CHUYÊN ĐỀ DU LỊCH, ẨM THỰC VIETNAM EDITION / VOL. 9 TÁC GIẢ: BAO ROSS và NICK ROSS
THẾ GIỚI PUBLISHERS
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The Undiscovered Coast
Hoegaarden − Belgium − 4.9 ALC Stella Artois − Belgium − 5.0 ALC Leffe Blond − Belgium − 6.6 ALC
Contents Sep. 2015
068
100
114
THE TALK
INSIDER
EAT & DRINK
010 / Building Tourism
58 / Hanoi by Bus
114 / Top Eats: Le Jardin
011 / The Big Five
64 / The Face Behind the Rescue
116 / Street Snacker Hanoi
The airports are here. Now for the international flights Events to look out for this month
A week travelling the capital only by bus
BRIEFINGS
How two dogs were saved from a terrible fate
12 / Skylight
68 / The Undiscovered Coast
The third highest bar in Vietnam opens in Nha Trang. It’s spectacular
14 / The Yard
London’s Borough Market comes to Hanoi. Or does it?
16 / Turtle Dee and Turtle Dum
It’s turtle-hatching season in Con Dao
Exploring Vietnam’s coastline
100 / Water World
Vietnam, but from under the sea
On the menu: Ha Cao Chien
118 / Mystery Diner HCMC
Vegetarian restaurant Hum gets the once over
120 / Street Snacker HCMC
Back to basics with Ca Com Minh Duc
106 / Sick-Day Recipes
Miracle cures from both north and south
24 / Building of the Month
Phat Diem in Ninh Binh and Banh It near Quy Nhon
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West Lake gets another top-end eatery
106
118
Contents Sep. 2015
124
128
186 TRAVEL
46 / Overscene
164 / A World of Good
124 / Destination Zero
154 / HCMC City Guide
182 / The Empty Wok
170 / Coffee Cup
FINAL SAY
Parts 6 and 7: Bangladesh
172 / Bar Stool
134 / Travel Promos
176 / Top Eats 1
186 / The Inside Story of the Guerrilla War
HANOI
180 / Top Eats 2
50 / To-Do List
184 / City Map
54 / Overscene
COLUMNS
135 / Hanoi City Guide
136 / The Alchemist
141 / Bar Stool
146 / The Therapist
142 / Coffee Cup
150 / Medical Buff
148 / Food Promos
151 / Book Buff
152 / City Map
156/ Business Buff
HCMC
158 / Body and Temple
36 / To-Do List
160 / Amazing Grapes
Amanoi in Ninh Thuan
128 / The Motorbike Diaries
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Chapter 12: Frontal Assault
192 / The Last Call
Dao Van Viet is on a solo mission to keep Vietnam’s beaches clean
192
CONTRIBUTORS
This month we asked the million-dollar question: What is your strangest travel experience? OWEN SALISBURY Contributor In a subway in Prague, a sneering man with an AK-47 (tightly wrapped in a camo jacket, with the end of the clip just peeking out) stalked my friend and me. We’d locked eyes, and he gave me the most frightening smile I’ve ever seen. He followed us off the subway; we contrived ridiculous plans to sprint. This insanity continued until we ran into a group of very well armed Czech police. I’ve never been so glad to see a squad of cops in my life. KIERAN CROWE Contributor On a recent flight to Bangkok, a middle-aged Vietnamese woman struck up a conversation with me about her fiancé, a 6 foot 2 Texan policeman. She went into somewhat excessive detail about the size of his ‘service pistol’. I genuinely didn’t know what to say to her, so I just pretended to fall asleep. JULIE VOLA Staff Photographer On my first backpacking trip I was in Guatemala and we were trying to get from El Estor to Coban. After travelling next to pigs and chickens in the back of a pick up, we got dropped off in the middle of nowhere in the mountains. We had to hitchhike and got picked up by a livestock transportation truck. At the next town we were able to find a taxi to Coban, but then to get to the hostel we ended up riding on the rooftop of a full minivan on crazy roads for an hour. After that travelling wasn’t so scary anymore.
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EDITORIAL NICK ROSS Chief Editor editor@wordvietnam.com
VU HA KIM VY Editorial Manager vy@wordvietnam.com
MADS MONSEN Creative Director mads@wordvietnam.com
NIKO SAVVAS Online Editor niko@wordvietnam.com
KYLE PHANROY Photo Editor kyle@wordvietnam.com
JULIE VOLA Staff Photographer julie@wordvietnam.com
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JON ASPIN Staff Writer jon@wordvietnam.com
MARK ALLAN Website & Graphic Designer mark@wordvietnam.com
NGUYEN LOC Layout Designer loc@wordvietnam.com
ADMINISTRATION
NICK ROSS Chief Editor I once found myself in the middle of nowhere in the jungle in Sarawak. On a logging track I met an English guy who was on his way to an Iban warrior festival in a longhouse in the jungle. I ended up going with him for five days and staying with the family of the village chief. KYLE PHANROY Photo Editor I was backpacking around Thailand when I found myself on Soi Cowboy. ‘Cocktail’ didn’t have the same meaning as I had previously known. JON ASPIN Staff Writer Travelling around Spain many years go in a big green postal van we called The Hulk, two friends and I got invited to a random wedding in Valencia. The Spanish sure know how to party, and we definitely weren’t saying no. At the night’s end we had to, though, when my buddy refused the advances of the bride’s ‘best man’. Ever seen a flamboyant Spaniard in a jealous rage? VI PHAM Contributor The weirdest one I had was when I was in Vinh Long. One of my relatives took me to the market and fed me roasted mice and che hot vit lon. I know I was supposed to say, “Yikes!!!” but they were actually “Yum!”
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VU HA KIM VY Editorial Manager I love fresh garlic, so my mum put a bag of it in my suitcase before my trip to Australia. And because of the garlic, my suitcase got detained for further checking. Damn Australian customs — I had to wear the same outfit for almost a week.
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The
T
his month’s cover story, The Undiscovered Coast, was planned way back. Because Vietnam has 3,000km of land bordering the sea, there’s a hell of a lot of travelling to do to get it covered in one small, printed space. So, we decided to do it gradually, over a period of seven or eight months. And
because I travel a lot, I was going to take on the bulk of the work. But as with all good plans, variable A didn’t quite interact with variable B, meaning that variable C came into play; by the end of July, the only place we’d made it to was Mui Ne. So as you can imagine, to put this story together, August ended up being pretty intense. So intense was it that over one weekend, five
of us were travelling in different parts of the country at the same time; Vy in the far south, Jon, Kyle and myself in the centre, and Julie in the north. What we have created doesn’t encapsulate the whole of Vietnam’s coastline. To do so is nigh on impossible. But by keeping the writing short and the photos large, the pages in this issue create a sense of variety, a visual
image of the country’s natural beauty. We found perfect beaches, sea caves, fishing villages, fish sauce factories and abandoned churches being eroded by the sea. We even went underwater and, due to faulty waterproof casing, lost a DSLR camera to the elements. And with it all we encountered that key element of travel, experience. — Nick Ross, Chief Editor
The Undiscovered Coast
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Prelude
CHUYÊN ĐỀ DU LỊCH, ẨM THỰC VIETNAM EDITION / VOL. 9 TÁC GIẢ: BAO ROSS và NICK ROSS
THẾ GIỚI PUBLISHERS
THIS MONTH'S COVER Photo by Kyle Phanroy Design by DH Advertising
Have Your Say Do you have any comments? Then let us know on Facebook — facebook.com/word.vietnam — or via Twitter, @wordvietnam. No matter how positive or negative your thoughts, we look forward to hearing from you.
Insider
Inbox Do you have any comments that you would like to air? If so, reach out and touch us at editor@ wordvietnam. com — we’re at your fingertips.
28 Things Vietnamese People Love (online on wordvietnam.com) Very well written article coming from a foreigner’s perspective. Except the feet thing is only in Thailand, and the sugar in everything is only in the south. Northern Vietnamese food is mostly spicy. I’m very impressed that this is coming from a foreigner who’s only been here for a year! — JMA
INSIDER
HCMC
The Gecko’s Revenge After printing the wrong picture two issues ago, this was touted as the grudge match of the summer — at least by us anyway. Saigon Rugby Club vs. Word Magazine in an all-out paintball war. Jon Aspin was in the thick of the action for Word, and afterwards filed this report from a nearby safety bunker. Photos by Francis Xavier The Game They Play in Heaven When the 18th century poet Alexander Pope wrote those famous words; “To err is human; to forgive, divine”, we’re pretty sure he’d never had an incorrect photo of his village Quoits* team published in the 1712 Windsor Times**. Perhaps if he had, he might not have been so quick to forgive, and the course of literary history would be different. On the other hand, Alexander Pope was a hunchback with chronic tuberculosis; playing village Quoits might not have been his strong suit. The point is, as reporters for Word, we
hold ourselves to a high level of journalistic integrity***. Most things are researched, fact-checked**** and proofed to within an inch of their lives, but sometimes we are also like hunchbacks with brittle bones. We find stairs difficult. That and single-scull rowing — everything else is fine. We are irrefutably human, so we do ‘err’, and in our June issue this year, (Looking for Love, June 2015) we did exactly that, when a combination of dengue fever, an absent editor and a rookie mistake, all led us to printing the wrong photo. The wrong photo was in a Harry Hodge (conspicuously absent on this day) piece
about the Saigon Geckos Rugby Club — who said we wouldn’t name names? Tasked with capturing the Geckos’ moment of Indochine Cup glory back in May, we printed a photo of the Hanoi Dragons instead. Go figure. One man’s pleasure is another man’s pain, and our friends in the capital loved it.
Passing the Buck In search of some ‘divine forgiveness’ for our scandalous oversight, apologies were printed, emails were sent, and an investigation***** was launched. Internally there were a few heads in hands and a serious amount of buck-passing,
* Medieval ‘hooky’ ** Made up newspaper title but likely a ‘hoighty toighty’ gossip rag somewhere in London
*** This story is brought to you by Mr. Singh’s Curry House & Car Wash in District 2, HCMC. Hi Mum! **** We pay hungry backpackers VND1,000 per Google search term
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Gold. Enjoyed that immensely — RQ This is so funny to read. When some of my friends visited the place they’d say similar things, too. Kieran [the writer of the article is Kieran Crowe], please keep on observing and add more to this list. — L Well, you should go north. We don’t put sugar in everything and about the fingernails… Yeah, I don’t know. Lazy maybe? — D You’re in Saigon, right? Be in Hanoi, you will find a lot of different things. Change your title to Saigon people love — MR
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wordvietnam.com | August 2015 Word | 83
The Gecko’s Revenge (August 2015, page 82) That must have been one hell of a ‘cock up’ for you to go the lengths of having a paintballing grudge match with the Saigon Geckos. What did you do? Call them the Saigon Gits or something? — OM We pissed ourselves when we saw a photo of the Hanoi Dragons over an article on the Saigon Geckos. What happened
to you guys? — MC Sounds like the Geckos whipped your ass. You deserved everything you got. How can you make an elementary mistake like getting a photo wrong? It’s like using a Manchester City photo for Manchester United or telling Canadians that they’re American (which they are, of course). — PH
Talk Lead
Building Tourism
O
With growing numbers of flights, there is new hope. But more needs to be done
ver the last year, much of the tourism outside of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City has taken a battering. Look at Nha Trang. New hotels are opening up almost daily, yet occupancy among the five-stars is down by almost 20 percent on the year before. With the collapse of the ruble, the bottom-end Russian package tourists who used to arrive on chartered flights can no longer afford trips to Nha Trang or Mui Ne. So, many of the five-stars are focusing on the Chinese market. The Chinese market is huge, but the guests don’t spend money inside the hotels, leading to a decline in F&B revenue. This creates a new conundrum. If the Chinese aren’t the answer, where should the tourists come from? And with the recent devaluation of the yuan, this begs another question. Will even the Chinese be able to travel soon?
Rays of Hope A recent conversation with Ben Mitchell, one half of the husbandwife team behind Phong Nha Homestay, suggested that things aren’t as bad as they seem. Located in Phong Nha-Ke Bang National
Park, home to the largest cave in the world, the development of tourism opportunities has seen the area boom. “We’ve now got a lot more flights coming to Dong Hoi [the nearest city],” he said. “It’s great. We’re packed all the time.” A quick check online shows that both Jetstar and VietJetAir fly daily from Ho Chi Minh City to Dong Hoi. The national carrier also operates daily flights. Yet only a few years ago there were just two flights a week to Dong Hoi. As Phong Nha has opened up as a destination, so new routes have been created. It augurs well. In recent years, Dalat, too has seen an increase in domestic flights. It’s also got a new international airport. Yet it wasn’t always like that. For a large part of its modernday existence, the French-built Palace Hotel (formerly the Sofitel Palace) managed an occupancy that hovered around the 30 to 40 percent mark. For years its owners lobbied the national carrier to increase flights. Without the flights, the six to seven-hour road journey from Ho Chi Minh City made travel to this French-built former hill station prohibitive. The number of domestic flights
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has since quadrupled. Yet, the international angle has yet to take off. Direct flights have been set up to destinations such as Hong Kong. But at the time of writing, they had been suspended. Phu Quoc now has one direct flight running — to Singapore — and Danang has limited but regular flights to regional hubs such as Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Hong Kong. Beyond that, the only international flights landing in the big cities outside of Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City are chartered. To get the tourists in, direct international flights are key.
Time for a Strategy Employing over 2 million people and contributing 6 percent of GDP, tourism development in Vietnam needs a multi-pronged strategy. There are several issues, ranging from destinations which remain undeveloped (Ha Giang, Quy Nhon, Con Dao) and restrictions on visafree entry, to Vietnam being seen as a place to visit for a one-off cultural experience. But without economically viable international connections direct to the country’s regional airports, tourism in this country will stutter and stumble from one year to the next. — Nick Ross
Big5 The
Above & Beyond will be performing in Vietnam on Sep. 19
Visa-free entry to Vietnam, European football clubs, live music and a worldrenowned DJ
The German Film Festival
1
National Cinema Centre, Hanoi and Cinebox, HCMC Sep. 6 to Sep. 18
This year’s sixth annual German Film Festival will kick off in Hanoi on Sunday Sep. 6 before moving to Ho Chi Minh City on Sep. 12. Hosting a versatile programme of popular German-made movies, this year there will be eight films showing on the big screen including For No Eyes Only, Vampire Sisters, The Dark Valley and Jack. Entrance is free of charge and tickets are available from the Goethe-Institut in both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. For more information click on goethe. de/german-filmfestival-vietnam or turn to page 48
Saigon International Rugby 10s
2
RMIT, Q7, HCMC Saturday Sep. 12 Just in time for the Rugby World
Cup, RMIT will play host to the inaugural Saigon International Rugby 10s tournament on Saturday Sep. 12. Heralded as a new dawn for rugby in Vietnam, the event will bring in teams from Hong Kong, Cambodia and Australia to compete with the Hanoi Dragons and the Saigon Geckos. Also on-site to oversee the action will be three ex-Australian rugby internationals. Sponsored by the Al Fresco’s group, this one will be big. All spectators are welcome! For more information turn to page 38
3
Above & Beyond Ho Tram Strip, Ba Ria-Vung Tau Saturday Sep. 19
An English progressive trance trio, Above & Beyond are one of the few acts to have been consistently ranked among DJ Magazine’s Top 100 DJs Poll, having placed at #4 in 2008 & 2009, #5 in 2010 & 2011, and most recently #25 in 2014. For their next step? On the back of their latest album, We Are All We Need, a performance in Vietnam on Saturday Sep. 19 at the Ho Tram Strip. We talk about big and we talk about enormous. Let’s stay with the latter for this one. An event not to be missed. For more info, turn to page 40
Skrillex Comes to Vietnam
4
Lush, HCMC and Hero Club, Hanoi Sep. 27 and Sep. 29
American electronic music producer, DJ, singer and songwriter Skrillex has added Vietnam to his Asian tour, which includes major cities such as Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Tokyo and Hong Kong. Skrillex will perform at Lush in Ho Chi Minh City on Sep. 27, and in Hanoi at Hero Club on Sep. 29. Out of a total of six Grammy Awards, he was won Best Dance/Electronica Album, Best Dance Recording, and Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical. In 2011, he was also named MTV’s Electronic Dance Music Artist of the Year.
Contemporary Dance Festival
5
Youth Theatre, Hai Ba Trung & Hanoi Opera House, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi Sep. 30 to Oct. 4
Contemporary dance is growing in popularity in Vietnam, with the annual festival, Europe Meets Asia in Contemporary Dance, playing a large part in promoting this art form to a wider audience. With the fifth installment set to kick off in Hanoi on Wednesday Sep. 30, dancers from seven countries will be performing over five days at two venues in the capital. And as ever, tickets are free. For more info turn to page 51
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Briefings Nha Trang
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E Skylight A new rooftop bar has opened in Nha Trang. It’s spectacular
very now and then, a game changer comes along that irrevocably transforms something. In recent times, we can point to the iPhone and Facebook. In Vietnam we can single out a number of companies — Trung Nguyen, Kem Nghia, KFC, the Vin Group. On the restaurant and bar scene the Al Fresco’s Group, Quan Ut Ut, Hoa Vien, Mekong Merchant, Zone 9, the original Vine in Hanoi and, if we head to Nha Trang, the Sailing Club. All the people behind these ventures are visionaries. At one time or another, they saw something that no-one else did. They made it happen. The recently opened Skylight bar in Nha Trang is of this ilk. Sat 45 floors above ground level and even fitted with its own
lighthouse, this self-styled, rooftop beach club is phenomenal. First are the views — the venue has a 360-degree skydeck fitted with telescopes, making it the only point in Nha Trang where you can take in the entirety of the city. It’s a wow-factor panorama that is attracting both tourists and locals, despite the VND100,000 entrance charge.
Vision But even the entrance charge is a clever ploy. Coming with a free drink, it ensures that those who make the journey to the top of the world experience not just the physical surroundings, but the atmosphere and the feeling of being in a bar. On a recent Thursday night visit, more than 700 people rode the elevator to the top. At the time of
writing, the record was 1,000. Then there’s the fit-out. It’s not sensational — it doesn’t need to be. The views take care of that. Rather, with grey concrete and deck-style flooring and comfy, beachstyle sofas, it’s got a tropical, Bali-style edge, befitting its outdoor environment. With slogans like “it’s always 5 o’ clock in paradise” lining the walls, you get a sense that what the brains behind this place want to provide is experience. With a mixologist from LA working the bar and a selection of beautifully presented tapas (a restaurant is on its way), as well as nightly DJs avoiding the urge to spin Vinahouse, they do it with aplomb. But let’s take a step back. Skylight really does have the potential to be a game
changer, a bit like Sailing Club was in the 1990s. The word here is potential. What the people behind this rooftop bar have started is bold. Very bold. It’s expensive, too. And all four of them, three from the US, one from Canada, have different skill sets which contribute equally to the day-to-day running of this venue. But as American Olympic gold medalist and probably the best female soccer player of all time, Mia Hamm, writes, “It is more difficult to stay on top than to get there.” For the sake of the investment and Nha Trang in general, let’s hope Skylight manages to stay on top. Because at this very moment, it might just be the best bar in Vietnam. — Nick Ross
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Briefings The Yard Hanoi
A
London’s Borough Market comes to Hanoi. Or does it?
fter the sudden closing of Zone 9 at the end of 2013, Hanoi’s youngsters have been hopelessly wandering the capital city’s limits, wondering where to hunker down. Because as far as viable hangout spots in this charming city go, the options are a bit lackluster. “In Hanoi, we don’t have many places for young people to go for entertainment,” marketing executive Nguyen Thi My Hanh tells me, citing VinCom and Royal City as examples of “less than inspiring” options. Luckily, opened only last month, The Yard might be here to save the day. The Yard’s founders drew inspiration from Europe’s public markets, London's Borough Market in particular, and looked to other models like Bangkok’s Jam Factory when piecing together this converted printing factory. As much as atmosphere and community were key, so too, was the trend of preserving old architecture and transforming it into something hip, new and useful. “Hanoi is full of traditional markets, selling fresh fruits
and vegetables,” Hanh explains. “With The Yard, we wanted to do something modern and creative.” Bringing The Yard’s creative spirit alive is ABV Brewery Shop, Hanoi’s first craft beer-focused establishment. Opened by Quang Van, ABV sells equipment and ingredients for home brewing, runs classes and workshops, and plans to offer seasonal beers brewed in-house. “Vietnam’s commercial beer all tastes the same,” Quang tells me. “I want to bring more flavourful beer to Vietnam by brewing at home and teaching others to do the same.” The Yard struck Quang as the perfect location for his craft beer venture. “Like London, it’s very trendy,” he says. “Young people can come to our shop and do a workshop while their family members shop or relax in a cafe.” Mai My Linh is holding down two forts in The Yard: the newest location of Gelato Italia, and the fashion shop, Fullspot. “Both of my companies have friendliness at their core,” she says. “We want to stay modern while being affordable, to really cater to the fashionable Vietnamese market.” Linh shares Quang’s sentiment
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about The Yard as an ideal spot for young people to hang out, but hopes to see an expansion beyond shopping and eating. “We need to give people a reason to stick around for a while,” she says. Eateries, shops and bars fill much of the vast warehouse, including the newest rendition of The Kafe. On a recent Saturday, I sat in The Kafe with their marketing executive, Nguyen Thi Thanh Thao, and watched a nonstop parade of families and young people rotate through, brunching and lunching and checking out the hot new place in town. “It’s a place for people to hang out that feels cool yet welcoming,” she says, adding, “it’s like a mall in disguise.” People, myself included, are no doubt drawing comparisons to Zone 9, insofar that it’s a hangout spot housed in a converted warehouse. “Yes, there is talk that we’re similar, but we don’t really follow the style of Zone 9,” Hanh assures me. “Zone 9 focused on art, and we’re more community driven.” And judging by the amount of selfie-takers out front, I’d say the community is well on board. — Noey Neumark
PHOTOS BY VU BAO KHANH
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Briefings Con Dao
Turtle Dee and Turtle Dum It’s turtle hatching season. Let’s break out the champagne
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I
t’s a long wait. After a few games of cards, the group of young, English-speaking Indonesians I’m with are already contemplating heading back. We left the mainland just after 8pm. Two hours later we’re still waiting. Everyone is tense. “Sometimes we’re here all night,” says Huong, our guide with a shake of her head. “Cuc lam! It can be really frustrating.” Suddenly there’s movement. One of the rangers has returned from the beach and is beckoning us to follow. No flashlights, he motions. No talking; he raises his finger to his mouth in a shush motion. Excitement seeps through our group. The turtles are here. “We mustn’t disturb them,” adds Huong by way of an explanation. “If they get scared they’ll head straight back to the sea.” Every year from June to early November, hawksbill turtles swim thousands of miles to lay their eggs on this beach in Bay Canh, Con Dao, 50 to 100 eggs at a time. After a 45 to 60-day incubation period, the eggs hatch into baby turtles that crawl from their nests in the sand and down to the sea. Most die on their journey to marine freedom — of 1,000 eggs hatched, only one turtle will make it to adulthood. Then 10 to 12 years later, the now adult females begin to return to this beach to lay their eggs. The cycle continues.
Patience We’ve been motioned to wait under a tree. To our left, a dark lump-like figure drags itself slowly up the beach, stopping intermittently before continuing its journey. To our right we can see three more. But still we are made to wait. “They don’t always lay their eggs when they come on shore,” says Huong. “Often they go back into the sea and return a few days later.” It’s a comment that makes the Indonesians frustrated. And after over an hour on the beach, they ask Huong to take them back to the mainland. I am also contemplating giving up, but decide to be patient. “All good things come to those who wait,” I tell myself. I join another group of tourists and stay on the beach. It’s a good choice. Tonight, we’re lucky. One of the turtles has dug her nest in the sand and
is preparing to lay her eggs. With a light shone behind her so we can see, just 15 minutes after the Indonesians leave, we’re ushered round. There we watch and gasp and guffaw as egg after egg is deposited into the pit; 92 in all. It’s an odd, other-worldly experience. But someone mentions a moot point for not the first time that night. We’re watching an animal lay eggs. Imagine it in reverse, animals paying to watch humans give birth. How strange would that be?
Striking a Balance Yet there is a certain sense to this madness. Slaughtered for their eggs, meat, shells and skin, sea turtles are under threat of extinction. Add pollution, climate change and habitat loss, and of the seven surviving species of marine turtle, all of them are under threat; three critically. By creating night-time tours, humans, the main cause of their plight, are giving back. Their money is helping protect the turtles and to continue a life cycle that has been going for 100 million years. But where is the money going? Get to the ranger station and you pay for everything, even the tables (VND300,000) and deckchairs (VND30,000). The rangers take the eggs from the beach, and incubate them in a separate space, thus potentially disrupting the natural hatch and release process. Tourists then pay to see the hatchlings, and help the baby turtles on their journey to the sea. Yet no-one is going to part with their money to see all the turtles hatch, so what happens to those that aren’t paid for? That so many questions are raised here suggests that there's still work to be done to get this right. Yet, if tourism means the turtles will survive, then it’s on the right track. As we head back to the mainland, I recall the baby turtles trying to make it to the sea, their tiny flippers making patterns in the wet sand. Their natural instinct makes you wonder about the complexity yet stunning simplicity of life. As experiences go, this one is something to remember. — Nick Ross Depending on the turtles, Six Senses Con Dao run tours to Bay Canh until November. For more info click on sixsenses. com/condao
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Briefings Hanoi
PHOTOS BY VU BAO KHANH
Moto-San A new Japanese streetside noodle joint has opened in the capital
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guyen Qui Duc is many things. Born in Hue, he spent much of his adult life overseas. A journalist, artist and designer, he is the face behind downtown bar, Tadioto. He’s often hired to interior design new projects in and around Hanoi. He’s heavily involved in the local arts scene, speaks with a BBC accent and is the consummate host, the kind of person everyone claims to ‘know well’. So, how does one of Hanoi’s best-known personalities end up opening an on-thestreet noodle bar? But this is not just any type of noodle bar. Serving up tasty ramen in and French baguette banh my both day and night, it’s the kind of place you both would and wouldn’t expect to find in the capital, such is the changing face of this city. Here’s what Duc has to say about his latest venture, Moto-San.
Why a noodle place? And why, of all things, Japanese noodles? I used to live two blocks from Japan Town in San Francisco. And in Tokyo, I’d been taken to dozens of tiny noodle counters; inside train stations, in little alleys visitors would not know about. I truly admired how they work so efficiently in such small spaces, and are able to attract such loyal customers. I really like the feeling of sitting at a counter, and slurping a hot bowl of ramen. We have a few hotels and cafes in the neighbourhood, and ramen noodles are a great late evening comfort food. The point here was to create a business for employees who have worked with me for five, six, seven years. And a ramen counter with stools on the sidewalk seems to fit well.
What was the idea behind the design and the concept? What about the name? Is Moto-San deliberately linked to Tadioto? I wanted the feel of a neighbourhood or village temple. Here it’s a temple to eating and to ramen. This is why I set up a playful altar, and used incense coils as lampshades. The space is narrow. So, a friendly counter with the occasional Hanoi breeze blowing through. We offer a sandwich with stewed pork, the way my family used to have them in Central Vietnam, with a pâté spread, carrot, cucumber, coriander, green onions, etc. and a killer hot sauce from Hoi An. At night, we’ve been attracting people who have
had an early meal out, and want a sake, a beer or two, and a bowl of noodles before heading home. Moto-San is a playful way to honour Moto, my Boxer who lived with me for eight years and who died a few months ago. A gentle and noble dog.
Why are you serving other dishes? I wanted to be able to offer something fast but tasty. So I added the sandwich, which is popular at lunch. We have crepes at Tadioto, so we’re offering them at MotoSan as well. And the normal bread and egg for breakfast. We have some snacks like grilled fish, char-siu pork with beansprouts and Vietnamese beef jerky for people who want to sit for a beer or sake, or who linger on after having a bowl of ramen. Food menu items range from VND40,000 to VND80,000. Drinks are about the same, unless like me, you ask for a whisky.
You’ve always got a big plan. So, what’s the big plan with Moto-San? What’s the plan for the street as a whole? Moto-San is small. I’d like it to remain like that. But I’ve been profoundly excited by the street it’s on, Ly Dao Thanh, and its prospects for a while. It’s a street where you can walk easily. The Opera House and the Metropole Hotel are a few steps away, and there’s also a park and a museum. At one end there are high-end stores like Prada, Luala and Omega. There’s the Press Club and, ahem, Starbucks, too. But it’s also home to small fashion and shoe shops that are popular with locals. I’d like it to become a street of small boutiques, and we’re happy to have set up an, the design and lifestyle shop in the middle.
Does everyone who eats there expect to see Duc as part of the experience? Duc who? Nobody knows me. They come for the food and, I think, for the simplicity of the place. People comment on the colour of our walls, the surprising decor and lighting. I deliberately didn’t hang long Japanese lanterns and curtains. We serve ramen, but we’re not Japanese, and we’re not going to pretend to be Japanese. Moto-San is at 4 Ly Dao Thanh, Hoan Kiem in Hanoi, close to the intersection with Tong Dan and Co Tan
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Startup
of the
Month
Vietnam
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00 million bus tickets are sold in Vietnam per year. Yet, until recently the only way to purchase a bus ticket was to call one of Vietnam’s 2,000plus private bus companies or visit a ticket office. Anyone who has ever tried to purchase a bus ticket before Tet is familiar with this struggle, and the rest of the year, bus travel has historically been no less complicated. It is notoriously fraught with inconsistent ticket prices, unclear routes and disorganisation. Enter VeXeRe: Vietnam’s largest online bus ticketing system, a website that aims to change the face of bus travel in Vietnam. Founder and CEO Van Tran was pursuing his MBA in the US when he first envisioned VeXeRe. Alone in his dorm over winter break, his friends and classmates home for the holidays, Van read about thousands of travellers lining up at Saigon’s central bus station. “I looked at the airline industry in the
US and I thought, ‘How come no one in the US has to wait in line to buy airline tickets?’” he recalls. “I wanted to build such a system for the bus industry in Vietnam.” Mind made, Van dropped out of school and returned to Vietnam to make VeXeRe a reality. VeXeRe, which translates to “cheap bus tickets” (a nod to the time and money saved), connects with private bus companies — they currently work with over 1,000 — to completely digitize their booking processes. Travellers can access information on which bus companies operate a given route, prices, schedules, and passenger reviews, and can book tickets and choose seats online. At present, VeXeRe boasts over one million active users. Beyond saving customers’ time, VeXeRe is overhauling bus companies’ operations. “They now don’t need to call between
offices to check seat availability, making it easier to control employees and ticket sales,” Van explains. Currently, around 30 bus companies use VeXeRe’s back-end platform to manage their inventories in real-time. However, this number is steadily increasing as “more and more of them know about us and want to use the system.” By limiting corruption and saving resources, “it’s creating good change”.
Social Enterprise? VeXeRe is about more than simplifying Vietnam’s transportation industry; it’s about revolutionising it. In addition to online ticketing, the company has a strong social enterprise slant. In the two years since VeXeRe launched, the company has made concerted efforts to improve the affordability of bus travel. In 2013, the VeXeRe team ran a programme to reduce bus ticket prices
for candidates travelling to major cities for the University entrance exam. VeXeRe persuaded eight bus operators to cut ticket prices by 50 percent for exam candidates. “A lot of the test-takers are so poor that even purchasing a bus ticket is impossible,” Van says. “Some travel by bicycle for hundreds of kilometres,” no doubt affecting exam performance. The following New Year’s, VeXeRe partnered with UNESCO-CEF to raise funds to support students travelling from cities back to their hometowns. During holiday periods, it’s not uncommon for bus companies to jack their prices up. VeXeRe and UNESCO-CEF teamed up to keep them down. Now, VeXeRe is launching a price stabilisation programme to be implemented during all national holidays. To do this, they purchase bus tickets in advance and resell them at a fixed price through the website. “We have community values in our
hearts,” Van says. “Whatever we do, we need to be helping our society.” VeXeRe will launch a mobile application this fall, and plans to expand to other countries and even other industries as the company grows. Van cites train companies as the next logical move, and a possible expansion to healthcare in the coming years. “I want patients to be able to book an appointment at the hospital without having to wait in line for hours to see a doctor,” he says. “I think that would be an interesting industry, but it’s tough.” When I ask Van about Vietnam’s present-day startup ecosystem, he doesn’t skip a beat. “It’s become very trendy,” he says. “Even people in the government are beginning to realise how important startups are for the whole economy.” Is VeXeRe truly the “Google of Vietnam’s travel industry,” as Van contends? Who knows, but it sure makes people’s lives easier. — Noey Neumark
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Briefings HCMC
The Den Hung Mountain Bike Cup 2015
After cajoling a bunch of foreign riders to compete in this years Den Hung MTB Cup, Jon Aspin got lazy and asked one of them to file a report. Here’s what happened. Preface by Jon Aspin. Report by Andrew Whitmarsh
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hen people take up a sport, they don’t really expect to be thrown in at the deep end straight away. Maybe in scuba diving you do, but generally there’s a ‘getting to know you’ process involved. “Hello new sport, nice to meet you. Please don’t hurt me too badly.” When your new sport is mountain biking, it can sound more dangerous than it is; mountains + bikes = ? It’s a mental hurdle that can take time, but overcome it you can. Ten men did exactly this when I asked them to compete in a local mountain bike race recently. With the support of The Bike Shop in District 2, they came, they saw, drank carbonated energy drinks, and they all survived the carnage. When it was over I asked Andrew Whitmarsh to file a report on the ride. Here’s how it went. ********** “Hot rubber tires. Thick cold mud. Muscled thighs shrink-wrapped in spandex. A narrow serpentine trail laid out before us bearing
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long roots — long and slippery as a stripper’s pole, and gnarled slopes at angles that God himself would not climb. This is mountain bike racing and on the morning of Aug. 9 in District 9, in the shadow of Den Hung Temple, 150 competitive souls came to ride. Mixed nationalities with plastic buckets on their heads and water bottles filled with Revive, all vied for the glory of completing 30km of brutal, tricky track in the 2015 Den Hung MTB Cup. At 8am we were herded together like a bunch of nervous cats. Pot-bellied middle-aged Vietnamese guys with ponytails jostled with hairy Europeans on fancy rigs. Tough Vietnamese chicks with severe dispositions and pink sports tops edged out sinewy local dudes, confident, laughing and flexing their muscles. Unsure if we were in the right category, the gun went off at its scheduled time and our opening task was sprinting 200 meters up the asphalt road to the first corner before turning and grinding up a ruddy hill. Chaos ensued as amateurs slowed down the pros and swear words in 10 different languages hung in the morning air. Edged by tall grasses, the route wound steeply up the singletrack trail before descending back downhill past the roaring crowds. Intent on pleasing the onlookers,
some bikers took the corner too quickly, wiping out and leaving blood and skin behind. Up, down, grinding gears, shrieks and curses as riders got stuck in mud, blew out tires, barrelled past each other on straightaways and crashed into bushes. We bashed through large viscous puddles and screamed down long rocky roads, hurled round bends, and dropped into a forest that ate riders alive. Its hidden pitfalls and narrow, channelled sections pinched tires and flipped bikes over with glee. After three laps and 30km of this bedlam our sponsor, The Bike Shop, served up a hearty sausage lunch and ice cold beer as we swapped tales of gore and glory.” ********** The other riders I convinced to compete on the day were Ben Turner, Renier Claasen, Chris Hoddington, Will Mackereth, Stuart Furness, Nikke Ruokoleinen, Bernd Baunuck, and Felix Gruber. Well done men, you’ve proven that you’ve got what it takes. To find out more about where to ride a mountain bike in the environs of Saigon visit facebook.com/thebikeshopvn
Building of the Month
Phat Diem
Vietnam’s most celebrated church is 120 years old, and counting
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C
harity begins at home, I was always taught. But in Vietnam it might just begin in the place of worship. Or so it seemed when I visited the church in Phat Diem, one of the most revered Catholic edifices in Vietnam. Built in 1891 and founded by Father Six, in colonial times the bishop ruled the area like a Middle Age fiefdom, a severity you can still see today in the neatness and order of the towns and villages nearby. Yet even before I reached the entrance, an old woman held out her blue plastic basket in supplication. Inside I was followed by two conical-hatted women, both in their
50s, one blind. As I sat down in the chapel to contemplate the atmosphere, they converged. I politely declined. When I left they converged again. Once again I smiled and moved on. The form the various strands of Christianity have taken in Vietnam is vastly different to its manifestation in Europe. Vietnamese traditions such as ancestor worship have been taken into account, and the experience of tropical agricultural life has necessarily had an effect on what is both preached and practiced. On a physical level, nowhere is this more evident than in the cathedral in the town of Phat Diem. So important is this temple to Vietnam’s Catholics, that they flock here from all over the world. Yet on official signage and bus routes Phat Diem is called by its old name, Kim Son, the name of the district in which it resides. It is only when you head south of Ninh Binh City that the signage, milestone signage, appears. For all other purposes the place is known as Kim Son. But it is the church’s architecture that stands it above its contemporaries. A mix of traditional Vietnamese architecture — think wooden columns, pointed roof corners and dragon carvings — combined with Frenchstyle Notre Damesque design, it is unique. Despite his religious persuasion, Father Six had a strong sense of Vietnamese tradition.
This is also reflected in the wooden interior of the main church, the bell tower and the two chapels. These feature beams and columns, Sino motifs, and images of Jesus, martyrs slaughtered by emperor Tu Duc in the 1850s, and the religion’s various saints. There is no stained glass here, and the stone is used for walls and foundations, certainly not for elaborate designs. When Graham Greene visited the church in 1951, he stood at the top of the bell tower and watched a battle between the Viet Minh and the French forces unfold. It was a scene he later included in The Quiet American. Much earlier, Alexander de Rhodes, the French Jesuit priest and founder of quoc ngu, the Roman alphabet used to write Vietnamese, preached here in 1627. It is said the area owes much of its religious fervour to his presence. And in 1829, businessman, war general and poet, Nguyen Cong Tru, is credited with establishing the organisation and administration of Kim Son. I visited earlier this year, another inconsequential tourist among thousands. And instead of being able to enjoy the peace and beauty of this self-styled cathedral, I was hassled for alms. Perhaps nothing has changed. When it comes to religion, the immediate content of one’s wallet has always been as important as one’s devotion to a higher force. If not more so. — Nick Ross
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Building of the Month
Thap Banh It Central Vietnam has scores of Cham Temples. Here’s one of them
I
’ve never been to My Son. Built by the Cham over a period of a thousand years, it’s a Hindu temple complex close to the former citadel of Simhapura (Tra Kieu). To you and me that means 25km southwest of modern-day Hoi An. One reason is the lack of opportunity. The other is tourism. I hate going to sites crawling with tourists, and as one of the foremost Hindu temple complexes in Southeast Asia, My Son is that type of place. Angkor Wat without the monumental size. Unfortunately for My Son, the Americans decided to make the modern-day complex even smaller than it is today. During one week of strategically inspired lunacy, they carpet-bombed this historically significant place with B-52s; cultural destruction which, for better or worse, the modern-day American military does its laser-guided best to avoid. Which is why when I want to get my dose of Cham history, I prefer to go south to Binh Dinh. It’s one of those ‘in between’ kind of places that was once on the edge of the Cham city-state of Vijaya, the former capital of Champa. Until 1471, that is, when after a series of wars the Vietnamese finally defeated the Cham and dismantled their empire. No politics here, then. A number of temples can be found in the area including Duong Long,
Thap Doi, Binh Lam and Canh Tien. The place I’ve been to most is the collection of four towers known as Banh It. I like Banh It. Not because it has the same name as a banana leafwrapped sweet made from baby rice flour and green beans. And not because the towers are shaped like elongated pyramids, somewhat like the cake, which is made in a rather more compact pyramidal shape. I like Banh It because it should be a prime tourist destination, but each time I go there, there are only a couple of other people in the vicinity. Which makes every visit feel a bit special. I also like the place because of the bats — one of the towers with a shrine to Shiva has made a home for them. On my latest visit I got the guano treatment, right on my head. They say it’s lucky. But climb the 200 or so steps to the top of the hill, and it’s not just a 360-degree panorama you have in front of you, there’s also the history. You feel it in every brick. Something about this collection of towers makes you feel every bit of its past, of its pain, its worship, its one-time splendour and glory. Despite my reservations, I will probably make it to My Son one day. I know it won’t provide the same sensations as the likes of Banh It, but it will be a step back in time nonetheless. — Nick Ross
In Transition HCMC
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The Tree It’s not just bricks and mortar that are at the mercy of the wrecking ball. As we know too well, so are the trees
T
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PHOTO BY KYLE PHANROY
here is a tendency to decry the demolishing of Vietnam’s old buildings. But the structure on Saigon’s Huynh Thuc Khang right next to the university may get a new lease of life. At least, part of it will. The century-old building is so caught up in Saigon’s history that a tree has grown round it, its stilt-like roots hugging the foundations and walls of this house like a spider’s web. As walls get knocked down, the sinewy structure remains, rigidly holding its place. Unfortunately for the tree, its future has already been settled — chainsaws will soon arrive to end its doomed life. Maybe it will become firewood or charcoal or maybe it will just be thrown away. What’s clear is that the end is in sight. Not for the purposes of ‘lumber’, ‘planting new trees’ or ‘building metro stations’, as is famously the case in the capital, but because its supporting structure will no longer exist. The bricks, however, will find new roles. Some have already been collected to help make repairs on the city’s cathedral. Others have been taken elsewhere, to be reused on other age-old structures that are crumbling to the ground. While we were there, one man was even harvesting the bricks for his own purposes. Maybe he, too, has a colonial-era house. Or maybe he just wants to build a wall. Those of us who don’t develop real estate would prefer such buildings to be restored. It’s not to be. But at least their bricks will gain a new lease of life helping other age-old structures overcome the ravages of time.
Sports Digest
Motorbike Festival
From the sidelines, Harry Hodge sizes up Vietnam’s month in sports
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earheads and racing enthusiasts were all revved up last month for the first Vietnam Motorbike Festival at Phu Tho Stadium in Ho Chi Minh City’s District 11. The event drew curious onlookers and motorbike aficionados as well as race fans, with the festival coinciding with the Vietnam Motor Cub Prix 2015 race weekend. Dressed to impress, the domestic racers looked like the real deal. “I enjoy the speed,” said Luu Van Minh, a 56-year-old veteran of Vietnam’s race circuit. Working mostly as a mechanic in Binh Dinh Province, the lines and creases in Minh’s face are linked to more than three decades of racing around the country. “(Racing) is getting more popular,” he added, with fans lining the dirt track at Phu Tho having paid VND180,000 for a one-day pass. “But everything depends on the organisers.” As for the sizable merchandise area, it was a wet dream for anyone with the dong to enjoy it. Constant revving and bass echoed between rides from BMW, Harley Davidson and Benelli, along with the usual suspects from Vespa and Honda, albeit customized and tricked out in
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inventive ways. Bike fashion, accessories and cleaning products crowded near a trick area where one could see trick riders weave and dodge cones in a narrow figure of eight. Vietnamese-Australian motorbike collector Tim Nguyen was skeptical as to how many of these vehicles would end up on Vietnam’s streets. Citing mediocre infrastructure and the legendary traffic snarls in the big cities, the speed of the faster bikes would be wasted while the big Harleys were simply impractical. “A lot of guys buy these just to show them off — using a standard scooter is much more convenient,” he said. He added that it was good for people to see a greater variety of motorbikes. “It’s good to educate people. People here certainly have the money to buy (different brands of motorbikes).” And while I often give Vietnamese friends a hard time for using weather as an excuse to avoid going out and doing things, the racing fans braved the elements during a predictably stormy Sunday afternoon to get their fix. Sitting on plastic stools under garbage bags and newspapers as the heavens opened, one felt close to to all the action.
Vietnamese Team Sponsor Hammered by Man City Visit Vietnam suffered an 8-1 hammering at the hands of English outfit Manchester City, but the sponsor of the glamour fixture suffered far bigger losses, according to Thanh Nien. Do Quang Hien, chairman of SHB Bank, said he spent “about 40 billion Vietnam dong” ($1.83 million) bringing the four-times English champions to this country, with a substantial amount of the costs going on security, medical facilities and organisation for the game in Hanoi. Despite the losses, Hien declared himself happy with the near sell-out fixture and believed it would help Vietnam in their World Cup qualifying bid. Big-spending Manchester City put on a show with new 49 million pounds (US$76.35 million) signing Raheem Sterling scoring twice and first teamers Aleksandar Kolarov and David Silva also getting on the scoresheet.
schools in Vietnam will not be the place for professional athletes and students under training to become the athletes from 2016 onward, according to new government regulations. The regulations were announced on Jul. 30 by Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam during a meeting on the organisation of national sports events. Only normal students enrolled in elementary, middle, and high schools will be allowed to take part in the National Sports Tournament for Schools, which is held every four years. The maiden National Sports Tournament for Schools, commonly called the Phu Dong Health Festival, was first organised in 1983. Recent tournaments have included the participation of professional athletes and students under training at sports schools to grow into athletes. That has discouraged other students from taking part.
