The view from Saigon Saigon rooftop bar at The Caravell Hotel.

Trung Nguyen Coffee is the Starbucks of Vietnam, certainly as ubiquitous. There were two across from each other at the end of the street where my hotel was.

Cong Vien Vang Hoa Park

This beautifully landscaped park is just down the street from my hotel.

Jade Emperor Pagoda

 

The Housemaid

Apparently The Housemaid (2010), directed by Sang Soo Im, is a remake of a much loved Korean classic. There were fine performances from the two female leads Do-yeon Jeon and Jung-jae Lee, as the young new housemaid and the older head maid. The first 2/3 of the film were fairly compelling as Do-yeon joins the household of a rich and isolated family as maid/nanny to the younger daughter. Soon she is seduced by the head of the household and gets pregnant causing all sorts of complications. Then it suddenly takes a turn in tone and story and becomes a gothic melodrama with a strange and unsatisfying conclusion.

Walking Tour: Zoo And Botanic Gardens

The Opera House.

A Muslim mosque.

The view from the 26th floor of the Sheraton hotel.

A Mai Tai at happy hour.

Walking Tour: Museum Of Ho Chi Minh City

Hindu temple.

Hotel de Ville aka People's Commitee Building inthe background.

 

Outside the museum.

Nortre Dame Cathedral.

 

Walking Tour: Street Market

Walking Tour: Fine Arts Museum

Statue of Tran Nyugen Hai.

 

Ouside the Museum of Fine Arts.

The courtyard of the Museum of Fine Arts.

Walking Tour: Ben Than Market

Snacks for sale on the way to the market.

Outside the market.

Inside the market.

Soft noodles with grilled meat and spring roll.