RESTAURANTS

If you haven’t been to Vietnam before, or don’t have a Vietnamese grandma, get ready for food far fresher and tastier than any Vietnamese restaurants you may have tried outside the country. If you’re only in town a few days, don’t waste a meal on something Western or non-Vietnamese. Some high-end travelers cluster at high-end Vietnamese restaurants (including some I’ve not included, such as Lemongrass or Indochine). They’re fine, but you simply can’t leave without having a more basic Vietnamese meal, in a family-style restaurant with locals, cheap prices and some of the best food in the world.

Neighborhoods

Restaurants are ordered by neighborhood:

• AROUND DONG KHOI covers the ped-oriented street. There are many options not included here.
• AROUND BEN THANH MARKET, both north and south, are many excellent high-end and local real-deal options.
• EAST OF DONG KHOI (and ‘Little Tokyo’) centers around Hai Ba Trung St and Ly Tu Trong St.
• NORTH OF THE CENTER covers areas north of Ly Tu Trong St, with some ideal restaurants walking distance from attractions like the Reunification Palace and War Remnants Museum.
• AROUND PHAM NGU LAO teems with traveler-oriented, budget places (English breakfasts, pizza buffets).
• COFFEE is taken seriously in Saigon.
• Here’s a couple places to get GROCERIES

Best Vietnamese Meals

• TUAN & TU’S – fancy but cheap Hanoi-style restaurant in ‘hidden’ villa just north of the center
• NGON – everyone knows about this villa rimmed with fresh street-food vendors, for a reason
• THANH BINH – plain noodle shop across from the Ben Thanh market with Hue-style mien xao cua (crab with glass noodles) for about $3.10
• TRUNG NGUYEN COFFEE – skip the Starbucks-wannabe Highlands Coffee for Vietnam’s best-quality cup of coffee
• SQUARE ONE – if you must go for class, the Park Hyatt mezzanine restaurant is the finest in town

Best Non-Vietnamese Meals

• Breakfast: AU PARC, between Reunification Palace and Notre Dame
• Brunch: OPERA, at the Park Hyatt, best on Sunday
• Burger: SAIGON SAIGON bar atop the Caravelle Hotel; see Nightlife
• Dong Khoi Area: JASPAS
• French: AU MANOR DE KHAI, north of center
• Japanese: SUSHI BAR, and many Hai Ba Trung noodle houses
• Pizza buffet: PEPPERONIS, in the backpacker area
• Steaks: SQUARE ONE at the Park Hyatt
• Thai: LAC THAI, off Dong Khoi in the center