As promised, part 2! God, I cannot get enough of this city.
Bitexco Financial Tower - 68 stories high, making it the tallest building in the city. The building was inspired by the country's national flower, the lotus, so make sure to have a good, hard look to see he resemblance. You'll be able to see Bitexco from all the way in Dist. 7! Although I've only ever been here once (
and that was for dinner at one of the restaurants on the ground floor), there are six floors filled with retail stores, restaurants on the 50th and 51st floors, a helipad (on the 52nd floor) and Saigon Skydeck, a public observation deck on the 49th floor, that gives a 360 degree view of the city and the Mekong River.
As it was a Saturday night, we went to mass at the Archdiocesan Pastoral Center along Ton Duc Thang St. in District 1. Quite a number of expats do attend mass here and the community is continuously growing what with more and more people moving to the city. Again, it was really great to see a few familiar faces and catch up!
If you're ever in the city and are looking to attend a mass in English (besides from those at the cathedral), you're always welcome here - Saturdays, 6pm on the second floor (in the air-conditioned area that looks a bit like a theatre).
Taking a stroll down Dong Khoi St. after mass
Ipa-Nima is an accessory label known for its unique designs featuring embellishments and striking colour schemes. Christina Yu, considered as a style icon in Vietnam, founded Ipa-Nima in the 90s after moving to Hanoi in 1995 and being impressed by the workmanship of the local artisans. A lot of their products have been featured in major fashion magazines such as Vogue, Harper's Bazaar and Cosmpolitan, and they've got boutiques all over the world.
I love how girly and trendy the stores are, with the pink walls, dark floors and fancy chandeliers. I would love to have a walk-in closet that looked exactly like their stores. Let's face it,
it is my dream walk-in closet design. Period. I'd spend my whole day in there! *sigh* I also love the sweet fragrance you sniff the minute you step into the store. Hmm...
Check out one of their stores while you're in the city! The products are so gorgeous, unique and of a high quality that you may end up wanting everything despite the price tag. I will admittedly say that my mom and I do have a few items from Ipa-Nima, but how could we resist? *ahem* I actually know a few people who have bought more than two bags at a time here *ahem*
You can check out their website
here.
Introducing my all-time favourite restaurant in the city - Quan An Vietnamese Restaurant!
I cannot, I repeat, CANNOT leave this city without eating here.
It's actually a bit of a hidden gem, as you won't find it along the actual road. I'd say the easiest way to get here is to go through the Pho 24 on Dong Khoi St. (right next to Ipa-Nima) - you gotta walk all the way to the back and go out (it's directly behind Pho 24) There's another entrance just around the corner of the street (Mac Thi Buoi) - it's an alley way that, again, you just have to walk through all the way to the end.
While we were still living here in HCMC, we frequented this restaurant so much that a few of the staff actually know us, especially my dad. Heck, we probably ate here at least once a week. We would bring all our visitors here, and highly recommend it to anyone else.
On the wall is actually a certificate from
TripAdvisor - just goes to show how much people love this place. I know I do.
Amazing decor here - with the wall mounted hand-made fans, silk lamp shades down to the deep yellow of the walls.
Fresh coconut juice - perhaps the sweetest I have ever had. So cold, so sweet, so tasty!
My mom's personal favourite - Banh Beo Chen (flat floating rice cake topped with shrimp)
Mhmm, my all time favourite Vietnamese dish - Cha gio (fried spring rolls). I refuse to eat Cha gio outside of Vietnam. Though I'm sure Cha gio in Vietnamese restaurants outside of Vietnam are delicious, there's just something about them that tastes wrong. Nothing can live up to my expectations, having grown up with these dishes for 16 years in the country they originate from. I'm a stickler for authenticity and taste. Don't judge.
Fried squid *drool*
My third favourite (second would have to be pho) - Goi cuon (fresh spring rolls). The thing I love the most about this dish is the peanut sauce that you dip the rolls in. I can't have these babies without that peanut sauce. It just tastes and feels wrong without it.
Dragon rice served in a coconut - how cool is that!? It's basically fried rice with seafood, and it tastes super amazing.
Fried chicken -urgh- I'm so hungrryy now... Although I have tried countless kinds of fried chicken, there's something about the ones from here that make it so different from the rest. I'd suggest you try these out.
Check out all the sauces (pictured left)! That's something I quite love about Vietnamese cuisine - there's a sauce for each dish, making it so uniquely delicious and authentic. Hmm... now I'm craving some Vietnamese food...
And how could I have this fantastic feast without ordering cafe sua da (pictured right)? It's basically iced coffee with condensed milk. I love how strong the coffee is from Vietnam, and the sweetness of their milk just turns it down a notch in this mixture. I could have two of these at a time and still have a good night's sleep. I confess, in every Vietnamese restaurant I go to, I never fail to order this drink. Soo good...
Complimentary cup of hot tea at the end of the meal
Price-wise, super affordable and worth every penny!!! Our feast costed around 900,000vnd ($45) - keep in mind, we had leftovers between the three of us. Price is well worth the delicious Vietnamese cuisine here. Now, I'm probably just being a tad bit biased here, but I swear, you will not regret eating at Quan An Vietnamese Restaurant.
If Vietnamese food is your thing, come here. They've got so much food to offer that you'll be so bloated at the end of the meal that you'll probably have to walk down the whole of Dong Khoi St. to walk it all off, the ambience is so homey and warm, and the staff super friendly.
As always,
Happy discovering!
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