Vietnamese Swimming Vietnam Cleans up at Star Continues to Vovinam Championship Make Waves Vietnam defended their title at the fourth World Vovinam (Vietnamese martial arts) Championship which wrapped up in Algeria earlier in August, writes Vietnam News. The team brought home 19 golds and five silver medals. The hosts Algeria came second with 15 golds, 12 silvers and six bronzes. Italy came third with one gold, five silvers and two bronzes. The three-day event witnessed the participation of 250 officials, referees and contestants from 20 countries worldwide. Vovinam is currently practised in 12 African countries and has become considerably popular since the African Vovinam Federation was established in 2012. In Algeria alone, there are more than 22,000 learners in 30 out of the country’s 40 provinces and cities.
New Rules for Phu Dong games Sports tournaments for K-12
Vietnamese swimmer Nguyen Thi Anh Vien secured a bronze medal and broke a personal record in the women’s 200m medley in August at the FINA World Cup in Moscow, reports Thanh Nien. In the finals, the 19-yearold swimmer from Can Tho came up against tough competition from two Hungarian swimmers, Katinka Hosszu and Zsuzsanna Jakobos. She finished third with a time of 2:12:33, which broke her personal record achieved at the 2014 Asian Games. Vien is the first Vietnamese national to stand on the podium at a swimming World Cup.
tes upda ur d n e S out yo p or ab g grou @ in ry o p s rtnt to har .com m e a v e vietn word
PHOTOS BY KYLE PHANROY
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Yalumba The Octavius Shiraz 13.5% Arzuaga Crianza 14.5% Arzuaga Pago Florentino 14.5%
Vietnam's favourite Brazilian restaurant.
HES, S I D W H NE N OW WIT D A NEW FEEL. OK AN O L W E A N
Au Lac Do Brazil I Hanoi - 238 Pasteur, Dist. 3 Tel: (08) 3820 7157 - Fax: (08) 3820 7682 pr@aulacdobrazil.com
Au Lac Do Brazil II Hanoi - 6A Cao Ba Quat, Ba Dinh Dist Tel: (04) 3845 5224 - Fax: (04) 3747 4330 pr_hanoi@aulacdobrazil.com
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ToDo list HCMC
The Inspiring Women workshop series will take place throughout September
Musician Jeffrey Lewis will be playing Cargo on Sep. 4
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2.
With September kicking into gear, so big dance acts, women’s workshops, farmer’s markets and film festivals are all touching down in Saigon
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Inspiring Women Workshop Series
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Sherwood Residence, Q3 Sep. 3 to Sep. 26 Four workshops will run beginning on Sep. 3 aimed at “connecting women with their personal purpose, convictions and life forces”. Supporting conversations and body practices around energy, actions and results, women of all ages, cultural and educational backgrounds are invited to exchange authentic dialogues in the company of others in their journey towards growth. Covering topics such as Vision & Ideal, The Balancing Act of Negotiation and Happiness & Fulfillment, each workshop is independent of the others and don’t have to be taken in a series. Here is the full programme: Vision & Ideals Sep. 3 or Sep. 5 The Balancing Act of Negotiation Sep. 10 or Sep. 12 Creativity, Innovation & Leadership Development Sep. 17 or Sep. 19 Happiness & Fulfillment Sep. 24 or Sep. 26 Each workshop costs US$150 (VND3,381,975) or US$127 (VND2,863,405) if you sign up to the entire programme. The programme runs from 9.30am to 6pm weekdays or weekends. Check out facebook. com/inspiring.women.program. The Sherwood Residence is at 127 Pasteur, Q3, HCMC
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Jeffrey Lewis & The Jrams Cargo Backstage, Q4 Friday Sep. 4 Loud Minority have teamed up with the Pasteur Street Brewing Company to bring in New York artist Jeffrey Lewis & The Jrams on Friday Sep. 4. Combining folk warmth with garage noise, like if Woody Guthrie fronted Sonic Youth, Jeffrey Lewis began recording cassettes of his songs in New York City in the late 1990s. Some of these tracks found their way to the iconic Rough Trade Records label in London (The Smiths, The Strokes, The Libertines), who signed him up immediately. In addition to headlining tours, Jeffrey has often shared gigs with the likes of Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks, The Fall, Daniel Johnston, Devo and Pulp amongst others. Tickets are available at ticketbox.vn and cost (VND250,000) in advance or
(VND300,000) on the door. Cargo Back Stage is at 7 Nguyen Tat Thanh, Q4, HCMC
World Masters Golf Championships Da Nang Golf Club and Montgomery Links, Danang Sep. 6 to Sep. 12 If you’ve got a week up your sleeve and you fancy yourself a handy golfer, the World Masters Golf Championship in Danang is made for you. Experience the greatest game in the world as it was intended to be played, on world-class courses Da Nang Golf Club and Montgomerie Links. Open to all amateur golfers male and female over 35 years old, the week-long event includes four rounds of golf and there are a range of packages available that include trips to local destinations
including Hoi An and Hue. Sounds like the perfect opportunity to mix pleasure with pleasure. For more information visit vietnamworldmasters.com
Australian Property Seminar Sofitel Saigon Plaza, Q1 Wednesday Sep. 9 On Wednesday Sep. 9 at the Sofitel Saigon Plaza, Expat Property Planner’s Greg Shand will be returning to present the tax benefits expat Australians receive when buying an investment property while living abroad. Australians are very propertycentric, and owning a property is something that’s drilled into Ozzies from a very young age. However, most don’t really understand the tax benefits that come from investing in real estate, and having a tenant pay 90 percent
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ToDo
1
list HCMC
With September kicking into gear, so big dance acts, women’s workshops, farmer’s markets and film festivals are all touching down in Saigon
Barbara Anchisi Solo Exhibition Eight Gallery, Q1 Sep. 9 to 11
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September at The Observatory The Observatory packs in the best local and international underground electronic and dance music acts. Here’s some of what’s on this month.
Nick Monaco is one of the many class acts playing at Observatory this month
Barbara Anchisi’s latest exhibition kicks off on Sep. 9
The inaugural Saigon International Rugby 10s tournament will be held on Sep. 12
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Thursday Sep. 10
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of the mortgage. In the seminar, Greg will address this issue and will also explain why in 2015 and beyond, purchasing Australian property is an excellent strategy for creating financial independence or an external superannuation plan. The seminar runs from 6.30pm to 8pm on Wednesday Sep. 9 at Sofitel Saigon Plaza, 17 Le Duan, Q1, HCMC. Attendance is free of charge. To register, email Greg Shand on greg@expatpropertyplanners.com. au by Tuesday Sep. 8 or call +66 909 547616
A genre-defying performance by an enigma of a musical being, Nick Monaco (US) brings an impressive expressiveness and honesty to his sets, incorporating an immense range of styles to drive audiences through a safari of sound-induced emotions. Entry is free before 11pm and VND100,000 after. Friday Sep. 11 Eurofiles can salute the birthplace of techno on Friday Sep. 11 when major name Jan Oberlaender (GER) brings his wickedness to the DJ booth. Brought to you by Goethe-Institut and Heartbeat, supporting on the night will be OKO, Chris Wolter & B.A.X. Entry is free before 10pm and VND150,000 thereafter. Friday Sep. 18 Continue the party on Friday Sep. 18 when local legends Nic Ford, Hibiya Line and Dan Lo kick off
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another edition of the monthly hug-fest that is the EA&OC Loft Party. This local outfit have been throwing parties in the city for the last two years and promise to again bring their ‘heady equatorial atmosphere with eclectic dance-focused music — from afro-beat to disco, house and techno.’ Entry is free before 11pm and VND100,000 after. Saturday Sep. 26 If none of that floats your boat, on Saturday Sep. 26 a man who delivered one of the most legendary sets at Observatory’s old venue is back. Alex from Tokyo, the DJ master with residencies in New York and Tokyo, will provide a vinyl-based audio journey unlike any other. Free before 11pm, VND150,000 after, get your dance on people: September is stacked. The Observatory is at 5 Nguyen Tat Thanh Q4, HCMC. Check out fb.com/theobservatoryhcmc for all events
Barbara Anchisi’s third solo exhibition in Vietnam, he work is a “fusion of Italian and Vietnamese atmospheres through the use of different techniques”. The soft opening takes place on Wednesday Sep. 9 from 6pm and 8pm, and to meet the artist you’ll need to be there between 2pm and 6pm on the Sep. 11. We expect there’ll be some wine and crudités to go with, darling. Go get your art on. Eight Gallery is at 8 Phung Khac Khoan, Q1 HCMC
Saigon International Rugby 10s RMIT, Q7 Saturday Sep. 12 Al Fresco’s Group are hosting and sponsoring the inaugural Saigon International Rugby 10s tournament at RMIT on Saturday Sep. 12. Billed as ‘the beginning of a new chapter for rugby’ the event will coincide with the start of the 2015 Rugby World Cup and aims to put Saigon firmly on the map as a place to play rugby in Asia. Ex-Wallaby internationals Damian Smith, Garrick Morgan and Greg Cornelsen will be on hand to oversee the action, as teams from Hong Kong, Phnom Penh and Australia take on the cast of local regulars. It
should be a great family day out, too, with kids’ activities including a bouncy castle also planned. And with the Saigon Geckos and the Hanoi Dragons also competing, we know who we’ll be cheering on for this one. For more information check out saigonrugby10s.vn/home. RMIT is at 702 Nguyen Van Linh, Q7, HCMC
Farmers Market Saigon Outcast, Q2 Sunday Sep. 13 Following the success of the second edition back in July, the Farmers Market is back for more. More local treats and organically grown produce to feast your senses on. And if you have something you want to share, it’s probably not too late to register for a stand. Last time featured the likes of Organic Kombucha brand Nam-bucha, our friends at Pasteur Brewing, Citi Green and a host of local artisans delivering on a promise of better food made in a better, more sustainable way. Namaste people, we love you. Download your vendor application from fb.com/outcastfarmersmarket. Doors open on the day at 10am, entry is a VND20,000 donation to charity
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ToDo list HCMC
With September kicking into gear, so big dance acts, women’s workshops, farmer’s markets and film festivals are all touching down in Saigon
Ho Tram Goes Above & Beyond Ho Tram Strip, Ba Ria-Vung Tau Saturday Sep. 19 The Ho Tram Resort Casino is set to host London trance-trio Above & Beyond. Co-organised by Escape Music Festival, the show is set to be huge and according to Stephen Shoemaker, CEO of the development company responsible for the resort, is completely aligned with their ambition. “When we first conceived the Ho Tram Strip, we set out to establish a new entertainment capital for Vietnam. Above & Beyond are recognised composers who stage productions that have mesmerized audiences the world over. It’s an honour to be bringing them to this country.” Judging by their You Tube clips, he ain’t too far wrong. Tickets cost VND800,000 and are on sale now at ticketbox.vn and thegrandhotram.com/events
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Kids Yoga Teacher Training Course
Above & Beyond might just be the biggest EDM act to come to Vietnam
The BBGV Fun Run returns to Phu My Hung on Sep. 27
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ISHCMC, Q2 Sep. 19 to 20 “Inspire the children in your life to build strength and stability, while keeping them engaged and stimulating their incredible imaginations through the practices of yoga and mindfulness.” So reads the press release. Once again, too much yoga is never enough as far as were concerned, and especially when it comes to kids — the earlier the better! This two-day programme held by veteran instructor Suzanne Vian will explore theory, games and exercises appropriate for all ages, from toddlers to teens. The course will be held at ISHCMC, 28 Vo Truong Toan, Q2, HCMC and costs US$395 (VND8,905,868). Groups of four or more will get a 10 percent discount. Check out suzannevian.com for more information
BBGV Fun Run Phu My Hung, Q7 Sunday Sep. 27 It’s that time of year again, when the British Business Group of Vietnam (BBGV) puts on one of the largest
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2 charity sporting events of the year, the fun run. Walk, run, jog or even crawl the short course, it doesn’t matter. The whole point is taking part, having fun and giving something back to those in need. With the event touching down on Sunday Sep. 27 in Phu My Hung, this year’s target is to raise VND1 billion to support charitable projects in Vietnam.
And if last year’s run is anything to go by, expect 10,000 participants to be braving the Sunday morning heat for a day out in District 7. If you’re interested in getting involved, email info@bbgv.org or call (08) 3829 8430. And to find out more about the BBGV’s charity projects, go to the following link: bbgv.org/in-thecommunity/charitable-projects.html
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IN
Just HCMC
New salad joints, bars and toyshops, new services, make up for men and all the other odd bits and bobs that pop up in our Inbox
Stoked by Stoker Before gas and electricity became a household utility, a stoker was a contraption used to pump up a fire for cooking. Now, they are a rarity, but that hasn’t stopped Stoker the restaurant drawing inspiration from this antique tool. Laying bare their wood-fired grill and oven in order to demonstrate their art — cooking meat the traditional way — the new dining option showcases the first dry-ageing room in town, featuring several cuts of meat being aged to maximize flavour and finish. While dining, check out some old school cocktails or the superb wine list curated by New Zealand mixologist Greg Jacob. Sounds like plenty to keep foodies interested. As their own press release says, “More than a grill, more than a steakhouse, Stoker is a unique fixture on Vietnam’s dining scene for those that like their meat well prepared and expertly cooked.” Stoker is at 44 Mac Thi Buoi, Q1, HCMC. Check them out at fb.com/ stokerwoodfiredgrill
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Stoker goes beyond the concept of your standard steakhouse
Outfits from the latest collection by Bonita
Au Lac Do Brazil is obsessed with meat. Even the plank steaks are to die for
Saigon Artbook is search for new artist submissions
Steam Train Blues by The Curtis King Band will be released on Sep. 25
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Bia Craft Opens Up It’s official, people in Vietnam also like the taste of beer that isn’t massproduced and sold by the mega-litre. And not surprisingly, craft beer has been getting a lot of publicity. Now there is a new venue to celebrate the love. Bia Craft in Thao Dien have officially opened their doors and are currently selling around 12 different brews, from double IPAs, pale ales and amber ales to anything else with the word ‘ale’ on the end. They have names like Phat Rooster, Fuzzy Logic and Te Te — and we may have already tried a few!
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PHOTOS BY PROLMAGE STUDIO / MODEL THI NGUYEN
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New Collection from Bonita Brazilian fashion stylist, Silvia de Britto, has taken her knowledge of the industry one step further — she has gone from stylist to designer. With a new collection available at Kokois (24 Thao Dien, Q2, HCMC), Silvia’s concept is innovative, individual and expressive, combining fashion with spontaneity. Made with a unique mix of colourful fabrics and materials, two lines of clothing are available — casual chic and beachwear — both designed to make you look feminine but still feel powerful. A separate collection of Bonita accessories is also available at Kokois and TakaYuki Boutique (1st Floor, 44 Ly Tu Trong, Q1, HCMC). To see the latest collection from Bonita ‘in the flesh’ head to Kokois. Alternatively, you can email Silvia on silvietfr@yahoo.fr
3 By the time you read this there could more and food is in the offing. These are the same guys that brought you Quan Ut Ut, so we expect it to be popular, and the whole thing represents a partnership with micro-brew importer Zebrafish. Yay! Bia Craft is at 90 Xuan Thuy, Q2, HCMC and is open between 11am and midnight.
Shakin’ it Up at Au Lac Do Brazilian churrasco restaurant, Au Lac Do Brazil, likes its meat. In fact, it likes it so much that its decided to add some new dishes to its already meat-fest inspired menu. With either the ribeye, tenderloin or lamp chops on offer, all served up as plank steaks on American wooden oak planks, the new dishes come with mashed or baked potato, pepper or mushroom sauce, or just parsley garlic butter. We’ve tried them and have lived to tell the tale — they taste awesome! And if you prefer the churrasco-style buffet, well these days it’s better than ever. Au Lac Do Brazil is at 238 Pasteur, Q3,
HCMC. Its Hanoi restaurant is at 6 Cao Ba Quat, Ba Dinh
Call for Artists Saigon Artbook is a dynamic, non-profit organisation that publishes and exhibits quarterly in Saigon, featuring innovative and, as yet, undiscovered Vietnamese or long-term expat artists working in the city. They are now calling for submissions to find artists for the upcoming editions in 2016. For each edition, artists are challenged to create an unseen collection, giving them a chance to explore their creativity. Saigon Artbook aims to be a first platform for emerging artists and provides the opportunity to work with Saigon Artbook’s curator, Shyevin S'ng from Vin Gallery. Interested applicants are asked to visit saigonartbook.org/submit. Information required for their submissions can be found at this link and all entries must be received by Nov. 30, 2015. For more information email info@ saigonartbook.org
Steam Train Blues If you know Dalat-based, Grammyrecognised musician Curtis King, you’ll know two things about him. 1) He is obsessed with playing the blues and 2) He is obsessed with trains. Together with his band of marauding musicians, on Sep. 25 Curtis is releasing a new album, Steam Train Blues. The collaboration of a whole smorgasbord of artists including Nha Trang-based Erick Swackhammer and Tran Minh Duc, Shanghai-based Matthew ‘Cadillac’ Cooper, Welshman Howard ‘Mr. Fingers’ Rosser, German Uwe Vogel, and several prominent musicians from Singapore, including the legendary John Chee of Crazy Elephant fame, this is a work truly inspired by living and playing music in Vietnam. The album will be available at cdbaby.com and will cost US$8.88 or US$0.88 per song. For more info visit curtiskinglive.com or to check out what he does in Dalat — it involves the a restaurant, a bar, a hotel and a train villa — click on dalattrainvilla.com
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ALBUM ARTWORK BY ANDY POTTER
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IN
Just HCMC
New salad joints, bars and toyshops, new services, make up for men and all the other odd bits and bobs that pop up in our Inbox
Danang to host leg of Round the World Clipper race What’s a Clipper? And how do they race? Two questions you should be asking yourself right now, unless you know anything about the world of yachting and sailing. In mid-February next year, a fleet of these ‘maxi-yachts’ will arrive in Danang, stay between five and 12 days, then set off on their way back to London. It’s a huge media event by all accounts and gives the city of Danang a bunch of free publicity in places like London’s Tower Bridge and Sydney’s Opera House, where images of the city will appear. Deputy Chairman of the Danang People's Committee, Dang Viet Dung, said that the city is extremely proud to be the Southeast Asian host port and team sponsor of the event. He added that as a young and dynamic city, Danang is willing to take on the challenge in the same spirit as the sailors taking part in the race. The race begins on Aug. 30 in London and you can follow its progress at clipperroundtheworld.com
Marks & Spencer opens in the Crescent Mall
The view from the infinity pool at Mercure Phu Quoc
The Reverie is possibly the most colourful hotel in Saigon
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Furama Danang Gets a Chopper Last month we discovered that Zedd’s not dead, and this month a hotel in Danang gets its own chopper. That’s a helicopter if you want to split hairs. From August, Furama five-star resort started operating a private helipad for the exclusive use of their guests, allowing them the opportunity to experience ‘amazing Danang from a totally unique angle’. This includes views of the Marble Mountains, the white sands of Danang beach and the ‘awe-inspiring’ Son Tra peninsula. At 12 minutes a go there’s no time to waste, and you need to make your reservation for five people a day in advance. Talk about taking your vacation to the next level — airborne! The daily tour is priced at VND3,300,000 pp nett for a 12-minute trip, and departs from 8am and 2pm. To book, contact recreation@ furamavietnam.com
Le Fruit Takes out Great Taste Award The world’s most coveted blindtaste food awards, Great Taste, have just released the Great Taste stars of 2015, and French-owned, Vietnam-based producer Le Fruit is amongst those celebrating. Its jam, which uses locally grown fruit
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1 and is hand-crafted in the Mekong Delta, is now able to proudly carry the little gold and black Great Taste logo, because they’ve just won the Two Gold Star Award. Judged by over 400 of the most demanding palates belonging to food critics, chefs, cooks, restaurateurs, producers and a host of food writers and journalists, Great Taste is widely acknowledged as the most respected food accreditation scheme for artisan and speciality food producers. For more information on Le Fruit,
go to vergersmekong.com
Marks & Sparks Opens in Crescent Mall Brits who know what this headline means will be rubbing their hands together at the chance to feel that little bit closer to home after giant retailer Marks & Spencer opened up its second location in Ho Chi Minh City last month. Mark Koprowski, regional director at Marks & Spencer, said this when it opened: “We’re delighted to be opening our new
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store in Ho Chi Minh City with our franchise partner Central Retail Corporation. Featuring our latest fashion collections across womenswear, lingerie and beauty, our second store in Vietnam enables us to offer more of our exceptional quality, stylish products to customers. We are looking forward to welcoming customers to the new store today.” No more walking around Crescent Mall and wondering when the signs will come down and the lights will go on, then. The new store is on the Ground Floor, Crescent Mall, 101 Ton Dat Tien, Q7, HCMC and is open Monday to Sunday, 10am to 10pm
Mercure Phu Quoc Opens for Business Accor Hotels has announced the opening of another premium property on Phu Quoc Island. The newly refurbished resort, which features 72 villas with private terraces, offers both privacy and accessibility on Vietnam’s increasingly sought-after island
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destination. Said COO Patrick Basset, “Mercure Phu Quoc Resort & Villas will accommodate holiday makers and travellers on the increasingly popular island, especially those seeking to ‘switch off’ or simply enjoy the beach and unique ecotourism activities in the area.” Sounds good to us. Your shout? Room rates at Mercure Phu Quoc Resort and Villas start at US$106 (VND2,389,929). For more information, please visit accorhotels. com
Mezz Opens in Sofitel Already a local paragon of great food in a great location, the Sofitel Saigon Plaza has announced the opening of Mezz, which it calls “the very first interactive restaurant in Vietnam” and provides “a new culinary discovery with international dishes and Asian specialties, along with imported products from France”. General manager, Bertrand Courtois, seems pretty happy with it too. “We are delighted at the
opening of this new restaurant which took three months to complete,” he said. “From the moment you enter, a unique gastronomic experience will begin.” To see a review of Mezz, turn to page 180
Reverie Saigon September Grand Opening The Reverie Saigon, one of the city’s most eagerly anticipated new hotels, has set a date for its grand opening — Sep. 1. So, by the time you read this, it’s probably already thriving. The 286-room property anchors the 39-storey Times Square building in the heart of Ho Chi Minh City’s District 1. Featuring incomparable views of the city and the Saigon River, the latest addition to the Leading Hotels of the World portfolio is a study in unapologetic splendour. For more information, check out the property for yourself by clicking on thereveriesaigon.com
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overscene HCMC
Den Hung Bike Ride
Photos by Francis Xavier The Bike Shop sponsored a 30km mountain biking race in Saigon’s District 9. Was it grueling? Yes. But was it fun? You’re damn right it was!
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Skylight
Photos by Nick Ross Although only in its soft opening phase, Nha Trang’s highest bar is already putting the P back into party above the rooftops of the city
fashion talk show
Photos by Charles Von Presley A brand-new Vietnamese designer brand with a minimalistic, conceptual and artistic sense of fashion, Maison Kenji hosted a talk show to share stories and experiences about the world of fashion
If you have a noteworthy event which you think would fit into our coverage, please email news@wordvietnam.com and we'll take a look
saigon scooter centre re-opening Photos by Charles Von Presley To celebrate its relocation from the hinterland of Tan Binh to the wealthyland of District 2, SSC held a beer, BBQ and scooter party
the new district
Photos by Kyle Phanroy Cargo Bar doesn’t just do live music and EDM. It also does flea markets these days, with New District touching down in its spacious interior every fortnight
Zedd is not dead
Photos by Kyle Phanroy A top-notch lighting and sound system were part of the deal at Russian DJ Zedd’s Vietnam debut at the Rach Chiec Driving Range. But here it wasn’t just golf balls that the world Top 10 DJ was spinning…
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ToDo
listHanoi September looks like it’s going to be a big one, with the German Film Festival, a contemporary dance festival plus birthday parties, DJ nights and much more 1
Thris Tian
DJ and producer Thris Tian will be playing at ATK
Bookworm turns both 14 and five in the same month
Images from the movie about hackers, Who Am I
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CAMA ATK, Hai Ba Trung Saturday Sep. 5 Boiler Room co-founder and head programmer, Thris Tian, is heading to ATK on Friday Sep. 4 to bring his years of DJing and musicalworldly experience to what should be a pretty wild show. With a set that will pulse loudly to the rhythm of his highly eclectic finds of house, soul, hip hop, jazz and all that’s in between, expect an adventure into a wide range of musical possibilities: global roots sounds, fresh unreleased selections and heady dancefloor delights. Starting off thanks to a musical apprenticeship with Gilles Peterson at his record label Brownswood Recordings, Thris Tian has since become one of those DJs and producers who has travelled the globe not once or twice, but thrice. Responsible for the dynamic and eclectic line-ups that have become synonymous with Boiler Room sessions around the world — from London to Los Angeles, and Berlin to Cape Town — this could be a night to remember. CAMA ATK is at 73 Mai Hac De, Hai Ba Trung. Doors are at 8pm. Entrance TBA
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14 and Five Bookworm, Ba Dinh Saturday Sep. 5 This September Bookworm celebrates two milestones; 14 years in Hanoi and five years on Chau Long in the Truc Bach area of town. To mark its longevity, Bookworm Chau Long will put on an afternoon of cool music and free sangria on Saturday Sep. 6. There will also be discounts of between 15 percent to 25 percent off the price of all books and merchandise at both Bookworm outlets. Bookworm Chau Long is at 44 Chau Long, Ba Dinh, Hanoi. Weekend Bookworm is at 6 Lane 1/28 Au Co, Tay Ho, Hanoi
Danang, Hue and Ho Chi Minh City. Hosting a versatile programme of the most popular German-made movies, this year the festival will showcase the dynamism and creativity of the German film industry, featuring genres ranging from thriller to drama to comedy. There will be 30 screenings in German with Vietnamese and English subtitles (or the occasional voiceover); many of the films have been successful in cinemas around the world as well as at the Berlin Film Festival. Movies include For No Eyes Only, Who Am I, Hacker and Not My Day — for the full schedule click on goethe. de/german-filmfestival-vietnam. Tickets for all films are free of charge. The movies will be screened at the National Cinema Centre, 87 Lang Ha, Ba Dinh, Hanoi. Free tickets are available from Goethe-Institut Hanoi, 56-58 Nguyen Thai Hoc, Ba Dinh, Hanoi, Tel: (04) 3734 2251/52/53 (ext. 9)
The German Film Festival
Chapter II: Noon
Goethe-Institut, Ba Dinh Sep. 6 to Sep. 13
L’Espace, Hoan Kiem Sep. 10 to Oct. 2
This year’s sixth annual German Film Festival will kick off in Hanoi on Sunday Sep. 6 before moving to
L’Espace’s exhibition hall will play host to Noon, the latest exhibition of French artist, Sandrine Llouquet.
3 Running from Sep. 10 through to early October, Midi (Noon) is as much a time of the day as it is a step in the artist’s creation process. The word is borrowed from Nietzsche’s work, Thus Spake Zarathustra — it was through reading the work of such philosophers, historians and alchemists that led Llouquet to this exhibition. Here she shows the current stage of her research through drawings, scuptures and installations. Psychology, alchemy and rituals are melted into a temple work dedicated to a strange cult. L’Espace is at 24 Trang Tien, Hoan Kiem. Entrance is free of charge
The Night Train CAMA ATK, Hai Ba Trung Friday Sep. 11 The Night Train returns to Cama ATK on Friday Sep. 11 with more sweet soul music, RnB and rock ‘n roll cherry picked from Tamla Motown, Atlantic and Chess Records, as well as rare cuts plucked from the smokey 1960s juke joints of Chicago and Detroit. With Northern Soul,
sweat-dripping ballrooms and slices of funk to keep you on your toes, August’s launch night left the dancefloor in tatters. So what will the September version hold? All we know is this: frenzy is encouraged, dancing is necessary. CAMA ATK is at 73 Mai Hac De, Hai Ba Trung. Doors are at 9pm. Entrance is free of charge
Mai Charissa L’Espace, Hoan Kiem Saturday Sep. 12 Born in 1996 to a Vietnamese mother and a British father, Mai Charissa began learning the piano aged five in Paris before continuing her studies in Thailand. Since 2004, she has attended the master classes of Colin Stone at the London Royal Academy of Music. Prior to performing at L’Espace, she will be giving concerts in France and the UK, and will also take part in the Beethoven Festival in Bonn. The concert starts at 8pm and entrance is VND160,000 (VND80,000 for students and members). L’Espace is at 24 Trang Tien, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi. Tickets need to be purchased in advance
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ToDo
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listHanoi
On VIP’s seventh birthday, this Honda 67 will be auctioned off to the highest bidder
Jazz duo Emile Parisien and Vincent Peirani will be performing at L’Espace
Puccini’s opera, Tosca, to be screened at Cinematheque
best-loved dancers will be performing Zen at Manzi
Israel’s ArtLana will be one of the outfits performing at this year’s Contemporary Dance Festival
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September looks like it’s going to be a big one, with the German Film Festival, a contemporary dance festival plus birthday parties, DJ nights and much more
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Old Sounds of New Day Manzi, Ba Dinh Friday Sep. 18 The monthly series of traditional music concerts hosted by Manzi returns on Friday Sep. 18. In an effort to support traditional values, and to tell a quickly-beinglost story about traditional music in Vietnam, the theme of the second encounter in this series will be lullabies. Featuring three masters of traditional music — Xuan Hoach, Thanh Hoai, Thanh Binh — in Vietnam, a lullaby is not just something a parent sings to a child. There are also lullabies for lovers and to celebrate sisterhood. Doors are at 8pm on Friday, Sep. 18 at Manzi, 14 Phan Huy Ich, Ba Dinh, Hanoi. Entrance surcharge is VND250,000 (including a free drink). Due to limited seating capacity, please email manzihanoi@gmail.com before Tuesday Sep. 15 to reserve seats.
VIP Turns Seven Al Fresco’s, Tay Ho Saturday Sep. 19 Everyone’s favourite motorbike repair social enterprise, VIP Bikes, will celebrate its seventh birthday party on Saturday Sep. 19 at Al Fresco’s in Tay Ho. Kicking off at 4.30pm with activities for the kids including face painting, balloon sculptures and bikie tattoos, there will be plenty of free giveaways, live music rocking in the beer garden, and free draught beer from 5.30pm. New VIP Bikes members can register at an information table on the night or find out more about this social
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enterprise by heading to their new location (17 Ve Ho, Tay Ho), while mini VIPs can have their photo taken ‘riding’ on a vintage Honda 67 before the bike gets auctioned off at 7pm. Expect the excitement to rev up after the auction and go on into the night — just make sure you’ve got enough gas in the tank to go the distance. For more information see the VIP Bikes 7th Birthday Party event page on Facebook. Al Fresco’s is at 24 Quang An, Tay Ho, Hanoi
Duo Peirani-Parisien L’Espace, Hoan Kiem Saturday Sep. 19 Featuring jazz musicians Emile Parisien (saxophone) and Vincent Peirani (accordéon), the awardwinning duo have performed on all of Europe’s largest stages, playing everything from jazz to swing. The show on Saturday Sep. 19 will be their first performance in Vietnam. The concert starts at 8pm and entrance is VND160,000 (VND80,000 for
students and members). L’Espace is at 24 Trang Tien, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi. Tickets need to be purchased in advance
Tosca Hanoi Cinematheque, Hoan Kiem Sunday Sep. 20 Cinematheque will be restarting is monthly screening of recently performed operas this month on Sunday Sep. 20 with a rendition of Giacomo Puccini’s opera, Tosca. Set in Rome in June 1800, with the Kingdom of Naples’s control of Rome threatened by Napoleon’s invasion of Italy, the work contains depictions of torture, murder and suicide, as well as some of Puccini’s best-known lyrical arias. It will be screened at both 3pm and 7pm. Cinematheque is at 22A Hai Ba Trung, Hanoi. For members, make a reservation by calling (04) 3936 2648 daily between 2.30pm and 9pm. A limited number of tickets are also available through the Opera Guild — email info@ hanoioperaguild.com. A donation of VND60,000 is suggested
Successfully contributing to a growing awareness of contemporary dance in Hanoi, the festival is an initiative of EUNIC, the Network of European Cultural Institutes and Embassies in Hanoi, in cooperation with the Vietnam National Opera and Ballet (VNBO). It's coordinated by the Goethe-Institut. The audience will experience a broad and varied spectrum of contemporary dance from different countries including France, Germany, Israel, Japan, Poland and Vietnam. In addition there will be a co-production of dancers from Wallonie-Bruxelles and Vietnam. A highlight of this year’s festival will be the performance of the internationally renowned Compagnie Sasha Waltz & Guests from Berlin at the Hanoi Opera House. Here is the schedule:
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find elsewhere. Yes, Queer Disco returns on Saturday Sep. 26. So, time to dress up, slip into them heels and bring out the drag. This is one to get you dancing. CAMA ATK is at 73 Mai Hac De, Hai Ba Trung. Doors are at 9pm. Entrance is free of charge
Talk Show
Zen Contemporary Dance
Manzi, Ba Dinh Sunday Sep. 20
Manzi, Ba Dinh Tuesday Sep. 29
Giang Dang’s talk shows return this month, with the latest episode focused on the theme: Towards Happiness and Wellbeing for All: Gross National Happiness in Bhutan. Joining presenter Giang Dang will be the director of the Gross National Happiness (GNH) Centre of Bhutan, Ha Vinh Tho. The English-language-only talk will focus on the topics of wellbeing, happiness and, of course, Bhutan. Doors are at 7.30pm on Sunday, Sep. 20 at Manzi, 14 Phan Huy Ich, Ba Dinh, Hanoi. Due to a limited seating capacity, please email manzihanoi@gmail.com before Tuesday Sep. 15 to register for the event
Queer Disco CAMA ATK, Hai Ba Trung Saturday Sep. 26 It’s monthly. It’s wild. And the music consists of all of those fem-pop, 1980s hits you can’t
Extracts from the contemporary dance piece Zen will be performed at Manzi on Tuesday Sep. 29 with the participation of Hanoi’s most beloved dancers — Thanh Budha, Mai Tinh Vi, Ha Tu Thien and Hien Sen. The piece is choreographed by Tran Ly Ly, one of the bestknown choreographers of contemporary dance in Vietnam. Doors are at 8pm. Manzi is at 14 Phan Huy Ich, Ba Dinh, Hanoi. Entrance is free of charge. Please email manzihanoi@gmail.com before Thursday Sep. 25 to register for the event
Contemporary Dance Festival Youth Theatre, Hai Ba Trung & Hanoi Opera House, Hoan Kiem Sep. 30 to Oct. 4 The fifth annual installment of Europe Meets Asia in Contemporary Dance kicks off on Wednesday, Sep. 30 with dance performances from seven countries.
Wednesday, Sep. 30 8pm, Youth Theatre Hanoi Nos Solitudes (Solo, 60’, France) Thursday, Oct. 1 8pm, Youth Theatre Hanoi ArtLana (Duo, 22’, Israel) Sur le Rivage (Duo, 50’, Wallonie-Bruxelles / Vietnam) Friday, Oct. 2 8pm, Hanoi Opera House Zweiland (7 dancers, 65’, Germany) Saturday, Oct. 3. 3pm, Youth Theatre Hanoi ArtLana (Duo, 22’, Israel) Kelex Goes Back to the Woods (Solo, 30’, Japan) Saturday, Oct. 3 8pm, Hanoi Opera House Zweiland (12 dancers, 65’, Germany) Sunday, Oct. 4 8pm, Youth Theatre Hanoi Kelex Goes Back to the Woods (Solo, 30’, Japan) DSM-IV 301.81 — The Personality Disorders of Type B (Solo, 25’, Poland) Zen (Trio, 25’, Vietnam) Free tickets are available from 12pm on Sep. 23 at Goethe-Institut Hanoi, L’Espace and The Japan Foundation
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IN
Just Hanoi
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Photo by Julie Vola. Caption: Bin Laden Café. Only in Hanoi…
Moto-San brings something new to Hanoi — Japanese noodles on the street
The newly refurbished Le Beaulieu Restaurant at The Metropole
Apricot Hotel is the latest five-star hotel to touch down in Hanoi. This one, though, is all about locally produced art
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Bin Laden Cafe Opened just two months ago, we couldn’t resist when we heard there was a new café in town named after the late Osama. Located in the old French Quarter, the owners are clear about their choice of name: “We chose it to draw attention.” And that is what they have done, with curious people like Word popping down to check out their offerings. At the end of it all, Bin Laden is pretty much your standard café, with not even an inkling of revolutionary spirit, although if you like your shisha (VND120,000 a pipe), the joint’s got a number of flavours available. Also on the menu are sodas (VND25,000 to VND30,000), cocktails (VND35,000 to VND40,000), smoothies (VND30,000 to VND40,000), all making this a fairly cheap way to remember in those dramatic and disturbing events back in 2001 that changed the world. Bin Laden Café is at 42Z Ly Thuong Kiet, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
Moto-San Japanese streetfood in Hanoi? You’re kidding, right? Well, that’s exactly the intention of the recently opened slither of a joint at 4 Ly Dao Thanh which serves French baguette banh
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my and ramen noodles both day night. The brainchild of Nguyen Qui Duc (aka the face and brains behind Tadioto), also on the menu is beer, sake, dried beef and whiskey, making this tiny joint perfect for lunch-on-the-run or a late-night bowl of Japanese noodles. To read more, turn to the article on Moto-San on page 18
Le Beaulieu Returns After a period of refurbishment, Sofitel Metropole’s flagship restaurant Le Beaulieu, has reopened to the public. According to the five-star property, the restaurant bears a “stylish face-lift to welcome back Hanoi’s food connoisseurs, who are thrilled to enjoy the refinement of French food and wine in a newly elegant and subtle atmosphere.” Running since 1901, Le Beaulieu has been an oasis of Gallic fare in the capital, serving up dignitaries ranging from politicians and diplomats through to war correspondents and the likes of Graham Greene, Charlie Chaplin, Catherine Deneuve, Michael Caine and Sir Roger Moore. Headed up by French chef Olivier Genique, the venue continues its focus on innovative French cuisine. Le Beaulieu is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner with a long Sunday
brunch running weekly from midday to 4pm. The Metropole is at 15 Ngo Quyen, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
Apricot Hotel With plans for a grand opening in the pipeline, the five-star Apricot Hotel has opened its doors for business in the heart of Vietnam’s cultural and political capital. With sweeping views of Hoan Kiem Lake and with the Old Quarter on its doorstep, the 123-room property pays homage to art created by the nation’s master painters and its more recent crop of contemporary artists. Akin to a large-scale gallery, Apricot Hotel showcases more than 600 original artworks, spread throughout the lobby, corridors and rooms. In addition to five categories of rooms and suites named Sketch, Canvas, Gallery, Masterpiece and Studio, the hotel’s mezzanine restaurant, L’Artiste, boasts an open-style kitchen and menus in the design of an artist’s sketchbook, while A’telier, located in the lobby, serves a selection of teas from across the globe. The real masterpiece, though, is the roof-top swimming pool and fitness centre, with quite amazing views of Hoan Kiem Lake and the city beyond. Apricot Hotel is at 136 Hang Trong, Hoan Kiem or online at apricothotels.com
Europe’s No.1 in Water Technology
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Did you know? More chlorine enters your body through skin absorption and inhalation during showering than through drinking tap water. Use BWT filters to avoid skin, hair and other health problems! www.bwt-vietnam.com wordvietnam.com | September 2015 Word | 53
overscene hanoi
Polite Pub
Photos by Trung Del With a recent refurbishment in place, Hanoi’s longest running bar celebrated 20 years of serving up customers on Bao Khanh
8m2
Photos by Vu Bao Khanh Nguyen The Son’s exhibition about worker living space opened at the Goethe-Institut to critical acclaim
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Cray cray
Photos by Vu Bao Khanh ‘Music Deserves Respect’, ran the tagline, and with such an attitude, Hanoi’s biggest hip hop jam bodypopped its way down to Hanoi Creative City
If you have a noteworthy event which you think would fit into our coverage, please email news@wordvietnam.com and we'll take a look
blue grass
Photos by Trung Del It’s not all EDM, glam and leftfield musical acts from Scandinavia at ATK. Nope, they’ve even got time for some good ol’ Blue Grass
Wine Tasting at La Badiane
Photos by Julie Vola Plaimont Winery, The Warehouse and La Badiane teamed up for a night of cocktails and fine wines from the South of France
hanoi panic summer djs
Photos by Vu Bao Khanh The people behind the LGBT Zine hosted an end of summer queer dance party at Hanoi Rock City. Just because Viet Pride is over, went the poster, it doesn’t mean we have to stop being proud of who we are
Insider
Hanoi by Bus / The Face Behind the Rescue / The Undiscovered Coast / Water World / Sick-Day Recipes / Top Eat Hanoi / Street Snacker Hanoi / Mystery Diner HCMC / Street Snacker HCMC Photo by Kyle Phanroy 56 | Word September 2015 | wordvietnam.com
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Insider
INSIDER
HANOI
Hanoi by Bus Taylor Edgar took on that challenge that all of us dream of. For one week he went everywhere in the capital by bus, with not even a xe om or taxi in sight. Almost. Here’s how he fared. Photos by Julie Vola
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s it possible to forgo two wheels for a week? Can you survive in Hanoi travelling exclusively by bus and on foot? Surprisingly, the answer is yes, so long as you allow plenty of time, do your homework and have a Plan B for when it all goes pear-shaped. Here is my bus diary.
Sunday The destination today is Thong Nhat Park to meet up with some friends. I reach the top of my road on foot and the 41 is parked up, so I don’t have to walk to the bus stop. I meet a friend at the Long Bien bus station to catch a 43 or a 52. Neither appear to leave from the station so we walk along to the bus stop near the top of Hang Chieu. My Vietnamese friend has a long debate with a xe om driver, the conclusion of which is that we should catch a number 11 going
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in the opposite direction. Set out at 13.50 and arrive on time at 15.00. On the way home we all leave from the same bus stop and I catch a bus back to Long Bien with another friend heading for Hoan Kiem. Cross the road and we are back at the bus station and I hop on a 58 back to Tay Ho.
Monday I decide to visit a pagoda some 30km outside Hanoi. According to Google Maps I need to get a 58 heading out of town and then change onto a 35. The bus is running late and by the time it arrives I am feeling hot and bothered. All the seats are taken even though it is after 10.30. I have to stand most of the way. By luck I know where to hop off the 58. I have a Coke at a nearby cafe ‘till it is time
for my second bus. The helpful cafe owner comes out onto the street to direct me to the bus stop. Two minutes later it arrives. I settle down, show my bus card and then realise that instead of taking a right turn as I expected, we are making for the bridge back to Hanoi. I decide I am not getting off but will be flexible with my plans and go back into the city to run an errand I had planned for Wednesday. By the time we reach the city proper I realise I don’t have a clue where I am. I text a bus-using friend who confirms the 35 bus doesn’t go to Long Bien Bus Station. I look at the route map display and before long a helpful, English-speaking passenger advises that if I want to go to Long Bien I should get off in two more stops and catch a 34 then a 55. I disembark as advised and within two minutes a 34
comes into view. No seat but I study the route map and realise I would be better off jumping off on Kim Ma at the bus stop where I normally catch a 50 back to the bus station after my Vietnamese lessons. I set out at 10.20, didn’t reach my destination, but got back to Long Bien just after 12.
Tuesday My Vietnamese lesson has changed venue from Kim Ma to Truc Bach. Initially I consider walking, but decide against it in the 30-degree heat as Google Maps estimates it will take 40 minutes. I catch a 58, get off at the Sofitel Hotel and it’s a short walk from there. On the way home the biggest ordeal is crossing Yen Phu to the bus stop. I get a seat despite it being rush hour. I download the Hanoibus mobile app but
can’t figure out how to switch it to English. Later when I go to a birthday party, I walk there and back.
Wednesday I plan to have another bash at visiting the pagoda after obtaining some better intel. But I wake up so sick I am forced to spend the day at home.
Thursday Out the house before 8.30 to catch a bus to Long Bien to spend the day with friends. Narrowly miss a 58. I don’t have the energy to break into a run, so I wait and get a 55. I don’t get to Long Bien until 9.03. This gives me 27 minutes for the walk from the bus station to the fountain at Hoan Kiem. I get there just after 9.30. My friends arrive late at 10am so I have time for a nuoc chanh while I wait.
After an ice cream with my friends we catch a 9 for the Ho Chi Minh Museum. I’m not convinced this is the best option as we do an hour-long circular tour of the city to get there. We have about 15 minutes in the museum before it closes. The mausoleum next door is also closed by now, so we jump on a 50 to head for the Lotte Tower cinema. I get home later by crossing the road and catching a 33 all the way back to Tay Ho. In the process I was able to help a 19-year-old Vietnamese kid warm up for an English test he was about to sit. His seat is subsequently taken by a nice young lady who also wants to chat. She decides to take a selfie with me.
Friday The gastric disturbance has returned, so I am confined to barracks for most of the
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day. I start moving to a new apartment. Fortunately, it is only 50 metres from where I stay, but involves nine flights of stairs per trip. I make the first of four trips spurning the opportunity to bundle everything in a taxi and make one journey.
