The Chinese contribute "flavor" to Saigon (part 2)

Read Part 1here

Wandering around the "rich people" market

The market’s original name is Phung Hung Market, the exact street name where the market is located. However, the most well-known name is probably the “rich” market, or the Capital Market. The reason for the name “rich” market is because the prices here are more expensive than other markets, but the best quality is always guaranteed because the market only sells fresh food in the morning and gives way to food stalls that open at noon and in the evening. Next to the market is the legendary Capital Theater. During the golden age of Cai Luong, in Saigon, there was probably no one who did not know this theater. Therefore, to determine the best location of the market, the name Thu Do Market was born.

The market is nestled among Chinese residential areas, still retaining the old architecture and traditional Chinese character. If you have time to go to the market in the morning, you might be surprised to think you are in Hong Kong because people here communicate with each other entirely in Cantonese. They sell all kinds of household appliances, clothes and even food.

The time I like best at the market is around 3 pm. At that time, the crowded market crowd has dissipated so that the food stalls start to open, the aroma is so fragrant that it makes my nose tingle. I can find all the dishes of my childhood here: taro cake, bitter melon with chili and eggplant, or extremely delicious breakfast at very affordable prices. In the middle of the market is the famous Ba Lu filter coffee shop that I am sure that anyone who loves Cho Lon area must visit once to enjoy, to hear the story of the traditional coffee and the changes of Cho Lon from the past to the present.

The once romantic Xa Tay market

In the Cho Lon area, there used to be a building called “Cho Lon City Hall”, which people called “Xa Tay” (Western town building - at that time the French), and because there was a market nearby, they called it Xa Tay market for easy remembering.

Xa Tay Market once had a romantic past. This market was chosen as the setting for the famous movie “The Lover” (L'Amant). The movie was based on the true love story of a French girl and a Chinese man named Huynh Thuy Le, the son of a wealthy landowner in Sadec. The original yin-yang tiled roofs and the yellow walls stained with time were very sweetly portrayed in the movie. Although the current market is no longer as intact as depicted in the movie, it is only small with a length of about 200-300 m, but the small alleys leading to the residential area of ​​the Chinese community are still enough to sometimes make people feel moved.

Coming to the market on full moon days, I was most impressed by the vegetarian curry dish cooked so skillfully right at the beginning of the market, not only me but also my friends later still praised it as delicious. At Xa Tay market, you can easily find other snacks such as sweet soup, cakes such as cassava cake, chive cake, taro cake... Sitting and eating in the market, you can sometimes hear Chinese and the prayers of Muslims during salat hours (Muslim prayer time) because right next to the market is a mosque, where you can try Halal dishes. As for me, the familiar place every time I pass by the market is the stall selling cool ginseng drinks, after hot wandering afternoons.

Childhood in District 11

District 11 is the “child” of both District 5 and District 6, formed on the basis of separating land from the two districts above. Therefore, it is correct to say that District 11 belongs to Cho Lon, but it is also not wrong to say that it is outside of Cho Lon.

This is probably the place I have been most attached to since childhood, so every time I wander around this area, I feel nostalgic even though everything has changed quite a bit over time. I remember clearly the hours after primary school, I often wandered around the school gate waiting for my father to pick me up, eating a bowl of grass jelly sweet soup or a bag of rice paper mixed with “xa bau” (stir-fried pickled radish), or green bean chili peppers and tomatoes. The Xom Dat area where I studied is also famous for its breakfast dishes, steaming pans of fried noodles, or the fragrant bakeries that filled the whole neighborhood. Those childhood shops are still there today, the quality has not changed, only the prices have increased slightly over time.

It would be a mistake to come to District 11 without visiting Ha Ton Quyen Street with its famous wonton noodles, which when we were young, just hearing the name made us crave for. The entire street sells only one dish, and no matter which shop you go to, you will feel the delicious taste in its own way.

There is a funny name that young people pass around about District 11, which is “the district that widens… the buttocks”. Do you dare to try it?

Chinatown in the city center

People still think that the Chinese community is only concentrated in District 5, 6 or 11, but in fact, in the middle of District 1 there is also a very typical Chinese area, which is Nguyen Thai Binh ward, around Dan Sinh market. I came here for the first time 5 years ago, when visiting the Fine Arts Museum, felt extremely impressed and returned to wander around many times after that to explore the small alleys.

There are coffee shops where the elderly gather, tell stories and occasionally burst out laughing. Every morning, I buy a box of Chinese-style sticky rice and a cup of coffee, then sit there and listen to the Chinese uncles talk; the simple sounds can make people feel full of energy in the early morning. Once, out of curiosity, they told me about the once-notorious entertainment area in Saigon called Kim Chung, which is also this area. In the past, this place also sold military uniforms and old uniforms of the US army, but later they started selling mechanics and vehicle parts.

People also come here to enjoy Chinese noodle dishes such as fish noodle soup, tripe and cartilage ribs which are very typical. The price will of course be a little higher than Cho Lon area but it is still an experience that tourists should try. No money can buy an experience, right?

Notes when exploring Chinese areas

- Don't speak too fast when communicating with people here, especially the elderly.

- Don't imitate their accent. When speaking Kinh, their accent will be a little "strange" because they are used to communicating with each other in Cantonese.

- Prepare a hungry stomach and a full wallet, you will not be able to resist the rich dishes here.

- Ba Lu net coffee shop in Thu Do market opens at 4am and closes around 5pm.

- Xa Tay Market, though short, has 3 alleys. All have their own names and stories.

- If you want to try vegetarian food and like the hustle and bustle, come on full moon days.

Some “keywords” for tourists

-Alley:If you want to learn more about the Chinese community, this is the key for you. The alleys often have very interesting stories. For example, alley 720 Nguyen Trai, Ward 11, District 5… (go to a local restaurant and ask about “Bean sprout wall”).

-The elderly:Another keyword for those who love to listen to stories. Most Chinese people are very friendly and hospitable so don’t hesitate to strike up a conversation, ask questions and ask for photos!

-Uncle Fire:Wandering around Cho Lon and Dan Sinh markets, ask about his background - one of the "four great tycoons" of old Saigon.

-Pagoda:Go to all the Chinese temples, shrines and pagodas that you come across on the road, to discover if their worship culture is different from where you live.

Wanderful Dreamers