Kitsch: A huge place. Multiple levels. Loud decor. Red color.
Fake flowers.
Fake plants,
Fake produces.
Open air with high roof.
We’re seated on the third floor. Gabled roof, open air, multiple floor fans cool the area. But imho, it only makes the area hotter and restless.
While waiting for food, I went to the bathroom on the ground floor. Oh what a heaven: it’s air conditioned. I hide there, appointed myself the director, and showing the patrons where the air dryer is.
We ordered ma po tofu which is not sweet but tasteless. The pork filled spring rolls are yummy but bit too thick. It came with one leaf, and I asked for more to wrap the spring rolls.
The presentation of the food is good. But I couldn’t wait to get out of there. December is their winter. I could NOT imagine to dine there during the summer months.
Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee building (web site) was a French colonial time’s city hall. Our guide calls it the City Hall, now a landmark in the city.
It’s not open to the public.
The area is busy with traffic, pedestrians and tourists. Rex Hotel to one side (hosting luxury brands) and more luxury brands on the other side. In the middle, is a statue of Ho Chi Minh, who is widely respected.
This restaurant is on the ground level at the Renaissance Riverside hotel (Marriott), where we’ve our daily buffet breakfast.
The layout is pleasant, service is very good and the food is fresh and delicious. I particularly appreciative that they nip off the ends of the bean sprouts.
Love their simple and elegant decor, even the menu is beautifully bounded. The service is on the spot. Presentation is beautiful and appetizing.
Li Bai (701-62) was one of top poets of China. Kids in China grow up with his poems.
The restaurant offers more than Cantonese cuisine. I’m so looking forward to an authentic Cantonese dinner, so we went.
Our bellies could only take two dishes:
Steamed cod: most wonderful.
Dongpo Pork 东坡肉: the meat is tender, dish is tasty and well presented but it’s not the traditional dongpo. The color of the meat is too light and dull, and tasted different. I was expecting the deep and shiny square pork belly, often served strings tied like a gift box. The mahogany color is from caramelized rock sugar. I don’t like my food sweet but this is one of few dishes that I don’t mind.
The freebies are delicious: tiny fried anchovy with the chilli sauce, and cashews. Their hot sauce is the best during my three weeks trip, hands down. What a treat! When I mention this to the young lady, she said sweetly “I can give you some to take home.”I wasn’t going to but after she refilled it toward end of the meal, I said, “ok.” since they’ll threw it away. … AND I shared it with my friends the following morning, and we finished it – we’re dying for a good chilli paste. I’ve two bowls of pho, seriously, all because of this.
Wish their ceiling could be a bit higher. Being on the third floor in the Sheraton, this will never happen.
We didn’t order dessert… because I want my durian -:)
I was stopped by their floor tiles: one is identical and one looks similar from my great granduncle’s Chee Hsin Tiles company in China. This is the second restaurant that I saw Chee Hsin tiles.
Although my belly was full from lunch and looking forward to dinner at Li Bai, but I went in and ordered the spring rolls anyway. It was yummy … I thought was the most delicious spring rolls – how much it was influenced by the tile is incalculable -:)
A lovely, quiet street, next to the beautiful central post office. Book stores and cafes line the one block street. One end looks out to Saigon Notre Dame.
I’m not a snob but don’t find it alluring to shop or eat at the market, especially in Asia. They’re usually in an old structure or on the street, hacking fake stuff, local specialties and cuisine (not sure all that healthy …) If happen to pass by, I’ll walk through it.
After lunch at Soul, I’ve 20 minutes on hand, too short to go else, so I went in. Nothing spacial. Really, just some fake stuff …
It has multiple levels. The ground floor is pleasant and nicely decorated, with antiques. But the massage room feels damp and they’re aged. Our tour guide recommends this one, “clean and safe.”
I’ve their massage (40 min) and scrub (30 min) package. Very satisfied with her work. The shower is small and water is rather cold.
The semicircular, well maintained garden sits between the front of the hotel and the river. It has prince turned military leader Tran Hung Dao (1288-1300) statue, who is considered the most famous general in Vietnam.
This photo is from booking.com, showing from L to R: Bitexco tower to the left, the short building is Renaissance hotel, red Melinh Point Tower (21 storey grade A office building), the tall Hilton hotel that just opened in March, and Vietcom Bank is to the right.
The area is scenic. I made a mental note to walk on the river front but never found the chance. Crossing the busy street is one of the deterrent.
The hotel has two restaurants, Viet Kitchen on the ground level where we have our buffet breakfast, and all you can eat dim sum lunch on the second floor. Not sure if it opens for dinner – didn’t get to try it.
Two bars: one at the lobby and one by the pool on the roof top.
The roof top swimming pool has decent size, get my swimming in daily.
The room is nice, with two banks of charging outlet, one by the desk and one by the night stand. The windows show the age. We received two small white coconuts as welcome drink. They supply two bottles of water daily.
… nightcap
… looking out to the Ba Son Bridge (wiki), and the Melinh Point Tower, Hilton hotel Saigon that just opened in March 2024, and Vietcom Bank.
Great location, delicious food, service is slow and spotty.
We made reservation for four but an elderly couple – our mates on tour, ran into us at the massage parlor next door, who decided to join us. We couldn’t say no. The restaurant accommodated us, by adding two chairs: Thanks. Two extras made our table cramped – our own fault.
I always like Vietnamese pho and fried spring rolls, their spring rolls are awesome.
The stem, Ocean (brand) looks good but the rim bits back.
The wines: J Lohr Cypress’s Chardonnay is a twist-off (without vintage) that sells at $12.99 in US, 1,450,000 vnd ($57) at this Vietnamese restaurant, which would account 50% on our bill. It reminds me of China: in 2003, there were hardly any decent table wines domestic or imports; a few merchants stuck rich by importing or smuggling in cheap wines from US and the West in the intervening years, selling them at premium. By 2014, Chateau Lafite-Rothschild is widely recognized by the top 1% as the best red; and $10 Italian table wine sold for $100 in a steakhouse in Shanghai in 2018. Regardless of the markets and the inner working of the two Asian countries, this restaurant in Vietnam only upend the margin 4 times, while China 10x.