Saturday I meet up with my Vietnamese-learning classmates for an informal evening with our teachers. I set out just before six and my favourite bus, the number 41, is waiting for me. I hop off at Long Bien bus station and quickly grab a 50, which goes past the end of the road I need. I arrive at about 7.10pm, 10 minutes late. I’m pleased with how smoothly it all went. Yet later on when I am told the 50 stops running at 9pm, I’m not so happy. I leave the cafe at about 10pm and walk to the bus stop to confirm with waiting locals that this is indeed the case. Google Maps
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reckons it will take almost two hours to walk home. I trudge along dark, obstaclestrewn pavements for 20 minutes or so before my dining companion flags down a taxi. I get in but relieve my conscience with the thought that she insists on paying the fare.
Sunday Lazy day, but in an effort to use the buses almost every day I catch the 41 again, get off at Long Bien and go in search of my pavement haircut guy. By now it is 6pm, but he graciously unpacks his bicycle and gives me a No.9 all over. I gulp down a quick Coke at a street cafe on the way back to the bus station where I have a bit of a wait for a 58 back home. I still haven’t visited that pagoda. I was there last year, so I know it’s possible to get there by bus. If only I had had the foresight to take a note of the number.
Footnote Google Maps has a bus option when you search for directions. The bus times are fairly accurate but the occasional suggested routes are circuitous at best. An alternative, if your Vietnamese is at Ninja level, is the Hanoibus mobile app, Tim Buyt. It is a clean, straightforward interface that allegedly supports US English. But I had it on my phone for almost a week and no one I asked was able to change languages. You can also search direct from the bus company’s translatable website, timbus. vn. Good luck. Travelling by bus is just the ticket. Most of the time. Editor’s Note: We’ve tried and we also can’t find how to use Tim Buyt in English. However, on the left-hand-side menu, click on Tra Cuu and then choose the tab Tuyen Buyt. This will give you a list of all the bus routes. To find out how to get from A to B, click on the top tab Tim Duong and type in your destination
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Insider
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MANY FACES
NATIONAL
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Stumbling across a threelegged dog with maggots eating away at its face, Julia Underwood did what nobody else dared. She rescued it. Words and photos by Francis Xavier
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n seeing an abandoned animal in Vietnam, most of us usually walk away thinking that it’s not our business or that “someone will save it”, but for Julia Underwood that is never the case. I met Julia and Matthew Underwood while on holiday in Dalat, when Curtis King, the owner of Dalat Train Villa, took us to the old train tracks built by the French in Dalat that he is working on reconstructing. With the weather perfect, we decided to walk to the Tiger’s Cave Waterfall. That’s when we saw the three-legged black dog. It seemed to be in pain, but was still climbing up and down the waterfall area pawing at tourist trash for food. Approaching the animal, a ghastly smell hit us, and we saw it had maggots eating away at one side of its face, with an ear nearly falling off. As it was time for us all to leave, our common thought seemed to be: “There is nothing I can do.” But not Julia. A few days later on Facebook I saw a long post about an epic rescue of a dog named Max. It was the dog I saw, and the person who made the rescue possible was Julia. Julia is someone who never walks away from an abandoned animal. Her current dog is one that was rescued from the snow in Russia years ago after its back legs had been deliberately broken. “After leaving Dalat, I asked my friend if she could contact an animal rescue group in Dalat to help with the rescue,” said Julia. “I was surprised. There were a lot of volunteers who helped for two days to find Max. When they found him they were shocked at his condition.” Julia said that no-one would transport Max because of the smell of rotting flesh, but finally an ambulance agreed to take him back to The Pet Care Clinic in Saigon. There the clinic’s owner, Dr. Nghia, had
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to perform the operation and treatment in the clinic’s yard, as there were worms jumping out of Max’s flesh. But after having tissue transplanted from his hip and two months of proper care, love, and visits from a dog psychologist, Max is now more or less healed and is a very happy, sociable dog.
The Lucky Girl Months later, Vietnamese social media focused on the pictures of a skin-and-bone little dog in Ben Tre with her mouth horribly taped shut, and no flesh in the mouth area. It seemed impossible that the dog would survive. But a rescue team consisting of volunteers in two cars set out to find the dog. One of the cars belonged to Louis Nguyen, a wealthy entrepreneur and the husband of the Vietnamese celebrity Tang Thanh Ha; the other one was Julia’s. Initially, the locals were merely curious to see these city folk driving around and wading through mud just to look for a dog, but some began to help, and at about 8pm the rescuers received a phone call saying the dog had been found. Louis immediately arranged for an Uber cab to take volunteers and a young vet to the location, at a cost of around VND5 million. Following Dr Nghia’s instructions, the 19-year-old vet carried out first aid on the dog, which was quickly named Lucky. Without doubt, Lucky would have died had it not been for the young vet’s work. Lucky arrived at the clinic at 5am, with the immediate danger past. The wide attention this story received was reflected in the large amount of donations that were sent in.
What You Can Do “How cool is it to see these young kids, not rich, being so helpful and caring about the animals,” said Julia. “Most of the donations we’ve got are from Vietnamese people
although the website is entirely in English.” Julia has carried out rescues by herself for many years, but has met other people with similar ideas and now works with A.R.C (Animal Rescue and Care) and liaises closely with Dr. Nghia. “Dr. Nghia’s clinic is close to full capacity all the time, so we have to think of a way to help him too,” said Julia. “Like this amazing young vet who came to rescue Lucky, he’s only 19 years old, from a normal family that’s unable to get him a better education. Without good funding or an internship programme, he wouldn’t be able to study further and to start his own clinic.” That’s why A.R.C.s urgent activities include promoting their charity, funding events, raising public awareness about responsibility and caring for animals, as well as collaborating with the Vietnamese community more to promote vet education and building proper animal shelters.
Happy Paws During his time at the clinic, Max became attached to all the staff working there, especially one whose name is Anh. The first few times Julia took Max home, he sat by the door looking sad, thinking he was being taken away from his most beloved friend. But, getting more used to a house environment and fully healed, he is now a sociable, active and happy dog who is about to be placed for adoption. Lucky’s snout tissues have grown back slowly thanks to treatment using the natural healing agent propolis. The raw bone is hardly visible now, so her snout has been saved, and everyone is hoping for her continued good recovery. To help with the rescues you can donate to A.R.C. at gofundme.com/arcpets, become a volunteer at the cat shelter or participate in their activities like the daily dog walk. For more information visit arcpets.com
“‘How cool is it to see these young kids, not rich, being so helpful and caring about the animals. Most of the donations we’ve got are from Vietnamese people although the website is entirely in English’”
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Cover Story
The Undiscovered Coast How many millions of people have ‘done’ Vietnam? We don’t know, but we guess that their conversations about this country in whatever their native tongue may be will include something along the lines of, “been there, seen it, done it”. The fact that only one in 10 tourists returns pays testament to this. Been there once, most likely loved it, but unlikely to come back. It’s a mark-it-off-thebucket-list kind of place. Which is why we’ve put together this story. Not because we want tourists to come back — as much as we would love the benefits it brings to the local economy, that’s not on our agenda. But because we want to show that there is so much more to this country than the standard destinations. Take what in our opinion are the three most beautiful spots in Vietnam — Con Dao, Phong Nha and Ha Giang. How many people who even live in this country know how stunning these places actually are? Then there is this country’s unrivalled, 3,000km-long coastline. Developed in some spots, untouched elsewhere, how can trips to Mui Ne, Nha Trang, Danang and Halong Bay give you a sense of what it’s actually like? They can’t. Which is why this month we have boldly gone where (almost) no one has gone before. The coast we’ve found is not quite undiscovered. But we’ve searched out some amazing spots that we’d like to share. We hope you enjoy them as much as we did. 68 | Word September 2015 | wordvietnam.com
Ha Noi
Quang Ninh
Nam Dinh
Nghe An
Quan Dao Hoang Sa
Da Nang
Binh Dinh
Phu Yen
Binh Thuan
HCMC
Ninh Thuan Ba Ria - Vung Tau
Phu Quoc
Kien Giang
Ben Tre
Con Dao
Quan Dao Truong Sa
Ganh Mui Ne
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oe parks his car down a sand-cumgravel path leading to the beach. Alongside is a resort — a lot of swank, not too many customers. Much of Mui Ne is like that right now. The beach that opens out in front of us is a bay-like stretch of white sand that on one end curves out to Mui Ne. The other end stretches north towards Hon Rom. Yet like many of the beaches in Vietnam, this stretch hasn’t been beautified for foreign tourists, although the collection of resorts have tried (but failed) to have a say. It’s a working beach that doubles up as a place for sea-goers to paddle, splash and play; if they can avoid boats, anchors and fishing nets. Joe and I walk towards the sea. “It’s not looking too great here at the moment,” he
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says staring at all the litter. “The quality of the beaches in this area are dependent on the season, the currents and the tide. Sometimes all the trash gets washed up — it’s not local, it’s probably from China in the north. Sometimes the sand is perfectly clean.” Joe should know. A seven-year-long resident of Mui Ne and the name (and face) behind Joe’s Garden Resort and Cafe, he is constantly battling with the need to try and keep his beach in shape. At the time of writing he was building a sea wall, “but you’ve only got a small window of opportunity. The currents change so quickly. And sometimes the waves get three or even five meters high. Build it wrong and it will get washed away.” My attention is caught by a man carrying
in a plastic petrol-like can in from the sea. He is soaked to the bone yet wrapped up in jeans, shirt and scarf to keep out the burning of the sun. The can is deposited on the beach next to a woman, they have a quick conversation, then he returns to his boat moored in the sea to get the next load. The can is filled with fish — small fish from the day’s catch. “They catch anything these days,” says Joe, peering inside. “They just don’t care.” “The problem is they all have to make a living,” I say. “But yeah, if they’re not careful, this bay will be overfished. They need to replenish.” As we walk back into the car and look over at the near-empty resort, it seems that it’s not only the fishing stock that needs to be replenished. — Nick Ross
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Lang Cat M arc tells me a story. “This place used to be run by an American guy,” he says, spreading his arms to take in the beach. “But he put his trust in the wrong girl. She took him to the cleaners. It’s such a shame.” Located close to Ham Tien Market, Lang Cat or sand village is the Mui Ne of the past. Angled coconut trees, bent in curves by the wind, provide shade. Fishing boats
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moor on the white sand beach and plastic coracles or thuyen thung filled with fishing nets stack next to a banana-leaf rooved hut. Except for the guesthouse and restaurant where I sit over a beer with Marc, little has changed in this unexpected stretch of Mui Ne. “It reminds me of Phu Quoc 15 years ago,” I say. “All the guesthouses and restaurants on the beach had the same feel,
the same ambience.” We sit for a while at our table on the beach shooting some cool, late morning breeze, then I go off and take photos. I want to stay here all day but I’ve got stuff to do and I need a shower — it’s the hottest time of the year right now. But I swear to myself I’ll come back. This place, its simplicity, is one of the things I love about Vietnam. — Nick Ross
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When the Cows Come Home
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ung Thinh is only 15km or so north of Mui Ne, but according to reviews on Trip Advisor, it’s the perfect destination for anyone who wants to camp out under the stars. It’s a real khach san ngan sao, or thousand-star hotel. So au naturel is this property, that you’ll
have cows for neighbours and desert scrub in place of floor tiles. Just don’t expect any modern amenities. And if you’re looking to pitch a tent for the night, you won’t get a helping hand. This place is as rustic as it gets. Now, as for WiFi…
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T
here’s a game my brother and I used to play when we were both barely adults. We called it Gattaca, from the movie of the same name. In it, two brothers would go stroke-for-stroke in the ocean, daring each other to go further, until one would relent and turn back. “Gattaca?” we would say to each other at the beach, then set off on our annual test of nerves. Now, years later, he’s in Papua New Guinea with a wife and two beautiful boys, and I’m in Vietnam, sitting on an expensive boat in Vinh Hy Bay with our photographer and Captain Hong from nearby Amanoi Resort. We’re confronted with this biblical looking sea cave — it’s a monster, and I wonder what stories it can tell. Birds flit in and out of its blackness as we approach, rounding epic cliffs carved over millions of years by sand, salt, wind and sea. It’s called Swallow Cave, we are told. This place is as old as time. Emboldened by the situation, and determined to explore, I decide to get close.
Unsure if I’m ready to ‘Gattaca’ alone, the aqua blue depths and stunning location still thrill me. So I’m in, jumping off the boat and swimming among the fishes that school in its shadow. I duck under, and my significance on earth is given perspective — this beast goes down as far as it goes up. I’m in the belly of a giant. I swim closer and I’m humbled, but my nerves hold. Closer still and it’s sheer mass is impressive, but imposing. It’s huge. I’m a speck. It’s made of rock. I am but flesh. Resisting the urge to ‘wig out’, I go nearer the blackness, nothing to hold onto but my breath. The boat feels a long way away and I think about falling rocks. Suddenly, I see something move, but I hold firm until it rubs up against me and I’m done. That’s it, the cave wins, I’m not supposed to go in there today. I swim back to the boat, heart pounding, exhilarated at my encounter with God’s great earth, and I wonder what my brother’s doing today. — Jon Aspin
The Bird’s Nest
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hen you start out in life no one tells you there’ll be pitfalls, failures and unrealised expectations. You pretty much think it’s alright, and that it’ll stay that way forever. Then you get older, you go to school and you get a job. You work hard, do the right things and start to think about ways to optimise your time. But then, something negative happens. You might fall in with the wrong crowd, get caught up in a negative space, and things can get out of control. For those times, the almighty creator (whatever version you believe in), has places that you can go. Not some metaphysical head space, real places, places that are so off the charts you wonder why you ever confine yourself to anything that doesn’t allow you to go there all the time. Vinh Hy Bay and its surrounding stretch of coast is one such place. Accessible only by kayak for the strong or boat for the seriously hooked up, it’s a paradise on earth. Gaining access to it via the Amanoi Resort speeder, as I jumped off the boat to swim ashore, an oasis emerged. There before me was my holiday Valhalla, a tiny little inlet of dramatic rock faces, gentle tides and clear blue water, all converging into one picture perfect pool. It was all for me. Me and the crabs that skittled over boulders nearby. From this angle, it looks like everything is going to be just fine. — Jon Aspin
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The Beach With No Name M emory is an odd thing. Some experiences remain, jolted back with the right trigger. Others are insignificant. They get forgotten. I have many memories of my first trip to Con Dao, a three-day journey that took me down almost every path and road on the main island. But two stick out. The forts we climbed down to on the cliff and the deserted beach. It really is a deserted beach. It’s nameless, too. People on the island might well have a name for it. The maps don’t. To get there you have to go to Bai Dam Trau, the beach near the airport, then walk to the rocks at the far end and climb the rocky, jungle path to the bay on the other side.
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That’s what I do for the second time, hoping for tropical paradise to emerge as I clamber over to the other side. The weather isn’t so good — the sun glistening off the river and the coastal vegetation doesn’t have the same effect as on my first visit. But the only footprints on the sand are my own, and the only sounds are the roar of the sea, the breeze through the trees and the occasional uproar of cricket calls from the jungle. I am alone, totally alone. Vietnamese people I know would comment, “But you’re by yourself. Don’t you feel sad?” Sad? No. The opposite. Solitude. Solace. A feeling of peace. These moments are rare.
Barefoot I walk through the shallows of a nearby river. Then I find a rock to perch on, to write, to contemplate. This, I realise, is why I was so determined to return to this wild archipelago. This one, secluded beach. I love the rustic luxury of the resort I stay at, Six Senses. I like visiting the island’s old prisons, steeped in dogma and pain, a poignant reminder of the horrors of man; this was the Devil’s Island of Vietnam. I adore the wildness of the beach, mangrove, mountain and jungle, and the history of the old French villas. But the sound and feeling of solitude. This beach. The wildness. That is what makes these islands special. — Nick Ross
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The Storm
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he wind is swirling and whistling. The clouds are turning to a darker shade of grey. We’ve been warned. The storm is coming. I watch from my villa as its wrath unfolds. First drops, then steady rain. With a bang and crack its full force emerges from behind the mountains, its ferocity sweeping across the sea and beach, right up to the doors of my villa. I change into shorts and watch, waiting. I want to go outside, but not while the winds swirl at 60 km/hour. I wait. Watch. Wait and watch. Then as suddenly as the storm has arrived, it disappears. On the beach water channels have formed across the sand, symmetrical patterns leading to the sea. The sky is still grey, the sand a glistening muddy brown, the sea an azure blue. The colours blend, vibrant, shining. The air is sweet. Cool, fresh and sweet, the humidity washed away. This is the aftermath. I leave my villa and walk towards the end of the beach. Black volcanic rocks rise up high, forming into mountains. Emerald green vegetation glistens with raindrops. White, colourless crabs scuttle across the sand. All the guests remain inside their villas. I have the beach to myself. At the end of the bay, the rocks and sand merge together to form a promontory. Above is a viewing point, part of the resort. I’m at Six Senses. And beyond, undeterred, the fishing boats have returned. Storm or no storm, they have to make their catch. As I get back to my villa, the sky brightens, and other guests emerge; a muscled up Japanese couple a few doors down, two German men in their 60s, a young Latin-looking couple and a Vietnamese family. I return inside and change. The storm and its aftermath have receded. — Nick Ross
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Ganh Da Dia A bout 130km north of Nha Trang, Vietnam’s coastline takes an unexpected turn. The volcanic rocks form into coins, stacks of coins or basalt columns that look like steps leading into the sea. Until recently no-one had picked up on this unusual site. We were first told about it six years ago by Silvio, the owner of Jungle Beach, a beachside resort in the
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Nha Trang area. He had heard about the place from someone else who had heard from someone else. It was a whisper. A rumour. We didn’t even know its name. All we knew was that somewhere north of Tuy Hoa, the provincial capital of Phu Yen, there was a part of the coastline that looked like the Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland and the Devil’s Postpile in California. We went to find it.
Through no doing of our own, Ganh Da Dia, or literally, stone plate bay, has now become a tourist attraction, one of the few reasons to head to the otherwise under-visited province of Phu Yen. Surrounded by cacti and soaring coastline, it’s a drive even from Tuy Hoa. Yet it’s a drive to see the only example of this natural phenomenon in Southeast Asia.
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The Perfect Beach?
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ears ago I was told about the beaches on the coast road north of Quy Nhon. “The best beaches in Vietnam,” said one person. Now, finally, I had the chance to explore. I started with the required trip to the Cham towers of Banh It, then I headed to the coast. A few kilometres north of Cat Tien I found a beach labelled simply Bai Nho, or Small Beach. Mainland Vietnam must have hundreds of spots like this, stretches of sand in tiny bays surrounded by rocks, and from the road this one looked picture-postcard perfect. But that was from the road. Steps had been cut out the rocks to take you a quarter of the way down. The rest of the descent was via a twisting sandy path through scrub and rocks. As I headed down a group of Vietnamese was coming up the other way. Hellos were exchanged. “It’s very beautiful,” shouted out one guy as he passed. From what I’d seen so far, I believed him. He’s was right. Semi-right. This one had the word ‘paradise’ stamped all over it. Yet at one end, where a small stretch of sand connected a pile of rocks with the mainland, there was litter. Not the type of rubbish you find on well-used but uncaredfor beaches, but the flotsam and jetsam that comes out of the sea. And here’s the problem. You’re probably never going to get the perfect beach in this country; the sea is just too dirty. It’s a real shame, for as coastlines go, Vietnam’s should be the envy of the whole world. — Nick Ross
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Bai Xep
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ake a picturesque beach south of Qui Nhon, the big city bang in between Nha Trang and Danang. Build a luxury resort on it, bring in the guests, make it a destination. Then as time goes by, let things slip. Then, years later, other investors come on the scene. They see the same potential. But this time they take a more earthy approach and focus on the fishing village that backs onto part of the same beach. Here they build simple accommodation for travellers, the motopackers travelling from north to south on bikes. The new kids on the alleyway watch their guesthouse run for a couple of years, and see the guests enjoy the beach. They then follow it up with the next step. Not one but two beachfront restaurants and bars — other separate investors have got involved, too. Together they build the kind of places you’d expect to find in Thailand, Malaysia, Bali and Cambodia, but not Vietnam. That is what’s happened to Bai Xep, a whitesand bay 10km south of Qui Nhon. The luxury property, once called Life Resort, is still there. But it was recently rebranded and refurbished. Its new nomenclature is Avani (avanihotels.com) and it is as elegant and luxurious as it was in its former heyday. On the beach, you’ve got the restaurant and bar, Big Tree (bigtreebackpackers.com), as well as its sister guesthouse, Haven (havenvietnam.com). Next door is another guesthouse, Life’s a Beach (lifesabeachvietnam.com), and its accompanying seafood restaurant, Nemo. Vietnam needs more places like this, the resorts and paradise-like shacks that make simple, beachside holidays so attractive to people the world over. Phu Quoc has it in pockets, as does Hoi An. There are a couple of places near Ninh Hoa, north of Nha Trang — Jungle Beach (junglebeachvietnam.com) and Some Days of Silence (somedaysresort.com). Now there’s Bai Xep in Quy Nhon.
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Hai Ly
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here’s a list online, a replicated list, of Nam Dinh’s top 10 churches. The most interesting entry is the one at number 10 in Hai Ly, the ruined church on the beach. I drove a long journey out of Hanoi to get there. I went via Ninh Binh and then took two ferries across the Day and Ninh Co rivers into Nam Dinh. It was a real countryside trip, marked out by the churches peaking above the flat, below sea level landscape at almost every turn, each more grand and magnificent than the previous one. Once the heartland of Catholicism in Vietnam, war and division saw large numbers of Nam Dinh’s community move down south. In recent years there has been a renaissance. Former residents and their families have returned. So have the churches. Many were only built in the last decade. When I finally arrived in Hai Ly I was directed to the church on the beach. Standing in ruins, on either side were fishing boats, and inside the church itself, a skull and cross bones flanked by the words nguy hiem, danger. The structure is falling apart. “I’ve lived here for 22 years,” says the
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man who’s made the church his home. He doesn’t live in the structure itself — that would be suicide — but in a concrete, onelevel house at its rear. From there together with his family he serves freshly caught seafood to visitors who come to stare at perhaps the most unlikely tourist site in Vietnam. “This is not the first church in Hai Ly,” he says, looking out towards the sea. “The original one was built about 100 metres away, but the land’s eroded and the sea is now further in. This one was built in the 1940s.” He then points out a third church in the nearby village. It’s 500 metres away, but these edifices to the Lord above are so magnificent in this province that they’re difficult to miss. “That one was built more recently,” he adds, “but I prefer this place.” There are plans to develop tourism in Nam Dinh. Close to Hanoi and yet home to some magnificent beaches, this coastal area is rarely visited. Whether this would include preserving the church is not known. But as tourist sites go, this is one that should be hitting the guidebooks. — Nick Ross
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The Fish Sauce Factory
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o get to the much loved Co To and Quan Lan islands in Halong Bay, you need to go to the island of Van Don and take a boat from the fishing port of Cai Rong. Sat on the other side of the limestone karsts that help form one of Vietnam’s premier tourist attractions, this living, breathing, age-old port is the embodiment of what life was like in the area before something called tourism took over. There may be modern electronics, bottled beer, printed shop signs and fizzy drinks, but beyond that, little has changed. Here the traditional non la conical hats are still the norm rather than the exception. A short distance away is a fishsauce factory. With a bit of friendly persuasion we managed to get inside. The management wouldn’t talk to us too much about the fermentation process of the anchovies — trade secrets, don’t you know — but we were allowed to wander around and watch the place at work. We were also able to head down to the dock to watch them unloading a new batch of anchovies. Fish sauce or nuoc mam is like good wine and Vietnam is believed to have invented the stuff. At least, that’s what Wikipedia, that 100 percent verified fountain of knowledge, suggests. The fermentation process, time period, quality of fish and type of barrel used all affect the outcome. We bought a couple of the more expensive bottles. The grade was 41N. When I got it home you could smell and taste the richness. For me, not as good as the Phu Quoc equivalent. But then, I’m a bit of a snob when it comes to these things.
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North of Cua Lo
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rom Hanoi, I take the 6am train to arrive in Vinh at midday. I want to rent a motorbike there to travel up the coast in search of a little gem. As it turns out, it’s difficult to rent a motorbike in Vinh, but thankfully through some friendly connections I am able to sort something out. People are amazingly helpful. Less than an hour into the journey and I get a flat tyre. It’s nap time and there’s no repair shop in sight. The owners of a seafood restaurant offer to help. The normally quick fix takes two hours, and when I am finally back on the road I have a couple hours before sunset. It’s after 4.30pm and I start a race with the decreasing light to find my own little piece of undiscovered coast. 14km northeast of Vinh is Cua Lo, a small town with a busy 10km stretch of beach. Hotels and beach-gear shops sit on my left, while seafood restaurants and cafes line up along the sand on my right. I head up north towards Bai Lu Resort, I have a good feeling about this place; the road is small and not always paved, a good omen to me. I cross an estuary and a fishing village. I wish I had more time to explore. It’s a gorgeous ride in the late afternoon light where everything gets this golden tint. A light breeze lightens up the heavy, hot air; I can smell the sea, the pine trees and the countryside life. I drive through a horde of dragonflies, their wings reflecting in the light. Just before the resort, the road finally follows the coast, and there it is, a little
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beach in a little cove with rocks on both sides. Bordered by pine trees, fishing boats lie moored on the sand. Some people are in the water. Dogs bark the arrival of a newcomer and children walk up to me to say hello. There are two little cafés on the side and the beach has no name on Google Maps. Perfect. Even though the sunset is on the other side of the hill, the light is gorgeous and I am in awe at the pastel colors in the sky and the deep dark rocks on the golden sand. I take photos, I sit down in the sand, I write, I relax. As the beach is facing east, I will get up extra early for some sunrise photos. Waking up at 4am is hard but it is worth every yawn. I should remember to do that more often; spending the first couple hours of your day in the quiet splendor of a fast changing sky really sets up the day. The tide is low, a few people are coming out of the trees to sit on the beach to enjoy the sunrise. A woman picks up wood, a fisherman is already at work in the water; life has started. I drive back towards the resort and then push on to another beach behind the hill: Bai Tam Cua Hien. There I find some seafood restaurants and lots of people at work picking up shellfish. The scenery makes me think of my mother who I was with just a few days earlier. We were on another beach in another country picking up cockles and mussels, just like these women. Just, it was not that early in the morning. — Julie Vola
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Bai Bang
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ur trip to Hon Son was spontaneous. The boat had stopped there on our ferry trip from Rach Gia to Nam Du in the Gulf of Thailand, and we decided to pay a visit before heading back to the mainland. Compared to its sister island Nam Du, Hon Son is more peaceful and there are few tourists. As we started looking for a hostel, stares followed us in our wake. “It’s not the high season right now,” said a café owner, giving us a ca phe sua da. “It’s the stormy season. People are scared of that.” The island is more charming than Nam Du. Take the road that rings the island. On one side is jungle, on the other, sea. In one short section, trees and bushes from both sides grow over the road, making you feel like you’re driving through a tunnel constructed not by man, but by nature. Yet finding the paradise beach we’d been told about, meant many a wrong turn. On Google Maps, Bai Bang is a white strip lying
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next to the ring road. As we discovered, it is hidden at the foot of the island. I know you’re free, but… Thanks, Google. It was an old-fashioned, semi-hidden signpost that eventually pointed us in the right direction. Leaving our bike above the beach, we clambered down some rocks towards the sand. As the beach appeared, we stopped, stunned. This place was something else; the sand, perfectly white, the sea, completely clear. We were alone. Exhilarated we started running, jumping and screaming. This place was ours. Only ours. As we progressed down the sand, under some layered big stones we found a freshwater stream. The water was transparent. Yet later on we found out that at the moment, the water in Hon Son is not so clear. “You guys should come here from October to February,” we were told. Before going to Hon Son, I had promised some local friends in Nam Du that I would be coming back. But it’s Hon Son I want to return to. Not Nam Du. — Vu Ha Kim Vy
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The End of the Road
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riving down Highway 1 towards Ba Tri in Ben Tre, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. All I knew was my smartphone said, “Go straight [for a long time].” We were heading for the mouth of the Mekong, in search of a beach, any beach, where one of the planet’s greatest rivers spills its waters into the sea. Yet, when I asked people along the way, the response was split. Either a simple shake of the head, or “go straight, straight, straight, then turn somewhere.” After driving straight, straight, straight, turning somewhere and passing through endless paddy fields, there was still no beach. We stopped to ask a farmer, who seemed just as lost as we were. After looking in every direction, he gave us a vague response. “End on the road?” By this time we were already on a track. On we went, driving over bump after hole. Still nothing. Returning to the town of Ba Tri for lunch, we finally got a decent lead. “Go straight, straight, straight then turn left,” stated the waitress boasting a smirk. With no other options, and a few more stops for
directions, we were zipping down the road when finally there was a big sign. In front of us sat a pretty sad looking effort for a beach. We asked a few girls on a moped if there was another beach nearby, somewhere more attractive, and once again we got the short but sweet “end of the road” answer. “Easy enough,” I thought, “lets get this over with.” What started off as paved quickly turned into a dirt track that meandered through farms and passed over and around streams. It was stunning, and it needed to be. When we finally reached its end, about six kilometers in, the farms and streams faded into a bleak, desolate beach. The shore was a hard packed mixture of mud swept out to sea by the Mekong, and sand. What we discovered was strange, alien, a beach from Mars. Sandflies bit at our limbs, clamshells littered the sand, roots from distant foliage breached the surface of the water. Trash was strewn about, brought in by the ocean tide. Slowly we made our way back through the farms, stopping to enjoy one last look at the scenery before our long drive back to Saigon. — Kyle Phanroy
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Insider
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Water World Vietnam’s coastline, but from another angle
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esley Clayton is a British-born, open water diving instructor. Based in Con Dao, during trips out to the archipelago’s various reefs he gets shots from under the sea. Photography is difficult at the best of times. Doing it underwater is doubly so. “You can be working at depth, in a current or in low visibility, so your buoyancy must be good,” he explains. “Also the marine life wants to get away when they feel any threat. This means we must approach slowly while maintaining a space for the marine animals to leave if required.” Through Wesley’s shots you can see marine life in Vietnam as it is today. Some areas of the reef have been affected by human activity. Others still thrive. This is not the underwater paradise you see in documentaries or in National Geographic. This
is marine life in its modern form. “I have heard from other [divers] that Con Dao has the best diving due to the corals, and fish life,” he says. “A lot of other places [in Vietnam] have been overfished or the coral has been destroyed. As Con Dao is a national park, fishing is not allowed which, in time, will entice the bigger fish back.” He adds: “What I like the most about the underwater world is the diversity. You can see a fingernail-size nudibranch and then the next moment a three to four-foot giant barracuda swims by. There are many places still undiscovered and a mystery. Who knows what you will swim into when you go diving?” Wesley uses a Canon G12 and a Canon WPDC34 waterproof case. This allows him to shoot up to depths of 40m. To contact Wesley email photos@wlcphotos.com
Fan coral
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A tomato clownfish in a sea anemone A harlequin nudibranch (dorid)
Lionfish
An orange skunk clownfish in a sea anemone
Butterfly fish Funeral jorunna nudibranch
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A starry eyed pufferfish
A variety of reef fish on some table coral
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Harlequin nudibranch (dorid)
A sand ray
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More fan coral
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Insider
WELLNESS
NATIONAL
Sick-Day Recipes Honey and lemon with a dram of whiskey; camomile tea; home made cough remedies. The list of western DIY cures goes on. But what happens when you’re sick in Vietnam? Vu Ha Kim Vy and Huyen Tran come up with eight recipes to keep you in good health. Photos by Julie Vola and Francis Xavier
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here’s no science or chemistry involved, but DIY cures to help you when you’re sick have been passed down from generation to generation. Like chicken soup or ginger tea, Vietnam has its very own collection. So, with the help of two of our writers, we travel from north to south in search of the miracle cure.
Vu Ha Kim Vy I spent a few months in Australia and missed home. The feeling was worse when I was sick and my mother was not around. Under the comfort of a warm blanket, I would recall the aroma of mung bean porridge for when I got a fever or the bittersweet taste of kumquats steamed with rock sugar for when I got a sore throat. Here are some recipes used in southern Vietnam. They may not only help you with your health, but they may also remind of you of a time when life was just that much more simple.
Kumquat Steamed with Rock Sugar Tac nau duong phen A sore throat can be the first sign of a cold, the side effect of strained vocal cords, or an indication of something more serious. Regardless of the cause, my mother always uses kumquats to relieve the pain and clear her children’s throats. How to make it Slice three or four ripe kumquats in half, take the seeds out, and then soak them in a small bowl of water with rock sugar. The amount of rock sugar depends on how sweet you want the medicine to be. Turn your stove on and steam the bowl in a pot with a little of water for 20 minutes, or until the kumquat skin turns yellow. Best served warm. You can take this remedy twice a day for three days. It really helps.
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Aloe Vera Dessert Che nha dam Vietnamese foods are usually divided into hot or cold types. But we’re not talking about temperature. Rather, each food has different properties to help balance your yin and yang. Mouth ulcers are believed to occur when the yin of your body is much higher than the yang. One of my mother’s solutions for balancing the system was to consume foods categorised as cold: for her, aloe vera was always a good choice.
How to make it Peel off the skin of the aloe vera to get the transparent flesh inside. Dice it into cubes then rinse twice with normal water and salt water to get rid of the sticky liquid. Boil a pot of water, then put all the aloe vera in the boiling water, and wait until it boils again. Add as much sugar as you wish and for extra flavour, vanilla extract. Best served cold, you can replace your daily water intake with this dessert.
Coconut Water Nuoc dua If you are curious enough, Wikipedia will give you a table of all the properties contained in coconut water, including a list of proteins, vitamins and minerals. My mother doesn’t know such things. All she did is force me to drink it if I ever got diarrhoea. How to make it Mix a pinch of salt with a glass of coconut water. Drink this twice a day to get the relief you are looking for.
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Turmeric and Honey Paste Bot nghe tron mat ong Turmeric root is commonly used in Vietnam for fading scars formed by open wounds, as well as stomach and menstrual problems. At my house, an area in the garden has been set aside for cultivating turmeric; my mother is usually seen slicing and sun-drying the roots. How to make it For fading scars, apply chopped turmeric root on healing wounds several times a day until the wounds completely disappear. For stomach and menstrual problems, slice and sun-dry the sliced turmeric root and then grind the sun-dried slices into powder. Mix the powder with honey until the mixture becomes a paste. Take a tablespoon of the paste before every meal. Be patient, this treatment can take three to four months to become fully effective.
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Huyen Tran Detoxification diets are so popular in Vietnam that detox recipes have become one of the most talked-about topics among female netizens. Yet, long before the detoxification regimen arrived, Vietnamese home cooks were already using traditional ingredients to help eliminate toxins in their body. Below are some of the mother’s recipes that are commonly used in most families in the North, way before the ‘detox trend’ came to Vietnam.
Mung bean porridge Chao dau xanh Cultivated in the summer, mung bean is popular throughout Northern Vietnam. Loaded with nutritious benefits, these miracle pulses are used to cook xoi or sticky rice, and different kinds of traditional cakes. However, it’s mung bean porridge that is used as the miracle cure, something fed to people when they feel under the weather. It’s nutritious, easy to digest and perfect for those low on energy thanks to its slow release of carbohydrates. As a result of the natural fibre in the beans, it’s also used for anyone with sluggish bowels. The miracle cure is often consumed to get rid of hangovers thanks to its ability to clear the body of toxins and unwanted chemicals. How to make it Take a cup of mung beans and the same amount of sticky rice. Add water and simmer gently for about half an hour or until the rice has disintegrated. Depending on how thick you prefer the porridge, add water. When ready, eat either with sugar or salt.
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Bitter Melon Soup Canh muop dang A member of the squash family, bitter melon is a popular culinary vegetable. Called muop dang in the North, bitter melon is known for its high nutrient content. A number of health claims are attached to this vegetable. These include: — a remedy for diabetes — treatment for blood disorders — a good source of fibre for strengthening the immune system and increasing the body’s power to fight against infection Yet, not everyone loves muop dang. Some people despise its bitterness, even when its taste is watered down in soup form. Regardless, once the vegetable is blanched and its core sliced out, and perhaps served up with pork or tofu, even for the haters it is much more palatable. How to make it Blanch the muop dang in boiling water for about one minute. Remove and allow to cool down. Then, slice the melon into 1 to 1.5 inch pieces. Take out the pith and seeds, and stuff the melons with pork filling. The pork filling is often comprised of ground pork, onion and mushroom, which should be seasoned before being put into melon. Simmer for 15 to 30 minutes until the bitter melons are fork-tender. Add salt and sugar to taste.
Green Tea Tra xanh The drinking of green tea is both a sophisticated art and yet something so simple there are tea stands on almost every street. Loaded with antioxidants and nutrients, green tea helps strengthen the body’s resistance to infection. How to make it White-collar workers who don’t have time to prepare green tea at home simply put the tealeaves in a bottle and add just-belowboiling-point water. Wait for a few minutes and bang. Your (almost) perfect cup of tea.
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Pennywort juice Nuoc rau ma Found almost everywhere in the countryside, Vietnamese pennywort or rau ma is a member of the dill family and has numerous health benefits, including maintaining youthfulness, purifying the blood, curing nervous conditions, improving eyesight and memory, and relieving arthritic pain. Made into a drink, rau ma tastes similar to cucumber water, only fresher. In the past, when there was no such thing as a blender, Vietnamese home cooks used a mortar and pestle to ground pennywort by hand, adding a specific amount of water to make it into a shake. Now, you can make this drink in the blink of an eye, adding sugar or not as you prefer.
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Food and Drink
TOP EATS
HANOI
Le Jardin
Noey Neumark heads to recently opened Le Jardin. With a motorbike loving, InterCon chef at the helm, is it as good as the hype? Photos by Julie Vola
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e Jardin French Bistro opened last month, joining the ever-growing inventory of ‘special occasion only’ (in my book) restaurants in Tay Ho, and begging the question: Do we need another fancy spot doling out pricey western fare? Well, yes. When it’s this good. And Le Jardin delivers: elegant design, breezy patio, lake views, expansive wine list, and food, glorious food. Calling itself a bistro is an understatement. From lobster to lamb, foie gras to fondant, Le Jardin’s cuisine surpasses bistro
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classifications and expectations. Nomenclature aside, it’s hard to pinpoint any real qualms with this place. I worked my way through the menu, from start to exhilarating finish. Here’s the lowdown.
Tapenade Served on a sleek slate, a ceramic ramekin of tapenade sits beside a sienna flowerpot holding a freshly baked roll. It looks great. It tastes better. And best of all, it’s on the house, arriving as a welcome with the potted bread. Even the teensiest
dollop of tapenade bursts with flavour. Notes of savoury olives and capers meet the subtle brininess of anchovies. Their inclusion is a testament to the chef’s South of France upbringing.
Toscana Salad (VND150,000) No doubt a departure from bistro fare, the Toscana Salad is a nod to Le Jardin’s Milanese partner. Though its overly creamy and peppery house-made dressing falls short, the layers-upon-layers of fresh, bright ingredients make each bite better
than the last. I fork up bundles of perfectlypoached egg, crisp lettuce, delicate grilled chicken and sweet, crunchy carrots, then dig deeper to find beets, radishes and provolone cheese.
Saumon en papillote (VND290,000) The salmon arrives adorably wrapped in a rustic parcel, secured by a twine bow. I tug lightly on the bow and reveal the pretty pink filet within. The fish brilliantly tiptoes the thin line between rare and cooked, so it flakes off with the lightest dab of my fork. It’s lounging in a pool of butter and whole garlic cloves, which some may find off-putting. For me this is ideal. Best of all, we’re served a hearty vegetable ratatouille and a small flask of beurre blanc with which to adorn each mouthful.
Canard confit (VND290,000) The duck confit tastes like American Thanksgiving in the French countryside. A beautifully crisp, mushroomy leg of duck protrudes from the plate’s centre, surrounded by a butternut puree that’s dotted with buttery, herbaceous roasted
potatoes. Each carefully orchestrated bite beckons memories of Autumn — chunky sweaters, leaves changing colours, a refreshing crispness to the air as summer slowly, politely bows out. A mighty fine duck.
Fondant au chocolat (VND90,000) Lord have mercy. One swipe through the cake’s fluffy outer edge and luscious dark chocolate cascades down, out, everywhere. I wait for the oozing chocolate core to fill my spoon and bring it to my lips, letting the divine, melty chocolate seep from my taste buds to the depths of my soul. I wonder if I’ve died and gone to heaven, the best kind of heaven, the only kind of heaven: a pool of dark chocolate with ice cream on the side. The ice cream in question is a strawberry-nut variety, and its sweet tartness pairs perfectly with the chocolate’s richness. It’s dreamlike. It’s well worth treating yourself to a meal at Le Jardin. It merits the cost — and the calories. Le Jardin is at 56 Quang An, Tay Ho, Hanoi on the same stretch as Don’s and Al Fresco’s. Tel: (04) 6259 3300
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Food and Drink
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STREET SNACKER
HANOI
Ha Cao Chien Hang Bo Fried, Chinese-style dumplings anyone? Huyen Tran checks out probably the best-known ha cao eatery in town. Photos by Trung Del
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ietnamese cuisine has retained its own character despite a long history under Chinese rule. This explains why there are a number of restaurants selling Chinese-originated dishes inthe capital. But I believe that Hanoian diners care less about the origin of the food and more about whether a restaurant offers qualitycuisinethat will make them return. They also don’t really both with décor or restaurant size. Rather, if it tastes good, that’s all that matters. The famous Vietnamese writer, Vu Bang, once wrote that Hanoian gourmets believed that delicious pho can only be found on the street, and when these stalls upgrade themselves into big restaurants, the quality goes down. This is thought to be true of many other dishes. He’s correct. Hanoians are willing to squeeze themselves onto tiny chairs for a bowl of pho, or line up on the pavement to buy a packet of sticky rice, or share a table with strangers to eat a bowl of bun cha.
Bring on the Dumplings This is particularly true of one street stall in the Old Quarter that sells deep-fried Chinese-style prawn dumplings or ha cao chien. Diners line up, wait for their turn, squeeze themselves on tiny stools on the pavement. And they keep coming back.
This stall, one of the few selling this dish, is on Hang Bo — look for Ha Cao Chien 55 Hang Bo. There’s not much to this place — a glass cabinet storing fried prawn dumplings and shrimp fritters or banh tom; a stove and a pan of heating oil, a couple of tiny chairs, some plates and tiny bowls. Yet, the stall serves hundreds of diners every afternoon, desperate for their delicious ha cao chien, banh tom and can’t-be-beaten dipping fish sauce. Many people use pork and prawns for the hacao filling while some use vegetables to make ha cao for vegetarians. Steamed or deep-fried, ha cao is a Hanoi favourite thanks to its taste which is blended with fresh herbs and sauces. Ha cao chien is easy to make and works as both an appetizer or even as a snack eatenby people before heading back home for dinner. The dumplings are tiny — around 20 pieces fit onto a small plate. The crust is crispy while the filling is soft, rich in taste and is a perfect combination of pork and prawn, seasoned with onion, mushroom, herbs and vegetables. Size matters here, as the vendor notes: “The smaller the dumpling is, the easier it is to digest, and the more craving you feel for it. You should feel that you want to eat more and more. But you should wait for another time or you’ll get bored of it very soon.”
Baskets or fresh herbs and tiny bowls of dipping sauce with thinly sliced papaya are always prepared for diners to balance the taste of the dumpling deep-fried in oil.
All Good Things Take Time Impatient diners sometimes pester the lady who fries the hacao to speed up, to which she replies: “To have delicious fried dumpling, your oil must be hot enough. The more you rush, the worse your dumpling will taste. It would be a failure if your ha cao does not have a shining golden and crispy skin, withthe filling still soft inside.” Besides ha cao chien, the eatery is also very famous for it is banh tom, a crispy patty made with sweet potato flour, topped with prawns. Diners like the banh tom here because it is crispy, and not oily like elsewhere. The dipping sauce is also good. Despite the inconvenience of pavement eatingin the bustling and cramped spaces of the Old Quarter, ha cao chien is still an afternoon favourite, especially when autumn breezes blow or the weather gets a bit colder as the sun goes down. Ha Cao Chien 55 Hang Bo is open from 2pm to around 6pm every afternoon. Each plate of ha caochien or banh tom is priced at VND25,000. Note: There is a nearby space at Bao Lao Dong or The Labour Newspaper where you can park your motorbike
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Food and Drink
MYSTERY DINER
HCMC
Hum
An upper-echelon vegetarian eatery that has been getting some good plaudits, Hum has become one of the top restaurants in Saigon. So, what did our mystery diner make of the place? Photos by Charles Von Presley
I
felt virtuously healthful the moment I walked into Hum, one of the city’s premiere vegetarian eateries. My impression was that I’d stepped into an expensive spa; the soft splash of the fountain, the wall of plants behind the bar, the soft lighting playing over carved wooden screens and aged brick, the buzz of the juicer. Normally, I linger over the menu, but arriving minutes before the kitchen took its last orders, I trusted to luck and my date’s past visits here. She flipped through the faux-rustic menu on unbleached paper and rattled off orders; I looked at the picture menu and pointed. The most interesting section concerned Hum’s house cocktails, concoctions designed to magic booze into liquid salad. Along with their inventive juices and smoothies, the list made for a long read.
The Virtue of Eating Well The grassy Martini (VND95,000) lit up my tongue; juiced herbs, veggies and vodka cunningly served in a legless martini glass nestled in a larger glass atop crushed ice. My date’s watermelon, salted lime and ginger juice (VND70,000) tasted like it could cure cancer, but the ginger settled out and the last sip scorched my mouth.
