Still Eating Saigon Street Food

Wow … here we are, February 2, 2016, celebrating USA’s Ground Hog’s Day here in Vietnam.

And today would have been my mom’s 89th birthday!

Hai and I have been away from California for one full month already. And now back in Vietnam for nearly 3 weeks. (There were those amazing 10 days in Japan in between).

And not yet a single Eating Saigon! post about new foods for our readers to explore. How embarassing. Shameful, really. But, I can explain – sort of.

You see, since our arrival at Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport in Saigon, Hai and I have already hit two additional airports and four more Vietnamese cities. We’ve worked our way from Saigon to Hue to Danang to Hoi An, and now to HaNoi. And by my rough calculations, we’ve already consumed about 57 Vietnamese meals (not counting cafes and coffee shops). So, you see, we’ve been quite busy doing our research – for you. :-]

But, as it turns, writing and posting about Vietnamese street food and local restaurant meals actually takes significantly more time than consuming those same meals. Who knew?

But fret not. You can rest assured that my laptop is filled with mouth-watering photos and informative notes about each and every bowl, plate, chopstick full, and handful of the great Saigon, Hue, Danang, Hoi An, and HaNoi foods that Hai and I have been enjoying (ah, researching) in recent weeks … and we’ll be sharing those before too much longer.

For now, I’ll just share these:

January 2016 Saigon street food UPDATES

Gỏi Đu Đủ – Enjoyed a yummy late afternoon snack here beside Le Van Tam Park with our friend, Lisa, visiting from Berkeley. Still one my favorite simple Saigon street food eating adventures.

Cơm Tâm 390 – Hai and I also enjoyed a broken rice dinner here with Lisa. The gà nướng (roasted chicken) and chả are still as delicious as ever … and Lisa was wowed by the sườn nướng (grilled pork)!

Rex Hotel – Not Vietnamese street food & technically, not even an update. But, what the heck, just wanted to mention that Lisa, invited Hai and I for a farewell rooftop cocktail here to remember the weeks fun moments and make future plans the evening before she headed back to California.

Mì Quảng Hoi An – I went here một mình (alone) to hugs and warm chàos from the owner and servers who have come to know Hai and I well over the past years. Still a great dish anytime of the day.

Quán Thúy Linh – Oh, this was so disappointing! Hai and I invited our friends, Rick and Lisa, to join us for dinner here.  Seems this place lost its lease and had to re-locate several doors away on the same street.  In true Vietnam style, they kept the same address :-/  !?!?  With just 50% of their original space and perhaps 25% their customers, the food was okay, but not excellent.  Sadly, we must let you know, it was no longer a unique and special experience for us that evening … except for enjoying being with good friends.

The Saigon Cháo Lady – As we reported some months ago, The Saigon Cháo Lady had “temporarily” stopped making her delicious cháo. This time, we pleaded with her to resume making her most winning dish.  She appreciated our desperation, but couldn’t commit.  When she does resume cooking up her cháo, for sure, we’ll let you know.  Meanwhile, she’s still making several other wonderful dishes. And the trip to her location is still a fun adventure all by itself!

Bún Mộc Bắc Hải  – A disturbing mystery. No one was home! And since this meal is served in the living room of that home, that’s a serious concern. We’ll investigate further in the coming weeks and report back.

Đông Hoa Xuân (Hai’s place) – Need I say anything? Still amazing and #1 in Saigon!

Fruit Bowl in the Alley – A “minor” change in the table location to enjoy your fresh fruit. Enter the small alley with the banner Khu Phố Văn Hóa, between Sanouva Hotel,177 Lý Tự Trọng Street and A& EM Hotel, 179 Ly Tu Trong Street. Walk straight ahead into the alley.  Look at the Alley Fruit Cocktail vendor on the left side along the alley. Place your order and they will set you up with a “portable table” in the alley or just outside on the street.

Eat with a Local Saigon Family – We did!! Very shortly you’ll be reading about our outstanding experience with this truly wonderful family!

Sorrento Cafe – The coffee’s still good, the setting’s still lovely, and for the first time, Hai says the cocktails here are yummy.

Mì Vịt Tiềm – Hai’s favorite Saigon street food adventure. And still for good reason. Yum!

More soon … we promise!