February 14, 2012
Vivan - Producer - Saigon, VietnamThe place I always eat:When in Saigon, I like to grab my favorite Banh Mi (Vietnamese Sandwich) from Ngoc Sang Bakery (199 Ly Tu Trong) and walk a few blocks over to Saigon’s Tao Dan Park and sit in one of its outdoor cafés. I order a Nuoc Da Ua (Vietnamese iced yogurt drink), a Café Sua Da (Vietnamese iced coffee with condensed milk) and enjoy my Banh Mi alongside the locals watching lovers giggle on benches, teenagers practice their Hip-Hop dance routines and middle-aged women doing synchronized aerobics. Where to stay for the night: When I am fortunate enough to stay at friends’ homes during my visits to Saigon, I do of course! If that is not the case, I have found a home away from home at the Ava Hotel Saigon (51 Thu Khoa Huan). It’s a simple, no frills, clean, inexpensive and centrally located hotel right by Cho Ben Thanh (Ben Thanh Market) where I find myself surrounded by many of my favorite places to eat.  The one place I take everyone: The Lunch Lady, Nguyen Thi Thanh, is a jolly lady who offers one type of noodle soup each day and it goes quickly so I always arrive well before noon. Anthony Bourdain is a fan of her and since discovering her myself, she never fails. She is tucked away down a street off the river so she is a bit of a hidden gem. Her warm personality and delicious soups always make for a fun visit! Best local product you should try:My favorite local drink is Nuoc Rau Ma which is Pennywort Juice. It isn’t commonly made with Coconut Juice but that is my preferred. Otherwise, it’s made with a lot of sugar as many juice drinks are in Asia, but it can be ordered with less sugar. The Pennywort plant is known to aid with overall mental and memory sharpness as well as a detoxifier for the blood and the skin.The 2nd best kept secret:Ngoc Anh Spa (31 Nguyen Binh Khiem) is essentially a massage factory. The foot massages are better than the full body ones. There are loads of workers ready to rub you down so you can come with a crew and all get sorted. You are greeted with dried ginger candy and iced tea. The foot massage room is dark and the chairs comfortably recline. A 75-minute foot rub is $8usd! Admittedly, I visit often and during a heavy rainfall once, I indulged in 2.5 hours of bliss… to avoid getting soaked… of course… 

Vivan - Producer - Saigon, Vietnam

The place I always eat:

When in Saigon, I like to grab my favorite Banh Mi (Vietnamese Sandwich) from Ngoc Sang Bakery (199 Ly Tu Trong) and walk a few blocks over to Saigon’s Tao Dan Park and sit in one of its outdoor cafés. I order a Nuoc Da Ua (Vietnamese iced yogurt drink), a Café Sua Da (Vietnamese iced coffee with condensed milk) and enjoy my Banh Mi alongside the locals watching lovers giggle on benches, teenagers practice their Hip-Hop dance routines and middle-aged women doing synchronized aerobics.

Where to stay for the night:

When I am fortunate enough to stay at friends’ homes during my visits to Saigon, I do of course! If that is not the case, I have found a home away from home at the Ava Hotel Saigon (51 Thu Khoa Huan). It’s a simple, no frills, clean, inexpensive and centrally located hotel right by Cho Ben Thanh (Ben Thanh Market) where I find myself surrounded by many of my favorite places to eat. 

The one place I take everyone:

The Lunch Lady, Nguyen Thi Thanh, is a jolly lady who offers one type of noodle soup each day and it goes quickly so I always arrive well before noon. Anthony Bourdain is a fan of her and since discovering her myself, she never fails. She is tucked away down a street off the river so she is a bit of a hidden gem. Her warm personality and delicious soups always make for a fun visit!

Best local product you should try:
My favorite local drink is Nuoc Rau Ma which is Pennywort Juice. It isn’t commonly made with Coconut Juice but that is my preferred. Otherwise, it’s made with a lot of sugar as many juice drinks are in Asia, but it can be ordered with less sugar. The Pennywort plant is known to aid with overall mental and memory sharpness as well as a detoxifier for the blood and the skin.

The 2nd best kept secret:

Ngoc Anh Spa (31 Nguyen Binh Khiem) is essentially a massage factory. The foot massages are better than the full body ones. There are loads of workers ready to rub you down so you can come with a crew and all get sorted. You are greeted with dried ginger candy and iced tea. The foot massage room is dark and the chairs comfortably recline. A 75-minute foot rub is $8usd! Admittedly, I visit often and during a heavy rainfall once, I indulged in 2.5 hours of bliss… to avoid getting soaked… of course… 

8:02am  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZhaDuxGPM363
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Filed under: producer Vietnam saigon Ngoc Sang Bakery Tao Dan Park Ava Hotel Cho Ben Thanh Nuoc Rau Ma Ngoc Anh Spa submission 
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