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The deep-fried tofu appetizer (VND70,000) stunned me — creamy, crispy, delicate and filling, it was served with a piquant sauce that revealed more layers of flavour the more I chewed. I’d go back for those alone, probably the least healthy dish save the dessert. Green curry (VND90,000) is usually not my favourite; not only did I eat the Thai eggplant and calabash, but I actually drank the sauce, savouring the zesty and creamy coconut curry. The three neat piles of rice vermicelli, however, didn’t add much. The sole disappointment was the veggie omelet (VND80,000). A brassy, sweet and sour sauce overpowered the folded egg wrapping and wealth of vegetables. I’ve never chosen not to finish a dish before, but neither my date nor I wanted more than a bite or two. Backed by fried rice a la Hum (VND90,000), we’d managed to select a wellpresented, balanced meal, though I suspect creating an unbalanced one would be nearly impossible at Hum, unless one were to stick to the cocktails. As always when you dine with someone else, compromise is important; in this case, we compromised by getting two desserts. I ate every delicious bite of mango and sticky rice (VND70,000). I also ‘compromised’ by
finishing my date’s toddy palm and coconut milk (VND50,000), another (seemingly) Thaitouched offering.
A Food Spa I’ll give the benefit of the doubt and ascribe the service to the late hour. The waitresses smiled, but alternately rushed and vanished. They managed to get the courses out at the appropriate times, so it all worked out. As I indicated, Hum’s owners have taken great care in decorating their restaurant. The interior is beautiful, possessed of a soothing elegance that harmonizes many parts that rightly ought to clash. One feels massages and mudpacks ought to be on the menu, too. Normally, vegetarian food leaves me unsatisfied. Perhaps not hungry, but lacking some vital element of a full meal. Not at Hum. Portion sizes were reasonable, but more than that, each dish owned a heft that I normally don’t associate with herbivorous fare. So, will I go back? Yes, but at someone else’s invitation or request. Vegetarianism is wonderful to visit, but I wouldn’t want to live there. Hum’s two locations are at 2 Thi Sach, Q1 and 32 Vo Van Tan, Q3. They are open from 10am to 10pm
THE VERDICT
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FOOD
12
SERVICE
14 DÉCOR
Food, Decor and Service are each rated on a scale of 0 to 15. 13 — 15 extraordinary to perfection 10 — 12.5 very good to excellent 8 — 9.5 good to very good 5 — 7.5 fair to good 0 — 4.5 poor to fair The Word reviews anonymously and pays for all meals
Food and Drink
STREET SNACKER
HCMC
Ca Com Minh Duc
In a city where design and concept have taken over the restaurant scene, sometimes it’s nice to go back to basics. Vi Pham visits one of Saigon’s best-known and most often criticised rice restaurants. Photos by Charles Von Presley
R
ice restaurants are everywhere in this city, and one place that seems to attract a good deal of foreigners is Ca Com Minh Duc. Serving up typical Vietnamese fare, the kind that every family will eat at home for lunch or dinner, before paying Minh Duc a visit, I did some research. My first impression wasn’t promising. Some commenters online thought the place was overpriced. Others stated they would love to go back. But there was one noticeable thing: while foreign diners adore Minh Duc, many native Vietnamese think it does not deserve the fame. So I decided to be the cat and let curiosity kill my money. It turned out to be one of those cases where you need to make up your own
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mind — don’t trust what people say online.
The Taste of Home Opened in 1992, Ca Com Minh Duc has achieved a certain level of fame among Saigonese. While restaurants specialising in Hanoi or Hue dishes keep popping up around town, Minh Duc keeps to its roots, serving up typical yet tasty Saigonese fare. It is this very ordinariness that helps them stand out from the crowd. Displayed through glass containers, the cuisine here includes anything from canh chua (sweet and sour broth) through to fried tuna dressed with tomato sauce. Their ca kho mang — claypot fish cooked with bamboo sprouts — was a treat to my taste buds. The well-seasoned sauce, the tender fish and the crunchy
bamboo made it worth every bite. It reminded me of the kind of stuff my grandma cooks. She has always been a great family chef. But what makes Minh Duc special does not lie just in the food, but also in the atmosphere. The dining hall is plain, yet this must be the reason why most tables are filled with groups of families and friends. No expensive furniture or luxurious utensils are needed here, yet the place oozes comfort. There is no need to wear formal clothes, no need to put on airs and graces. Most diners, in particular Viet Kieu, say this place reminds them of being surrounded by familiar faces and moments of laughter. It feels like eating at home. On my visit, together with dining partner we had a good time discussing irrelevant topics:
from Game of Thrones to local ghost stories. We laughed and chatted without worrying about the people sitting next to us feeling irritated. Minh Duc’s signature dish is ca com kho — dried seasoned anchovies. With a crusty layer wrapped around every flavoured anchovy, the only trouble ca com kho may cause you is it might be hard to hear anyone talking over the crunch of the food as you chew the dried fish. Otherwise, this makes a great snack at any gettogether. Minh Duc’s own-made ca com kho is exported overseas and is an important business line of the brand.
Tien Nao Cua Nay On my visit we spent VND234,000 on seven dishes with a big bowl of rice and a free refill of tra da (iced
tea). It was not cheap since the serving size could fit in my hand, but the price range was nowhere near expensive. But the quality of the food, the staff and their attitude made it worth eating here, despite the portion sizes. Their hospitable service and their ability to find me a seat deserved a fat tip. It was a crowded lunchtime, but they managed to keep the dining space clean tidy, from table to floor. “Hi, have you placed your order?” asked a member of staff as he was cleaning the table and rearranging the chopsticks. “I’ll order when my friend arrives. But thanks.” He nodded his head, flashing off somewhere before returning with a glass of tra da and a cold towel.
While waiting for my friend, Charles and his oversized camera, I had time to observe the place. Crowded and busy, but always ordered, waiters and waitresses were standing at the entrance to take customers’ orders, leading them to tables and bringing them drinks. Unlike many other restaurants where the service is tired, this staff was calm and helpful even though group after group of customers kept entering. All the diners around me looked satisfied. If you want to eat what a typical Saigonese family has for their lunch and dinner, it is time to pay this place a visit. Just don’t forget to bring your gang with you. Ca Com Minh Duc is at 100 Ton That Tung, Q1, HCMC
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Destination Zero / The Motorbike Diaries Part 6 / The Motorbike Diaries Part 7 / Travel Promos Photo by Kyle Phanroy 122 | Word September 2015 | wordvietnam.com
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DESTINATION ZERO AMANOI RESORT
I
f your relaxation ambitions tend to hit a ceiling at ‘fairly typical’ experiences in ‘pretty good’ locations, Amanoi will truly blow your mind. Taking out the minor issue of whether or not you have the cash — or maybe you can afford the occasional front row seat to ‘how the other half lives’ — book now, because you’ll be investing in an experience that has absolutely nothing to do with ‘fairly typical’ or ‘pretty good’.
Where’s Brando at? Amanoi Resort is a 32-hectare, 200-staffed, five-star-luxury estate — ranked in the top four resorts in Vietnam. It’s dotted into the sandy hills off Vinh Hy Bay in Ninh Thuan Province, not long before you reach Cam Ranh Airport, 30km south of Nha Trang. A relatively inconspicuous roadside entrance belies what comes after, but once you’ve been taken on your first of many golf-cart rides through the property (past cacti, tennis courts and a fleet of bullet-proof land cruisers), you’ll realise that you’ve just moved up in the world. But don’t stop congratulating yourself there.
Give yourself at pat on the back at the main reception, where you’ll be met by ‘amanoi ginger juice’ and a staircase that says “movie stars live here” — though you could never accuse Amanoi of showing off without reason. Take the 31 private luxury pavilions and villas, all with their own stunning ocean or park view (the villas come with their own pool). Now these are something worth bragging about. Sleeping on the 1000 percent ‘downe’ pillows and a billion thread-count cotton sheets, waking up and looking into the bay from your room’s balcony, you can’t help but feel at ease with how your life’s panning out. Also included is access to the cliff pool (I recommend a few laps in this before breakfast), the spa and gym, a beach club and an F&B department serving up world class cuisine on the ocean view deck. For a dinner that lives up to expectations, I recommend the 100 percent New Zealand beef claypot. Just delightful.
Cat Man Do All of that aside, what’s really classy
about this place is that the resort acts as a complement to nature. The design is intuitive, privacy is built-in, and its warm, earthy vibe, exposed timber finishes, Buddha-inspired décor and soul-quenching sea breezes immediately put you at ease. From the moment you arrive to the second you depart, nothing is too hard for the staff. Want a private catamaran to a floating seafood restaurant? Can do. Tick. Cliff-top walks offering 360-degree panoramas of the coast? Absolutely. Tick. Complimentary lakeside yoga sessions? Lemme think about that. Tick. That’s right, life at Amanoi is all about about ticking some serious boxes. That and completely letting go of what’s going on in the world beyond. Doing exactly that when we were there were Barry and Amy Finegold from Boston, and I’m giving them the final word. “We’ve been fortunate to have stayed in some amazing places over the years,” started Barry, “but this is easily the best.” — Jon Aspin For more information visit aman.com/resorts/ amanoi
PHOTOS BY KYLE PHANROY
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Travel
DALAT ANA MANDARA VILLAS $$$$ Le Lai, Dalat, Tel: (063) 3555888
anamandara-resort.com
DALAT PALACE $$$$ 12 Ho Tung Mau, Dalat, Tel: (063) 382 5444
dalatpalace.vn
This enormous structure offers the most modern of amenities, and with four restaurants and two bars, the events staff is well equipped to handle any occasion. Close to the National Convention Center, and a favourite of the business traveller, Daewoo even boasts an outdoor driving range. Shortly to become a Marriot property. FORTUNA HOTEL HANOI 6B Lang Ha, Ba Dinh, Tel: (04) 3831 3333
fortuna.vn DALAT GREEN CITY HOTEL 172 Phan Dinh Phung, Dalat, Tel: (063) 382 7999
dalatgreencityhotel.com
Located in central Dalat, this is the perfect place for budget travellers. Quiet, newly refurbished with beautiful mountain and city views from the rooftop, features free Wi-Fi, a TV and snack bar in all rooms with a downstairs coffee shop and computers in the lobby for guest use.
This 350-room four-star set up in the heart of Hanoi’s financial district has a variety of rooms on offer, a “capital lounge” and three restaurants that serve Japanese, Chinese and international cuisine. And like you’d expect, there’s a fitness centre, night club and swimming pool, too, and even a separate spa and treatment facility for men and women. Set to the west of town, Fortuna often offers business deals on rooms and spaces to hold meetings, presentations and celebrations. HOTEL DE L’OPERA 29 Trang Tien, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 6282 5555
contact@hoteldelopera.com
DALAT TRAIN VILLA Villa 3, 1 Quang Trung, Dalat, Tel: (063) 381 6365
dalattrainvilla.com
Located near the Dalat Train Station, the Dalat Train Villa is a beautifully restored, colonial era, two-storey villa. In its grounds is a 1910 train carriage which has been renovated into a bar and cafe. Located within 10 minutes of most major attractions in Dalat.
TRUNG CANG HOTEL $ 22 Bui Thi Xuan, Dalat, Tel: (063) 382 2663
M M M HANOI – INTERNATIONAL CROWNE PLAZA WEST INTERNATIONAL $$$ 36 Le Duc Tho, My Dinh Commune, Tu Liem, Hanoi, Tel: (04) 6270 6688 crowneplazawesthanoi.com This premier five-star property lies beside the My Dinh National Stadium and Convention Centre. Boasts two swimming pools, a spa, and a fitness centre in its 24 stories. DAEWOO HOTEL 360 Kim Ma, Ba Dinh, Tel: (04) 3831 5555
hanoi-daewoohotel.com
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Resting just a step away from the Opera House, the hotel mixes colonial architectural accents and theatrical interior design to create a contemporary space. The first boutique five star in the heart of Hanoi, the lavish, uniquely designed 107 rooms and suites contain all the mod cons and are complimented by two restaurants, a bar and complimentary Wi-Fi. HILTON GARDEN INN HANOI 20 Phan Chu Trinh, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi, Tel (04) 3944 9396
hanoi.hgi.com
With 86 fully-equipped guestrooms and suites, this is the first Hilton Garden Inn property in Southeast Asia. Centrally located and a short stroll from the historic Old Quarter, the hotel offers a full service restaurant, a stylish bar, along with complimentary business and fitness centres making it perfect for the international business or leisure traveller. HILTON HANOI OPERA 1 Le Thanh Tong, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi, Tel: (04) 3933 0500
hanoi.hilton.com
Situated next to the iconic Hanoi Opera House and a short stroll from the Old Quarter, this five-star hotel is a Hanoi landmark. With 269 fully-equipped rooms and suites, there’s plenty for the discerning business and leisure traveller to choose from.
INTERCONTINENTAL HANOI WESTLAKE 1A Nghi Tam, Tay Ho, Tel: (04) 6270 8888
hanoi.intercontinental.com
This stunning property built over West Lake falls in between a hotel and a resort. Beautiful views, great balcony areas, comfortable, topend accommodation and all the mod-cons make up the mix here together with the resort’s three in-house restaurants and the Sunset Bar, a watering hole located on a thoroughfare over the lake. Great gym and health club. JW MARRIOTT HANOI 8, Do Duc Duc, Me Tri, Tu Liem, Hanoi, Tel: (04) 3833 5588
jwmarriotthanoi.com
From the expressive architecture outside to the authentic signature JW Marriott services inside, this Marriott hotel in Hanoi is the new definition of contemporary luxury. Lies next door to the National Convention Centre. MAY DE VILLE OLD QUARTER 43/45/47 Gia Ngu, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi, Tel: (04) 3933 5688
maydeville.com
The largest four-star hotel in Hanoi’s Old Quarter, 110 rooms, a swimming pool, a top floor terrace bar and a location just a stone’s throw from Hoan Kiem Lake make this a great choice for anyone wanting a bit of luxury in the heart of the action. MELIA HANOI 44B Ly Thuong Kiet, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3934 3343
meliahanoi.com
Excellently located in central Hanoi, Melia Hanoi draws plenty of business travellers and is also a popular venue for conferences and wedding receptions. State-of-the-art rooms, elegant restaurants, stylish bars, fully equipped fitness centre with sophisticated service always make in-house guests satisfied. MÖVENPICK HOTEL HANOI 83A Ly Thuong Kiet, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3822 2800
moevenpick-hanoi.com
With its distinctive French architecture and top end service, Mövenpick Hotel Hanoi is aimed squarely at corporate travellers. An allday restaurant and a lounge bar are available to satiate their clientele while the kinetic gym and wellness studio offer an excellent range of equipment. Massage and sauna facilities are available for guests seeking to rejuvenate. Of the 154 wellappointed rooms and suites, 93 are non-smoking. PULLMAN HANOI HOTEL $$$$ 40 Cat Linh, Ba Dinh, Tel: (04) 3733 0688
pullman-hanoi.com
With deluxe rooms and
suites, a contemporary lobby, an excellent buffet, and a la carte restaurant, this Accor group property is prestigious and close to the Old Quarter. SHERATON K5 Nghi Tam, 11 Xuan Dieu, Tay Ho, Tel: (04) 3719 9000
sheraton.com/hanoi
Surrounded by lush gardens, sweeping lawns and tranquil courtyards, this peaceful property features picturesque views of West Lake and is less than 10 minutes from downtown. In addition to the luxurious rooms, the hotel offers an outdoor swimming pool and great relaxation and fitness facilities, including a tennis court and spa. There are well equipped conference rooms and a newly refurbished Executive Club Lounge. SOFITEL LEGEND METROPOLE HANOI 15 Ngo Quyen, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3826 6919
sofitel.com
The finest hotel of the French colonial period is probably still the finest in today’s Hanoi. Anyone who is (or was) anyone has stayed at this elegant oasis of charm, where the service is impeccable and the luxurious facilities complement the ambiance of a bygone era. Definitely the place to put the Comtessa up for a night. SOFITEL PLAZA HANOI 1 Thanh Nien Road, Ba Dinh, Tel: (04) 3823 8888 Boasting Hanoi’s best views of West Lake, Truc Bach Lake and the Red River, Sofitel Plaza Hanoi soars 20 storeys above the city skyline. The 5-star hotel features 317 luxurious, comfortable guestrooms with spectacular lake view or river view ranking in 7 types from Classic Room to Imperial Suite.
M M M HANOI – MID-RANGE 6 ON SIXTEEN 16 Bao Khanh, Hoan Kiem
sixonsixteen.com
Another boutique hotel to grace Hanoi’s Old Quarter, the six rooms here mix contemporary and fresh with handicrafts and antique. Breakfast is included and in the long, lounge restaurant on the second floor, home-style Vietnamese fare is served up with fresh fruit juices and Lavazza coffee. GOLDEN SILK BOUTIQUE HOTEL $$$ 109-111 Hang Gai, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi, Tel: (04) 3928 6969
goldensilkhotel.com
Located in the centre of the Old Quarter, this little slice of heaven offers complimentary sundries and a replenishable
minibar. The Orient restaurant, serves the finest in international and Vietnamese cuisine. JOSEPH’S HOTEL $$ 5 Au Trieu, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi, Tel: (04) 3938 1048
josephshotel.com
Located next to the cathedral, this popular wellappointed, airy and spacious boutique hotel mixes comfort with a nice ambience and great Western or Vietnamese breakfasts. All the modern amenities at reasonable prices. MAISON D’HANOI HANOVA HOTEL $$$ 35-37 Hang Trong, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3938 0999
hanovahotel.com
A minute from Hoan Kiem Lake, this glowing pearl in the heart of Hanoi provides tranquility with an art gallery and piano bar. MAY DE VILLE 24 Han Thuyen, Hai Ba Trung, Tel: (04) 2222 9988 Set in the old French Quarter a short walk from the Opera House, May de Ville City Centre is a welcome new addition to the capital. Combining contemporary architecture with traditional Vietnamese style and materials, this elegant property has 81 well-appointed rooms including four suites.
M M M HANOI – BUDGET HANOI BACKBACKER’S HOSTEL 48 Ngo Huyen, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3828 5372
hanoibackpackershostel.com
Probably the cheapest, European-style hostel in town, with bunk-style beds mixed or single-sex dorms starting at VND150,000, plus a couple of double suites from VND250,000. A place to meet like-minded fold in the Old Quarter.
M M M HCMC – INTERNATIONAL CARAVELLE HOTEL $$$$ 19 Lam Son Square, Q1, Tel: (08) 3823 4999
caravellehotel.com
Winner of Robb Report’s 2006 list of the world’s top 100 luxury hotels, the Caravelle houses the popular rooftop Saigon Saigon bar, and the restaurants Nineteen and Reflections. EQUATORIAL $$$ 242 Tran Binh Trong, Q5, Tel: (08) 3839 7777
equatorial.com/hcm
This massive property boasts seven dining and entertainment outlets, a business centre, meeting rooms and a comprehensive fitness centre and spa. The Equatorial also has an on-site casino. HOTEL NIKKO SAIGON $$$$$ 235 Nguyen Van Cu, Q1, Tel: (08) 3925 7777
hotelnikkosaigon.com.vn
The five-star hotel and serviced apartment complex offers: 14 instant offices, seven meeting rooms, a 600-capacity ballroom, spa, outdoor swimming pool, a gym, 24-hour fine dining, 24-hours room service, and limousine services. INTERCONTINENTAL ASIANA SAIGON $$$$$ Hai Ba Trung and Le Duan, Q1, Tel: (08) 3520 9999
intercontinental.com/saigon
In the heart of Ho Chi Minh City, resides the Asiana with signature dining options, an innovative cocktail bar, exclusive spa and health club, together with luxury boutique arcade. LOTTE LEGEND HOTEL SAIGON $$$$ 2A–4A Ton Duc Thang, Q1, Tel: (08) 3823 3333
legendsaigon.com
Immaculate architecture, spacious rooms, and a fine selection of fine dining, with buffets specialising in Americana and Pan-Asian cuisine. NEW WORLD HOTEL $$$$ 76 Le Lai, Q1, Tel: (08) 3822 8888
saigon.newworldhotels.com
Former guests include U.S. presidents — two Bushes, Clinton — and K-Pop sensation Bi Rain. An ongoing event as well as a hotel, New World is one of the best luxury stops in town. PARK HYATT $$$$$ 2 Lam Son Square, Q1, Tel: (08) 3824 1234
saigon.park.hyatt.com
Fabulous in style, prime in location, everything one would expect from the Hyatt. The Square One and Italianthemed Opera restaurants have garnered an excellent reputation, as has the landscaped pool. PULLMAN SAIGON CENTRE $$$$$ 148 Tran Hung Dao, Q1, Tel: (08) 3838 8686
pullmanhotels.com
Recently completed on the site of the old Metropole, this upscale, contemporary property boasts 306 signature rooms combining design, comfort and connectivity. Innovative cuisine, a great downtown location and hightech meeting venues able to
host up to 600 guests make up the mix. RIVERSIDE APARTMENTS 53 Vo Truong Toan, Q2, Tel: (08) 3744 4111
riverside-apartments.com
Situated on the banks of the Saigon River, a 15-minute scenic boat ride or 20-minute bus ride from town, Riverside’s complementary shuttle services take you right in the city centre. With 152 fully equipped serviced apartments, the property offers special packages for short-term stay starting at VND2.1 million per apartment per night for a onebedroom facility. RIVERSIDE RENAISSANCE $$$$$ 18–19-20 Ton Duc Thang, Q1, Tel: (08) 3825 1417
riversidehotelsg.com
This distinct French architectural wonder offers complimentary Wi-Fi, airport pickup or drop off, a 4th floor ballroom, and authentic Vietnamese cuisine at the River Restaurant. SHERATON $$$$$ 88 Dong Khoi, Q1, Tel: (08) 3827 2828
sheraton.com/saigon
Sheraton boasts one of the best locations in town, with first–class facilities, an open–air restaurant 23 floors above the city and a live music venue on the same floor. SOFITEL SAIGON PLAZA $$$$ 17 Le Duan, Q1, Tel: (08) 3824 1555
sofitel.com
This 20–story building in downtown Saigon, caters to upscale business and leisure travelers seeking a classic yet contemporary stay in Saigon. WINDSOR PLAZA $$$ 18 An Duong Vuong, Q5, Tel: (08) 3833 6688
windsorplazahotel.com
The full ensemble with its own shopping hub (including a bank), fine dining, a sauna, health club, and superb panoramic views of the cityscape. Also hosts the largest Oktoberfest in the region.
M M M HCMC – DELUXE CONTINENTAL $$$ 132-134 Dong Khoi, Q1, Tel: (08) 3829 9201
continentalhotel.com.vn
This charming old hotel has been fêted in literature and in film. In the heart of Saigon, this is the first choice to highlight Vietnamese culture.
NORFOLK HOTEL $$$ 117 Le Thanh Ton, Q1, Tel: (08) 3829 5368
norfolkhotel.com.vn
Intimate atmosphere and excellent service, this boutique business hotel is located minutes from famous landmarks, designer shops, and is renowned for its fabulous steaks at its in-house restaurant, Corso. NOVOTEL SAIGON CENTRE $$$ 167 Hai Ba Trung, Q3, Tel: (08) 3822 4866
novotel-saigon-centre.com
Novotel Saigon Centre has a contemporary feel, an international buffet — The Square — a rooftop bar, and a wellness centre including a swimming pool, gym, sauna and spa. VILLA SONG SAIGON $$$ 197/2 Nguyen Van Huong, Q2, Tel: (08) 3744 6090
villasong.com
Deliberately located away from the city centre in Thao Dien, this riverside boutique villa-style hotel is a sanctuary of peace and calm — a rarity in Ho Chi Minh City. Beautiful, Indochine-influenced design, a great setting and good drinking and dining options make this a great, non-city centre choice. STAR CITY SAIGON HOTEL $$$ 144 Nguyen Van Troi, Phu Nhuan, Tel: (08) 3999 8888
starcitysaigon.vn
The newly-built hotel is near Tan Son Nhat International Airport. With spectacular city views and a comfortablydesigned outdoor swimming pool, there is little reason not to choose this shining star.
Free Wi–Fi offered in every room. Low prices, friendly staff, clean rooms. This modern oasis is only a few steps from the backpacker’s area. DUNA HOTEL $ 167 Pham Ngu Lao Q1, Tel: (08) 3837 3699
FURAMA RESORT AND SPA $$$$ Vo Nguyen Giap, Khue My, Ngu Hanh Son, Danang, Tel: (0511) 384 7888
furamavietnam.com
dunahotel.com
HONG HOA HOTEL $ 185/28 Pham Ngu Lao, Q1, Tel: (08) 3836 1915
honghoavn.com
SINH HUONG HOTEL $ 157 Nguyen Du Q1, Tel: (08) 3827 4648
sinhhuonghotel.com.vn
M M M HOI AN & DANANG AN BANG BEACH RETREAT An Bang Beach, Hoi An
anbangbeachretreat.com
CUA DAI $ 544, Cua Dai, Hoi An, Tel: (0510) 386 2231
hotelcuadai-hoian.com/
DANANG BEACH RESORT $$$ Truong Sa, Hoa Hai, Ngu Hanh Son, Danang, Tel: (0511) 396 1800
danangbeachresort.com.vn
with a stunning view of the Marble Mountains. There are 182 luxurious residences and 27 private ocean villas, each with a private pool. MERCURE DANANG $$$ Lot A1 Zone Green Island, Hoa Cuong Bac, Hai Chau, Danang, Tel: (0511) 379 7777
mercure-danang.com PULLMAN DANANG BEACH RESORT $$$$ Vo Nguyen Giap, Khue My, Ngu Hanh Son, Danang Tel: (0511) 395 8888
pullman-danang.com
Located on the stunning white sands of Bac My An Beach, the stylish Pullman Danang Beach Resort is an oasis of activities and facilities for the modern traveller. With an idyllic setting, this luxury property is perfect for a family holiday or romantic beach getaway. And with extensive function facilities, Pullman Danang also provides the a great location for your next incentive getaway or event.
Set on the Han River, this well-appointed, Accormanaged property is one of the nicest hotels in Central Danang. Kitsch but contemporary design and some phenomenal views over the city make up the mix. THE NAM HAI $$$$ Hamlet 1, Dien Duong Village, Quang Nam, Tel: (0510) 394 0000
ghmhotels.com
Includes three massive swimming pools, a gourmet restaurant and elegant spa on a lotus pond. Each massive room has its own espresso machine, pre–programmed iPod and both indoor and outdoor showers.
M M M HYATT REGENCY DANANG RESORT AND SPA $$$$ Hoa Hai, Ngu Hanh Son, Da Nang, Tel: (0511) 398 1234
danang.regency.hyatt.com
The Hyatt Regency Danang Resort and Spa is beachfront
HUE & LANG CO ANGSANA LANG CO $$$$ Cu Du Village, Loc Vinh Commune, Phu Loc, Thua Thien
Joseph’s Hotel Foreign-run,boutique hotel Next to the cathedral
M M M HCMC - MID-RANGE ROYAL HOTEL SAIGON $$ 133 Nguyen Hue, Q1, Tel: (08) 3822 5914
kimdohotel.com
LAN LAN HOTEL 1 AND 2 $$$ 46 and 73-75 Thu Khoa Huan, Q1, Tel: (08) 3822 7926
lanlanhotel.com.vn
THE ALCOVE LIBRARY HOTEL $$$ 133A Nguyen Dinh Chinh, Phu Nhuan, Tel: 08 6256 9966
alcovehotel.com.vn
M M M HCMC – BUDGET DUC VUONG HOTEL $ 195 Bui Vien, Q1, Tel: (08) 3920 6992
Free wi-fi, international breakfast, spacious and airy, lift, plasma TV, multi-shower, friendly service www.josephshotel.com 5, Au Trieu, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi | Phone: 04 3938 1048 | Mob: 0913 090 446
ducvuonghotel.com
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THE MOTORBIKE DIARIES PART 6: PASSING THROUGH
Matt Dworzanczyk continues his journey via Manipur and towards Bangladesh to reunite with Nemo, his motorbike
DAY 89 The joys of being multicultural “Where are you from!?” Not to sound like a trust fund child complaining about too much travel, but try explaining to someone who speaks three words of English that you were born in one place, have two passports from somewhere else, live elsewhere and yet still you don’t have a home to go ‘back’ to. “From Poland.” (Let’s make it easy.) “Ah, Holland!” Other times I make up places to amuse myself: “From Neverland!” “Ah, Netherlands!” No matter what, I end up Dutch… Evening. I’m about to sleep when four immigration guys show up banging on my door. Eeek! They couldn’t work out what to enter in the computer under ‘nationality’ and walked from one guesthouse to the next searching for me to save their jobs. I feel bad.
DAY 90 Manipur Since 5am waiting for a ride to Imphal. Everybody is going but nobody’s going. Flexible Indian Time all the way. Zero
communication. Roads are blocked due to protests. Finally get a ride on a van packed to the seams with fabrics. You think nothing else could possibly fit inside, then another person squeezes in. One woman actually goes the bumpy six hour ride with a washing basin on her head. More military along the way then I’ve ever seen in my life. Are things really that bad here?
DAY 91 Imphal A dusty, overly polluted and unattractive town. Tension in the streets. People are quick to tell you they’re not Indian. They’re clearly not happy with the Indian rule and feel forgotten by the mainland and the rest of the world. Everyone’s eager to show and tell you all about their their clothes, food, dance, arts, culture and architecture, somehow trying to make up for all the time lost to conflict, as if seeking a lifeline for their cultural survival...
DAY 94 Seeking Entertainment Piles of rotting garbage. A pack of cows
scouring for food. Cyclos flying by; thick dust in the air. In other words; a local market. A shady old woman approaches whispering something I can’t understand, very much in a Khao San tuk-tuk driver fashion. I hand her 50 rupees, which quickly disappear in the many layers of her old, dirty sari. She leads me behind the market, past filthy sewage into a dim alleyway, then into a rather nondescript building. Three floors up, smells of masala and urine — a nauseating combination — emanate all around. Against my better judgment, I’m still following her. She opens a heavy metal door covered with old, dry betel nut spit and lets me in to a dark, sweaty room. Welcome to a Manipuri cinema.
DAY 97 Missing Nemo It’s been a month without Nemo, my bike. A month too long. I’m off to Bangladesh looking forward to our reunion, mere days away now. We’ll explore more of India’s northeast together, very soon! For more on Matt’s films and travels, check out the Etherium Sky Production Blog at EtheriumSky.com/ProdBlog
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THE MOTORBIKE DIARIES PART 7: IN THE DESH... BANGLA-DESH
While awaiting Nemo, his motorbike, Matt Dworzanczyk explores the southern regions of Bangladesh.
DAY 98 Finding Nemo Chitta-chitta-gong! Nemo, my bike, should already be waiting in the port. A few days to clear customs and we journey on!
DAY 99 Finding Nemo 2 Did I actually think getting my Nemo back was gonna be smooth, quick and easy? Did I?! Well, they won’t release my bike. I don’t know why. They don’t know why, either.
DAY 101 ‘Highlights’ of the Desh Visited a garments factory today. I’ll have flashbacks to this day with every new shirt I ever buy. There’s such vast misery and homelessness in the streets here, but mere pennies for a six-day workweek in a menial
work camp manufactory, is that such a great alternative? Afternoon. Ship breaking yards on the outskirts of town. Locals speak of it with pride, quick to mention some recent Hollywood blockbuster that was filmed here. Nevermind the kids taking apart giant freighters with their bare hands. Couldn’t get anywhere near before being turned around… Maybe it’s better, it would’ve upset me.
DAY 105 Finding Nemo 3 By now, my embassy and consulate in Dhaka and the embassy in New Delhi are involved in retrieving my bike. Shockingly, they actually seem determined to help! Bangladesh’s minister of finance is also now personally involved and I just got off the
phone with who I’m pretty sure was the minister of foreign affairs… Don’t all those people have more pressing issues to attend to? And yeah — still no solution.
DAY 112 A Weekend Away Spent a week enduring epic bureaucracy. Don’t want it to stain my thoughts of the country. I climb on the roof of a dangerously beat up bus — some nearby island is supposed to have wilderness and a beach. Yes. Three ferries, five buses and one big headache later — Nijum Dwib. Simple place, but a relief to finally again see a vast land of green. Then, a pack of deer and a fox come out of the forest. A hello. And I’m glad to see them, too.
DAY 116 Finding Nemo 4 Customs guy asked me for US$700. I refused. So, he gave me a bag with US$700, cash. No, I don’t understand either.
DAY 118 Golf Bar After a day of bureaucratic dead ends, to pass time, relax my mind, would be nice to have some rum. But rum’s illegal here — welcome to Bangladesh. Exception; a lonely, secluded bar in the middle of a militarybase golf course. North Korea déjà vu yet again.
DAY 119 Finding Nemo 5 Some three weeks now. Maybe life is testing
me, asking what I learnt in recent months… Guess I should feel frustrated, yet I’m mostly at peace.
DAY 121 Charlie’s Angels Embassy sent me to meet a banker — a Bengali Lech Walesa photo double, I swear! Started with a discussion of life, religion and love, complete with quotes from songs of Bob Dylan and Abba (yes!). Then, his admission that despite religious restrictions on films showing women, he is in fact a huge fan of Charlie’s Angels. He got all red after letting that one slip out and was perhaps afraid that I’d somehow use it against him. He soon after provided me the last document I needed before customs promised to release my Nemo.
DAY 122 The Reunion Four weeks late, in the dark, late night, on a beat up old pick up truck, finally, there he was, my little Nemo! Apparently he even visited Singapore during his cruise ship adventure! And while I was ready to drive off to never have to deal with Chittagong customs again, they insisted on having me over for tea and biscuits. Never mind, it’s nearly midnight. Considering all the conveniently named ‘tea money’ I paid, those were still the most expensive biscuits I’ve ever had. For more on Matt’s films and travels, check out the Etherium Sky Production Blog at EtheriumSky.com/ProdBlog
wordvietnam.com | September 2015 Word | 131
Travel
Hue, Tel: (054) 369 5800
angsana.com/en/lang_co
Located on Vietnam’s South Central Coast, Angsana Lang Co commands an unrivalled beach frontage of the shimmering East Sea. Traditional Vietnamese design encompasses the resort’s contemporary buildings and chic interiors. BANYAN TREE LANG CO $$$$ Cu Du Village, Loc Vinh Commune, Phu Loc, Thua Thien, Hue, Tel: (054) 369 5888
banyantree.com/en/lang_co
Built on a crescent bay, The Banyan Tree offers privacy and unparalleled exclusivity with all-pool villas reflecting the cultural and historical legacy of past Vietnamese dynastic periods. LA RESIDENCE $$$$ 5 Le Loi, Hue, Tel: (054) 383 7475
la–residence–hue.com
PHUONG HOANG HOTEL $ 66 Le Loi, Hue, Tel: (054) 382 6736
hoangphuonghotel.com
M M M NHA TRANG EVASON ANA MANDARA AND SIX SENSES SPA $$$$ Beachside Tran Phu, Nha Trang, Khanh Hoa, Tel: (058) 352 2222
sixsenses.com/evason-resorts/ana-mandara/destination
2.6 hectares of private beachside gardens and villa–style accommodation furnished in traditional native woods, this resort offers verandah dining, a pool bar and the signature Six Senses Spa. JUNGLE BEACH RESORT $ Ninh Phuoc, Ninh Hoa, Khanh Hoa, Tel: (058) 362 2384
junglebeachvietnam.com
On a secluded promontory north of Nha Trang, this budget place is all about hammocks, the sea, the jungle and nature.
PHOTO BY MATT DWORZANCZYK
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MIA RESORT NHA TRANG $$$$ Bai Dong, Cam Hai Dong, Cam Lam, Khanh Hoa, Tel: (058) 398 9666
mianhatrang.com
NOVOTEL NHA TRANG $$$ 50 Tran Phu, Nha Trang, Tel: (058) 625 6900
novotel-nhatrang.com
This four-star hotel with 154 guestrooms, all with a terrace and sea view. Complete with a pool, spa, restaurant, bar and meeting room that caters for up to 200 delegates. SIX SENSES HIDEAWAY NINH VAN BAY $$$$ Ninh Van Bay, Ninh Hoa, Khanh Hoa, Tel: (058) 372 8222
sixsenses.com/resorts/ninhvan-bay/destination The upmarket Tatler magazine voted top hotel of 2006. The location is stunning, on a bay accessible only by boat.
SHERATON NHA TRANG HOTEL AND SPA $$$$ 26 – 28 Tran Phu, Tel: (058) 388 0000
sheraton.com/nhatrang
M M M PHAN THIET & MUI NE NINH CHU BAY BEACH CLUB & BAR Hwy 702, Ninh Hai, Phan Rang, Ninh Thuan, Tel: (068) 627 2727
ninhchubay.com
Enjoy the private beach with excellent facilities and have a massage. Evenings are sublime at this beach club, soon to become a fully fledged resort. Grilled seafood, European sausages, sangria, draught beer, and specialityinfused vodka all make this one of a kind destination. BLUE OCEAN RESORT $$$$ 54 Nguyen Dinh Chieu, Mui Ne, Phan Thiet, Tel: (062) 384 7322
blueoceanresort.com.vn life-resorts.com
COCO BEACH $$$$ 58 Nguyen Dinh Chieu, Mui Ne, Phan Thiet, Tel: (062) 384 7111
HO KHANH'S HOMESTAY $$ Son Trach, Bo Trach, Quang Binh, Tel: 01299 597182
With charming wooden bungalows, a private beach, a swimming pool (both with attached bars) and a French restaurant, Coco Beach continues to be run by those who opened it in 1995.
PHONG NHA FARMSTAY $$ Hoa Son, Cu Nam, Bo Trach, Quang Binh, Tel: (052) 367 5135
cocobeach.net
JOE’S GARDEN RESORT $$ 86 Nguyen Dinh Chieu, Ham Tien, Mui Ne, Tel: (062) 384 7177
joescafemuine.com
A leafy, seafront bungalow resort and café with nightly live music all in one. Reminiscent of the type of places you’d find on the Thai islands, an international and Asian food menu together with a cheap happy hour on beer make up the relaxing mix. MIA RESORT MUI NE $$$$ 24 Nguyen Dinh Chieu, Mui Ne, Tel: (062) 384 7440
miamuine.com
VICTORIA PHAN THIET RESORT AND SPA $$$$ Mui Ne Beach, Phan Thiet, Tel: (062) 381 3000
victoriahotels.asia
Another beachfront Victoria chain, the thatched–roof bungalows and family villas are set in exotic gardens with an infinity swimming pool, a seafood restaurant, spa, beauty salon and jacuzzi.
M M M PHONG NHA EASY TIGER AND JUNGLE BAR $ Son Trach, Bo Trach, Quang Binh, Tel: (052) 367 7844
easytigerphongnha@gmail. com
A hostel and street-front bar all in one. Has a pleasant, airy atmosphere in the bar and restaurant area while the 52 dorm beds — four beds to a room — go for US$8 (VND168,000) each a night.
phong-nha-homestay.com
phong-nha-cave.com
The first western-run farmstay in Phong Nha, this wellappointed travellers’ joint has a great bar and restaurant area, a swimming pool out back and views overlooking paddy fields and mountains. Rooms start at VND600,000 for a twin or double, with a family room for five costing VND1.4 million a night.
M M M PHU QUOC
SALINDA RESORT PHU QUOC ISLAND $$$$ Cua Lap Hamlet, Duong To Commune, Phu Quoc, Kien Giang Tel: (08) 3929 3097 Hotline 0907 99 55 02
salindaresort.com
Set on the sea and only 4km away from Phu Quoc International Airport, Salinda is inspired by an interplay of rustic local heritage with contemporary design. The property has 121 rooms and villas with private balconies, and provides a luxury experience that embodies the understated beauty and enchanting spirit of the pearl of Asia.
BEACH CLUB RESORT $$ Ap Cua Lap, Xa Duong To, Long Beach, Phu Quoc Island, Tel: (077) 398 0998
beachclubvietnam.com
A quaint and popular island guesthouse featuring a beachside restaurant, and includes free Wi-Fi. Motorbike rental, boat trips and tours are easily arranged. Discount rates during rainy season.
MANGO BAY $$ Ong Lang Beach, Phu Quoc, Tel: 0903 382207
mangobayphuquoc.com
An eco–friendly approach with a gorgeous beachside location, the bungalows are made of rammed earth, no TVs or telephones (although Wi-Fi is available). Excellent sunsets from the beach bar.
M M M SAPA CAT CAT VIEW HOTEL $$ Cat Cat Road, Tel: 0203 871946
catcathotel.com
The best view in town from its bar restaurant, the Cat Cat Guesthouse is paradise at very reasonable rates. The rooms have big windows, balconies, and log fireplaces. TOPAS ECOLODGE $$$ Thanh Kim, Sapa, Lao Cai Tel: (04) 3715 1005 (Sales)
topasecolodge.com
With its panoramic views of the surrounding mountains and valley, Topas Ecolodge is the perfect place to experience the remoteness and quiet of the Northern Vietnamese mountains — the landscape, the fresh air and the ethnic peoples. Guests stay in private bungalows with dinner served in a local stilt house restaurant.
M M M VUNG TAU & HO TRAM BINH AN VILLAGE $$$$ 1 Tran Phu, Vung Tau, Tel: (064) 335 1553
binhanvillage.com
CON DAO RESORT $$ Nguyen Duc Thuan, Con Dao, Vung Tau, Tel: (064) 383 0939
condaoresort.vn
HO TRAM BEACH RESORT AND SPA $$$$ Tel: (064) 378 1525
hotramresort.com
This attractive property is the ideal getaway from Ho Chi Minh City. 63 uniquely bungalows and villas promise a local experience complete with an excellent spa and two swimming pools. HO TRAM SANCTUARY $$$$ Ho Tram, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Tel: (064) 378 1631
sanctuary.com.vn
The spacious villas come with their own pool and have direct access to the beach. Extras include tennis courts, a mini supermarket, and cycling and motorbike tours. REX HOTEL $$ 1 Le Quy Don, Vung Tau, Tel: (064) 385 2135
rexhotelvungtau.com
SIX SENSES CON DAO $$$$ Dat Doc Beach, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Tel: (064) 383 1222
sixsenses.com/SixSensesConDao THE GRAND-HO TRAM STRIP Phuoc Thuan Commune, Xuyen Moc, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Tel: (064) 378 8888
thegrandhotramstrip.com
The Grand-Ho Tram Strip is Vietnam’s first large scale integrated resort and includes a 541-room five-star hotel, a world-class casino, restaurants, high-tech meeting space, an exclusive VIP area, as well as a variety of beach-front recreation activities. Is located next to the Greg Norman-designed golf course, The Bluffs, one of the best golf courses in Vietnam.
M M M TRAVEL SERVICES — HANOI BUFFALO TOURS AGENCY (BTA) 94 Ma May, Hoan Kiem Dist., Ha Noi, Tel: (04) 3828 0702
buffalotours.com.vn
A boutique Travel Agency at the service of all Vietnamese and expatriate residents in Vietnam offering easy,
hassle-free travel around the world and in Vietnam. BTA customizes leisure and corporate travel plans while offering a selected range of small group tours. EXO TRAVEL 66A Tran Hung Dao, Hanoi, Tel: (04) 3828 2150
exotravel.com
tours, short breaks and small group adventures. With expert guides and guaranteed departures, Intrepid focuses on real life experiences in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Mekong Delta, Halong Bay, Sapa and beyond to get you up close to Vietnam’s people, cuisine, history and culture.
A one-stop, all-in-one travel agency with an extensive operational track record in the Indochina region and beyond. Providing up-market services, Exotissimo brings their clients close to culture through personalised tours. Also find travel desks at the Hilton, Sofitel Plaza and Intercontinental hotels, which are open on weekends and holidays.
TRAVEL SENSE ASIA Suite 8, 2nd Floor, 103 Nguyen Truong To, Ba Dinh, Hanoi Tel: (04) 3715 3977
HANDSPAN TRAVEL 78 Ma May, Hanoi, Tel: (04) 3926 2828
M M M
handspan.com
Established in 1997, Handspan provides customers with safe, high quality, diverse, small-group adventure tours to both popular and isolated locations in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. Has a focus on off-the-beaten-track sustainable and responsible tourism initiatives. Also provides to excursions to more well-worn destinations. HG TRAVEL 47 Phan Chu Trinh, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3944 8844
kien@travelsense.asia
A homegrown travel agency providing small group journeys and tailor-made holidays to Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar and Thailand. Voted in Trip Advisor’s Top 10 of best tours in Hanoi since 2010.
TRAVEL SERVICES — HCMC BUFFALO TOURS AGENCY 70-72 Ba Trieu, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi, Tel: (04) 3828 0702; 157 Pasteur, Q3, Ho Chi Minh City, Tel: (08) 3827 9170
buffalotours.com
This premium travel agency helps travellers select their destinations and organise their trips. From corporate travel to small group tours, explore the world or Vietnam.
