NOVEMBER 2018 businesstraveller.comAs a family-friendly town of sorts, lazy afternoons
in D7 are often spent walking along its many
promenades. One of the nicest faces onto
manmade Crescent Lake, a serene haven
that connects to the f lashy Starlight
Bridge. After a healthy stroll, stop in at
Boomerang (boomerangsaigon.com),
an Australian-owned spot that faces
the lake and offers an impressive
menu of gastropub-inspired dishes
and drinks.
Refresh yourself with a rest
or a massage back in your room,
before preparing for a dinner feast.
The El Gaucho (vn.elgaucho.asia)
steakhouses are generally regarded as
the best in Vietnam, if not Southeast Asia,
and the group’s second Ho Chi Minh branch is
conveniently set in D7. Inspired by the family-owned
meat eateries of Buenos Aires’ La Boca district, the
simple brickwork and wooden tables are offset by a
contemporary cocktail and cigar bar.
Indulge in tartare and carpaccio to start, alongside a
perfectly made Manhattan cocktail, before attempting
one of their New York cuts of meat, sourced directly
from Australia and the US. Pair it with an impressive
red wine from their cellar – the restaurant being one of
the few to source high-end bottles from the Burgundy,
Piedmont and Napa Valley regions.
Ater all that charm, bring things down to earth
with one last drink at Speakeasy (facebook.com/
speakeasyHCMC). he name refers more to the vibe than
any kind of retro style, but compared to the many rowdy
neighbourhood pubs in the area, it’s a fairly quiet affair.
Old Charlie Chaplin movies are projected on the walls,
restrained odes to Americana are displayed throughout and
the fine selection of whisky makes for an ideal nightcap,
rubbing shoulders with the district’s friendly denizens.HO CHI MINH CITY
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FROM TOP LEFT:
Corked Tales;
Vietnam
House; and
Starlight
BridgeTOP TRENDING HOTSPOTS
District 1 is forever evolving, a mishmash of old and
new, classic and contemporary. Alongside decades-old
restaurants and bars are a constantly updated breed. Here
are some of the coolest new places in recent times:Vietnam House (vietnamhousesaigon.com)
Australian celebrity chef Luke Nguyen has returned to his
roots, setting up shop in one of D1’s most central spaces.
Vietnam House is about traditions, and how the rules can
sometimes be bent, with the colonial high-end setting
contrasting perfectly with the contemporary cuisine.Anan (anansaigon.com)
Another Viet chef who’s returned home is Peter Cuong
Franklin, who made his name in Hong Kong. His new
restaurant Anan showcases traditional Vietnamese dishes
given Franklin’s signature modern spin, in a stunning
multistorey location overlooking an outdoor market.Quince (quincesaigon.com)
The Saigon sister location of the famed Bangkok
restaurant, Quince is one of the most exciting new
ventures in the city, sourcing fine ingredients from around
the world for a simple but stunning menu of modern
classics. It’s fresh, funky and absolutely fascinating.Corked Tales (corkedtales.vn)
Cocktails are catching on in Ho Chi Minh City, and this bar
hidden in an unassuming building serves up some of the
most imaginative, utilising techniques such as barrel-aged
carbon dioxide and peat smoke.Biker Shield (bikershield.com)
Both café and motorbike cultures are massive in D1, and
Biker Shield blends the two. The motorcycle-themed
dining and drinking establishment is all hipster cool, with
old bike parts on the walls, craft beers on tap, and classic
and contemporary tunes on the stereo.