Discover Saigon and Hanoi cuisine through 7 typical restaurants

HOME -Warm like home

The feeling of familiarity and warmth is the feeling of many diners when coming to Home restaurant. The restaurant is designed in a unique architectural style, impressive by the sophisticated yet elegant rustic decor space, in harmony with the French architecture of the nearly 100-year-old ancient villa.

12 salads and spring rolls along with more than 50 Vietnamese dishes are meticulously prepared by chefs down to the smallest details to ensure authentic Vietnamese flavors while still being suitable for international guests. The delicious dishes that make the restaurant famous are four-season spring rolls, fried prawns with young green rice, tamarind crab, tamarind lobster, grilled pork with galangal, Hanoi vermicelli with grilled pork, and Hanoi fish cakes. Home also serves wines carefully selected by experts to go well with Vietnamese dishes. After a long flight, Home will be the perfect suggestion for your first dinner in Hanoi.

Home Restaurant

34 Chau Long, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi

Tel: 024. 3939 2222.

MADAME HIEN -Enjoy Vietnamese food and explore old Hanoi

Located in old French villas on two central streets of Hanoi, Madame Hien is a familiar destination for international tourists when coming to the capital. Besides the authentic Vietnamese dishes prepared by Mr. Didier Corlou - Head Chef of Sofitel Metropole Hanoi Hotel and his team of associates, few people know that the names of the restaurants Madame Hien and Madame Hien were personally named by him under the names of his wife's grandmother and mother-in-law to honor Vietnamese women. His wife's family is a great source of inspiration for him to cook Vietnamese dishes.

With a very special love for Vietnam, he always wants to convey the soul and culture of the Vietnamese people into the restaurant's decoration space, from the dark brown wooden tables and chairs just like the dining table of an old Vietnamese family, the cupboard with the oil lamp, the salt jar..., to the black and white pictures of Hanoi, the image of the gentle grandmother and mother. Instead of using modern items, he wants to introduce simple, rustic features to diners, from the blue cup, the wooden chopsticks, the blue porcelain bowl... All of them make foreign tourists feel curious and interested, and Vietnamese diners feel very close and familiar.

Didier Corlou's passion is Vietnamese spices and street food. Therefore, when you come to the restaurant, take the time to enjoy bun cha, cha ca, nem, papaya salad, banana flower salad and many other delicious dishes in a traditional Vietnamese space.

Madame Hien

15 Chan Cam, Hang Trong, Hanoi. Tel: 024. 3938 1588

Madame Hien

18 Ngo Van So, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi. Tel: 024 3938 1589.

NAM PHUONG RESTAURANT -A familiar address for international tourists

Launched to Hanoi diners since 1996, Nam Phuong is one of the famous restaurants in Hanoi. Located in the heart of the capital, the restaurant has a peaceful setting on the grounds of an ancient French villa. The characteristic architecture and gentle decoration bring diners a feeling of relaxation. The space is highlighted by the gentle green of the small yard in front of the house and the interior decoration of the rooms create a close and familiar appearance for diners.

Coming to the restaurant in October, diners will have the opportunity to enjoy a special menu including: Shark soup with crab meat, Nam Phuong vegetarian spring rolls, seafood salad, crab meat with tamarind sauce, smoked black grouper, stir-fried asparagus with shrimp, stir-fried vegetables with garlic, steamed rice, sweet caramel cake, for 1,100,000 VND/person.

Nam Phuong Restaurant

19 Phan Chu Trinh, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi

Tel: 024. 3824 0926.

CHAM CHARM RESTAURANT -The castle has Cham cultural architecture

With its pure white exterior, the restaurant evokes the sacred Taj Mahal temple in India and the warm light streams dividing the interior space evoke the tranquil Cham towers glowing red in the sunset. Cham Charm Castle exudes a strong charm right from the first step. The space is luxurious and lavish, so it is not surprising that this is a place that attracts many diners to enjoy delicious food on weekends.

Cham Charm's menu is sophisticated with flavors from Asia to Europe, mainly fresh seafood dishes with many different variations. Japanese scallops, Tandoori grilled chicken and Indian lamb curry or American Angus beef & Australian fillet... have created a unique culinary collection for Cham Charm.

The restaurant is open from 10am to 2pm and from 6pm to 9pm. The buffet here costs around 700,000 VND.

RestaurantCham Charm

02 Phan Van Chuong, Phu My Hung, District 7, HCMC

Tel: 028. 5410 9999

Website:www.khaisilkcorp.com/restaurants/cham/

SECRET GARDEN -Hidden beauty

Secret Garden is a secret garden located on the rooftop of an old apartment building in the middle of Saigon. When you step into the restaurant, you will be immersed in a quiet, peaceful world completely separate from the bustling atmosphere outside. The space is designed with many green areas with many types of vines, grass, and sometimes neatly planted bushes of taro. If you pay attention, you will see that even the table, chairs, rice bowls, bowls and plates are imbued with the culture of a warm and cozy hometown.

The uniqueness of Secret Garden lies not only in the space but also in the flavors of the dishes, such as squid braised in fish sauce, basa fish braised in onion and chili, crispy fried catfish with mango sauce, coconut root salad with shrimp and meat... Coming here, you will be amazed by the countryside meal in the heart of the city.

Opening hours are from 8am to 10pm. Prices are quite reasonable, around 65,000 VND per dish.

Secret Garden

Rooftop, 158 Pasteur, District 1, HCMC

Tel: 090 990 46 21

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/secretgarden158pasteur/

DUSTY RESTAURANT -Rich Vietnamese flavor

Located on a culinary street that attracts many international diners, the restaurant's exterior is not too prominent, but when stepping inside, everyone is amazed by the scene bearing the mark of old Saigon. From the design lines to the wall paintings, everything has a charming "Indochine" style. The old features are also expressed in the golden music, with immortal love songs of Trinh Cong Son, Pham Duy or Ngo Thuy Mien.

The restaurant's menu is not too sophisticated, but each dish is meticulously prepared, with a full range of Northern, Central and Southern flavors. Therefore, the dishes are very familiar to Vietnamese diners and attractive to Western guests. Opening hours are from 8am to 11pm, the average price for each meal is about 150,000 VND.

Quan Bui Restaurant

17A Ngo Van Nam, District 1, HCMC

Tel: 028. 3829 1515

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/quanbuirestaurant/

CHI HOA RESTAURANT - Pure Vietnamese meal

Located on the bustling Le Thanh Ton street in the city center, the restaurant impresses with its open design. The restaurant has a sophisticated and elegant decoration with unique decorative motifs on ceramics, bowls, etc. The space is cozy and intimate, not too many details but still retains its own unique characteristics.

The dishes here are prepared simply like a Vietnamese family meal, using fresh ingredients imported every day. In particular, the dishes are beautifully decorated with a taste that is suitable for both Vietnamese and Western guests. The restaurant welcomes guests from 7am to 10pm, prices range from 100,000-150,000 VND per person.

Chi Hoa Restaurant

31A Le Thanh Ton, District 1, HCMC

Tel: 028. 3827 3155

Website:www.chihoacuisine.com.

Article: Bao Khuyen & Titany

The Thanh