EXO TRAVEL 41, Thao Dien, Q2. Tel (08) 3519 4111, Ext. 15/17/19
exotravel.com
A reliable and experienced travel company operating through Southeast Asia, Exotissimo brings you personalized tours across the region, many including insights into culinary customs, handicrafts and humanitarian initiatives. FLIGHT TRAVEL COMPANY 121 Hai Ba Trung, Q1, Tel: (08) 3824 7744
flightravelco.com
Flight travel services, including global travel management, domestic and international air booking and travel insurance, to corporate companies, family and individual travelers. TERRAVERDE 12/20 Nguyen Canh Di, Ward 4, Tan Binh District, Tel: (08) 3984 4754
terraverdetravel.com
If you like cycling through the Mekong Delta, trekking in the highlands, or lazing in a junk on Ha Long Bay — all while making a difference in people’s lives — then this company will suit you well. VIETNAM VESPA ADVENTURE 169A De Tham, Q1, Tel: 01222 993585
vietnamvespaadventure. com
Vespa Adventure offers multi–day tours of southern and coastal Vietnam on the back of a luxury motorbike powered by clean, renewable biodiesel. English-speaking tour guides lead the way.
M M M TRAVEL SERVICES — ELSEWHERE BACK OF THE BIKE TOURS Tel: (08) 6298 5659
backofthebiketours.com
Offer motorbike tours combined with the finest street food to give customers a truly immersive Vietnamese experience. BEENINASIA.COM
beeninasia.com info@beeninasia.com
Online travel in Southeast Asia. Offers you selection of best hotels and great tours. Create your own trip or we can tailor make your itinerary. TU TRAVEL 60 Hai Ba Trung, Can Tho City, Tel: 0713 752436
tutrangtravel-mekongfeeling.vn
Want to set up non-standard tours in the Mekong with local guides who’ve got extensive local knowledge? This might be the place to contact.
hgtravel.com
Travel company specialising in small-group tours around Vietnam and further afield in Indochina. Is also the sole representative agent for Kenya Airways (for 40 cities in Africa — kenya-airways. com), American Airlines (aa. com) and Turkish Airlines (thy.com). INTREPID TRAVEL VIETNAM 57A Nguyen Khac Hieu, Ba Dinh, Tel: 0904 193308
intrepidtravel.com/vietnamsales
Intrepid Travel Vietnam is an international travel company operating in Vietnam since 1992, offering innovative day
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TRAVEL PROMOS
Sunset over Mango Bay in Phu Quoc
Banyan Tree banyantree.com The luxury resort in Lang Co, the area at the bottom of the Hai Van Pass in between Hue and Danang, is running a special offer right now. Stay three nights and pay for two. With rooms starting at VND7.6 million a go, this is a pretty big discount being offered up here. For more information, call (054) 369 5888
Mango Bay mangobayphuquoc.com The rustic Phu Quoc resort Mango Bay is preparing itself for the mad rush of high season. In the meantime, from now until Oct. 31 they’re running a three-for-two deal: stay three nights, pay for two. Which is perfect for anyone looking to make that weekend away stretch for an extra day. For info call (077) 398 1693 or email reservation@mangobayphuquoc.com
Sheraton Nha Trang sheratonnhatrang.com Throughout September, Sheraton Nha Trang is offering a 50 percent off deal on the best available rates for staying at the hotel. With six restaurants and a bars, a fitness centre and a cooking school, this
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might just be the answer to your quick break away needs. Special rates start from VND2,450,000++/ room/night with breakfast costing an additional VND396,000++ per person per day. For info, call (058) 388 0000 or email reservations. nhatrang@sheraton.com
Exo Travel exotravel.com Exo Travel have teamed up with a number of resorts in Vietnam to create travel deals for anyone looking to travel from now until Oct. 31, 2015. This includes the four-star Victoria Sapa Resort & Spa Summer Promotion which costs from VND4,450,000 per person for one night’s accommodation in a superior room with breakfast and a round trip train ticket from Hanoi to Lao Cai on the Victoria Express. The Stay 3 Pay 2 opening offer at the Fusion Resort Nha Trang costs from VND6,901,000 per suite per night including breakfast (any time, any place) and the property’s signature Chamveda Treatment (minimum of two spa treatments per day per person). Up to two people can stay in each room. For the full selection of offers either click on their website or email saigonagency@exotravel.com
VietJetAir Deals vietjetair.com Every day from midday to 2pm, VietJetAir is running an online promotion where customers can book flights for zero cost — the only thing they have to pay is airport tax and add-ons such as check-in luggage. It’s going to be busy online, so if you’re booking, make sure you’ve got your proposed flight dates and destination sorted out well in advance. The flight deals are for all domestic routes as well as international flights to Bangkok, Singapore, Taipei, Seoul and Yangon. The promotion is for flights between Sep. 7 and Dec. 31, 2015.
Fusion Maia Danang maiadanang.fusion-resorts.com The all-inclusive spa resort, Fusion Maia Danang, is running a stay-seven-nights, pay-for-five-nights deal from Sep. 1, 2015 through to Jan. 31, 2016. The deal includes all spa treatments (minimum two per day guaranteed), breakfast at anytime any place, and a pool villa with a private pool and courtyard. Contact the resort for full details.
Hanoi
The Alchemist / Bar Stool / Coffee Cup / The Therapist / Food Promos / Medical Buff / Book Buff
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THE ALCHEMIST VEIL OF SEPARATION
W
e are conditioned to think me and you, us and them. This sets ourselves apart so much that sometimes we struggle to see common bonds. I recently launched an online crowd funding campaign. The lack of support for what I felt was a worthy cause was revelatory. One reason provided for the lack of interest was my distance from potential supporters. Is distance really a factor in this age of technological advance?
the world, we lose connection with one another — and ourselves.” Many people feel a sense of disconnection from themselves, their body, their emotions, their purpose. Consequently, connecting with others can be a challenge. We are often so ‘plugged in’ to the distractions of our external environment, that we spend very little time exploring our inner world, connecting to the essence of who we are.
Plugged In
Paradoxically, the more we we sit with ourselves to uncover who we are, we ultimately come to the understanding that we are One with the world around us, that there is no separation. As The Beatles sang, “I am he as you are he as you are me and we are all together.” It seems that the Beatles were familiar with the Universal Law of One, which states that every soul is connected at the level of the collective unconscious. What this implies is, says Pat Benage, is that “whatever I do to or for anyone, I do to
The world is easily brought to us via TV, internet and phone, yet our psyche is capable of maintaining an illusion of separateness. The internet has provided a bridge for which to cross geographic and cultural boundaries, however, the sense of ‘otherness’ still has a firm foothold in our society. Distance is not to blame for our lack of connectedness. There is a deeper issue at the core. Says Jack Kornfield: “When we get too caught up in the busyness of
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I am the Walrus
BY KAREN GAY
or for myself and whatever I do to or for myself, I do to or for everyone else!”
Lifting the Veil To ask a philosophical question, in the big picture, what is it we’re doing? It is said that every soul’s purpose is to realise its connection to Source and that it is in fact of Source. When the soul realises this, it makes its journey back to Source. Along the path each soul is presented with lessons that teach them that which they need to learn. We’re all learning different lessons, but our destination is the same. Our actions along the way steer our direction. As we help others on their path, we help ourselves — our empathy and compassion grows. Our sense of connection grows and the veil of separation drops as we see our common bonds. Karen Gay, A-Roaming Bodyworker, is a holistic health practitioner practicing in Hanoi. For information on the types of services provided, visit a-roamingbodyworker.com
Hanoi Essentials
ALTERNATIVE HEALTH
BUSINESS GROUPS
HANOI INTERNATIONAL THEATRE SOCIETY (HITS) THEATRE GROUP
A-ROAMING BODYWORKER
g
karen@a-roamingbodyworker.com a-roamingbodyworker.com
Provides various holistic healing modalities. Services include craniosacral therapy, deep tissue massage, prenatal massage, healing stones massage, as well as energy healing including Reiki and Jin Shin Jyutsu. Workshops are also available. HANOI HOLISTIC HEALTH GUIDE
issuu.com/hanoiholistichealth
A guide to various holistic health practitioners in Hanoi. Only available online, but a great information source.
M M M BOOKSHOPS BOOKWORM BOOK SHOP
44 Chau Long, Ba Dinh, Tel: (04) 3715 3711; 1/28 Nghi Tam Village, Tay Ho Tel: (04) 3829 2322 Bookworm has been the cornerstone of Hanoi’s literary scene since 2001. It has been around the block quite a bit and now shares a space with Hanoi Cooking Centre. With over 15,000 new and secondhand fiction and nonfiction titles in stock, the shop also buys used books and offers free travel advice. Has a second shop in Tay Ho LIBRAIRIE FRANÇAISE DE HANOI FRENCH BOOKSHOP
23/67 To Ngoc Van, Tay Ho, Tel: (04) 3726 4896 TRANG TIEN BOOKSTORE VIETNAMESE & ENGLISH BOOKS
44 Trang Tien, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3936 2151 WEEKEND BOOKWORM CHILDREN’S & VIETNAM-THEMED BOOKS
1/28 Nghi Tam Village, Tay Ho Tel: (04) 3829 2322 With its main store located in Chau Long, sharing space with Hanoi Cooking Centre, the second edition in Tay Ho specialises in children’s and Vietnamese themed books, as well as selling bao cap (Subsidy Era) furniture and a range of souvenirs and gifts. Open weekends only. XUNHASABA ENGLISH LANGUAGE BOOKSTORE
32 Hai Ba Trung, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3825 4068
M M M
AMCHAM 4th Floor, InterContinental Hanoi, 1A Nghi Tam, Tay Ho, Tel: (04) 3934 2790
amchamhanoi.com
AUSCHAM 4th Floor, 100 Lo Duc, Hai Ba Trung Tel: 0909 710994
auschamvn.org
BBGV Floor 1, Hanoi Central Office Bldg 44B Ly Thuong Kiet, Hoan Kiem Tel: (04) 3934 8681
bbgv.org
CCIFV Sofitel Plaza, No 1 Thanh Nien, Ba Dinh, Tel: (04) 3715 2229
hitshanoi.com HANOI CLUB COUNTRY CLUB
76 Yen Phu, Tay Ho, Tel: (04) 3823 8115
thehanoiclub.com
THINGS OF SUBSTANCE
HANOI OIS
5 Nha Tho, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3828 6965 This shop’s motto “Western sizes, Vietnamese prices”, says it all. While mostly retailing women’s separates in soft cotton jersey and linen, the store also carries a range of accessories like embroidered canvas totes and printed tees. Has a good selection of unique men’s shirts.
NETBALL CLUB
ghanoinetball@gmail.com L’ESPACE FRENCH CULTURAL CENTRE
24 Trang Tien, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3936 2164
vphanoi-lespace.com
M M M CLOTHING
ccifv.org
BOO SKATESHOP
EUROCHAM G/F, Sofitel Plaza Hanoi, 1 Thanh Nien, Ba Dinh, Tel: (04) 3715 2228
84 Hang Dieu, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3923 1147
SKATESHOP
booskateshop.com
eurochamvn.org
CONTRABAND
ICHAM Sofitel Plaza, Ground floor, 1 Thanh nien, Ba Dinh, Tel: (04) 3715 2229
23 Nha Chung, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3928 9891 Launched in Hanoi in 2007, Contraband targets young hip working women. Garments are made from versatile fabrics that are comfortable to wear and easy to look after – making them ideal for work and travel. New styles are introduced each month with limited production runs, offering a sense of exclusivity.
icham.org
SINGAPORE BUSINESS ASSOCIATION VIETNAM Business Center Fortuna Hotel, 6B Lang Ha, Ba Dinh
sbav-hanoi.org
M M M CINEMAS CINEMATHEQUE ARTS CINEMA
22A Hai Ba Trung, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3936 2648 Not a movie theatre per se, but a private film club that charges a membership fee in return for entrance to a wide selection of movies, new and old. The management has an eclectic taste and shows films and opera from all over the world. Call to arrange membership.
M M M CLUBS & SOCIETIES
GEORGE’S FASHION BOUTIQUE CONTEMPORARY WESTERN-STYLE
36 To Ngoc Van, Tay Ho, Tel: (04) 3718 6233 With new styles arriving in store every second day, this shop offers a huge range of dresses, shirts, pants, skirts and accessories in local and imported fabrics. Clothes fit all sizes, from petite to average to the generous figure. Alterations and a made-tomeasure service are available at no extra cost. L’ATELIER 33 Xuan Dieu, Tay Ho, Tel: (04) 3718 6758
ateliervietnam.com
GOETHE INSTITUT
METISEKO
GERMAN CULTURAL CENTRE
ECO-CHIC / LIFESTYLE
58 Nguyen Thai Hoc, Ba Dinh Tel: (04) 3734 2251
metiseko.com
goethe.de/hanoi
THREE TREES JEWELLERY
15 Nha Tho, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3928 8725
M M M COOKING CLASSES HANOI COOKING CENTRE COOKING CENTRE
44 Chau Long, Ba Dinh, Tel: (04) 3715 0088
hanoicookingcentre.com
Hanoi Cooking Centre is a school, retail outlet and café, where you can find classes on not just Vietnamese cooking, but international cuisine, held in a beautiful setting. They also offer culinary tours. HIDDEN HANOI COOKING CENTRE
147 Nghi Tam, Tay Ho, Tel: 0912 254045
hiddenhanoi.com.vn
A wide range of Vietnamese culinary classes are offered in these well-appointed and clean facilities. The knowledgeable staff will guide you through the secrets of Vietnamese cooking in an open air courtyard.
M M M CRAFTS & FURNITURE
WOMEN’S WEAR & ACCESSORIES
21 Hai Ba Trung, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3824 1850
EVENT SPACE
AUSTRALIAN-STYLE UNISEX
AIRLINES AIR ASIA airasia.com AIR FRANCE airfrance.com.vn CATHAY PACIFIC cathaypacific.com/vn CHINA AIRLINES china-airlines.com
CONTEMPORARY WESTERN-STYLE
Stocks women’s wear, leather bags, shoes and handicrafts. This chic boutique offers both ready-to-wear and made-to-fit clothing.
AMERICAN CLUB
eco-chic lifestyle. The products — clothing, accessories and furniture — are made from natural silk and organic cotton certified to global organic standards. Metiseko is also certified by the fairtrade, Textile Exchange.
71 Hang Gai, Hoan Kiem A lifestyle brand that started out life in Hoi An, Metiseko’s move to the capital has seen them bring us their creative, poetic prints designed for an
JAPAN AIRLINES vn.jal.com JETSTAR PACIFIC jetstar.com/vn/en KOREAN AIR koreanair.com LAO AIRLINES laoairlines.com MALAYSIA AIRLINES malaysiaairlines.com SINGAPORE AIRLINES singaporeair.com THAI AIRWAYS thaiairways.com.vn
BETTERWORLD GLOBAL HANDICRAFTS
8 Xuan Dieu, Tay Ho Fair trade or bought directly from the artisans who made them, Betterworld stocks unusual handicrafts from around the world as well as second-hand books, DVDs and more. MEKONG QUILTS HANDMADE / CHARITABLE QUILTS
9 Xuan Dieu, Tay Ho, Tel: (04) 3926 4831; 58 Hang Trong, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3824 4607; 13 Hang Bac, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3926 4831
TIGER AIRWAYS tigerair.com VIETJETAIR vietjetair.com VIETNAM AIRLINES vietnamairlines.com
Hanoi Essentials
Mekong-quilts.org
Community development non-profit quilt shop featuring handmade quilts and accessories. Styles vary from traditional to patterned and Asian-inspired. Founded in 2001 and with outposts in several locations around the region, the shop employs women in rural areas, enabling them to make an income and care for their families.
The Westcoast International Dental Clinic is composed of dental professionals who deliver modern, high-level dental services throughout Vietnam. The clinic provides the highest quality technology, comfort and after-service care to patients.
M M M GALLERIES
METISEKO ECO-CHIC
71 Hang Gai, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3935 2645
metiseko.com
M M M CYCLING DON’S TAY HO BICYCLE RENTALS
16 Quang An, Tay Ho, Tel: (04) 3719 3719
Dons-bistro.com GREEN BIKE
CANNONDALE & JETT STOCKIST
15 Kim Ma, Ba Dinh IBIKE SALES
34 Nghi Tam, Tay Ho; 53 Ly Nam De, Hoan Kiem QUAN’S RENTALS BICYCLE / MOTORBIKE RENTALS
70 Hang Bac, Hoan Kiem, Tel: 0904 244941 THBC (THE HANOI BICYCLE COLLECTIVE) RENTALS & SALES
29 Nhat Chieu, Tay Ho, Tel: (04) 3718 3156
thbc.vn
M M M
DENTAL CARE AUSTRALIAN DENTAL CLINIC DENTAL CLINIC
ART VIETNAM GALLERY GALLERY & EXHIBITION SPACE
24 Ly Quoc Su, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3928 5190
artvietnamgallery.com
Established in 2002, this American-run gallery has championed Vietnamese contemporary art for more than two decades. Holds regular exhibitions and artist talks. MANZI GALLERY & BAR / CAFE
14 Phan Huy Ich, Ba Dinh, Tel: (04) 3716 3397
facebook.com/manzihanoi
Founded in 2012, this independent contemporary art centre holds regular exhibitions, workshops and a wide range of art events. Manzi promotes emerging artists while presenting established artists from Vietnam. The space also sells works by leading contemporary Vietnamese artists at affordable prices. NHA SAN COLLECTIVE GALLERY & ARTS PROJECTS
24 Ly Quoc Su, Hoan Kiem, Tel: 0985 870316
nhasanstudio.org
The first experimental art space in Hanoi, the non-profit, artist-led space has given contemporary Vietnamese artists the chance to nurture their talent and experiment. Holds regular exhibitions and artist residences.
peacedentalclinic.wordpress. com
Maintains and promotes the treasures of Vietnamese cultural and artistic heritage, allowing visitors to appreciate and understand the entire history of Vietnamese fine arts.
SERENITY INTERNATIONAL DENTAL CLINIC
WORK ROOM FOUR
2nd floor, 51A Nguyen Khac Hieu, Ba Dinh, Tel: (04) 3715 2286
DENTAL CLINIC
19 Nguyen Truong To, Ba Dinh, Tel: 0989 067888
serenitydentalclinic.com
WESTCOAST INTERNATIONAL DENTAL CLINIC DENTAL CLINIC
2nd Fl, Syrena Center, 51 Xuan Dieu, Tay Ho, Tel: (04) 3710 0555
westcoastinternational.com
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ARTS STUDIO & GALLERY
Packexim Building Tower 1, 23rd Floor, No. 49 Lane 15, An Duong Vuong, Tay Ho
workroomfour.com
A place to work. A space to create. Somewhere to see something new. Work Room Four is pulling together the threads of creative endeavours across Hanoi. A collective that promotes col-
162A Hoang Hoa Tham, Tay Ho, Tel: (04) 3847 3366 JUST.IN.M 48A Ly Thuong Kiet , Hoan Kiem, Tel: 04 3939 3907
ANNAM GOURMET
LAN SALON
GROCERIES / DELI
First Floor, 51 Xuan Dieu, Tay Ho, Tel: (04) 3718 4487 DA LOC WINE RETAILER
96 Hai Ba Trung, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3826 2076; 65 Le Duan, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3941 2789
Daloc.vn
HANOI GOURMET DELI / WINE SHOP
6T Ham Long, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3943 1009
Hanoigourmet.com KITCHEN ART KITCHENWARE
38 Quang An, Tay Ho, Tel: (04) 6680 2770
kitchenart.vn L'S PLACE GROCERY SHOP
3 Xuan Dieu, Tay Ho, Tel: (04) 3719 9911 NATURALLY VIETNAM ORGANIC / NATURAL PRODUCTS
4 Lane 67, Alley 12, To Ngoc Van, Tay Ho, Tel: (04) 6674 4130
naturallyvietnam.com RED APRON WINE RETAILER
10 Da Tuong, Hanoi Tel: (04) 3943 7226; 28 Xuan Dieu, Tay Ho. Tel: (04) 3719 8337 THE OASIS ITALIAN DELI
24 Xuan Dieu, Tay Ho, Tel: (04) 3719 1196 WESTERN CANNED FOODS GROCERY STORE
VEGGIE’S
vnfam.vn
UNISEX HAIR & NAIL SALON
WOMEN’S HAIRDRESSER
66 Nguyen Thai Hoc, Ba Dinh, Tel: (04) 3733 2131
PEACE DENTAL CLINIC
HAIR STREAM
GROCERIES & LIQUOR
NATIONAL ARTS MUSEUM
VIETNAM ARTS MUSEUM
DENTAL CLINIC
M M M
17 Hai Ba Trung, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3934 3854
3 Nguyen Du, Hai Ba Trung, Tel: 0906 200434
australiandentalclinic.com
laboration and new ideas, exhibitions, workshops, artist studios, courses, contacts and events.
GROCERIES, FRUIT & VEG
99 Xuan Dieu, Tay Ho, Tel: (04) 3719 4630 THE WAREHOUSE WINE RETAILER
59 Hang Trong, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3928 7666; 27 Xuan Dieu, Tay Ho, Tel: (04) 3718 3701
warehouse-asia.com
M M M HAIRDRESSERS & SALONS DINH HAIR SALON HAIR SALON
2A Cua Bac, Ba Dinh, Tel: 0987 718899
TOP-END SALON
Sofitel Plaza, 1 Thanh Nien, Ba Dinh, Tel: (04) 3266 8190
M M M HOSPITALS & MEDICAL CLINICS BUMRUNGRAD INTERNATIONAL HOSPITAL HANOI OFFICE OF BANGKOK HOSPITAL
136G Tran Vu, Ba Dinh, Tel: (04) 3715 3717
bumrungrad.vn
FAMILY MEDICAL PRACTICE MEDICAL
298 I Kim Ma, Ba Dinh, Tel: (04) 3843 0748
vietnammedicalpractice.com On the little street directly below Kim Ma, with all sorts of specialists including OB/ GYN, Pediatricians and ENT. A Medium-sized practice with both Vietnamese and international doctors, but they are used to treating expats. Also a 24-hour emergency service. FRENCH HOSPITAL INTERNATIONAL HOSPITAL
1 Phuong Mai, Dong Da, Tel: (04) 3577 1100
hfh.com.vn
HONG NGOC HOSPITAL PRIVATE GENERAL HOSPITAL
55 Yen Ninh, Ba Dinh, Tel: (04) 3927 5568; Keangnam Office Tower, Khu B1 Pham Hung, Cau Giay, Tel: (04) 7305 8880
SHOPPING MALLS GARDEN SHOPPING CENTER
The Manor, Me Tri Street, My Dinh, Tu Liem Tel: (04) 3787 5500
INDOCHINA PLAZA
241 Xuan Thuy, Cau Giay, Hanoi, Tel: 1900 555596
LOTTE CENTER
54 Lieu Giai, Ba Dinh, Tel: (04) 3333 6016
lottecenter.com.vn PARKSON
Viet Tower Plaza, 198 Tay Son, Dong Da Tel: (04) 3537 8666
parkson.com.vn PICO MALL
229 Tay Son, Dong Da, Tel: (04) 6682 0400
SYRENA SHOPPING CENTER
51 Xuan Dieu, Tay Ho, Tel: (04) 3719 7214
hongngochospital.vn
INTERNATIONAL SOS 24HOUR CLINIC MEDICAL / DENTAL CLINIC
51 Xuan Dieu, Tay Ho, Tel: (04) 3934 0666
Internationalsos.com
Well-known medical clinic also known for its quality emergency services. Doctors and consultants also provide a range of services from standard GP-style check-ups through to vaccinations, paediatrics and specialist care. VIETNAM-KOREA FRIENDSHIP CLINIC KOREAN CLINIC & HOSPITAL
12 Chu Van An, Ba Dinh, Tel: (04) 3843 7231
TRANG TIEN PLAZA
cnr. Hang Bai and Trang Tien, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
trangtienplaza.vn VINCOM CITY TOWERS
191 Ba Trieu, Hai Ba Trung, Tel: (04) 3974 9999
VINCOM ROYAL CITY
72A Nguyen Trai, Thanh Xuan, Tel: (04) 3974 3550
VINMEC INTERNATIONAL HOSPITAL INTERNATIONAL HOSPITAL
458 Minh Khai, Hai Ba Trung, Tel: (04) 3974 3556
vinmec.com
M M M INSURANCE
IF CONSULTING CCIFV/Eurocham, Sofitel Plaza, 1 Thanh Nien, Ba Dinh, Tel: (04) 3936 5370
insuranceinasia.com
LIBERTY INSURANCE 16th Floor, Hoa Binh International Towers, 106 Hoang Quoc Viet, Cau Giay Tel: (04) 3755 7111
libertyinsurance.com.vn
REGENCY INTERNATIONAL INSURANCE 5th Floor, Press Club, 59A Ly Thai To, Hoan Kiem Tel: 0966 857 488
M M M INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS BRITISH INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL, HANOI Hoa Lan Road, Vinhomes Riverside, Long Bien, Tel: (04) 3946 0435
bishanoi.com
A selective, independent, co-educational day school. Provides a British-style education following the National Curriculum for England, with students taking IGCSE and A Level. Pending authorization, will offer the IB programme from 2016 onwards. CONCORDIA INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL HANOI CMC Building, Duy Tan, Cau Giay, Tel: (04) 3795 8878
concordiahanoi.org
A non-profit entity, Concordia has highly performing schools in both Hong Kong and Shanghai at the top tier of the educational system. All instructors and teachers are native English speakers and admission applications are accepted throughout the year. HANOI INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL 48 Lieu Giai , Ba Dinh, Tel: (04) 3832 8140
hisvietnam.com
With schooling available for students studying at elementary through to secondary levels of education, HIS is one of the few private, international education options in the capital. Offers Cambridge IGCSE and IB Diploma for students at the secondary level.
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF VIETNAM 6-7 Nguyen Cong Thai, Dai Kim Urban Area, Dinh Cong, Hoang Mai, Tel: 3540 9183
isvietnam.org
A not-for-profit, pre-kindergarten to Grade 12 school serving the international and local community of Hanoi. ISV accepts students of any nationality aged 3 and up. Highly qualified and experienced international educators are supported by a 21st-century campus with the latest in educational technology plus excellent resources for learning. Class sizes are small. KINDERWORLD INTERNATIONAL KINDERGARTEN Unit 9 – 10, Shophouse CT17, Ciputra, Tay Ho, Tel: (04) 3743 0360; 3rd Floor, 49 Hai Ba Trung, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3934 7243; C5-C11, 1st Floor, The Manor Building, My Dinh, Tu Liem, Tel: (04) 3794 0209
kinderworld.net
Classes are kept small with a foreign teacher leading the class with the assistance of a Vietnamese teacher according to the teacher-student ratio. KinderWorld provides pre school education for children from 18 months to below 6 years. QSI INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF HANOI #17 Lane, 67 To Ngoc Van, Tay Ho, Tel: (04) 3718 6418
programme from aged 3 through to aged 18. A notfor-profit entity, UNIS aims for its students to emerge as responsible stewards of our global society and natural environment.
M M M MOTORBIKE RENTAL & REPAIRS ANH DUNG MOTORBIKE RENTALS
37 Ta Hien, Hoan Kiem, Tel: 0915 066096 MR CAO MOTORBIKE RENTAL MOTORBIKE RENTALS
M M M
M M M
PROPERTY RENTALS
RELOCATION AGENTS
FAIR REAL ESTATE RENTALS
6 Ngoc Van, Tay Ho, Tel: (04) 3718 6332
fair-realestate.com
GIA LONG HOUSING RENTALS
R714, Blg CT13B Ciputra, Tay Ho, Tel: (04) 3743 0589
gialonghousing.com HANOI RENTING RENTALS
No. 809, Ct13b building, Lac Long Quan, Tay Ho Tel: (04) 6294 4828
hanoirenting.com
106 Hang Bac, Hoan Kiem, Tel: 0912 094464
LANLINH PROPERTY
PHUNG MOTORBIKE
38 Hang Hom, Hoan Kiem, Tel: Tel: 0933 534999
MOTORBIKE RENTALS
13 Ngo Huyen, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3938 1105
RENTALS
houseinhanoi.com
vn.alliedpickfords.com
The largest home moving company in the world, Allied Pickfords moves over 1,000 families in over 175 countries every day. Has a full range of services — domestic moves, office moves and storage — both inside and outside of Vietnam. JVK INDOCHINA MOVERS 6 To Ngoc Van, Tay Ho, Tel: (04)3826 0334
jvkasia.com
Focused primarily on the international and local movement of household goods, JVK is currently a leader in the field. Has offices in both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
VIETLONG HOUSING
VIP BIKES SOCIAL ENTERPRISE
RENTALS
RENTALS & REPAIRS
vietlonghousing.com
17 Ve Ho, Xuan La, Tay Ho, Tel: 0914 931390 Trains disadvantaged youth to be fully qualified, Australian-certified motorbike mechanics. Does sales, restoration, repairs and rentals.
ALLIED PICKFORDS Room 302, 12A Ho Xuan Huong, Tel: (04) 3943 1511
21 Alley 1/22 Au Co, Tay Ho, Tel: (04) 3718 5203
AGS FOUR WINDS 41A Ly Thai To, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3938 8762
agsfourwinds.com
A worldwide leader in international removals and relocations, with 130 offices globally. Have the capacity to move property to and from any location.
hanoi.qsi.org
QSI International School of Hanoi is next in a long line of ‘quality schools’ established by the Quality Schools International. The institution specialises in instructing preschool and lower elementary age students. SINGAPORE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL 2D Van Phuc Diplomatic Compound, 46 Van Bao, Ba Dinh, Tel: 3726 1601; Block C3, Ciputra, Tay Ho, Tel: 3758 2664; Dilmah Building, Duy Tan, Cau Giay, Tel: 3795 1036
kinderworld.net/sis
Provides an international education for students from Primary up to University level. A strong curriculum combines the best aspects of the Singaporean, Australian and Vietnamese curricula, all taught by qualified teachers. Runs various co-curricula activities and prepares students for internationally recognised qualifications: iPSLE, Cambridge IGCSE & AS/A Level, GAC. UNITED NATIONS INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL (UNIS) G9 Ciputra, Lac Long Quan, Tay Ho, Tel: (04) 3758 1551
unishanoi.org
Established in 1988, 1,050 students from 60 nationalities follow the IB
wordvietnam.com | September 2015 Word | 139
Hanoi
SANTA FE RELOCATION SERVICES Suite 821, Vietnam Trade Hotel, 14 Tran Binh Trong, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3941 0805
santaferelo.com
With over 150 offices around the world, Santa Fe offers local and international moving, pet transportation, relocation services including home search, orientation, cultural training, immigration services and records management.
Essentials
MMM SPORTS, FITNESS & YOGA ELITE FITNESS TOP-END HEALTH CENTRE
51 Xuan Dieu, Tay Ho, Tel: (04) 3718 6281
elitefitness.com.vn
The luxury gym features top-of-the-line fitness equipment, separate cardio and spinning areas and an indoor swimming pool with a retractable roof. The spacious studios and natural light make it a welcoming
place to squeeze in a work out, but be prepared to pay. This place is top of the range. N SHAPE FITNESS MID-RANGE FITNESS CENTRE
5th Floor, 71 Nguyen Chi Thanh, Ba Dinh, Tel: (04) 6266 0495
nshapefitness.vn STUDIO FIVE YOGA & WELLNESS
5th Fl, 135 Bui Thi Xuan, Hai Ba Trung. Tel: (04) 6263.1515
studio5.vn
VIETCLIMB
ZENITH YOGA YOGA & MEDITATION
247 Au Co, Tay Ho; 16 Duong Thanh, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3923 0253 An international Yoga studio providing classes across a variety of levels and styles, including prenatal and postnatal classes, restorative yoga, pilates and tai chi. Also have a yogic shop offering incense, yoga and pilates mats, books, clothes, soaps, Himalayan products and other essential yoga equipment.
M M M
CLIMBING CENTRE
40 Ngo 76 An Duong, Tay Ho, Tel: 0914 143185
vietclimb.vn
Although a little hard to find, VietClimb is a French-owned, 200-meter climbing gym with state-of-the-art courses. There are 100 different climbing routes within the gym that are changed every few months. They offer clinics, classes and children’s events. Membership and group rates are available, but be sure to check out the three-month pass.
SPORTSWEAR & EQUIPMENT ADIDAS FOOTBALL FOOTBALL & SPORTS
19 Nui Truc, Ba Dinh, Tel: (04) 6273 3095 BOO SKATESHOP SKATING EQUIPMENT & CLOTHING
84 Hang Dieu, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3923 1147
bosua.vn
HANOI SPORTS SHOP 146, Mai Dich, Cau Giay, Tel: (04) 2218 5757
hanoisport.vn
SCORE-TECH 44, Ngo 31 Xuan Dieu, Tay Ho, Tel: (04) 3718 8246
score-tech.net
Apparel company offering personalised sport garments for companies, schools and professional sports clubs using the latest printing technology with a design team from Barcelona. Score-Tech controls the whole production process from fabric production and printing to sewing. Big and small orders for all sporting and commercial needs.
SUPERMARKETS BIG C 222 Tran Duy Hung, Cau Giay; Garden Shopping Centre, The Manor, My Dinh, Tu Liem
bigc.vn CITIMART
UMOVE TRAVEL AND OUTDOORS TRAVEL EQUIPMENT & CLOTHING
13 Hang Dieu, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3771 3305
umove.com.vn
Ground Floor, Hanoi Towers, 49 Hai Ba Trung, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3934 2999
FIVIMART 27A Ly Thai To, Hoan Kiem
INTIMEX 22-23 Le Thai To, Hoan Kiem
METRO THANG LONG Pham Van Dong, Co Nhue, Tu Liem, Tel: (04) 3755 1617
metro.com.vn
PHOTOS BY JESSE MEADOWS
140 | Word September 2015 | wordvietnam.com
BAR STOOL RUMORS
S
ituated on West Lake, Rumors is one of those places I’ve walked past many times on my way to other bars and idly wondered about. Who are all those girls in heels? What is that faint music coming from the back room? Why are there so many old white men here? So we wandered in on a Wednesday night and here was the scene: — One middle-aged British couple with a bottle of vodka like they’re on holiday — Two businessmen with beer — A classy Vietnamese couple drinking red wine — Me and a friend choking back the house cocktail, complimentary for Ladies’ Night (but really just a vodka red bull) A Thai (or was it Filipino?) man with long flowing black hair was belting out 90s songs through abominably loud speakers, the croon of Wonderwall drowning out all possible conversation. The space is actually great for live music, an intimate sort of hall, with thick wood lining one wall and sound-absorbent foam
PHOTOS BY JESSE MEADOWS
behind the stage to bounce the music back into the room. It actually has the makings of great sound quality, if someone would just turn the volume down. The atmosphere is dimly lit and cozy, with coloured lights dancing off the back wall and illuminating the singer in red, blue and green. The place features live music Wednesday through to Sunday from 9pm, with a rotating cast of musical characters. It’s a distinct niche that Hanoi severely lacks, and Rumors is definitely filling the need for live tunes in Tay Ho, even if they are deafening covers of all your dad’s favourite songs.
Indulgence The drinks are a bit pricey for my tight budget tastes, with cocktails at VND110,000, and draft beer at VND40,000. But then you’re paying extra for the live music. The menu features bar snacks like chips (VND80,000) and Russian string cheese (VND60,000). The heart of the Rumors experience, however, seems to be the
bottle service. Several tables were adorned with Absolut (VND800,000) and Johnnie Walker, while a charismatic woman in leather and cheetah print flitted around the room, mingling with her patrons and photographing them for the bar’s social media pages. If you want to indulge, this seems the place to do it. Don’t worry, though. There is some solace. When the music gets too loud and the smoke starts to burn your eyes, step outside into the courtyard for some peace. Watch the traffic go by on Quang An, and the lights of the city glitter in the calm of West Lake. Enjoy the sparse breeze blowing in across the water. Chat up the cute Vietnamese boy stirring mojitos. Giggle as drunk Westerners filter out into the night, singing along to that Peter Frampton cover they can’t get out of their heads. That is the Rumors experience. — Jesse Meadows Rumors is at 26 Quang An, Tay Ho, Hanoi or on Facebook at facebook.com/pages/RumorsPub/752237438194422
wordvietnam.com | September 2015 Word | 141
COFFEE CUP M’ CAFÉ
I
spent a good half hour searching up and down the highway for this place, circling in rush hour traffic, cursing at my Google Maps. I was about to give up and was headed home in defeat, when out of nowhere M’Cafe materialised before my eyes; a sleek, hip refuge tucked away from the dirty cloud of exhaust fumes. I parked my bike and immediately got distracted by a sign for M Closet, a basement space below the cafe full of second-hand clothes. I rifled through for a bit, nostalgic for my favourite thrift shops in the States. The racks are full of once-loved flowery dresses and discarded office wear, ranging from VND100,000 to VND190,000 an item. Finding nothing that fit, I headed back upstairs and got comfortable on a couch with a coconut coffee (VND45,000). A backpacker wandered in. “Long time no see!” shouted one of the girls from the open kitchen. “I’ve been on a visa run,” he replied.
PHOTOS BY VU BAO KHANH
“And you didn’t invite me?” she joked, sitting down for a beer with him. There’s a certain kind of warmth to this place, a homeliness.
Eclectic A pen in the corner houses two huge dogs, and their fluffy little puppies bounce around the floor, an adorable distraction from my computer screen. It feels like it could be your best friend’s house, if that friend was a 20-something entrepreneur who struck it big at Google and bought a dope loft space in Brooklyn. The building looks like a repurposed garage, with floor-to-ceiling front windows that cover the stylish interior decor in bright luscious sunlight. The furniture is eclectic yet suave — ethnic fabrics mixed with sleek leather couches and antique wooden chairs. A few dusty vintage motorcycles sit around like statues, while racks of shiny new helmets for sale line the walls. “Why can’t
women, too, rule this to world?” says a sign in the corner.
A Writer’s Paradise The atmosphere is flexible enough for anything from a casual business meeting to a tinder date, and as I sit here writing, several attractive expats have wandered in and coalesced around low tables, kissing hello and laughing over open laptops. The spot is popular with the locals, too. The young and trendy gather here to smoke and sip matcha smoothies, swaying along to the surprisingly good music that floats from the speakers. The menu ranges from tea to cigarettes to snacks, with shakes starting at VND50,000, beer at VND30,000, and light fare, like a bread and pate plate, at VND35,000. The coffee is good, the couches are comfortable, and the space is smokerfriendly. A writer’s paradise? I might never leave. — Jesse Meadows
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Hanoi On the Town
BARS, CLUBS & BEER CLUBS
able place to pull up a stool and take pulls in a relaxed haven.
food menu.
ROCKSTORE
CONTEMPORARY DECOR BAR
EDEN HANOI
LE SOLEIL & PAOLO AND CHI DIVE BAR
LIVE MUSIC BAR
facebook.com/bar84hanoi
End of 264 Au Co, Tay Ho
facebook.com/lesoleilpaoloandchi
facebook.com/RockstoreHanoi
+84 BAR 23 Ngo Van So, Hoan Kiem
OUTDOOR PARTY SPACE
Housed in a colonial building, bare brick, comfortable sofa-like seating and grungy decor related to a past make up the mix at this venue put together by the people behind Barbetta.
facebook.com/edengargen
When it comes to outdoor parties, big outdoor parties, the setting at Eden makes this place difficult to beat, with well over a 1,000 revellers packing in at the weekends. Check out their Facebook page for the party list.
88 LOUNGE CONTEMPORARY WINE BAR
88 Xuan Dieu, Tay ho, Tel: (04) 3718 8029
88group.vn
A wine bar with a difference, this mainstay on the watering hole scene in West Lake mixes contemporary design, black ceilings, subtle lighting and an international aesthetic with one of the best wine lists in town. Not surprisingly it is developing a faithful clientele. Well worth a visit. ANGELINA CONTEMPORARY ITALIAN
Sofitel Metopole Legend Hotel, 56 Ly Thai To, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3826 6919 Top-end bar and Italian restaurant all in one. Five star prices, but has an atmosphere to match and a great cocktail selection. The kind of place you’ll order a wagyu and eat it at the bar. BACKYARD BIA HOI UPMARKET BIA HOI
15/50 Quang Khanh, Tay Ho From the Tet Lifestyle collection, this outdoor, hideaway, garden-based bia hoi is every bit as attractive (and popular) as its café peers in the West Lake area. A Vietnamese-style food menu and regular live music make up the mix. BARBETTA
ETE BAR FRENCH LOUNGE
95 Giang Van Minh, Ba Dinh, Tel: 0976 751331 A favourite among those who roam further west of the city centre, this multistorey restobar has been going strong for more than two years. It has balconies, mezzanine seating and a long bar guarding exactly 50 different cocktails. For many the Ete burger is right on the mark as are the sandwiches, tartines and salads. It’s always crowded — especially during the weekends. Amiable staff, pleasant vibes. FATCAT BAR DJ / LATE NIGHT JOINT
25 Ta Hien, Hoan Kiem, Tel: 0986 495211
linkhanoi.com
A small establishment from the minds behind the party and event organisers, LinkHanoi. The bar has tables filling the first floor and spilling onto the sidewalk as well as a small loft area for lounging. HANOI ROCK CITY LIVE MUSIC VENUE
27/52 To Ngoc Van, Tay Ho, Tel: 01633 166170
facebook.com/hrc.hanoi
Has a downstairs, Englishstyle pub garden area and an upstairs space dedicated to live music and live production. Weekly live events feature bands and DJs both from Vietnam and overseas — established and up and coming.
284 Nghi Tam, Tay Ho, Tel: 0915 663993 A self-style dive bar and live music space with a distinct Gallic feel. A pleasant ambience and tasty cuisine add to the offerings at this popular, West Lake venue. MADAKE BAR & EVENT SPACE
81 Xuan Dieu, Tay Ho, Tel: (04) 6276 6665
facebook.com/madakehanoi
With a stunning garden overlooking a peaceful lotus pond, this bar is famed for it’s many weekday and weekend events, its ambient Asian-style décor, DJ nights and general atmosphere. A popular West Lake go-to joint.
PHUC TAN 51 Tu Gian Phuc Tan, Hoan Kiem, Tel: 0915 907785 Now located on the river in between Long Bien and Chuong Duong Bridges, this late night, DJ bar is notorious for… well, being Phuc Tan. Almost every Hanoi-based reveler has ended up here at some point. It’s just one of those places. POLITE PUB LONG BAR
LIQUOR LOUNGE
LAKESIDE WATERING HOLE
With well-poured drinks, a foosball table, no smoking and a midnight closing time, CAMA ATK knows exactly what it wants to be — and that’s refreshing. The space is a part time venue for smaller acts and DJs. The venue is hip, comfortable and will likely provide the serious drinker with a reli-
sontinh.com
facebook.com/pages/RedRiver-Tea-Room
cama-atk.com
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This bar-cum-restaurant is outfitted with comfortable, stylish furnishings and is famed for its luxurious rice wine liquors and newly created cocktail class. Does regular events including comedy nights and shows all the live football. Also known for its creative Vietnamese
199D Nghi Tam, Tay Ho
facebook.com/sidewalkhanoi
A bar and grill with an eclectic, DIY-style semi-outdoor setting. Regular DJ nights and live music add to the great ambience. Check out their grill fare. Tasty.
12A Nguyen Huu Huan, Hoan Kiem, Tel: 0932 373802 A cheap, cheerful and welcoming slither of a watering hole popular with expats and anyone looking for some good conversation. Cheap beers, oodles of Jameson’s and often open late. Oh, and check out the Danish hotdog stand out front. To die for.
LATE-NIGHT GRUNGE BAR
73 Mai Hac De, Hai Ba Trung, Tel: 01262 054970
31 Xuan Dieu, Tay Ho, Tel: (04) 3718 6377
DIY BAR & EVENTS VENUE
HOLE IN THE WALL
7 Ta Hien, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3926 3104 There’s only one Mao and there’s only one red lounge. This late-night bar has been going for years, and despite its Old Quarter dive status, it still packs in the drinkers.
RED RIVER TEA ROOM
MUSIC & ARTS BAR
CZECH MICROBREWERY
SIDEWALK HANOI
SPY BAR
HOUSE OF SON TINH
CAMA ATK
HOA VIEN BRAUHAUS
Hanoi's home-made, homegrown version of Hard Rock Cafe without the stigma and the expensive prices. Nightly live music or DJing events are coupled with creative decor, a selection of Belgian Beer and a food menu. Check their Facebook page for details.
LATE-NIGHT GRUNGE BAR
1A Tang Bat Ho, Hai Ba Trung, Tel: (04) 3972 5088
34C Cao Ba Quat, Ba Dinh, Tel: (04) 3734 9134 Set in a colonial villa, when it comes to design, the funky but comfortable Barbetta with its roof terrace is difficult to beat. A great place for coffee, beer or even a bite to eat.
61 Ma May, Hoan Kiem, Tel: 01653 336087
MAO’S RED LOUNGE
5 Bao Khanh, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3825 0959 5pm to 2am Probably the closest thing Hanoi has to an authentic English-style pub, Polite is frequented by a steady mix of locals and expats who find solace in the nightly conversations at the long bar, pool and live football matches.
ARTSY BAR & CAFE
nearby favorites. Unpretentious, dog-friendly.
25 Duong Ven Ho, Tay Ho
Located on the lakeside lane just below Xuan Dieu, this warm, quiet and friendly pub offers a selection of international and local beers, wine, cocktails and a nice view of West Lake. Serving pies and pasties from The Cart, Vietnamese food from Dieu’s next door, or delivery from
TADIOTO LOUNGE BAR AND CAFE ARTS BAR / EVENT SPACE
24B Tong Dan, Hoan Kiem tadioto.com Located close to the Opera House, this alternative, arty bar is garnished in red and white on the outside, with warm brown and tones of blue on the inside. Creating an atmosphere merging Shanghai and San Francisco, engaging contemporary artwork lines the walls at the latest incarnation of this well-known and well-loved space. THE NEST VIETNAMESE-STYLE BAR & CLUB
Top Floor, 9 Xuan Dieu, Tay Ho, Tel: 0947 890333
facebook.com/Nest. Lounge.09XuanDieu
The West Lake location suggests that this is the kind of bar that will attract expats. It does. But thanks to the Vietnamese atmosphere, there’s a nice mix of local and foreign over the three floors of lounge seating, DJ booths and dance areas. The views here are pretty eye-catching, too.
THE REPUBLIC MODERN SPORTS BAR
7A Quang An, Tay Ho, Tel: 0904 010116
republic.vn
A contemporary mid-range bar and eatery showing live sport and boasting a convivial atmosphere. Has a creative comfort food menu, excellent breakfasts, daily specials and a popular second-floor outdoor terrace. THE ROOFTOP SKYLINE LOUNGE
19th Floor, Pacific Place, 83B Ly Thuong Kiet, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3946 1901
therooftop.vn
The first up-on-high bar and restaurant in the capital and still a leader in its field. With DJs spinning EDM and great views of the city, this is a must for a more Vietnamese, top-shelf experience. THE UNICORN BAR COCKTAIL BAR & LOUNGE
2A Hang Than, Ba Dinh, Tel: 0904 886266 The latest offering of wellknown champion bartender, Pham Tien Tiep, Unicorn offers up a lounge space, a small bar area and an attractive seating space out front. Now, as for the cocktails… TRACY’S PUB AND GRILL SPORTS BAR/GRILL
40 Xuan Dieu, Tay Ho , Tel: (04) 6675 9838
tracyspub.com
A miniscule sports bar on the main drag of Xuan Dieu is perpetually crowded with regulars drinking out front on plastic stools. Notorious for its burgers, cooked fresh to order, Tracy’s is also famous for their draft beers, claiming to serve the coldest draft beer in Hanoi. VUVUZELA MODERN BEER HALL
2A Tran Thanh Tong, Hai Ba Trung, Tel: (04) 3972 8922
vuvuzela.com.vn
When Vuvuzela opened up, mixing the Hooters concept from the US with a beer hall, drinking food and a DJ booth, it created the start of a new scene — beer clubs. The original Vuvuzela on Tran Thanh Tong is still going strong, but it’s so popular that it’s best to book your table in advance. For a full list of Hanoi locations, check their website.
CAFES ANNAM CAFE DELI / INTERNATIONAL CAFE
Syrena Tower, 51 Xuan Dieu, Tay Ho A trendy, deli-style café connected to Annam Gourmet next door. Bright and fresh décor is complemented by shelves stocked with im-
ported gourmet goods and cafeteria-style furniture. An eye-catching temptation for weary shoppers. CIAO CAFÉ RESTO LOUNGE
2 Hang Bai, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3934 1494 A stone’s throw from the shores of Hoan Kiem Lake, this Saigonese franchise offers a variety of different western dishes at reasonable prices. Loaded with booths and a steady, young Vietnamese crowd, the establishment is a great place to squash a sandwich or bowl of pasta and people watch. They also do coffee. COFFEE BEAN AND TEA LEAF INTERNATIONAL COFFEE HOUSE
28 Thanh Nien, Tay Ho, Tel: (04) 3715 4240
coffeebean.com
This American-style chain cafe is a multilevel, indoor/ outdoor café overlooking Westlake. With its LA coffee and office feel, when you walk in you might just forget that you’re in Hanoi. CONG CAPHE LEFTIST ARTSY CAFE
152D Trieu Viet Vuong, Hai Ba Trung; 32 Dien Bien Phu, Ba Dinh; 27 Nha Tho, Hoan Kiem; 15 Truc Bach, Ba Dinh; 100A Xuan Dieu, Tay Ho
congcaphe.com
With a kitsch, communistdriven theme saturating this quaint cafe, most patrons are young Vietnamese bohemians and artsy expats. Sip on a blended cup of joe with beans from the Central Highlands, knock back one of the many different types of tea available or sip on freshly squeezed juice from the Spartan cups in one of the hippest café chains in town. D’ALICE BOUTIQUE CAFE
89 Trieu Viet Vuong, Hai Ba Trung Put together coffee and cake and you get one of those timeless combinations. And if you really want to binge on the cake-end, then check out d’Alice and its quirky interior. Perfect for that more modern combination of sweet tooth and iThingy. DUY TRI VIETNAMESE CAFÉ
43 Yen Phu, Tay Ho The longest-running café in the capital, this 1936-established, three-floored space is simplicity at its finest. Even the coffee here sticks to its roots — it’s made using the same blend of Arabica and Robusta cooked up by its founders. Unpretentious, endearing and old-fashioned.
HANOI COOKING CENTRE CAFÉ COURTYARD CAFE
44 Chau Long, Ba Dinh Relax in a leafy courtyard, air-con dining room or under a covered roof terrace with a Vietnamese ca phe, Italian coffee, beer, wine or freshly squeezed juice. Order from a seasonally changing menu or try one of the allday breakfast specials for VND110,000, including juice and coffee or tea. HANOI HOUSE HIDEAWAY CAFE
2nd Floor, 47A Ly Quoc Su, Hoan Kiem Set in a colonial-era building with equally colonialera styled furnishings, this hidden away family house café is one of those gems synonymous with Hanoi. Quiet, intimate and simple, the staff will treat you like you’re a guest in their home. HIGHLANDS COFFEE CONTEMPORARY / COFFEE CHAIN
5 Dinh Tien Hoang, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3936 3228; Opera House, 1 Trang Tien, Hoan Kiem; Hanoi Towers, 49 Hai Ba Trung, Hoan Kiem
highlandscoffee.com.vn
With numerous locations around town, what originally started as a fourth-floor joint overlooking the lake has become one of the most popular, home-grown cafes in Vietnam. JOMA COFFEE/BAKERY
28 Tong Duy Tan, Hoan Kiem; 22 Ly Quoc Su, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3747 3388; 43 To Ngoc Van, Tay Ho, Tel: (04) 3718 6071
joma.biz
Popular café with a contemporary western feel to the counter-style service and atmosphere. The food is all there, too: breakfasts, salads, soups, ice cream, muffins, cakes, cereals and bagels. Starting in Laos in 1996, Joma moved to Hanoi in 2009. Joma contributes 2 percent of each sale to charitable organisations. KINH DO PATISSERIE / SIMPLE CAFE
252 Hang Bong, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3825 0216 One of the longest-running cafes in town, this hole-inthe-wall, no frills café-cumrestaurant home-makes its patisseries and is renowned for its excellent yoghurt. MANZI ARTSPACE ARTS CAFÉ & GALLERY
14 Phan Huy Ich, Ba Dinh, Tel: (04) 3716 3397
facebook.com/manzihanoi
A stunningly designed contemporary café and events space that screams out the
words ‘modern art’. Housed in a converted colonial-era villa, a continuous flow of exhibitions, talks, experimental music and game shows make up the mix here. Great cuisine, too. MOC CAFE
A cozy midsize café/restaurant where you can forget the heat and bustle of Hanoi. The atmosphere is relaxed and here you can imagine, for a second, that you’re sitting in a European café. The ood is fresh and internationally inspired, and has an excellent top-floor terrace.
CAFE / INTERNATIONAL
14-16 Nha Tho, Hoan Kiem. (04) 3825 6334 Set in a slightly run down colonial villa, the faded but charmingly run down Frenchstyled retro interior, good WiFi and some of the best coffee in town makes this a great spot to while away a couple of hours. The food menu mixes Vietnamese fare with sandwiches, western and pan-Asian mains. PUKU INTERNATIONAL / CAFE
16-18 Tong Duy Tan, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3938 1745 This spacious spot on Food Street is open around the clock, offering Aussie-inspired comfort food along with more eclectic Irish nachos, cottage pies and pan-Asian fare. Upstairs is fit for social gatherings and live music while the no-smoking downstairs space is filled with people working and socialising. Serves as community centre, especially late at night. SAINT HONORE CAFE / BOULANGERIE
5 Xuan Dieu, Tay Ho, Tel: (04) 3933 2355 This cafe and French-style boulangerie is best visited in the morning when that Gallic, fresh-cooked bakery aroma hits you as you walk through the door. The downstairs space is split into the bakery on one side with a small non-smoking dining space on the other. The upstairs lounge area has standard tables as well as sofa seating. Simple but tasty French and international fare is served at meal times.
YOLO FUNKY LIVE MUSIC CAFE
32C Cao Ba Quat, Ba Dinh
facebook.com/YoloCoffeeShops
Boasting an abundance of communal seating, funky decor and a full roster of regular live music performances, this rollicking café-slash-bar has quickly earned a place in the hearts of Hanoi’s young and trendy. Fun, unpretentious and unashamedly quirky, it’s endearing use of recycled furniture — antiques and colourful artwork create a vibrant atmosphere — make for a popular hangout. Open 24 hours. ZENITH VEGETARIAN CAFE VEGETARIAN / VEGAN
247 Au Co, Tay Ho, Tel: 0904 356561
zenithyogavietnam.com
A vegetarian and vegan cafe respecting the philosophy of yoga — simple living, mindful thinking. Using 100 percent natural ingredients, the cuisine has no additional additives or MSG and is cooked using the minimal amount of oil. The stress is instead on eating whole food in its natural state.
M M M EAT AL FRESCO’S
Villa 25, 1, 3 Ha, Dang Thai, Tay Ho
tet-lifestyle-collection.com
Cloistered among the back streets of West Lake and sheltered from the noise of Xuan Dieu, TET Décor Café is a destination for those who appreciate life’s pleasures: coffee, food, art and music. Simple and unpretentious, the café has an old-fashioned warmth and rustic feel combined with unique and inspiring art installations. THE HANOI SOCIAL CLUB CAFÉ / CONTEMPORARY EATERY
6 Hoi Vu, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3938 2117
facebook.com/thehanoisocialclub
SUSHI RESTAURANT
288 Ba Trieu, Hai Ba Trung, Tel: (04) 3974 5945
asahisushi.vn CAFÉ 129
MEXICAN/COMFORT FOOD
129 Mai Hac De, Hai Ba Trung, Tel: (04) 3821 5342 Long-running, slightly incongruous hole-in-the-wall café and restaurant that has served up up a Western menu since the late 1990s. Check out their and their excellent breakfasts, all scoffed down in a traditional, Vietnamese environment. COUSINS CONTEMPORARY INTERNATIONAL
3 Quang Ba, Tay Ho, Tel: 01238 670098
facebook.com/cousins.hanoi
A contemporary, Frenchinfluenced restaurant selling international cuisine at reasonable prices in a spacious, airy atmosphere. Blackboards, whitewashed, bare-brick walls, period tiles, a well-chosen wine list and an outdoor terrace overlooking the lake make up the formula. DA PAOLO CLASSIC ITALIAN
18 Lane 50/59/17 Dang Thai Mai, Tay Ho, Tel: (04) 3718 6317 This airy, contemporary looking Italian restaurant next to the famed lawn chair and coconut café on West Lake has all the right ingredients to become a classic. Run by the long time former manager of Luna D’Autunno, it features scrumptious wood-fired oven pizzas from VND120,000 and other Italian delicacies. Open every day for lunch and dinner, delivery is also available.
AUSTRALIAN / INTERNATIONAL
24 Quang An, Tay Ho, Tel: (04) 3938 1155
alfrescogroup.com
DALUVA FUSION / MIDDLE-EASTERN
33 To Ngoc Van, Tay Ho, Tel: (04) 3718 5831
daluva.com
TET DÉCOR CAFÉ ART CAFÉ & ESPRESSO BAR
ASAHI SUSHI
AU LAC DO BRAZIL BRAZILIAN 6A Cao Ba Quat, Ba Dinh, Tel: (04) 3845 5224
aulacdobrazil.com
A Brazilian churrascaria offering all-you-can-eat grilled meat and seafood on the skewer. In typical Brazilian rodízio fashion, waiters bring cuts of meat to the table for patrons to pick and choose, all for a set price. They also offer wine pairings, a salad bar and an a la carte menu, with a creative selection of fruit caipirinhas.
A popular hang-out for expats and trendy Vietnamese in the Xuan Dieu area on West Lake. This bar and restaurant offers casual dining with a classy, Middle-Eastern twist, as well as wine, tapas, events and attractive décor. DON’S TAY HO CONTEMPORARY NORTH AMERICAN
16 Quang An, Tay Ho, Tel: (04) 3719 3719
Dons-bistro.com
This lake-facing venue with its top floor Oyster Bar is the work of charismatic Canadian restaurateur and wine connoisseur Donald Berger. Focusing on comfort food done well, the main restaurant menu includes anything from wood-grilled rare tuna steak with fragrant
wordvietnam.com | September 2015 Word | 145
THE THERAPIST
This month Douglas Holwerda, Holwerda, American trained and licensed mental health counsellor, answers the concerns of a parent who is growing concerned about their daughter’s obsessive behaviour Dear Douglas, My husband and I having a disagreement about things we are observing in our daughter’s behavior. She is 10 and has a brother who is seven. Over the past couple of years she has become increasingly preoccupied with keeping her things, like her dolls and stuffed animals, in order. She has a certain place for each of them and if anyone touches them or moves them, as my son did last week, she becomes upset to a degree that has me worried. My husband thinks it is a good thing and that she is organised. He also thinks that, when she gets upset for having gotten 2 Bs when all her other grades were As at school, that it is a quality that will keep her focused on success. I am glad to see her do well, but am I wrong to worry that it seems to be too important to her right now. Is she becoming a perfectionist? Should we be doing something now, before it gets to be too much? — Worried Mom Hello Worried Mom, Thank you for bringing up a good question about when to be concerned about your child’s behaviour. There is a lot more I would want to know before I could draw a conclusion about your daughter, but you have pointed to things that do represent ‘red flags’ — potential
146 | Word September 2015 | wordvietnam.com
problems that need to be attended to. It can be confusing when children are doing good things, being neat and organized and caring about their achievements at school — to a point where it is too rigid or controlled. Perfectionism is a term that refers to a way of being where a person refuses to accept any standard less than perfection. They can work compulsively toward unobtainable goals. They might also measure their self-esteem by their perception of their performance or accomplishments. Your daughter’s response to her grades suggests that she is measuring her success against what she sees as perfection — all As. The difference between healthy and unhealthy striving is how it affects one’s perception of themselves. A person who seeks to attain high goals, but is able to feel internal satisfaction for having made an effort that falls short of perfect is placing the value on effort, something they can control. Conversely, a person who focuses on outcomes or productivity, which is often beyond one’s full control, is susceptible to self-judgment that damages or distorts one’s self esteem. They tend to measure themselves down from perfection rather than feeling good about the accomplishments they have made from their efforts and accepting that perfection is rarely attainable. Control and order can be other signs of a
‘need’ to influence an outcome. Here again there is a healthy version of these actions — to keep things neat and organized. There is also an unhealthy compulsion to do the same. Perfectionists might become inflexible and overly concerned with an order that can’t be maintained. Not being in control might lead to feelings of frustration or anxiety, and behaviours that are compulsive. I agree with you that your daughter’s reaction to your son’s disruption of her ‘stuff’ suggests that she might be too vested in something that requires a little more flexibility. I suggest you learn more about how she is thinking about these things by asking her why it is so important to her, both her grades and the order she creates. If she is showing signs of rigid thinking and self-judgment, help her to think further about the value of flexibility. Don’t hesitate to find a therapist who might also help her challenge her distorted assumptions and to accept herself and the imperfections of reality. You might show your husband what I have written or look further into the topic of perfectionism with him online. I wish you well. — Douglas Do you have a question you would like Douglas’s help with? You can email him at douglasholwerda@hotmail.com. Personal details will not be printed
Hanoi On the Town
again and again. A traditional Vietnamese and kids menu is also available, as is a wine list focusing mainly on French wines. HALIA HANOI SINGAPOREAN / CONTEMPORARY INTERNATIONAL
29 Xuan Dieu, Tay Ho, Tel: (04) 3946 0121
thehalia.com Chinese black bean beurre noir to gourmet pizza and pasta dishes Excellent range of imported oysters, great breakfasts and an extensive wine list. EL GAUCHO STEAKHOUSE
A multi-floored venue with a bar area and a refined dining space. The menu includes Singaporean specialities such as the shrimp satay salad and the chilli crab spaghetti. A pan-European classical menu mixed in with light Asian flavours is also on offer. Has an extensive wine list.
ARGENTINIAN STEAKHOUSE
11 Trang Tien, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3824 7280; 99 Xuan Dieu, Tay Ho, Tel: (04) 3718 6991
elgaucho.com.vn
With venues in Saigon and Bangkok, the essence of El Gaucho is quality top grade meats off the grill. Steak is the mainstay — the USDA cuts are to die for — but everything from chicken, pork and seafood is also up for grabs. Add to this a backdrop of low Latin music, low, subtle lighting, an extensive wine list and slick service. There’s a reason El Gaucho is so successful — everything’s being taken care of. FOODSHOP 45 INTERNATIONAL INDIAN
59 Truc Bach, Ba Dinh, Tel: (04) 3716 2959
foodshop45.com
Lakeside location and low bamboo seating, this eatery is one of the most popular Indians in town. Selling an international version of the mighty curry — they even sell pork and beef here — the menu keeps to the northern part of the subcontinent with masala, dopiaza, korma and the more Goan vindaloo taking centre stage. FRENCH GRILL TOP-END GRILL
JW Marriott Hanoi, 8 Do Duc Duc, Me Tri, Tu Liem, Tel: (04) 3833 5588
facebook.com/frenchgrill
With unique decor, contemporary ambience, a walk-in wine cooler and a delectable seafood bar, this classy restaurant offers guests a service experience with crafted food difficult to find in the capital. GREEN TANGERINE FRENCH / VIETNAMESE FUSION
48 Hang Be, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3825 1286
greentangerinehanoi.com
A leafy, cobblestone courtyard with dark green cast-iron backed chairs greets you as you walk into this French era-built villa that houses the main section of this Indochina-styled restaurant. Serving up an enticing mix of classic and contemporary French cuisine, blended in with Vietnamese ingredients and cooking styles, the resultant fare has had customers coming back
HIGHWAY 4 VIETNAMESE / ETHNIC
5 Hang Tre, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3926 4200; 25 Bat Su, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3926 0639; 575 Kim Ma, Ba Dinh, Tel: (04) 3771 6372 The home of Son Tinh liquor, Highway 4 is also known for its communal dining and ethnic food menu taking in dishes from around the regions of northern Vietnam. Try out their catfish spring rolls. Phenomenal! INDIA PALACE NORTH INDIAN
10B Quang An, Tay Ho Tel: 01247 668668
indiapalacehn@vnn.vn
Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, so India Palace has once again returned to Tay Ho, this time on the strip between Don’s and The Warehouse. Tasty North Indian fare in a pleasant environment from the team behind Tandoor. J.A.F.A. INTERNATIONAL
G2-G3 Ciputra, Tay Ho, Tel: (04) 3758 2400 One of the larger and more comfortable bars in Hanoi, J.A.F.A. is a great place for drinking cocktails by the pool. The beverages are not the cheapest, but this is made up for by service and ambiance. They also have a full menu featuring familiar western dishes such as pizza and cheeseburgers and cater for large parties or dinner functions. Periodic buffets and drink specials are also offered. JACKSON’S STEAKHOUSE STEAKHOUSE / GRILL
23J Hai Ba Trung, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3938 8388
alfrescogroup.com
An all-day eating and drinking lounge fit for all occasions, with of course, a focus on steak. Has three floors all with different vibes, the kind of slick service you’d expect from the Al Fresco’s Group and an extensive wine list.
3934 8325
alfrescosgroup.com
Recently refurbished, the Australian-influenced Jaspa’s is known for its attentive service, tasty food and large portions. Popular with both the western and Asian expat communities who come back again and again. The comprehensive menu is a fusion of western and Asian cooking. The cocktails come large and the wine is mainly New World. KOTO ON VAN MIEU RESTAURANT / CAFÉ / BAR
59 Van Mieu, Dong Da, Tel: (04) 3747 0337
koto.com.au
The restaurant arm of Koto, an F&B training school for disadvantaged youth. Authentic Asian and European cuisine is served over four big floors of restaurant space. It’s cushioned, comfortable and has a rooftop terrace, too. Wrap it yourself nem, bun bo Nam bo, Koto burgers, pastas, fish and chips, chicken Kievs and sandwiches all under one homely roof. KY Y JAPANESE RICE EATERY
166 Trieu Viet Vuong, Hai Ba Trung, Tel: (04) 3978 1386 Not to be mistake for a sushi joint, this wonderful restaurant is your typical, Japanese working person’s rice eatery. Has a bar area downstairs and booth-like seating on the upper floors. LA BADIANE CONTEMPORARY FRENCH
10 Nam Ngu, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3942 4509
labadiane-hanoi.com
On entering La Badiane, you are instantly caught by the multitude aromas coming from the open front kitchen. Then, surrounded by leaf plants, and predominantly white walls, the customer is struck by this venue’s calm and elegance. Although the dining experience at la Badiane is about the food, great attention is also paid to the ambience so you can enjoy every aspect of your meal. Voted one of Miele Guide’s Top 500 Restaurants in Asia. LA BICICLETA BARCELONA-STYLE BISTRO
44 Ngo 31 Xuan Dieu, Tay Ho, Tel: (04) 3718 8246
thbc.vn
Spanish Tapas fare is available elsewhere, but this is the only eatery where it is authentic and from Barcelona. Great selection of sandwiches, tapas and paella as well as enormous Spanishstyle gin and tonics, Tinto de Verano, carajillos and sangria. Also known for its moreish, Catalanstyle desserts. Closed Mondays. LA SALSA IBERIAN / MEDITERANEAN
JASPA’S INTERNATIONAL / AUSTRALIAN
Hanoi Towers, 49 Hai Ba Trung (4th Floor), Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04)
5 Bui Thi Xuan, Hai Ba Trung, Tel: (04) 3995 0950
lasalsa-hanoi.com
A small but eternally popular Spanish-themed café and bar
with an extensive list of reliable cuisine. Tapas are available, as well as full courses such as veal, and duck with currant sauce. Known for its good, Europeanstyle coffee and first-floor terrace area with views over the cathedral. LA VERTICALE CONTEMPORARY FRENCH
19 Ngo Van So, Hai Ba Trung, Tel: (04) 3944 6317
verticale-hanoi.com
Situated in an art-deco villa, this establishment is run by the most famous French chef in the country. With modestly priced set lunches and subtle Vietnamese touches on the dishes, the up market establishment lures in its high class customers with quality Vietnamese-French fusion cuisine. LE BEAULIEU CLASSIC FRENCH / BUFFET
Sofitel Metropole Legend, 15 Ngo Quyen, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3826 6919 The Metropole’s signature restaurant serving up both classic and contemporary French fare. Buffet options mix with an a la carte menu and an ambience that could be straight out of Paris. LUNA D’AUTUNNO CLASSIC ITALIAN
27 Nam Ngu, Tel: (04) 3823 7338
lunadautunno.vn
This old-favourite Italian uses traditional wood ovens to prepare some of the city’s finest pizzas, which range from VND100,000 to build-your-own-skies-the-limit. Set inside a large, thoughtful space seasoned chefs also make fresh pastas, soups and cheeses. Has regular live music and a great Italian wine list. MAY MAN CHINESE CUISINE PAN-CHINESE
Fortuna Hotel, 6B Lang Ha, Ba Dinh, Tel: (04) 3831 3333
fortuna.vn
Elegant and luxurious, May Man has long been regarded as one of the best Chinese restaurants in Hanoi. Showcasing a selection of authentic Chinese fare together with dim sum, May Man boasts extensive a la carte menus, dim sum menus and set menus. Reservations recommended. MEDITERRANEO PAN-ITALIAN
23 Nha Tho, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3826 6288 This long-running, cozy restaurant near the cathedral serves all the traditional Italian fare you could need — homemade mozzarella and fresh pasta, spinach and ricotta ravioli, cold cut boards, soups, salads and fish. Boasts an extensive wine list and a traditional wood fire oven.
FOOD PROMOS HANOI
Bloom like the full moon with Crowne Plaza’s mooncake selection
US Food Festival @ JW Marriott jwmarriotthanoi.com This September, the Marriott’s restaurant, JW Café, will be embarking on an American culinary journey to celebrate 20 years of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and the US. With two separate menus on offer, diners can enjoy American classics from the creamy Boston clam chowder of the East Coast to beef chilli from the southwest to favourites such as apple pie. Also on the menu will be the likes of roasted Amish turkey and whoopee pie, whatever that may be. The food festival will run from Sep. 1 to Sep. 14 and will be available for lunch and dinner at VND770,000++/person. For reservations call (04) 3833 5588
A Taste of Thai @ InterCon hanoi.intercontinental.com The InterContinental Westlake’s Saigon Restaurant is going Thai this month courtesy of award-winning chef, Ian Kittichai. The first ever Thai-national executive chef at a five-star hotel property,
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Kittichai is best known for his influence on contemporary Thai cuisine. For two weeks in September, he will be bringing a mix of traditional and contemporary fare to the West Lake property. The Thai fare will be available every evening from 6pm to 10.30pm from Sep. 14 to Sep. 27 at Saigon Restaurant in the InterCon
Uber Vouchers @ Hotel Nikko Hanoi hotelnikkohanoi.com.vn From Sep. 1 to Nov. 1, any guest staying or dining at Hotel Nikko Hanoi will receive one taxi voucher for Uber worth VND100,000. In addition, Uber users will be entitled to discounts when dining at the hotel’s restaurants: 10 percent off the bill or dine with four people and pay for three. For more information, call (04) 3822 3535.
Mooncakes @ Pullman Hanoi pullman-hanoi.com Tet Trung Thu, or the Moon Festival, is almost upon us. And for those of us with a penchant for mooncakes, now is the time to get your fill.
In honour of the need to create the best mooncakes (and mooncake packaging in town), Pullman Hanoi has created four mooncake boxes named Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter inspired by the flower oil paintings of Nguyen Huu Khoa. With flavours including green tea apricot, low sugar white lotus, scarlet snow, pandan delight, dark knight and violet harmony, a box of four starts at VND550,000 net. For more information, call (04) 3733 0688
Full Moon Blossom @ Crown Plaza West Hanoi crowneplazawesthanoi.com Just when you thought that your mooncake dreams would never come to fruition, so the Crowne Plaza decided to come along with their mooncake selection inspired by “the Mother Moon in full bloom”. Eight flavours are on offer to satiate your need to bloom like the full moon, including black sesame, green tea, strawberry, and lotus and taro, with boxes of four costing from VND660,000. To order call (04) 6270 6688 or email fb@ crowneplazawesthanoi.com
Hanoi On the Town
MING PALACE PAN-CHINESE
Sofitel Plaza, 1 Thanh Nien, Ba Dinh, Tel: (04) 3823 8888 A fine dining destination at the Sofitel Plaza serving Cantonese and pan-Chinese cuisine in a sleek modern setting with private dining rooms. With more than 80 dim sum selections available along with Chinese entrees, Ming’s is an ideal eatery for those hungry for higher end Chinese fare. MOOSE AND ROO CANADIAN / AUSTRALIAN RESTAURANT
42B Ma May, Hoan Kiem, Tel:(04) 3200 1289 Contemporary Australian and Canadian comfort food in a pleasant setting together with a nice bar area. Best known for their Scotch egg, poutine and burgers. Clever changing imagery on the walls. MOOSE AND ROO SMOKEHOUSE AMERICAN GRILL
The American Club, 19-21 Hai Ba Trung, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3939 2470
mooseandroo.com
There’s a reason for Smokehouse’s popularity — the excellent, on-site smoked meats together with all the typical, American-style sides. Set in the American Club, dining is both indoors and out, and comes with the best bourbon selection in town. NAMASTE HANOI PAN-INDIAN
46 Tho Nhuom, Hanoi, Tel: (04) 3935 2400
namastehanoi.com
The well-loved Namaste specialises in dishes from both northern and southern India — using Halal meat throughout. Hosted by the gregarious Gopi, a meal will cost you between VND150,000 and VND300,000 and everything is there, from curries and breads to soups and desserts. NAN N KABAB 49 Xuan Dieu, Tay Ho, Tel: 0922 087799 Specialising in Pakistani cuisine and of course nan bread and kebabs, this semi-outdoor, bamboo tabled, laid back eatery also sells fare from Afganistan and India. In a sentence? Curry, but not as you know it.
NINETEEN 11 INTERNATIONAL / ASIAN
SAINT HONORE
The Opera House, 1 Trang Tien, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3933 4801
BOULANGERIE / BISTRO
Named after the completion date of the Hanoi Opera House, this upscale yet casual restaurant maintains an ambience of elegance, luxury and mystery. The cuisine mixes international fare with twists on Vietnamese cuisine and comes complete with a formidable wine list and an inhouse sommelier.
This bakery and French-style bistro is best visited in the morning when that Gallic, fresh-cooked aroma of bread, croissants and patisseries hits you as you walk through the door. The downstairs space is split into the bakery on one side with a small nonsmoking dining space on the other. The upstairs lounge area has standard tables as well as sofa seating. Simple French and international fare is served at meal times.
nineteen11.com.vn
OLD HANOI GOURMET VIETNAMESE
4 Ton That Thiep, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3747 8337
hanoixua.vn/en
Gordon Ramsay once filmed a show at this restaurant in a renovated French villa and now the ribs carry his namesake. But it’s the twist on old world favourites, think fried snail spring rolls and miniature vegetarian banh xeo, all in a casually elegant setting that make this spot near the train tracks a standout. PANE E VINO PAN-ITALIAN
3 Nguyen Khac Can, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3826 9080
facebook.com/panevinoHN
Just a stroll away from the Hanoi Opera House, Pane e Vino serves up authentic Italian food and has done for as long as anyone can remember. Renowned for the highly rated, oven fresh pizzas and large variety of pasta and salad dishes — look forward to fine food done well at this eatery that has the feel of Europe. Huge wine lists, friendly staff and a loveable owner. POTS ‘N PANS
5 Xuan Dieu, Tay Ho, Tel: (04) 3933 2355
sainthonore.com.vn
THE CART SANDWICH SHOP / CAFÉ
potsnpans.vn
Brought to you by a group of former disadvantaged youth from Hanoi’s own KOTO, this unique fine dining restaurant, bar and lounge blends the old with the new. Vietnamese fusion cuisine, like profiteroles with green tea and café fillings, a private chef’s table with a kitchen view, and an extensive wine list combined with modern formal styling bring a unique experience to Hanoi. PRESS CLUB CONTEMPORARY INTERNATIONAL
3rd Floor, 59A Ly Thai To, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3934 0888
hanoi-pressclub.com
Wooden flooring, paneling and bold but subtle colours pervade this traditional but contemporary, fine-dining 70-seater venue close to the Opera House. Serving up quality cuisine for over a decade, Press Club boasts a bar area, two private dining rooms, including a wine room, a library and a vast selection of cigars, all in an elegant atmosphere
STREETSIDE BANH MI
25 Hang Ca, Hoan Kiem BIT TET NGON SO 5 VIETNAMESE BEEFSTEAK
20A Hoe Nhai, Ba Dinh BUN BO NAM BO BUN BO NAM BO
67 Hang Dieu, Hoan Kiem BUN CHA DAC KIM BUN CHA
1 Hang Manh, Hoan Kiem; 67 Duong Thanh, Hoan Kiem KCC (KIEN CAN COOK)
8B, Lane 1, Au Co, Nghi Tam Village, Tay Ho, Tel: (04) 3938 2513
COM RANG DUA BO
Small cozy café and sandwich bar hidden away in Nghi Tam Village. Serves and delivers tasty baguettes, homemade juices, quiches, pies, muffins and cakes. The delivery service is quick and reliable, which makes this lunchtime favourite ideal for when you need to eat at the desk.
MIEN TRON HANH
thecartfood.com
THE KAFE
57 Quoc Tu Giam, Dong Da
MIXED GLASS NOODLES
7B Ly Quoc Su, Hoan Kiem MY VAN THAN WONTON NOODLES
54 Hang Chieu, Hoan Kiem PHO BO CU CHIEU PHO BO
CONTEMPORARY CAFE / CUISINE
48 Hang Dong, Hoan Kiem
thekafe.vn
PHO CUON HUNG BEN
18 Dien Bien Phu, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3747 6245 Spacious, casual, energetic and beautifully designed, The KAfe serves up unfussy comfort food that aims to satisfy the modern urban diner. Preparing fresh food and drinks that show respect to natural ingredients and flavours from around the globe, this café-cum-restaurant is a popular choice for Hanoi’s metrosexual community.
PHO CUON
26 Nguyen Khac Hieu, Ba Dinh PHO GA BA LAM PHO GA
7 Nam Ngu, Hoan Kiem PHO GA HANG DIEU PHO GA
CONTEMPORARY VIETNAMESE
57 Bui Thi Xuan, Hai Ba Trung, Tel: (04) 3944 0204
BANH MI 25
WRAP & ROLL 5th Floor, Trang Tien Plaza, 24 Hai Ba Trung, Hoan Kiem Tel: (04) 3824 3718
wrap-roll.com
The lime green walls and bright pastel colours of Wrap ‘n Roll are just part of the theme of this homegrown, Vietnamese brand which is all about spring rolls of all types, and healthy, Hueinfluenced cuisine. Now with two restaurants in Hanoi — the second in Royal City.
M M M STREETFOOD
1 Hang Dieu, Hoan Kiem PHO GIA TRUYEN BAT DAN PHO BO
49 Bat Dan, Hoan Kiem PHO LY QUOC SU PHO BO
10 Ly Quoc Su, Hoan Kiem PHO THIN LO DUC SAUTEED BEEF PHO
13 Lo Duc, Hai Ba Trung PHO TRON MIXED PHO
18 Dang Thai Mai, Tay Ho
5 Phu Doan, Hoan Kiem; 47 Ma May, Hoan Kiem; 2 Hang Hom, Hoan Kiem; 6 Luong Van Can, Hoan Kiem
BANH CUON HANG GA
PHO TU LUN
3 CHI EM PHO GA / BUN BO NAM BO / COM
BANH CUON
PHO BO
14 Hang Ga, Hoan Kiem
23 Hai Ba Trung, Hoan Kiem
BANH DA TRON
XOI HANG HOM
BANH DA TRON
6 Ngo 31 Xuan Dieu, Tay Ho
STICKY RICE
44 Hang Hom, Hoan Kiem
MEDICAL BUFF THIRD CULTURE KIDS
T
hird Culture Kids (TCKs) have both a unique set of experiences and an equally unique perspective on life. Born or raised in cultures outside of their parents’ place of origin, they live elsewhere because of their parents’ occupations or interests. As the world grows, we now have adult third culture children (ATKs), who are TCKs at least 18 years of age or older. Here are some examples of the kind of things they typically experience: — To everyone’s confusion, your accent changes depending on who you’re talking to — You’re really good at calculating time differences, because you have to do it every time you call your parents — You start getting birthday wishes several hours before your birthday, from your friends farther east than you — Your passport looks like it’s been to hell and back — You get nervous whenever a form needs you to enter a ‘permanent address’
Challenges There are currently millions of TCKs in international schools around the world, while others are in embassy schools. Every year, countless numbers return to their passport countries of origin. Once home,
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there are basic things all children need: belonging, recognition and connection. These basic needs are often wrenched away from TCKs after each relocation. The layers of loss can leave deep scars; friends, pets, family, weather, food, loss of identity. TCKs are not alone. Some of the most famous include Barack Obama, Kathleen Turner and Julie Christie. Some TCKs say that losses not successfully resolved in childhood have an increased likelihood of recurring in adulthood. Questions about who you are, what you are and where you are from will change, or may even wait until long after their childhood to bubble up and burst. Here are some first-hand experiences of TCKs: Penny: Being a TCK is pretty awesome, but you are always leaving your friends behind. I consider home as where my passport was issued not necessarily where I was born. My family is important to me, wherever they are. Charlotte: It’s strange, but your friends always behave differently in front of you. Vidya: I’m from the country I live in now; I won’t go back, but I won’t forget my heritage. I’m happy to sit and listen to the elders who are feeling loss; adults take longer to adjust.
BY DR. BLUTEAU LAETITIA
Getting Help Therapy is a partnership between an individual and a professional such as a psychologist. Families of TCKs often consider therapy under the following circumstances: — Noticing a feeling of intense overwhelming; a prolonged sense of sadness and helplessness, TCKs will become withdrawn and quiet — Emotional difficulties make it hard for TCKs to function from day to day — Actions harmful to themselves or to others. e.g. getting aggressive, bullying — Troubled with emotional difficulties facing family and friends Global mobility comes at a price. Psychologists are able to provide therapy and support to cope with challenges faced by families and TCKs. Sometimes it’s difficult for kids to cope in an uncertain world. Emotions and physical health are closely linked to a person’s overall well being and can have a positive effect on the body’s immune system. Bluteau Laetitia is a French pediatric psychotherapist at Family Medical Practice, Hanoi. For more information call (04) 3843 0748 or click on vietnammedicalpractice.com
BOOK BUFF REMEMBER WATERLOO!
This month Truong at Bookworm takes on that age-old issue of the birds and the bees. Here are some books to help you give your kids that education that they so desperately need Some Truths About Making Whoopie When I was a kid and I asked where babies came from, I got fobbed off with all sorts of fanciful stories with the most unbelievable being that I was discovered snuggled up in a lotus blossom (I was a July birth). Had I been an English speaking western kid in those days, the crazy tales revolving around storks and various vegetable leaves would have been evaporating, and my sensible query would probably been sensibly answered with a few child / parent sessions poring over Peter Mayle’s picture book, Where Did I Come From. This has been a parent standby for more than 40 years when it’s time for that particular talk.
The Amazing True Stories of How Babies Are Made This year an Australian cartoonist and illustrator, Fiona Katsauskas, knew that her little kid was on the cusp of wanting to know the ins and outs of THAT subject. After taking refuge within the Mayles’ definition, she realised that things had changed an awful lot. She decided to update the whole thing with sections on multiple births, IVF, blended and non-nuclear families, as well as necessary bits about reproductive systems and a couple in the act of reproducing. This fresh-off-the-press book gives most modern parents exactly the right amount of information to avoid their children being misinformed by their peers or others, and to allow them to feel confident in themselves and their bodies. For parents who find explaining the significance of words like
penis and vagina a bit off-putting, this book makes it all easy.
The True Story of How Babies Are Made Some parents are not squirmy about talking to their kids about sex and don’t want to beat around the bush at all — especially if those bushes are hiding vague myths about birds and bees. Since 2010 they’ve had a very explicit option by Eric Benedict. If your child has a hard time with the concept that they came from inside the female partner, then Benedict’s illustrated book provides a very graphic visualisation of an actual birth. An excellent, animated version of the book is easy to access, and if your pre- teen child attends a school that huffs and puffs around the edges of sex-ed curricula, then this book will get you straight to the nitty gritty. It will help you open the gates to open and honest communication about a subject that should never be taboo.
S.E.X. In 2007, American sexologist Heather Corinna wrote her widely acclaimed S.E.X.: The All-You-Need-To-Know Progressive Sexuality Guide to Get You Through High School and College. After looking at a lot of other sexuality journals for middle classtype teens, we’ve come to the conclusion that even if your adolescents are getting a good dose of Norweigian-style, school sexed, then this book is still relevant. It’s very inclusive and doesn’t push a heterosexual bias the way too many do, or smother itself in traditional gender roles. It also doesn’t push the
theme that sex is better when connected with love or marriage. Its emphasis is on communication, being as safe as possible, respecting your own and other’s boundaries, and fitting sex into the rest of your life in a healthy and enjoyable way. It deals with some issues that some parents may feel ‘iffy’ about, but that their kids are probably already conversant with, streetwise about or investigating.
Living With a Willy Famous British commercial fisherman and fish cooking book author Nick Fisher is also infamous in Britain for writing informative teenage boy’s guides to growing up. His Your Pocket Guide to Sex was so infamous in the late 1990s that it attracted the wrath of a Conservative government and ended up on the front pages of every sensational daily newspaper. It was forcibly withdrawn from sale, but the publishing rights were snapped up by Penguin. It was eventually reprinted. Fisher’s 1994 book for boys about penile appendages was designed to be a frank, friendly and funny guide for boys about the perils of puberty. Often you wonder if a book about the intricacies and mysteries of the developing sexual body has become too dated, but early this year we had an 18-year-old British school leaver volunteering at Bookworm. She read the updated version, Living with a Willy, and decided that every young male, including her boyfriend, should become intimately acquainted with it. Though she admitted that the British style of humour may not hit every funny bone. For more information on Bookworm go to bookwormhanoi.com
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Business Buff / Body and Temple / Amazing Grapes / A world of Good / Coffee Cup / Bar Stool / Food Promos / Top Eats / The Empty Wok Photo by Charles Von Presley 154 | Word September 2015 | wordvietnam.com
HCMC Essentials
BAKERIES ABC BAKERY BAKERY & CAFÉ
223 Pham Ngu Lao, Q1
phamngulao.abcbakery.co
Baguettes, croissants, pizza, cakes, muffins, donuts and brownies, this bakery and café all in one is a popular stop for those heading through the Backpacker District. Online ordering available. BREAD TALK CHAIN BAKERY
106 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, Q3; 2 Cao Thang, Q3; Vivo City, 1058 Nguyen Van Linh, Q7
breadtalkvietnam.com
A Singaporean bakery chain that is vying for the Vietnam cake and bread market. Produces Asian-friendly patisseries and cakes in a spacious, airy atmosphere. Has eight locations and counting. CRUMBS BAKERY & CAFE
117 Cong Quynh, Q1, Tel: (08) 3836 1992
crumbs.com.vn
Dubbed “the local bakery”, Crumbs serves up a variety of baked goods including baguettes, muffins, cheese and garlic–based buns and loafs, meat–filled pastries, sweet pastries, health–conscious breads and more. There is also a breakfast menu and variety of sandwiches available. Excellent Australianstyle meat pies. HARVEST BAKING AMERICAN BAKERY
harvestbaking.net
With a production facility in Thu Duc, Harvest Baking focuses on both the retail and non-retail trade, cooking up the best American-style bakery products in the city. Has an excellent home delivery service. Check the website for details.
L’AMOUR BAKERY & CAFE
Hung Phuoc 2, Le Van Thiem, Q7, Tel: (08) 5410 4072
lamourbakery.com.vn TOUS LES JOURS BAKERY & CAFE
180 Hai Ba Trung, Q1; 59 Tran Hung Dao, Q1; 187 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, Q1; 66B Cach Mang Thang Tam, Q3; Lotte Mart, 469 Nguyen Huu Tho, Q7; 17/14 Le Thanh Ton, Q1
touslesjoursbakery.com
The background of this Korean bakery chain makes interesting reading. Established in 1996, in 2004 they opened in the US, 2005 in China and 2007 in Vietnam. French-styled with an Asian touch, the bare-brick décor makes this a popular joint. Has over 25 locations in Vietnam.
Nam Phong Bookstore was founded at the of end 2002 in Ho Chi Minh City as the first and only francophone bookshop in the whole of Vietnam. Only books written in French are for sale, covering for all ages and tastes. A catalogue is available at namphongsaigon.com PNC VIETNAMESE LANGUAGE BOOKSTORE
2A Le Duan, Q1; 2nd Floor Parkson Center, 35-45 Le Thanh Ton, Q1
pnc.com.vn
Although there are some English-language texts in this modern, well laid out bookstore, the focus here is on all things Vietnamese. Worth checking out, thought, for the occasional gem.
M M M VOELKER BAKERY
39 Thao Dien, Q2, Tel: (08) 6296 0066
voelker-vietnam.com
French–run bakery selling probably the tastiest range of patisseries, breads, quiches and pies in town. The signature passion–fruit tart is a must try.
M M M BOOKSHOPS FAHASA VIETNAMESE / ENGLISH LANGUAGE BOOKSTORE
40 Nguyen Hue, Q1; 60-62 Le Loi, Q1
fahasa.com
Selling up a good selection of English language books — in a range of reading areas — this multi-storied bookshop also does stationery, toys and a range of related products. Has a good selection of ESL texts. LIBRAIRIE FRANCAISE NAM PHONG 82 Truong Dinh, Q1, Tel: (08) 3914 7858
facilitate discussion forums about business in Vietnam. NORDCHAM 17th Floor, Petroland Tower, 12 Tan Trao, Q7, Tel: (08) 5416 0922
nordcham.com
PHILIPPINES BUSINESS GROUP VIETNAM 40/4 Pham Viet Chanh, Binh Thanh, Tel: (08) 3518 0045
pbgvn.com
SINGAPORE BUSINESS GROUP 6th Floor, Unit 601, Tran Quy Building, 57 Le Thi Hong, Q1, Tel: (08) 3823 3046
sbghcm.org
M M M CLOTHING & ACCESSORIES
BUSINESS GROUPS ANUPA ECO LUXE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE (AMCHAM) New World Hotel, 76 Le Lai, Q1, Tel: (08) 3824 3562.
amchamvietnam.com
AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE (AUSCHAM) 2nd Floor, Eximland Building, 179EF Cach Mang Thang Tam, Q3, Tel: (08) 3832 9912
auschamvn.org
BRITISH BUSINESS GROUP OF VIETNAM (BBGV) 25 Le Duan, Q1, Tel: (08) 3829 8430
bbgv.org
CANADIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE (CANCHAM) Room 305, New World Hotel, 76 Le Lai, Q1, Tel: (08) 3824 3754
canchamvietnam.org
Open to all nationalities, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce aims to create an effective network of business associates together and to
LEATHER & JEWELLERY
9 Dong Du, Q1, Tel: (08) 3822 2394
anupa.net Monday to Sunday, 9am to 8pm
This centrally located unique boutique has been converted into an eco-boutique which exclusively retails the complete Anupa leather and semi-precious jewellery range as well as other unique eco brands such as bamboo eyewear, pendant scarves and cushion covers. BAM SKATE SHOP SKATEWEAR / STREET
174 Bui Vien, Q1, Tel: 0903 641826
Bamskateshop.com.vn BLUE DRAGON
SHOPPING MALLS DIAMOND PLAZA 34 Le Duan, Q1. Tel: (08) 3825 7750 9am to 10pm Cosmetics, Perfume, Clothing, Accessories, Electronics, Café, Food Court
HUNG VUONG PLAZA
126 Hung Vuong, Q5. Tel: (08) 2222 0383 9.30am to 10pm Cosmetics, Perfume, Clothing, Accessories, Electronics, Café, Food Court
PARKSON PLAZA
35-45 Le Thanh Ton, Q1. Tel: (08) 3827 7636 9.30am to 10pm Cosmetics, Perfume, Clothing, Accessories, Electronics, Café, Food Court
SAIGON CENTRE
65 Le Loi, Q1. Tel: (08) 3829 4888 9am to 9pm Cosmetics, Perfume, Clothing, Accessories, Electronics, Café, Food Court
SOUVENIRS / CLOTHING
1B Bui Vien, Q1, Tel: (08) 2210 2084 GALLERY VIVEKKEVIN DESIGN & JEWELLERY
35 Dong Khoi, Q1, Tel: (08) 6291 8162
galleryvivekkevin.com
This retail-cum-gallery space specialises in contemporary and exclusive handcrafted jewellery made from handpicked gemstones and raw materials. Exhibitions and gallery talks run every month. GINKGO
SAIGON SQUARE 77-89 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, Q1 9am to 9pm Cosmetics, Perfume, Clothing, Accessories, Electronics
VINCOM CENTER 70-72 Le Thanh Ton, Q1. Tel: (08) 3936 9999 9am to 10pm Cosmetics, Perfume, Clothing, Accessories, Electronics, Café, Food Court
VIETNAM-THEMED CLOTHING
10 Le Loi, Q1, Tel: (08) 3521 8755; 54-56 Bui Vien, Q1, Tel: (08) 6270 5928
ginkgo-vietnam.com
Quality, original, Vietnamthemed tees are the showpiece at this airy French-run store. Designs are inspired by anything from the Vietnamese flag, local telecom
ZEN PLAZA
54-56 Nguyen Trai, Q1 Tel: (08) 3925 0339 9am to 10pm Cosmetics, Perfume, Clothing, Accessories, Electronics, Café, Food Court
BUSINESS BUFF RISE OF THE MACHINES
BY SHANE DILLON
Over time there is a 96.3% chance that chefs will be replaced by robots
I
read a great article last month on recent developments in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and how this is the most important thing in the world right now that no one is talking about. For those of you like myself who had little recent information on this trend, I highly recommend you to read the article on waitbutwhy.com entitled The AI Revolution: The Road to Superintelligence. So firstly may I welcome our new robot overlords. In their honour I will look into the jobs that are going to be the first to go (as reported by NPR). Telemarketers have a 99% chance of being automated. Many of today’s cold-callers are not human. Robots cannot only perform the job 24/7, but they can also maintain energy and perkiness no matter how many rude consumers they interact with. Tax preparers have a 98.7% chance of being automated. Automating the process of preparing tax returns could result in fewer errors, and the technology, Optical Character Recognition (OCR), already exists. Timing device assemblers and adjusters have a 98.5% chance of being automated. Machines are now able to perform the precise assembling, adjusting or calibrating that timing device assemblers specialise in. Loan officers have a 98.4% chance of being automated. A Bloomberg article reported that inroads are already being made at Daric Inc., an online peer-to-peer lender. The company has replaced all loan officers with an algorithm that identifies safe borrowers. Tellers have a 98.3% chance of being automated. Chances are you haven’t used
156 | Word September 2015 | wordvietnam.com
a human bank teller in a while. ATMs can provide most of the services that tellers offer. Umpires and referees have a 98.3% chance of being automated. In professional tennis, a computerised umpire called Hawk Eye is already being used to help the chief umpire make close line calls. Players have the option of ‘challenging’ a call, in which the Hawk Eye system will display where the ball landed and whether it was in or out. Its decisions are final. Hawk Eye represents just one system being used to solve disputes in sports. Procurement clerks have a 98% chance of being automated. It is now very simple for machines to place orders with suppliers for materials and services. Also, ordering over the internet — or e-procurement — will result in a decline of these jobs. Milling and planning machine setters, operators, and tenders have a 97.9% chance of being automated. Setting up, operating, or tending milling or planing machines are tasks that are increasingly being delegated to machines. Credit analysts have a 97.9% chance of being automated. Automating the process of analysing credit data and financial statements, and preparing reports with credit information, could result in a lower degree of risk. Drivers have a 97.8% chance of being automated. Drivers and chauffeurs won’t be needed for much longer. Google’s self-driving test cars have driven thousands of miles without human intervention. Also, Uber CEO Travis Kalanick loves the idea of autonomous
vehicles and announced that Uber will eventually be replacing all of its drivers with cars that drive themselves. Cashiers have a 97.1% chance of being automated. Panera Bread announced that it will have replaced all of its cashiers with kiosks by 2016, according to a USA Today article. Additionally, self-checkout machines are continuing to spring up in grocery stores around the world. Restaurant cooks have a 96.3% chance of being automated. A noodle-slicing robot named Foxbot can be found at Dazzling Noodles, an open-kitchen restaurant chain in North China’s Shanxi province. There’s another robot chef making crab bisque from scratch, thanks to 20 motors, 24 joints and 129 sensors. The robot, designed by Moley Robotics, can complete the complicated dish in 30 minutes and even plates it. Postal service workers have a 95.4% chance of being automated. Postal sorters, clerks, and mail carriers are being hit hard by automation. Not only are robots able to do tasks such as sort mail, but snail mail is also becoming more and more obsolete with the increasing digitisation of mail. Jewellers and precious stone and metal workers have a 95.5% chance of being automated. The Bureau of Labor Statistics in the US predicts their employment to decline 10% between now and 2022 as robots begin assisting in the manufacturing and repairing of jewellery. Shane hopes his new robot boss is nice. He can be contacted at shanedillon@pacificcross.com
wires and motorbikes to creative, Siddharta-style imagery.
M M M COOKING CLASSES
IPA-NIMA BAGS & ACCESSORIES
77-79 Dong Khoi, Q1, Tel: (08) 3822 3277; 71 Pasteur, Q1, Tel: (08) 3824 2701
ipa-nima.com
AIRLINES
LITTLE ANH-EM BABY & CHILDREN CLOTHING
AIR ASIA airasia.com AIR FRANCE airfrance.com.vn
37 Thao Dien, An Phu, Q2, Tel: 0917 567506 In addition to a varied selection of garments for babies and children up to 10 years old, Little Anh-Em stocks sleeping bags and other accessories. L’USINE
CATHAY PACIFIC cathaypacific.com/vn CHINA AIRLINES china-airlines.com JAPAN AIRLINES vn.jal.com
LIFESTYLE / ACCESSORIES
First floor, 151 Dong Khoi, Q1, Tel: (08) 6674 9565
lusinespace.com
Exclusive labels, elegant and sophisticated clothing and casual high-quality cottons are stocked at this boutique/ café. Lifestyle accessories include shoes, homewares, knickknacks, cameras, stationery and a range of vintage bicycles. MANDARINA
JETSTAR PACIFIC jetstar.com/vn/en
TAILOR-MADE SHOES
171 Le Thanh Ton, Q1, Tel: (08) 3827 5267
OVERLAND CLUB 35Bis Huynh Khuong Ninh, Q1, Tel: (08) 3820 9734
overlandclub.jp
The Overland Club organises pottery classes, VietnameseJapanese cooking classes, cultural art events and monthly special activities, such as the Soba Festival, pottery painting classes, the art of decorating paper and multinational cuisine days. SAIGON COOKING CLASSES BY HOA TUC 74 Hai Ba Trung, Q1, Tel: (08) 3825 8485
saigoncookingclass.com
Learn to cook quality Vietnamese cuisine with local specialist Hoa Tuc. The threehour lesson, conducted by an English-speaking Vietnamese chef, includes a trip around Ben Thanh Market to gather fresh ingredients for the class. VIETNAM COOKERY CENTRE Suite 45, 4th Floor, 26 Ly Tu Trong, Q1,Tel: (08) 3827 0349
vietnamese-cooking-classsaigon.com
M M M KOREAN AIR koreanair.com LAO AIRLINES laoairlines.com
ORANGE BUDGET CLOTHING
152 Bui Vien, Q1, Tel: (08) 3820 2620
9am to 10pm PAPAYA
BUDGET CLOTHING
232 Bui Vien, Q1
MALAYSIA AIRLINES malaysiaairlines.com SINGAPORE AIRLINES singaporeair.com
papaya-tshirt.com T&V TAILOR TAILORS
39 Dong Du, Q1, Tel: (08) 3824 4556
triciaandverona.com U.BEST HOUSE TRAVEL GEAR
THAI AIRWAYS thaiairways.com.vn
163 Nguyen Thai Hoc, Q1, Tel: 0978 967588
Ubesthouse.com VESPA SHOP
TIGER AIRWAYS tigerair.com VIETJETAIR vietjetair.com VIETNAM AIRLINES vietnamairlines.com
VESPA PRODUCTS / HELMETS
80 Xuan Thuy, Q2 Stocks a wide range of Vespa-inspired tidbits and memorabilia including t-shirts, riding gear, Italian helmets, Respro face masks, DVDs, books, bags, magazines, posters and more. Rental scooters and bikes available.
CRAFTS & FURNITURE ATC FURNITURE ECO-FRIENDLY FURNITURE
268B Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, Dist.3, HCMC, Tel: (08) 3932 6455; 30A Nguyen Huu Canh, Binh Thanh, HCMC, Tel: (08) 3840 3946
atc-craft.com
AUSTIN HOME REPRO FURNITURE / FABRICS
42 Nguyen Dang Giai, Q2, Tel: (08) 3519 0023
austinhomeinteriors.com
This An Phu-based shop stocks antique repro furniture. All products are samples, so it’s limited and exclusive with only one or two pieces of each particular item. Also has a great range of imported fabrics up on the 2nd floor and an in-house sewing room for cushions, sofas and curtains. Offers custom-made furniture and delivery within four weeks. CHI LAI HOME FURNISHINGS
175 Ha Noi Highway, Q2, Tel: (08) 3519 4543
chilai.com
This well-known Vietnamese furniture brand is a good choice for most families with its respected highquality designs and competi-
wordvietnam.com | September 2015 Word | 157
BODY
AND
TEMPLE
THE CORE ARGUMENT
BY PHIL KELLY
S
ix pack abs are a dream many have. Yet obtaining the ability to wash your clothes over the speed bumps in your stomach is an objective many fail to achieve. No matter how much you train your abs, the truth is simply that if your diet sucks and your body fat level is too high you will not have visible abs. Want to see your abs? Fix your diet. The intension of this article is to discuss how to effectively train your core. Close to 100 percent of people I see training the core are either performing redundant exercises or their abdominal units are not functioning properly. There is a woeful lack of knowledge when it comes to training the core, with many people still only doing crunches, planks or twists, all with incorrect abdominal recruitment and poor movement form. Abdominals are the pillar of stability in which all movement is generated from. Isolated exercises have a role, but to effectively train the ‘core’, integrated whole body movements must be incorporated into the training plan. Ben Cormack, a leading Exercise Physiologist, states, “A higher focus should be placed on creating a better relationship between the core and the rest of the body.”
What is the Core? The ‘core’ isn’t just the abdominal muscles. It is important to understand that any muscle that stabilizes the pelvis and lower (lumbar) spine should be classified as a ‘core’ muscle. The National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) defines the ‘core’ as the structures that support the “lumbopelvic-hip complex (LPHC), including the lumber spine, the pelvic girdle, abdomen, and the hip joint”. There are at least 20 muscles responsible for stabilizing and moving these joints — many experts suggest even more. The muscles are grouped into three distinct classifications; local stabilisation system (inner unit), global stabilisation system and the movement system (outer units).
What Is Its Job? A strong core is essential for optimal function and movement. NASM state, “a strong core and efficient core is necessary for maintaining proper muscle balance throughout the entire human movement system. A weak core is a fundamental problem that causes inefficient movement
158 | Word September 2015 | wordvietnam.com
and can lead to predictable patterns of injury”. Understanding the functional movement role of each muscle group allows you to select the best exercises to both shape your torso, support the spine and improve functional strength of the “pillar of movement”. For example, most people think the ‘six pack’ (rectus abdominis) main function is to cause flexion of the torso, when actual fact its most functional role is to stop the torso from extending when standing and sitting. Therefore, to train the ‘six pack’ effectively, a crunch movement should begin in an extended spinal position.
Abstract Abs Where are people going wrong when they train the core? Generally, people work one muscle — the rectus abdominis or the ‘Six Pack’. Others do a little bit better and exercise the obliques and back extensors, but these muscles are a far cry from having a strong core. The first port of call is to strengthen the muscles of the inner unit (or local stabilisation system): transverse abdominis (TVA), internal oblique, lumber multifidus, pelvic floor muscles and the diaphragm. The inner unit is crucial, especially the TVA, as if it doesn’t function properly the outer abdominal muscles cannot function properly. If you have never heard of these muscles or don’t know their functional role or don’t know how to recruit them, you need to drastically rethink how you train your abs. The plank, for example, is not a ‘six pack’ exercise — it is an exercise that should work the inner unit muscles. If you do
not know how to recruit these muscles, how do you know if you are performing the exercise correctly? A weak inner unit (or local stabilisation system) results in a lack of stabilisation of the vertebrae. This in turn can trigger unwanted movement between the joints and vertebral discs creating weak points that commonly are the cause of lower back pain. I test all of my client’s core function and over my 20 plus years of experience only about 10 percent of peoples abdominal complex is working correctly. 80 to 90 percent of clients cannot recruit their TVA, if they even know what it is. Paul Chek, a world leading fitness educator, and pioneer of modern core training states: “The TVA offers more effective stabilisation of the core, especially the spine, than a weight belt”. This says a lot for the importance of first training your inner unit before performing crunches, planks or any exercise.
Train Smart To train any muscle group effectively you must understand the correct function and movement that the muscles perform. This concept seems to be lost in the rush to obtain ‘washboard abs’. The ‘core’ is a complex area with a large number of muscles involved. The simple fact is you should not perform outer unit exercise until the inner unit is functioning correctly and able to stabilise the spine effectively. Phil is founder and master trainer at Body Expert Systems. Contact him on 0934 782763 or at his website bodyexpertsystems.com or through Star Fitness (starfitnesssaigon.com)
HCMC Essentials
tive prices. Located on the corner of Pham Ngoc Thach and Dien Bien Phu, the spacious showroom specialises in sofas and other furniture such as table sets, shelves and kitchen cabinets. There is a large selection of carpets as well as numerous choices of curtains and accessories. EM EM SOUVENIRS
38 Mac Thi Buoi, Q1, Tel: (08) 3829 4408
M M M CYCLING FIRSTBIKE VIETNAM
firstBIKE.com.vn
FirstBIKE balance bikes for two to five-year-olds eliminate the need for training wheels or stabilisers, and support proper balance development.
8am to 9.30pm
JETT CYCLES
FEELING TROPIC
384 Tran Phu, Q5; 168 Vo Thi Sau, Q3
FURNITURE & ACCESSORIES
51 Le Van Mien, Thao Dien, Q2, Tel: (08) 3744 2181 Specialising in interior designs and landscaping, this three-storey building is so packed full of items for sale that it doesn’t seem to have enough space for all of its products. The basement storey carries outdoor furniture such as bamboo-imitation and mosaic table sets, while the second level stocks all types of indoor furniture except beds. Accessories are found on the level above.
OWN-BRAND CYCLING SHOWROOM
jett-cycles.com
The showroom home of Jett Cycles, a homegrown cycling company with all products designed in Vietnam. Sells up budget bicycles to high-end product, with the full range of accessories in between. Also stocks GT and Cannondale. SAIGON CYCLES CYCLING & ACCESSORIES
44 Phan Van Nghi (S51-1 Sky Garden 2), Q7, Tel: (08) 5410 3114
xedapcaocap.com
mekong-creations.org
Specialising in Trek and Surly, Saigon Cycles is also famed for its Sunday morning rides. Sells the full range of accessories and also does bicycle repairs.
NGUYEN FRERES
THE BIKE SHOP
MEKONG CREATIONS FAIR TRADE CRAFTS
35-37 Ngo Duc Ke, Q1, Tel: (08) 2210 3110
NIK-NAKS / CRAFTS
2 Dong Khoi, Q1, Tel: (08) 3823 9459
8am to 8pm
MEKONG QUILTS HAND-MADE QUILTS
1st Floor, 68 Le Loi, Q1, Tel: (08) 2210 3110
mekong-quilts.org NHA XINH HOME FURNISHINGS
2nd Floor, Saigon Centre, 65 Le Loi, Q1, Tel: (08) 3821 6115
nhaxinh.com
CYCLING & ACCESSORIES
250 Nguyen Van Huong, Q2, Tel: (08) 3744 6405
thebikeshopvn.com
The go-to location for all your cycling needs in District 2. Sells a range of brands including Cannondale, Jett, GT and Aluboo, as well as the full selection of accessories. Organises regular cycle rides, does repairs and rentals. Check facebook.com/thebikeshopvn for more details.
M M M DENTAL CLINICS
REMIX DECO INDOOR FURNITURE
222 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, Q3, Tel: (08) 3930 4190
remixdeco.com
THE FURNITURE HOUSE HOME FURNISHINGS
81 Xuan Thuy, Thao Dien, Q2, Tel: (08) 3519 4640/4643 THE FURNITURE WAREHOUSE EUROPEAN-STYLE FURNITURE
3B Ton Duc Thang, Q1, Tel: (08) 6657 0788
thefurniturewarehouse. com.vn
ACCADENT INTERNATIONAL DENTAL CLINIC
Kumho Asiana Plaza, 39 Le Duan, Q1, Tel: (08) 3822 8800
accadent.com
INTERNATIONAL SOS DENTAL CLINIC INTERNATIONAL DENTAL CLINIC
167A Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, Q3, Tel: (08) 3829 8424
internationalsos.com
Globally renowned provider of medical assistance and international healthcare offers full dental services in the clinic. Foreign and Vietnamese dentists provide high skilled dental service. Orthodontics is also available.
wordvietnam.com | September 2015 Word | 159
AMAZING GRAPES THE HAND OR THE LAND?
M
aking wine is a very complicated thing. I mean the theory is simple; pick ripe grapes, crush them, extract the juice, ferment… and then drink, right? If only it were so easy. Ever since humans have discovered this very simple process, we have set about trying to work out how we can best manipulate, influence and control the variables that determine the quality and character of the resultant wine. Now there are two basic schools of thought on how best to do this (I said two basic… lets keep it simple). First is the idea that to make great wine the most important factor is the quality of the grapes that go into the ferment. The
BY JIM CAWOOD
achieve. Relying only what nature gives you can provide a very unique and interesting wine when all goes well. When you have a bad season, though, your wine will also be bad. However if the wine maker has control over all aspects of cultivation and production, and is making wine not just from a single vineyard but from many different sources, they can produce the same product year in year out. Purists would argue that the essence of truly great wine can only be attained by unique terroir, but consumers demand a consistency. Wine can sometimes become intangibly elitist, and yet the reality of drinking any wine is to enjoy the myriad of flavours that are possible, be they
Relying only what nature gives you can provide a very unique and interesting wine when all goes well. When you have a bad season, though, your wine will also be bad. French word terroir is used in wine speak here to refer to all geographical factors that could influence the growth cycle and quality of the fruit a vine produces. ‘Terroirists’ subscribe to the notion that everything happens in the vineyards and that the wine maker is simply there to facilitate fermentation. On the other hand there is the idea that making wine is no different to cooking. Yes quality ingredients are important, but it is really the skill of the wine maker and his ability to manipulate ferments through various winemaking techniques, oak treatments and acid adjustments to produce a consistent, high quality product. This kind of intensive, hands on wine making is often criticised for producing wines of generic taste.
Ceteris Paribus…
Product of Australia. Alcoholic volume: 14.5%
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So who is right? In my opinion they both are. Of course everybody would like to have the best quality ingredients, but sometimes you need to look at the economics of what you are trying to
simple and cheerful or complex and confronting. In my mind a marriage of both philosophies ultimately produces the best results. Having premium quality grapes is very, very important, but ultimately the winemaker will leave their stamp on the wine. What is essential is a consistent, well-made, quality wine. This after all is what both hedonists and everyday consumers are looking for.
Penfolds ‘Kalimna’ Bin 28 Shiraz 2011 Once a poster boy for ‘Terroirists’, the grapes for this wine are no longer sourced exclusively from its namesake vineyard. The remarkable thing is that the quality has not been compromised in what is now a multi-regional, South Australian wine. A brooding wine of intense black fruits, fruitcake, leather and spice, the Kalimna is powerfully structured and built to cellar well into 2025. At the same time it can be enjoyed now with a chargrilled sirloin.
HCMC Essentials
MAPLE HEALTHCARE DENTAL & CHIROPRACTICS
Md6 Nguyen Luong Bang, Q7 (across from FV Hospital), Tel: Tel: (08) 5410 0100
maplehealthcare.net
Specialising in healthcare, dental services and chiropractic medicine, the recently opened Maple Healthcare comes replete with the latest technology together with efficient and comfortable service. MINH KHAI DENTAL CLINIC INTERNATIONAL DENTAL CLINIC
199 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, Q1, Tel: (08) 3925 3399
STARLIGHT CLINIC
DENTAL
INTERNATIONAL DENTAL CLINIC 2 Bis Cong Truong Quoc Te, Q3, Tel: (08) 3822 6222 24, Thao Dien,Q2
starlightdental.net
Long–established, modern clinic with French, Canadian, Belgian & Vietnamese dentists. A favourite of the foreign residential community due to its modern and effective treatments allied with extremely reasonable prices.
WESTCOAST INT’L DENTAL CLINIC INTERNATIONAL DENTAL CLINIC Ben Thanh Clinic, 27 Nguyen Trung Truc, Q1, Tel: (08) 3825 6999 The Practice, Level 1, 71-79 Dong Khoi, Q1, Tel: (08) 3825 6777
westcoastinternational.com
An international dental clinic equipped with the latest technology, the comfortable clinics offer cosmetic and implant dentistry with a focus on making each patient’s experience anxiety and pain free.
M M M GALLERIES CRAIG THOMAS GALLERY 27i Tran Nhat Duat, Q1, Tel: 0903 888431
cthomasgallery.com
Located in a quiet corner of District 1, Craig Thomas Gallery offers a compelling mix of up-and-coming and established local artists. In operation since 2009, its founder has been promoting Vietnamese art for a decade. DOGMA 8A/9C1 Thai Van Lung, Q1
dogmacollection.com
The home of Vietnamese propaganda art and a collection put together over the last two decades by art collector Dominic Scriven, the majority of the work comes from the war period when provocative poster art was used to inspire and motivate. Sells prints of the originals and related products.
Dr. Philippe Guettier & International Team of Dentists
Ope
nin g
015 An Phu Summer 2
GALERIE QUYNH 65 De Tham, Q1, Tel: (08) 3836 8019
galeriequynh.com
In addition to working with artists based in Vietnam, Galerie Quynh also exhibits the work of artists from around the world. This wellestablished gallery supports education through talks, lectures and publications. HO CHI MINH CITY FINE ARTS MUSEUM 97A Pho Duc Chinh, Q1, Tel: (08) 3829 4441
baotangmythuattphcm.vn
Set in one of the finest remaining buildings of colonial-era Vietnam, this multi-storey museum houses collections spanning centuries of Vietnamese art. Has regular exhibitions. SAN ART 48/7 Me Linh, Binh Thanh, Tel: (08) 6294 7059
san-art.org
am Award for “Excellence in 4 Vietn Dent - 201 istry by Vietnam Economic Times 0 1 ” 20
Starlight An Phu
Starlight City Center
24 Thao Dien, Dist.2, HCMC starlightdental@gmail.com www.starlightdental.net
02 Bis Cong Truong Quoc Te, Dist.3, HCM City (Ho Con Rua - Turtle Lake) Tel: 38 22 62 22
MINH KHAI DENTAL CLINIC 199 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, Dist.1, HCM City - Tel: 39 25 33 99 NO.1 DENTAL CLINIC 51 Ba Thang Hai Street, Dist.10, HCM City - Tel: 39 29 09 09
San Art is an independent, artist-run exhibition space that offers residency programmes for young artists, lecture series and an exchange programme that invites international artists / curators to organise or collaborate on exhibitions.
M M M GROCERIES & LIQUOR ANNAM GOURMET MARKET GROCERY & DELI
16–18 Hai Ba Trung, Q1, Tel: (08) 3822 9332; 41A Thao Dien, Q2, Tel: (08) 3744 2630
Annam-gourmet.com
Attractive and spacious French–owned grocery shop stocking a large range of foods, organic fruit and vegetables, imported beers and wines. Also sells luxury branded products from the likes of Fauchon. The deli upstairs in the Hai Ba Trung branch serves tasty baguette rolls in a comfortable lounge area with free Wi–Fi, and offers probably the best selection of cheese and cured meats in town. CLASSIC FINE FOODS GROCERIES & IMPORTER
No. 17, Street 12 (perpendicular to Tran Nao street), Q2, Tel: (08) 3740 7105
classicfinefoods.com
wordvietnam.com | September 2015 Word | 161
HCMC Essentials
Supplier for the city’s five– star hotels, also distributing brands like San Pellegrino, Rougie foie gras, Galbani cheese, fresh poultries, meat, live seafood and vegetables. You can now find all the products at the gourmet shop on location.
massage and some excellent treatments. CAT MOC SPA 63 Tran Dinh Xu, Q1, Tel: (08) 6295 8926
catmocspa.com
Aimed exclusively at ladies and couples only, treatments at this Japanese spa include facial, body and foot care, and Japanese-style haircuts, as well as steam-sauna, paraffin and waxing services. CONCEPT COIFFURE 48 Tran Ngoc Dien, Q2, Tel: (08) 3519 4625
Conceptcoiffure.vn MEATWORKS BUTCHERY BUTCHERS 1 Street 2, Thao Dien, Q2, Tel: (08) 3744 2565
meatworksasia.com
Focusing on the retail trade, the meat at this Australianmanaged butcher comes pre-prepared and, if you so wish, pre-marinated. Sells up some of the best imported meats in town together with homemade sausages, free-range products and excellent Australian grassfed steak.
Hair stylist and colourist specialist Sandrine has relocated her long-standing flagship salon Venus Coiffure to a villa in Thao Dien. A full range of services is offered including a dedicated kids salon. FAME NAILS SALON 3 Truong Dinh, Q1, Tel: 0909 682 827
famenails.com
GLOW SPA 129A Nguyen Hue, Q1, Tel: (08) 3823 8368
glowsaigon.com PHUONG HA GROCERS
58 Ham Nghi, Q1, Tel: (08) 3914 1318 A small yet amazingly wellstocked store that puts many a supermarket in this country to shame. As well as a dizzying selection of imported foods, also sells frozen meat and fish, fruit, vegetables, herbs, spices and a wide selection of dairy products. THE WAREHOUSE WINE SHOP
15/5 Le Thanh Ton, Q1, Tel: (08) 3825 8826 One of the busiest wine retailers in town. In addition to their excellent range of wines, they also stock imported beers, bottled mineral water and spirits. VEGGY’S GROCERS & DELI
29A Le Thanh Ton, Q1, Tel: (08) 3823 8526 Courtesy of a farm in Dalat, Veggy’s retails some of the best quality fruit and veg available in the city. Also has a wide selection of imported food products including USDA beef, the same beef served up at El Gaucho.
M M M HAIRDRESSERS, SALONS & SPAS AVEDA HERBAL SPA Villa 35A, Street 41, Thao Dien, Q2, Tel:(08) 3519 4671
avedaherbal@gmail.com
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Modern and bright downtown spa, offers massages lasting from 30 minutes, to two-hour hot stone therapy, includes one suite with a Jacuzzi bath; offers hand and foot care and a hair styling area. HAIR BAR CONTEMPORARY SALON
68 Ngo Duc Ke, Q1, Tel: (FREEPHONE) 1800 1108
hairbar.vn
A unique themed hair salon where stylists use no scissors but styling equipment only, giving female clients the opportunity to get their hair done on the run. Of course, they have to look fabulous, too. Fortunately this is one of Hair Bar’s specialities. Check the salon out on Facebook: facebook.com/ hairbarvn. INDOCHINE SPA 69 Thu Khoa Huan, Q1, Tel: (08) 3827 7188
Indochine-spa.com.vn
Indochine Spa provides a peaceful and serene atmosphere with aromatic scents and lulling melodies. Customers are pampered by qualified therapists using natural French products in a clean and pleasant environment. JASMINE 45 Ton That Thiep, Q1, Tel: (08) 3827 2737
Jasminespa.vn
Spa–related salon with a good reputation for quality and comfort offers washes and leisurely haircuts from VND330,000 plus a range of related services including
QUYNH BEAUTY SALON 104A Xuan Thuy, Thao Dien, Q2, Tel: (08) 3512 4321 A District 2 favourite, this is the salon to head to for anything from massage to haircuts, hairwashing to nails. Cheap prices, too. SPA TROPIC 79 Phan Ke Binh, Q1, Tel: (08) 3910 5575
SPORTS CRICKET
astere@hotmail.fr
Spa Tropic is a stylish boutique spa housed in the refurbished former Chilean Consulate. Spa Tropic has a long-standing reputation among expats and visitors alike for its professional quality service.
ECCS (THE ENGLISH CRICKET CLUB OF SAIGON) Richard Carrington, Tel: 0909 967 353
SAIGON RAIDERS
M M M
ICCS (INDIAN CRICKET CLUB OF SAIGON) Deeptesh Gill, Tel: 01228 770 038
spatropic.com
HOSPITALS & MEDICAL CLINICS AMERICAN CHIROPRACTIC CLINIC CHIROPRACTOR
161-161A Hai Ba Trung, Q3, Tel: (08) 3939 3930
www.acc.vn
ACC provides effective chiropractic, physiotherapy, acupuncture and foot care treatments through the use of cutting edge technology for back, neck and knee pain, sports injuries as well as all types of foot related problems without the need of drugs or surgery. AMERICAN EYE CENTER 5th Floor, Crescent Plaza, 105 Ton Dat Tien, Q7 Tel: 5413 6758 / 5413 6759
americaneyecentervn.com
American Eye Center is located in the heart of Phu My Hung, providing eye care services to Adults and Children by an American Board-certified ophthalmologist with 17 years of experience. The American-standard facility is equipped with state of the art equipments for the early detection and treatment of important eye diseases from Lasik and cataract surgeries to presbyopia, glaucoma and diabetic eye disease treatments. Cosmetic procedures such as eyelid surgery and Botox injections are also available. CENTRE MEDICAL INTERNATIONALE (CMI) FRENCH MEDICAL CLINIC
1 Han Thuyen, Q1, Tel: (08) 3827 2366
cmi-vietnam.com
This French medical clinic provides general practice and a range of specialties including cardiology, gynecology, psychotherapy, ophthalmology, paediatrics and acupuncture.
richard.car rington@ market-edge.asia eccsaigon.com
Saigonraiders.com SAIGON RUGBY CLUB RMIT University, 702 Nguyen Van Linh, Tan Phong, Q7
saigonrugbyfootballclub@ yahoo.com SAIGON SAINTS
saigonsaints.com
deepteshgill@gmail.com
SPORTS — GENERAL
ISCS (INDIAN SPORTS CLUB IN SAIGON) Munish Gupta, Tel: 0986 973 244
HASH HOUSE HARRIERS
gmunish29@yahoo.co.in
PSSC (PAKISTAN SAIGON CRICKET CLUB) Samie Cashmiri, Tel: 0976 469 090
samie.cashmiri@gmail. com
SACC (SAIGON AUSTRALIA CRICKET CLUB) Steve Treasure, Tel: 0903 998 824
sacccricket@gmail.com
SSC (SRI LANKA SPORTS CLUB) Suhard Amit, Tel: 0988 571 010
suhard.amit@yahoo.com
UCC (UNITED CRICKET CLUB) Asif Ali, Tel: 0937 079 034
npasifali@hotmail.com
VIETNAM CRICKET ASSOCIATION (VCA) Manish Sogani, Tel: 0908 200 598
manish@ambrij.com
FOOTBALL & RUGBY AUSTRALIAN RULES FOOTBALL Tel: 0937 683 230
vietnamswans.com
LES GAULOIS DE SAIGON
gauloisdesaigon.com
OLYMPIQUE SAIGON Contact Fred on 0919 709 024 or Viet Luu 0909 500 171.
saigonhash.com
RANGERS BASEBALL TEAM
isao.shimokawaji@sapporobeer.co.jp SAIGON INTERNATIONAL DARTS LEAGUE
thesidl.com
SAIGON INTERNATIONAL SOFTBALL LEAGUE
saigonsoftball.info
SAIGON SHOOTERS NETBALL CLUB
saigonshootersnetball. blogspot.com
SAIGON SPORTS ACADEMY 28 Tran Nao, Q2, Tel: (08) 7303 1100
saigonsportsacademy.com
SQUASH The Landmark, 5B Ton Duc Thang, Q1, Tel: (08) 3822 2098 ext 176
thelandmarkvietnam.com TORNADOS HOCKEY CLUB 436A/33 Ba Thang Hai, Q10, Tel: 0938 889899
James.chew@vietnamhockey.vn ULTIMATE FRISBEE RMIT, 702 Nguyen Van Linh, Q7
Saigon-ultimate.com
X–ROCK CLIMBING 7Nguyen Dinh Chieu, Q3, Tel: (08) 6278 5794
xrockclimbing.com
FAMILY MEDICAL PRACTICE HCMC INTERNATIONAL CLINIC
tic services and 24/7 emergency care. Specialist care is available in many fields.
Diamond Plaza, 34 Le Duan, Q1, Tel: (08) 3822 7848; 95 Thao Dien, Q2, Tel: (08) 3744 2000
vietnammedicalpractice.com
CINEMAS Showcasing the latest Hollywood blockbusters and 3D cinematic sensations, chains such as CGV, Lotte and Galaxy Cinema offer the most up-to-date and modern cinema-going experiences in Saigon. For those partial to more esoteric and independent flicks, smaller outlets such as Cinebox and Idecaf carry little known Vietnamese and European efforts.
CINEBOX
240 Ba Thang Hai, Q10 Tel: (08) 3862 2425
cinebox.vn
LOTTE CINEMA
13th Floor, Diamond Plaza, 34 Le Duan, Q1 Tel: (08) 38227897 3rd Floor, Lotte Mart, 469 Nguyen Huu Tho, Q7 Tel: (08) 3775 2521
lottecinemavn.com
Full–service 24–hour healthcare provider with highly– qualified doctors handling everything from emergencies to tests and X–rays, in– patient and out–patient care, check–ups, travel medicine and medical evacuations. FV HOSPITAL INTERNATIONAL HOSPITAL
6 Nguyen Luong Bang, Saigon South Parkway, Q7, Tel: (08) 5411 3333 Emergency: (08) 5411 3500
SIAN SKINCARE CLINIC SKIN CARE / COSMETICS Level 2, 71-79 Dong Khoi, Q1, Tel: (08) 3827 6999
sianclinic.com
The Australian and Canadian managed SIAN Clinic offers a wide range of skincare medical therapies to treat problems by an experienced dermatologist and facial care team. The clinic utilises the latest therapies.
fvhospital.com
International hospital whose standard of health care matches that found anywhere, with 19 full–time French doctors and 58 Vietnamese doctors, providing expertise in 30 medical and surgical areas, especially maternity care. FV SAIGON CLINIC INTERNATIONAL CLINIC
3rd Floor, Bitexco Financial Tower, 2 Hai Trieu, Q1, Tel: (08) 6290 6167
fvhospital.com
State–of–the–art medical centre located in District 1. Experienced American, French, and Vietnamese doctors provide the full spectrum health care. Plus sports medicine, cosmetic treatments, skin care and surgical consultations.
STAMFORD SKIN CENTRE SKIN CARE / COSMETICS
99 Suong Nguyet Anh, Q1, Tel: (08) 3925 1990
stamfordskin.com
Stamford Skin Centre offers a broad range of medical and aesthetic skin treatments. Their international dermatologists and doctors ensure accurate diagnosis and safe treatment procedures. It houses excellent equipment for a variety of procedures. TRADITIONAL MEDICINE HOSPITAL EASTERN MEDICINE
187 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, Q3, Tel: (08) 3932 6579 VICTORIA HEALTHCARE INTERNATIONAL CLINIC INTERNATIONAL CLINIC
GALAXY CINEMA
230 Nguyen Trai, Q1 Tel: (08) 3920 6688 116 Nguyen Du, Q1 Tel: (08) 3823 5235 246 Nguyen Hong Dao, Tan Binh Tel: (08) 3849 4567
galaxycine.vn IDECAF
31 Thai Van Lung, Q1 Tel: (08) 3829 5451
idecaf.gov.vn
HANH PHUC INTERNATIONAL HOSPITAL INTERNATIONAL HOSPITAL
Binh Duong Boulevard, Thuan An District, Binh Duong Tel: (0650) 363 6068
hanhphuchospital.com
Claiming to be the first Singapore-standard hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, this institution based on the outskirts of town is gaining a growing reputation for service and treatment. Specialises in providing healthcare to women and children. Has a clinic at 97 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, Q1
CGV CINEMAS
Level 5, Crescent Mall, Nguyen Van Linh, Phu My Hung, Q7, Tel: (08) 5412 2222; Level 10, CT Plaza, 60A Truong Son, Tan Binh, Tel: (08) 6297 1981; Level 2, Thao Dien Mall, 12 Quoc Huong, Q2, Tel: (08) 3519 3000; Level 5, SC VivoCity, 1058 Nguyen Van Linh, Q7, Tel: (08) 3775 0555; Level 7, Hung Vuong Plaza, 126 Hung Vuong, Q5, Tel: (08) 2222 0388
cgv.vn
HAPPINESS (HANH PHUC) ORIENTAL MEDICINE CENTER EASTERN MEDICINE
432 Pham Thai Buong, Q7, Tel: 0906 684 969 INTERNATIONAL SOS HCMC MEDICAL CLINIC INTERNATIONAL CLINIC / MEDIVAC
167A Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, Q3, Tel: (08) 3829 8424
internationalsos.com
The world’s leading provider of medical assistance and international healthcare offers primary health care, diagnos-
79 Dien Bien Phu, Q1, Tel: (08) 3910 4545
victoriavn.com
Well-regarded clinic offering general examinations and specialising in pediatrics, digestive diseases, cardiology, women’s health and internal medicine. Offers a membership programme and cooperates with most insurance companies in Vietnam and abroad.
M M M INSURANCE IF CONSULTING IBC Building, 3rd Floor, 1A Me Linh Square, Q1, Tel: (08) 3827 7362
insuranceinasia.com
Independent advisors that represent top reputable medical insurers provide you with the best suitable medical cover for individual, family or company needs. For emergencies call 0903 732365 LIBERTY INSURANCE 15th Floor, Kumho Asiana Plaza, 39 Le Duan, Q1, Tel: 1800 599 998
libertyinsurance.com.vn
wordvietnam.com | September 2015 Word | 163
A WORLD
OF
NEAR AND FAR
GOOD
BY DANA MCNAIRN
Refugees crossing the Mediterranean. The EU hasn't worked out how to deal with them.
U
tilitarian bioethicist Peter Singer is in the news annoying both the animal rights activists who aren’t hardcore enough for him and the charities who don’t deliver enough programme impact. He has a new book out, but what got me thinking was hunting — the predatory manoeuvers of man on man and man on beast. Elsewhere Singer has advocated that all children are equal — that it should not (must not) matter whether that child is near or far. His moral conundrum is a kid drowning in a pool in a park. Do you jump in and save her and ruin your shoes or walk on by ’cause, damn, those shoes cost 400 bucks. If you’d jump in and save her, why not just mail 400 clams to a worthy cause helping drowning kids in poor countries? This thought flows to the outrage over the killing of Cecil the Lion in Zimbabwe because it demonstrates the cognitive dissonance of many people’s thinking. One dead lion in an African country brings a flood of global condemnation, but the wholesale industrialised slaughter of pigs and
164 | Word September 2015 | wordvietnam.com
chickens or the four million and counting miserable Syrian migrants causes barely a ripple of tut-tutting in the chattering classes. Ultimately Singer’s dilemma asks whether it is better to save the child near you (i.e. in your own backyard) rather than the one far away (i.e. in some country you’ve barely heard of). But perhaps there are a number of moral issues tangled up here. The first is selective compassion (ultimately Singer’s accusation). The second is our misguided activism (Cecil was famous and beautiful; battery hens are neither). The third issue centres on antipathy and the fact that too many care more about whether or not an immigrant family moves in next door than they do about those preying on highly vulnerable refugees or children drowning trying to cross the sea. The writer David Barash makes a connection between Buddhist metaphysics and ethics, and the natural world and ecology. He quotes the eighthcentury poet Shantideva: ‘May I be the doctor and the medicine/And may I be the
nurse/For all sick beings in the world/ Until everyone is healed’. What the Buddhist monk meant was our (hostile) insistence on separateness (i.e. that superiority over other people or animals or nature) is backwards. We are all connected — interdependent, if you will. So, on one hand, the argument is who gets to make all these decisions about which people (or animals or ecology) are worthy or valuable enough to be afforded dignity in life and death? On the other hand is another of Singer’s accusations that indeed ‘Western thinking emphasises the gulf between humans and nature’. It would seem to me that if people want to ‘make a difference’ then let’s try less of a fixation on the single elements (Cecil’s been murdered!) of activism and practice our do no harm both near and far. Noisy dramatics over a single death — when the reality is of staggering numbers — is grotesque. Dana McNairn is the CEO of KOTO, a nonprofit social enterprise and vocational training programme for at-risk youth
HCMC
International insurance firm providing the full range of services to the individual — car insurance, travel insurance, health insurance, home insurance and much more.
Essentials
BLUE CROSS VIETNAM 4th Floor, Continental Tower, 8185 Ham Nghi, Q1, Tel: (08) 3821 9908
bluecross.com.vn
Blue Cross Vietnam is part of the Pacific Cross group of companies with over 60 years’ experience in providing health and travel insurance to people and businesses who call Asia home. Their reputation for transparent, honest and reliable service means they are the strength behind your insurance. To make sure you are getting the most out of your insurance contact them for a free quote.
TENZING PACIFIC SERVICES 181 Dien Bien Phu, Q1, Tel: (08) 3821 5367
ten-pac.com
A full-service insurance broker offering a wide range of insurance solutions from the best local and international providers. Recommendations are based exclusively on client needs.
M M M INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS ABC INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL (ABCIS) Saigon South Campus 1 (Primary & Secondary), Tel: (08) 5431 1833; Saigon South Campus 2 (Foundation Stage & Early Primary), Tel: (08) 5431 1833
puses in District 2, offering an international education from kindergarten to senior school with the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP), Cambridge Secondary Programme (including IGCSE) and IB Diploma Programme (DP). BRITISH INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL (BIS) 246 Nguyen Van Huong, Q2, Tel: (08) 3744 2335
bisvietnam.com
Inspected and approved by the British Government, BIS provides a British style curriculum for an international student body from pre-school to Year 13. The school is staffed by British qualified and trained teachers with recent UK experience. Fully accredited by the Council of International Schools and a member of FOBISIA, BIS is the largest international school in Vietnam.
AUSTRALIAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL (AIS) Xi Campus, 190 Nguyen Van Huong, Q2, Tel: (08) 3519 2727; Thao Dien Campus, APSC Compound, 36 Thao Dien, Q2, Tel: (08) 3744 6960; Thu Thiem Campus, 264 Mai Chi Tho (East-West Highway), An Phu, Q2, Tel: (08) 3742 4040
aisvietnam.com
The Australian International School is an IB World School with three world-class cam-
MONTESSORI INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL 42/1 Ngo Quang Huy, Q2, Tel: (08) 3744 2639
The first Canadian international school in Vietnam serves local and foreign students from Kindergarten to grade 12. Talented, certified teachers implement the internationally recognised Ontario curriculum to create a student-centred learning environment promoting academic excellence. Has a newly built campus.
Aiming to encourage children’s engagement with their surroundings, MIS offers children from age three to 12 a classic Montessori education as well as a variety of extra–curricular activities.
cis.edu.vn
Energized Engaged Empowered
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL HO CHI MINH CITY (ISHCMC)
ishcmc.com ETONHOUSE INTERNATIONAL PRE-SCHOOL @ AN PHU 1st and 2nd floor, Somerset Vista, 628C Hanoi Highway, An Phu, Q2, Tel: (08) 6287 0804
etonhouse.vn/schools/hcmc
Following an international curriculum for children aged 18 months to six years, in the early years, an InquireThink-Learn approach is followed, inspired by the Reggio Emilia Project of Northern Italy. It is a play-based, inquiry model in which children coconstruct their learning in close, respectful collaboration with their teachers. This helps us provide an environment where children take responsibility for their own learning, allowing them a head start in life.
A fully accredited IB World School, authorised to teach all three programmes of the International Baccalaureate curriculum to students aged 2 to 18 years, ISHCMC is fully accredited by both the Council of International Schools (CIS) and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC), two of the most prestigious international accreditation organisations. Has over 1,000 students from over 50 different nationalities.
KIDS CLUB SAIGON 79/7 Pham Thai Buong, Q7; 27/3 Ha Huy Tap, Q7, Tel: (08) 5412 5944
kidsclubsaigon.com
Early childhood centres in Phu My Hung offering creative play-based programmes for children ages two to five. Known for unique facilities, experienced staff, highquality learning resources, and small class sizes.
EUROPEAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL HO CHI MINH CITY (EIS)
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL SAIGON PEARL (ISSP)
730 F-G-K Le Van Mien, Q2, Vietnam, Tel: (08) 7300 7257
92 Nguyen Huu Canh, Binh Thanh Tel: (08) 2222 7788
eishcmc.com
The European International School offers a supportive and challenging academic education from Early Years to Grade 12 based on the IB curriculum. EIS is a Nobel Talent School and is part of the Nobel Education Network. The school educates global citizens to enjoy learning, inquiring and caring for others.
montessori.edu.vn
RENAISSANCE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL SAIGON 74 Nguyen Thi Thap, Q7, Tel: (08)3773 33171 ext 120/121/122
renaissance.edu.vn
28 Vo Truong Toan, Q2, Tel: (08) 3898 9100
theabcis.com
Rated as ‘outstanding’ by British government inspectors, academic results puts ABCIS among the top 8 percent of schools worldwide. Provides education for two to 18 year olds in a supportive and friendly environment.
CANADIAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL 7 Road 23, Phu My Hung, Q7, Tel: (08) 5412 3456
issp.edu.vn
Set in a purpose-built campus, International School Saigon Pearl (ISSP) is an elementary school catering for ages 18 months to 11 years. With 90 percent of their teachers having master’s degrees, they are able to promise a vigorous American curriculum while including specialist subjects such as music, art, sport and languages.
Renaissance is an International British school providing an inclusive curriculum based upon the British curriculum complemented by the International Primary Curriculum and International Baccalaureate. It is a family school with first-class facilities including a 350-seat theatre, swimming pool, mini-pool, play-areas, gymnasium, IT labs, music and drama rooms, science labs and an all-weather pitch. SAIGON KIDS EDUCATIONAL CHILDCARE CENTRE 15 Street 12, Q2, Tel: (08) 3740 8081
saigonkidskindergarten.com
SKECC has evolved over 10 years to create a creative, playful learning environment for children ages two to six. Limited class sizes and highly engaged teachers ensure personal attention for all students. SAIGON SOUTH INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL (SSIS) 78 Nguyen Duc Canh, Q7, Tel: (08) 5413 0901
ssis.edu.vn
Offers an American-style education (SAT, IB and AP) from elementary to high-school, emphasizing a multi–cultural student environment and a commitment to well–rounded education at all levels. SAIGON STAR INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL Residential Area No. 5, Thanh My Loi, Q2, Tel: (08) 3742 7827
saigonstarschool.edu.vn
Supported by the Cambridge International Primary Programme, SSIS integrates Montessori methods into nursery and kindergarten programmes to create a stimulating learning environment. Small class sizes allow experienced teachers to cater to individual needs. SMARTKIDS 1172 Thao Dien Compound, Q2, Tel: (08) 3744 6076; 26, Street Nr. 10, Thao Dien, Q2, Tel: (08) 3898 9816; 15 Tran
TATTOO ARTISTS With tattoos becoming increasingly popular, over the past few years there has been an increase in the number of tattoo studios around the city. Customers have the choice of picking their own tattoo out of the many look books on offer in the studios or bringing in their own design. Most of the studios offer bodypiercing services as well. Pricing depends on size and style.
EXILE INK 608
57 Xuan Thuy, Q2, Tel: (08) 6675 6956
exileinkvietnam.com SAIGON BODY ART
135 Cong Quynh, Q1 Tel: 0908 443311
saigonbodyart.com SAIGON INK
26 Tran Hung Dao, Q1 Tel: (08) 3836 1090
tattoovietnam.com
SAIGON TATTOO 31B Nguyen Du, Q1
saigontattoo.net
SAIGON TATTOO Group 81 Bui Vien, Q1 Tel: 0908 573339
xamnghethuat.vn TATTOO SAIGON
128 Nguyen Cu Trinh, Q1 Tel: 0938 303838
tattoosaigon.com
TATTOO TAM BI 209 Bui Vien, Q1 Tel: 0919 034383
xamphunnghethuat. com
HCMC Essentials
Ngoc Dien, Thao Dien, Q2, Tel: (08) 3519 4236
smartkidsinfo.com
This international childcare centre provides children ages 18 months to six years with a high quality education in a playful and friendly environment. THE AMERICAN SCHOOL 172-180 Nguyen Van Huong, Q2, Tel: 0903 952223
tas.edu.vn
M M M PROPERTY RENTALS CHUM’S HOUSE 121/21 Bui Vien, Q1, Tel: (08) 3920 7237 EASY SAIGON Tel: 0932 112694
easysaigon.com
The Easy Saigon website is a useful real estate website helping expats to find apartments in Ho Chi Minh City. Enquiries via their website are welcome.
M M M MOTORBIKES CHI’S CAFÉ RENTALS
185/30 Pham Ngu Lao, Q1, Tel: 0903 643446
chiscafe.com
Probably the best-known motorbike rental joint in town with over 200 bikes and a range of models and makes. Rents by the day or by the month. Call or check the website for details. Also does visa extensions. SAIGON BIKE RENTALS Tel: 0972 451273
nga.natalie@gmail.com saigonbikerentals.com
Rents out a range of models including Honda Waves, Yamaha Nouvos, Classicos, Luvias, SYM Attilas and Excels. Call for details and prices. SAIGON SCOOTER CENTRE RENTALS / CLASSIC SCOOTERS
HAPPY HOUSE 32-34 Ngo Duc Ke, Suite 701, Q1, Tel: 01659 419916 NAM HOUSE 48A Tran Ngoc Dien, Thao Dien, Q2, Tel: 0989 007700
namhouse.com.vn
Expert in providing rental properties, constructions and interior decoration, especially in District 2. Supports professional services and aftersales. RESIDENT VIETNAM Unit 601 48 Hoa Su, Phu Nhuan, Tel: (08) 2226 8855
residentvietnam.com
SNAP 32 Tran Ngoc Dien, Thao Dien, Q2, Tel: (08) 3519 4282
snap.com.vn
Owners of Snap Café in District 2, Snap offers a web– based real estate search service with information on rental properties all around the city, as well as an advisory service for those averse to wading into the internet depths for their needs. THE NEST 369/6 Do Xuan Hop, Phuoc Long B, Q9, Tel: 0903 198901
thenest-vietnam.com
Well–known property search and real estate agency with a useful website listing properties available for rent and sale, orientated towards expats. Website is in English, French and Spanish.
77a Hanoi Highway, Thao Dien, Q2, Tel: 0903 013690
saigonscootercentre.com
Just relocated to its new home in District 2, Saigon Scooter Centre is more than just the place to go for all your classic scooter needs. Also does accessories, quality imported helmets and bike rentals.
M M M RECRUITMENT & HR ADECCO VIETNAM 11th floor, Empire Tower, 26 - 28 Ham Nghi, Q1, Tel: (08) 3915 3430
adecco.com.vn
Adecco is the world leader in human resources solutions. Established in Vietnam in 2011, Adecco offers a wide array of global workforce solutions and specialises in finance & legal, sales, marketing & events, IT, engineering & technical, and office. HR2B/TALENT RECRUITMENT JSC 1st Floor, Thien Son Building, 5 Nguyen Gia Thieu, Q3, Tel: (08) 6288 3888
hr2b.com
G.A. CONSULTANTS VIETNAM CO., LTD. Ho Chi Minh Office: Room 2B-2C, 2nd Floor, 180 Pasteur, District 1, HCMC.
vieclambank.com
VIETNAMWORKS.COM 130 Suong Nguyet Anh, Q1, Tel: (08) 5404 1373
vietnamworks.com
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The best-known recruitment website in Vietnam. Post you’re the position you’re looking for and wait for the responses. You’ll get many. Also a good site for expat jobseekers.
M M M RELOCATION AGENTS
AGS FOUR WINDS (VIETNAM) 5th Floor, Lafayette De Saigon, 8A Phung Khac Khoan, Q1, Tel: (08) 3521 0071
agsfourwinds.com
A global leader in international removals and relocations, with 130 offices globally, we can move your property to and from any location.
KIDS CLASSES & SPORTS DANCENTER 53 Nguyen Dang Giai, Q2, Tel: (08) 3519 4490
dancentervn.com
Children and teenagers can enjoy jazz, ballet, hip-hop, funk, belly dancing, salsa and in multi-level classes at this modern dance studio. HELENE KLING OIL PAINTING 189/C1 Nguyen Van Huong, Q2, Tel: 0903 955780
helenekling.com ALLIED PICKFORDS 12th floor, Miss Ao Dai Building, 21 Nguyen Trung Ngan, Q1, Tel: (08) 3910 1220
alliedpickfords.com
With more than 800 offices in over 45 countries, Allied Pickfords is one of the worldwide leaders in removal services. In Vietnam, Allied also provides tailored relocation services. ASIAN TIGERS MOBILITY Unit 9.3, Floor 9, Ree Tower, 9 Doan Van Bo, Ward 12, District 4, HCMC, Tel: (08) 3 826 7799
INSPIRATO MUSIC CENTER 37 Nguyen Van Huong, Q2, Tel: 0932 737700
Inspirato.edu.vn
MINH NGUYEN PIANO BOUTIQUE 94A Nguyen Dinh Chieu, Q1, Tel: (08) 3823 7691
Minhnguyenpiano.com
PERFORMING ARTS ACADEMY OF SAIGON 19A Ngo Quang Huy, Q2, Tel: (08) 6281 9679
paa.com.vn
Has a range of music-based programmes teaching kids in anything from guitar and drums to piano, clarinet and saxophone. Also provides musical assessment and a mixture of private and group classes.
asiantigers-mobility.com
Asian Tigers is one of the largest regional move management specialists, with services including door-todoor moving, housing and school searches, local and office moves and pet relocations. JVK INTERNATIONAL MOVERS 1st Floor, Saigon Port Building, 3 Nguyen Tat Thanh, Q4, Tel: (08) 3826 7655
jvkasia.com
Focused primarily on the international and local movement of household goods, JVK is a leader in the field. LOGICAL MOVES — VIETNAM 396/4 Nguyen Tat Thanh, Q4, Tel: (08) 3941 5322
logicalmoves.net
Specialists in international, local, domestic and office moves for household goods and personal effects through our global partner network. Experts in exporting used scooters that do not have documentation.
PIANO CLASSES Tel: 01225 636682
morrissokoloff@hotmail.com SAIGON MOVEMENT Tel: 0987 027 722
saigonmovement@gmail.com SAIGON SEAL TEAM 55 Nguyen Dang Giai, An Phu, Q2, Tel: 0905 098 279 SAIGON PONY CLUB 38, Lane 42, Le Van Thinh, Q2, Tel: 0913 733360
Saigonponyclub.com
SAIGON SPORTS ACADEMY 28 Tran Nao, Q2, Tel: (08) 7303 1100
saigonsportsacademy.com
International coaches provide training in soccer, basketball, tennis and swimming for children aged four to 16 years and private lessons for children and adults. Youth soccer league Sundays from 2pm to 6pm in District 7. TAE KWON DO BP Compound, 720K Thao Dien, Q2, Tel: 0903 918 149 VINSPACE 6 Le Van Mien, Q2, Tel: 0907 729 846
vin-space.com
SANTA FE RELOCATION SERVICES 8FL, Thien Son Building, 5 Nguyen Gia Thieu, Q3, Tel: (08) 3933 0065
santaferelo.com
With over 150 offices around the world, Santa Fe offers local and international moving, pet transportation, relocation services including home search, orientation, cultural training, immigration services and records management. Email Vietnam@santaferelo.com for info.
M M M SERVICED APARTMENTS
town by high-speed boat shuttle. SHERWOOD RESIDENCE 127 Pasteur, Q3, Tel: (08) 3823 2288
sherwoodresidence.com
Sherwood Residence is a luxurious serviced apartment property where modern living spaces meet prime location, comfort and class, with five–star facilities and service. SOMERSET SERVICED RESIDENCES 8A Nguyen Binh Khiem, Q1, Tel: (08) 3822 8899; 21-23 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, Q1, Tel: (08) 3822 9197; 628C Hanoi Highway, An Phu, Q2, Tel: (08) 6255 9922
somerset.com
DIAMOND ISLAND LUXURY RESIDENCES No 01 – Street No.104-BTT, Quarter 3, Binh Trung Tay, Q2, Tel: (08) 3742 5678
the-ascott.com
Diamond Island Luxury Residences offers 68 fullyfurnished apartments, from two to four-bedroom units with spectacular panoramic views of the city. Each apartment comes with a fullyequipped kitchen, en-suite bathrooms, separate work and living areas, a balcony, modern amenities, elegant furnishings and carefully chosen trimmings.
INTERCONTINENTAL ASIANA SAIGON RESIDENCES Crn. of Nguyen Du & Le Van Huu, Q1, Tel: (08) 3520 8888
intercontinental.com/saigonres
Somerset Chancellor Court, Somerset Ho Chi Minh City and Somerset Vista Ho Chi Minh City serviced residences combine the space and privacy of an apartment with the services of a top-rated hotel. They come with separate living and dining areas, as well as a fully equipped kitchen where guests can prepare a meal for themselves, their family and friends.
M M M SPORTS & FITNESS
nutrifort.com
A well-appointed gym also offering fitness classes and personal training with excellent facilities. Group classes include power yoga, pilates, circuit training, martial arts and spinning. Also has a restaurant serving calorie– calibrated meals. SAIGON HASH HOUSE HARRIERS
saigonhash.com
Sunday 2pm sharp, Caravelle hotel. Bus out to the county with a walk, usually 4km and a run around 8km. VND150,000 for locals and VND220,000 for expats. Bus, water, snacks and freeflow beer after the run. SHERATON FITNESS
STAR FITNESS GYM HEALTH CLUB & GYM
Manor Apartments, 91 Nguyen Huu Canh, Binh Thanh, Tel: (08) 3514 0253 Steve Chipman, who had a hand in establishing gyms at the Sofitel hotels in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, is behind Star Fitness — one of Vietnam’s largest and bestequipped gyms.
GYM, POOL, SQUASH
The Landmark, 5B Ton Duc Thang, Q1, Tel: (08) 3822 2098 ext. 176
thelandmarkvietnam.com
In addition to the squash court, facilities include a fully–equipped gym room, a rooftop swimming pool and separate male and female saunas.
M M M
sheratonsaigon.com
VIETNAMESE CLASSES
SOFITEL PLAZA FITNESS CENTRE
VIETNAMESE LANGUAGE GARDEN 135/10 Nguyen Cuu Van, Binh Thanh, Tel: 0916 670 771
HEALTH CLUB & GYM
17 Le Duan, Q1, Tel: (08) 3824 1555 A small but well-appointed gym with regular fitness classes, a steam room and sauna. Has a small but consistent membership.
M M M SPORTS GARMENTS
THE LANDMARK CLUB
HEALTH CLUB & GYM
Level 5, Sheraton Saigon Hotel and Towers, 88 Dong Khoi, Q1, Tel: (08) 3827 2828
Offers courses ranging from basic conversational Vietnamese to upper elementary, intermediate and advanced levels, as well as special courses including Vietnamese literature, composition or a 6-hour survival crash course.
SCORE-TECH 1870/3G An Phu Dong 3, Q12, Tel: (08) 3719 9588
score-tech.net
Apparel company offering personalised sport garments for companies, schools and professional sports clubs using the latest printing technology with a design team from Barcelona. Score-Tech controls the whole production process from fabric production and printing to sewing. Big and small orders for all sporting and commercial needs.
vietnameselanguagegarden. com
VLS SAIGON 45 Dinh Tien Hoang, Q1, Tel: (08) 3910 0168
vlstudies.com
CHIARA SQUINZI Tel: 01278 163620
laholista.com
Experienced health coach and corporate & school wellness coach. Can help clients achieve health and weight goals through an innovative holistic approach of food, body and mind. Email chiara@laholista.com for info.
Adjacent to the InterContinental Asiana Saigon you’ll find 260 luxurious and spacious residential suites. The residences offer panoramic views of the downtown area. NORFOLK MANSION 17–19-21 Ly Tu Trong, Q1, Tel: (08) 3822 6111
norfolkmansion.com.vn
Offers a wide choice of luxurious and modern furnished accommodation with attentive and discreet service. Facilities include an outdoor swimming pool, a gym, sauna and steam room, as well as two on-site restaurants. RIVERSIDE APARTMENTS 53 Vo Truong Toan, Q2, Tel: (08) 3744 4111
Riverside-apartments.com
Over four Saigon Riverbank hectares, Riverside Apartments combines a resort lifestyle with the amenities of a fully serviced-apartment. Located minutes from down-
CYRIL AND YOU SPORTS CENTRE BOXING / FITNESS 49A Xa Lo Ha Noi, Q2, Tel: 0947 771326
cyril-and-you.com
This sports centre in An Phu, started by fitness guru Cyril, features the same personalised mentorship Cyril's clients love. Includes yoga, boxing and fitness for kids and adults every day. No membership fees. Pay for classes. Tuesday to Friday every week at 5pm. All activities are safe and run by Cyril himself.
NUTRIFORT (NTFQ2) GENERAL FITNESS
34 Nguyen Dang Giai, Q2, Tel: (08) 3744 6672
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HCMC On The Town
BARS & CLUBS
BREAD & BUTTER INTERNATIONAL / COMFORT FOOD
2 LAM SON (MARTINI BAR) TOP-END INTERNATIONAL
Park Hyatt, 2 Lam Son, Q1, Tel: (08) 3824 1234
saigon.park.hyatt.com
International décor blends seamlessly with local themes. Style joins forces with a wide-ranging drink menu and hip dance tunes to create one of the most tasteful if pricier bars in Saigon. ACOUSTIC BAR LIVE MUSIC
6E Ngo Thoi Nhiem, Q3, Tel: (08) 3930 2239 Though only 1km from the city centre, Acoustic is well off most foreigners’ radars. Come see the Vietnamese house band play nightly, as well as performances from overseas bands and guest artists.
40/24 Bui Vien, Q1, Tel: (08) 3836 8452 With a free book exchange, and tasty Sunday night roasts, the tiny Bread & Butter is a perfect place for homesick expats and beer enthusiasts (excellent HueBrewed Huda beer served here exclusively in Ho Chi Minh City). BROMA, NOT A BAR COCKTAILS / ROOFTOP
41 Nguyen Hue, Q1, Tel: (08) 3823 6838 Broma’s medieval rooftopcocktail lounge conglomeration is a magnet for the city’s weirdest and coolest events/ random moments. A sophisticated cocktail menu and quite possibly the best lamb burger in town. Check out their bun bo Hue-inspired cocktail. BUDDHA BAR
APOCALYPSE NOW DANCE / NIGHTCLUB
2B-C-D Thi Sach, Q1, Tel: (08) 3825 6124
apocalypsesaigon.com
An institution and the kind of place you end up drunk after midnight. Famed for its notso-salubrious clientele, this two-floor establishment with DJs and occasional live music is also famed for its hotdogs, which are served up in the garden terrace out back. BAAN THAI SPORTS BAR / PAN-THAI CUISINE
55 Thao Dien, Q2, Tel: (08) 3744 5453
baanthai-anphu.com
A bar and a Thai restaurant all in one, the focus here is not just the cuisine but a contemporary bar area and live sports. Lots of live sports. The Thai cuisine is cooked up by no-holdsbarred Thai chefs. BLANCHY’S TASH RESTOBAR / NIGHTCLUB
95 Hai Ba Trung, Q1, Tel: 0909 028293 blanchystash.com A multi-storey bar with décor and atmosphere more akin to such an establishment in New York or London. Has a reputation for bringing in big-name DJs. And when we say big, we mean big. Check their website for details. BOOTLEG DJ CAFÉ MINIMALIST CAFÉ BAR
9 Le Thanh Ton, Q1, Tel: 0907 609202.
bootlegsaigon.com
Reminiscent of a New York or London underground watering hole, this is a great place to enjoy Mediterranean influenced breakfasts, lunch by day and a variety of DJ sets by night.
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RESTOBAR
7 Thao Dien, Q2, Tel: (08) 3345 6345
Buddhabarsaigon.com
Just across the lane from Mc’Sorley’s, this pub with an eccentric European tilt and some nice, authentic cuisine draws an older crowd with darts, pool and weekly poker tourneys. CENTRO LOUNGE BAR & CAFÉ
11-13 Lam Son Square, Q1, Tel: (08) 3827 5946 A café during the day and a bar at night, this kitschly designed but nonetheless attractive establishment is one of the few places in town catering for the pink dollar. Has taken over from where the now defunct Q Bar left off. CHILL SKYBAR TOP-END BAR & TERRACE
Rooftop, AB Tower, 76A Le Lai, Q1, Tel: (08) 3827 2372
chillsaigon.com
For the spectacular views alone, Chill Skybar remains the place to go to mix topend, outdoor terrace drinking around an oval-shaped bar with cityscapes of Saigon. One of the top watering holes in the city. EON HELI BAR LOUNGE BAR
Level 52, Bitexco Tower, 2 Hai Trieu, Q1, Tel: (08) 6291 8750
eon51.com
Breathtaking views require a vantage point and EON Heli Bar is by far the highest spot in Saigon for a spectacular cityscape, appealing drinks and a vibrant ambience. Night live music and DJs. GAME ON SPORTS BAR
115 Ho Tung Mau, Q1 Tel: (08)
6251 9898
gameonsaigon.com
A fresh feel thanks to the large space and light-wood tables makes this Australian-influenced watering hole a popular bar for televised sports, pub food, darts, pool and more. HOA VIEN
CZECH BREWHOUSE
28 Mac Dinh Chi, Q1, Tel: (08) 3825 8605 hoavien.vn The original microbrewery, this large, wooden-panelled, brass-kegged Czech Brewhouse is as popular as it was 15 years ago when it was first opened. Does a great food menu to accompany the home-brewed beer. ICE BLUE EXPAT BAR
24 Hai Ba Trung, Q1 One of this city’s longest running watering holes — and the original home of the darts league — has recently reopened in its new premises. Naturally, darts are still key here, with each of the bottom three floors having elements devoted to this most pub-friendly of sports. LA HABANA CUBAN / MUSIC BAR
6 Cao Ba Quat, Q1, Tel: (08) 3829 5180
lahabana-saigon.com
Cuban-themed bar and restaurant selling an exciting range of Spanish and Cuban cuisine, as well as a few German favourites such as curry wurst and Wiener schnitzel. Nightly live music and regular salsa classes. LA FENETRE SOLEIL FRENCH / JAPANESE RESTOBAR
44 Ly Tu Trong, Q1, Tel: (08) 3824 5994 A seductive watering whole in a great corner location thanks to its old Saigon glamour, Japanese-Vietnamese fusion cuisine, imported beer, classic cocktails, and entertaining music events / DJ sets. LAST CALL AFTERHOURS LOUNGE
59 Dong Du, Q1, Tel: (08) 3823 3122
lastcallsaigon.com
If you’re in need of dense, soulful atmosphere and maybe an artisanal cocktail on your way back from wherever, Last Call is your stop — and fast becoming that of the similarly inclined. Great happy hour deals for early evening starters. LE PUB INTERNATIONAL / RESTOBAR
175/22 Pham Ngu Lao, Q1, Tel: (08) 3837 7679 Warm colors, artsy décor and
a friendly ambiance combine to create a perfect setting for enjoying tasty international and Vietnamese cuisine. Gets busy at weekends with a clientele made up of hip, young Vietnamese and the occasional foreigner. LONG PHI FRENCH / RESTOBAR
207 Bui Vien, Q1, Tel: (08) 3837 2704 French-run but universally appealing, Long Phi has been serving the backpacker area with excellent cuisine and occasional live music since 1990. Excellent late-night bistro cuisine. MAY RESTAURANT & BAR
DELIVERY BEN STYLE
Tel: 0906 912730
www. vietnammm.com/ restaurants-ben-style CHEZ GUIDO
Tel: (08) 3898 3747
LOUNGE BAR & RESTOBAR
www.chezguido.com
mayrestaurant.com.vn
DOMINO’S PIZZA
19-21 Dong Khoi, Q1, Tel: (08) 6291 3686 An international comfortfood menu mixes with excellent cocktails and an extensive winelist at this attractive, international bar and restaurant. Dine at the bar or upstairs in the restaurant space. NUMBER FIVE EXPAT BAR
44 Pasteur, Q1 The original expat bar, this institution of a place gets packed every night thanks to its drinking hall atmosphere, attractive bar staff and German food menu. Has regular live music.
Tel: (08) 3939 3030
www.dominos.vn EAT.VN www.eat.vn
HUNGRYPANDA. VN
www.hungrypanda.vn KFC
Tel: (08) 3848 9999
www.kfcvietnam. com.vn
OMG! FUSION CUISINE / LOUNGE BAR
LOTTERIA
Top Floor, 15-17-19 Nguyen An Ninh, Q1 A contemporary and attractive rooftop restaurant with a lounge bar just 50m from Ben Thanh Market. Features a glass shell modeled in the image of the Eiffel Tower, a jungle-like atmosphere and views over central Saigon.
PIZZA HUT (PHD)
O’BRIEN’S
Tel: (08) 3823 5795 www.scoozipizza.com
Tel: (08) 3910 0000 www.lotteria.vn
Tel: (08) 3838 8388
www.pizzahut.vn SCOOZI
IRISH BAR / INTERNATIONAL
74/A3 Hai Ba Trung, Q1, Tel: (08) 3829 3198
irish-barsaigon.com
This Irish-themed sports bar with classic pub décor is widely appreciated for its excellent international fare, large whiskey selection and upstairs pool table. Great pizzas. And for a real treat, check out their zesty rolls. ONTOP BAR Novotel Saigon, 167 Hai Ba Trung, Q3, Tel: (08) 3822 4866 Located on the 20th floor with stunning views of the city, houses an upscale, contemporary interior and an outdoor terrace. A good venue to chill out in a relaxed and casual, yet hip ambience.
TACO BICH www.tacobich.com VIETNAMMM www.vietnammm.com
PEACHES CURRY PUB
S57-1 Sky Garden 2, Phu My Hung, Q7, Tel: (08) 5410 0999 Known as the ‘Curry Pub’, this pleasant Saigon South watering hole mixes the beer with all things curry — anything from Goan fish curries to beef rendangs and more. A popular local haunt. PHATTY’S AUSTRALIAN / SPORTS
46-48 Ton That Thiep, Q1, Tel: (08) 3821 0796
phattysbar.com
From its roots as the famed Café Latin, Phatty’s has become the goto, Aussie beer-guzzling / sports viewing emporium, showing everything from international cricket to Aussie rules and serving an array of pub grub favourites. RUBY SOHO CARTOON BAR
S52-1 Sky Garden 2, Q7, Tel: (08) 5410 3900 A Phu My Hung mainstay thanks to its cartoon décor and light but fun ambience. Has a reasonable food menu to complement the drinks. SAIGON OUTCAST EVENTS / MAKESHIFT CAFÉ BAR
188/1 Nguyen Van Huong, Q2, Tel: 0122 4283198
Saigonoutcast.com
Up-cycling and innovative design form the foundation for this bar / arts venue / mini-skate park and graffiti space. Come for barbeque and reasonably priced drinks, stick around for entertaining events and markets. SAIGON RANGER ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
5/7 Nguyen Sieu, Q1, Tel: (08) 7300 0559
facebook.com/saigonranger
Aspiring to be a focal point for artistic activities, the space at Saigon Ranger has been established to create encounter and dialogue between different forms of art. Boasts concrete floors, dark wooden furniture, quirky wall designs and a stage for live music and other types of performance. SAIGON SAIGON BAR LIVE MUSIC / ROOFTOP BAR
9th Floor, Caravelle Saigon, 1923 Lam Son Square, Q1, Tel: (08) 3823 4999
caravellehotel.com
This iconic bar is a great place to watch the sun go down over the city and relax for a few drinks with friends. Has live entertainment six nights a week courtesy of resident Cuban band, Q’vans, from 9pm Wednesday to Monday. SHRINE BAR LOUNGE BAR
61 Ton Thap Thiep, Q1
shrinebarsaigon.com
Shrine creates a drinking and dining experience in a temple-like atmosphere. Inspired by Bantay Srei, a temple from the ancient Angkor kingdom, the walls are covered in
statues depicting ancient Khmer gods and kings. With ambient lighting and town tempo music, here it’s all about good cocktails and an even better atmosphere. SEVENTEEN SALOON THEMED MUSIC BAR
103A Pham Ngu Lao, Q1, Tel: (08) 3914 0007
seventeensaloon.com.vn
Wild West-themed bar doubles as a music venue, where three talented Filipino bands (B&U, Wild West and Most Wanted) play covers of rock icons like Bon Jovi, U2 and Guns n’ Roses. Top shelf spirits and friendly, hostess style table service are the name game here. SPOTTED COW
The first bar established in Saigon South, great food, great music and loads of laughs. Has regular live music nights, theme nights and a variety of live sports events to please everybody. Big screens and outdoor seating add to the mix, with BBQs available for parties and events. VESPER GOURMET LOUNGE INTERNATIONAL
Landmark Building, 5B Ton Duc Thang, Q1, Tel: (08) 3822 9698
facebook.com/vespersaigon
A sophisticated yet down-to-earth cocktail bar and restaurant with subtle lighting and one of the best spirit selections in town. Serves creative, Japanese and Germaninfluenced cuisine to supplement the drinks.
INTERNATIONAL / SPORT
111 Bui Vien, Q1, Tel: (08) 3920 7670
Alfrescosgroup.com
Spotted Cow delivers the fun-loving atmosphere that its playfully decorated black and white spotted interior promises, as well as decent international comfort food, a range of happy hours, live sports, and darts. STORM P DANISH / INTERNATIONAL
5B Nguyen Sieu, Q1, Tel: (08) 3827 4738
Stormp.vn
Named after the Danish artist Storm P, this long-running bar is the home of Saigon’s Scandinavian community thanks to its laid-back atmosphere and excellent food menu. A good place to watch the live sports. THE CUBE BAR HIP RESTOBAR
31B Ly Tu Trong, Q1 Tel: 0903 369798
facebook.com/thecubesaigon
A sleek, industrial looking restobar with edgy décor and just a hint of Spanish style. Tapas, sangria, Iberian-influenced cocktails and an emphasis on all things Latin. THE OBSERVATORY
VINYL BAR MUSIC & SPORTS BAR
70 Pasteur, Q1 Tel: 0907 890623
vinylbarsaigon.com
A small but popular bar with all the shenanigans of the nightlife scene set to a backdrop of classic 60s, 70s and 80s tunes. Has a darts area out back and is a popular space for watching the live English Premier League.
are must haves for the avid coffee drinker. AGNES CAFE DALAT COFFEE HOUSE
11A-B Thao Dien, Q2, Tel: (08) 6281 9772 A cozy and comfortable cafe in Thao Dien serving excellent fresh coffee from Dalat, smoothies, juices, homemade desserts. Offers up tasty breakfasts, lunch and dinner all the way through until 9pm. BANKSY CAFE 1st Floor, 14 Ton That Dam, Q1, Tel: 01699 990003
sam.nguyen197@gmail.com
A small but swanky cafe, Banksy promises a young and vibrant hideout in an old 1960sera apartment building. Remember to head up the steep stairs within to dig into their secret stash of clothes and accessories. CAFE THOAI VIEN 159A Nguyen Van Thu, Q1, Tel: 0918 115657
cafethoaivien.com
Veer off the street and find yourself plunging straight into lush greenery. Cafe Thoai Vien serves up a spacious and airy setting to enjoy a quiet sip. From small eats to big bites and everything to drink, it’s a great place to unwind from all that buzz. CHICCO DICAFF CAFÉ ITALIAN & VIETNAMESE
WINE BAR 38 CONTEMPORARY WINE BAR
38 Dong Khoi, Q1, Tel: (08) 3829 3968 With a huge selection of self-imported wines from Bordeaux, this classy but contemporary venue is a wine bar downstairs, and a lounge on the first floor. Has a French-Asian menu paired to all the wines, with a huge selection of the good stuff sold by the glass.
213 Bui Vien, Q1
facebook.com/ChiccoDicaffCoffee
Set just off the street on the quiet end of Bui Vien, Chicco Dicaff serves an expat and local-heavy clientele takeaway coffees and flavoured concoctions, from a five-seat coffee bar.
WINE EMBASSY CONTEMPORARY WINE BAR
13 Ngo Duc Ke, Q1, Tel: (08) 3824 7827
wineembassy.com.vn
A two-storey, contemporarydesigned wine bar serving 30 wines by the glass, all at reasonable prices. Has an excellent food menu to complement the old and new world wines.
BAR, ART & DJ SPACE
5 Nguyen Tat Thanh, Q4, (Opposite Elisa Boat) Known for its late night parties and focus on international artists, Observatory is now at a bigger space in District 4. Complete with a new balcony overlooking the Saigon River and an even larger sound system, The Observatory is a key node in the Asian underground music circuit. THE ORIENT SPORTS / LIVE MUSIC BAR
24 Ngo Van Nam, Q1
facebook.com/theorientbarsaigon
An attractive, spacious, brick-wall interior, a long bar, high table seating, big screens, a pool table and live music. A great venue for a few beers and more. THE TAVERN EXPAT & SPORTS BAR
R2-24 Hung Gia 3, Bui Bang Doan, Q7, Tel: (08) 5410 3900
XU CAFÉ / LOUNGE BAR
71-75 Hai Ba Trung, Q1, Tel: (08) 3824 8468
xusaigon.com
This iconic upmarket downtown bar is known for its cocktails and wine list. It serves a range of international and Vietnamese dishes to be enjoyed in its richly decorated interior. Regular DJ nights.
M M M CAFES & ICE-CREAM (A) CAFE 15 Huynh Khuong Ninh, Da Kao, Q1, Tel: 0903 199701 Settle into the Javanese-style interior and enjoy possibly one of the best brews in Saigon. Using own grown and specially sourced Dalat beans, speciality coffee such as cold drip, siphon, and Chemex
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COFFEE CUP KUJUZ CAFÉ
T
he moment Chuong Dang, the owner of Kujuz café, asked me in which of their locations would I like to meet him, I thought to myself, “Does it really matter?” After our meeting at Kujuz Centro I was immediately clear of one thing. Those truly beautiful and colourful wooden frames in each of his three cafes hide much more than what is already turning into a café empire. During our meeting, Chuong made sure I understood his business concept — in particular, the doors. This eye-catching
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and easy to recognise design is based on reused doors and windows painted with relaxing and vibrant colours. They give shape to the space and work as translucent walls. They also introduce the concept of recycling to young Vietnamese — something Chuong hopes will be an inspiration. Even though Kujuz cafés’ frameworks might look alike, behind closed doors their concepts are quite different.
The Concepts Located in 3A Station, Kujuz Ba Son
is a space conceived for creative minds in a small, self-contained area where warehouses have been converted into design shops, bazaars and art galleries. Thanks to its design, this cafe has become a favourite background for wedding shoots. It’s also a perfect spot for young people who are searching for somewhere cosy to hang out for a bit. The concept at Kujuz Centro is quite different: drinks and food to go. Due to its central location, this café provides a handy and healthy option for office workers looking to order their lunch. Their food
Photos by Francis Xavier
products are cooked fresh, every day. Take the flan with coconut (VND35,000) which came with deep fried coconut tips. I was besotted. I loved this dish so much that the day after I ordered it direct to my house. I also tried the veggie sandwich with cheese (VND50,000) as well as the egg yolk and bacon baguette (VND40,000), a non-pretentious banh mi-like version of the western classic. Buttery, thanks to the egg yolk, it was also cheekily spicy thanks to the black pepper and bacon bits. If the other two cafés are places to hang
out, then the third space, Kujuz Tan Dinh has been designed to make you feel like you’re at home. Here, you are the person preparing your own drink, with the ingredients gathered from the pantry. In case this gets too much, the staff is always around to give you a hand. Two types of room make up the space; the one above the bar, which is the perfect place to relax over a book, and the second, a tiny room that acts more like a working café
On the Move Chuong is constantly dreaming up new
projects. He recently opened a new location, a warm girly café called Banh Beo, named after the rice cake from Hue. In a few weeks he will introduce a new restaurant to the Ho Chi Minh City dining scene that boasts authentic Vietnamese recipes. But for now, it’s Kujuz that is really bringing in the customers. And rightly so. — Natalia Martinez Kujuz Ba Son is at 3A Ton Duc Thang, Q1, HCMC; Kujuz Centro is at 35 Ly Tu Trong, Q1, HCMC and Kujuz Tan Dinh is at 5 Tran Quy Khoach, Q1, HCMC
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BAR STOOL BOB & HIENS
I
n the hurly burly of a developing city, change is part of the daily routine. So sometimes it’s nice to have some constants. In Ho Chi Minh City, where for the last 22 years towers have risen, urban rail systems have been commenced, stalled and re-commenced, and heritage buildings have been demolished in favour of the latest thing, Hien & Bob’s has been an oasis of the same. Surviving in the same central location it’s always been at, serving the same drinks it’s always had, and giving the same sassy attitude over the bar it’s famous for, it’s one of those places that people who’ve been coming here for years always come back to. It’s a touchstone and is unwavering in its simple philosophy. As owner Hien puts it, “Cold beer and good music, that’s it.”
Famous Looking like a 1980s suburban bamboo rumpus room, where flatscreen TVs are the only real acknowledgement of ‘the future’, Hien & Bobs is a well-storied
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PHOTOS BY FRANCIS XAVIER
location. Meeting Hien, you can tell she’s the type of lady who could tell a million of them — if she trusts you. When I tell her where I’m from, however, she’s very keen to let me know that ‘she doesn’t want to be famous’. “Take a picture of the bar, no worries,” she says, “but leave me out. People already know who I am.” Starting with her late husband Bob ‘some time’ in the early 1990s, she has seen Saigon change, but the subject doesn’t really rouse her. “People used to come here every night back then,” she tells me. “Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday… it didn’t matter. I’ve served them all. Now, not as much, it’s more like Friday and Saturday only.” When I go there with a friend, it’s a Monday night, and it’s quiet. Classic American rock plays from an mp3 player and Hien mans the bar with her daughter, who will soon go overseas to study. A family that appear to be on holiday are in, along with one man from Estonia, who’s staying down the road. Hien & Bob’s still attracts all kinds.
Like a Tiger “It’s hard to find good staff now,” Hien tells me during our chat. “We used to have real good girls, but this has never been one of those bars, I’ve never allowed it. But we used to have real smart girls in here, but now they all go away. They don’t want to work here anymore.” I fish for more. Has she ever had trouble? “Of course, all the time,” she says. “That’s why I am like I am. If people come here enjoying a drink, some music, that’s good. If people come here and aren’t nice, I throw them out.” Has it made her hard? “Yes. I don’t pretend to be nice to people,” she says. “Better that I show them straight away that I’m a tiger. Less trouble that way.” So will the bar go on I ask her, sipping on my second Jack and Coke. “Who knows” she says, “probably. I’ve been here for 22 years already, but you never know what might happen.” — Jon Aspin Hien & Bob’s is at 43 Hai Ba Trung, Q1, HCMC
HCMC On The Town
COFFEE BEAN & TEA LEAF INTERNATIONAL
157-159 Nguyen Thai Hoc, Q1; Metropolitan Building, 235 Dong Khoi, Q1
coffeebean.com.vn
Large portioned coffee lures customers into the flagship store of this international café chain. The contemporary, yet generic atmosphere is bolstered by comfortable seating and a menu to satisfy any sweet tooth. DECIBEL INTERNATIONAL
79/2/5 Phan Ke Binh, Q1, Tel: (08) 6271 0115
Decibel.vn
Trendy without pretense, this two-floor, relaxed café offers beautiful decor and unique original events like live music, film screenings, and art exhibits. Great prices and food with daily specials. GUANABANA SMOOTHIES CONTEMPORARY JUICE BAR
23 Ly Tu Trong, Q1 Tel: 0909 824830
guanabanasmoothies.com
An American-style juice bar and café dedicated to healthy, nutricious smoothies that avoid the local obsession with sugar and condensed milk. A pleasant, contemporary environment adds to the theme.
M2C CAFE 44B Ly Tu Trong, Q1, Tel: (08) 3822 2495
facebook.com/m2ccafe
At M2C (Modern Meets Culture), everything gets a touch of modernity. From the rich menu of Vietnamese food and drinks, shows immense local culture, done with a modern flare. Be seen here at one of the latest popular joint in town. MOCKINGBIRD CAFE 4th Floor, 14 Ton That Dam, Q1, Tel: 0935 293400
facebook.com/mockingbirdcoffee
Sitting atop of a number of cafe establishments in an old apartment complex, Mockingbird is just the place for a romantic time over mojitos, or good ol’ caffeine-infused relaxation. PLANTRIP CHA TEA ROOM
8A/10B1 Thai Van Lung, Q1 Tel: 0945 830905 Tea, tea and more tea, all in a contemporary, quirky environment. At Plantrip Cha customers go on a sensory journey to experience the tastes and smells of teas from across Asia, Europe, America and the Middle East. THE LOOP HEALTHY CAFÉ FARE / BAGELS
HIDEAWAY INTERNATIONAL
41/1 Pham Ngoc Thach, Q3, Tel: (08) 3822 4222
Hideawaycafe-saigon.com
Hidden in a colonial building with an outdoor courtyard, the ample soft, sofa seating renders a great spot to relax. The mouth-watering western menu is well-priced and maintains a creative flair. I.D. CAFÉ CONTEMPORARY CAFE
34D Thu Khoa Huan, Q1, Tel: (08) 3822 2910
Idcafe.net
Centrally located near Ben Thanh Market, i.d offers casual café dining with a wide variety of food and beverages. Where modern design and a warm ambience meet for coffee. L’USINE CONTEMPORARY / FRENCH
First Floor, 151 Dong Khoi, Q1, Tel: (08) 6674 9565; 70B Le Loi, Q1, Tel: (08) 3521 0703
lusinespace.com
French-style wooden decor compliments the spacious, whitewashed contemporary interior of L’Usine. A simple, creative menu combines with reasonably priced coffee, and a fashion store and art gallery out back. Second location on Le Loi.
49 Thao Dien, Q2 Tel. (08) 3602 6385 Low-key yet nice-on-the-eye décor helps create the caféstyle atmosphere at this European-influenced café and restaurant. Sells excellent coffee and if you like bagels, here you’ll be in heaven. THE MORNING CAFE 2nd Floor, 36 Le Loi, Q1, Tel: 0938 383330
themorningcafe.com.vn
Have a book to read? Pick a bright spot by the window and get snuggly with the comfy upholstery in this second-floor cafe. With a cup of well-brewed coffee, accompanied by some background jazz, it is an afternoon well-spent. THE OTHER PERSON CAFE 2nd Floor, 14 Ton That Dam, Q1, Tel: 0909 670272
facebook.com/TheOtherPersonCafe
Fancy being served up by maids in costume? Call for a booking and enjoyed customized service to your liking while spending an afternoon in this candy-land inspired cafe. THE PRINT ROOM CONTEMPORARY CAFE
158 Pasteur, Q1, Tel: (08) 3823 4990 Second-storey coffeehouse
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FOOD PROMOS HCMC
Chef Francesc Rovira will be showing off his Michelin-star talents at Caravelle in early September
Chef Francesc Rovira @ Caravelle Saigon caravellehotel.com The Caravelle will be welcoming the man behind the amazing Fonda Xesc Restaurant in the Pyrenees, Michelin-star chef Francesc Rovira. During his time in Saigon, chef Rovira will be giving a taste of his talents through fabulous flavours and aromas at the Caravelle’s fine dining outlet, Reflections. Here’s the schedule: Sep. 3 and Sep. 4 Freixenet Wine Dinner at Reflections, 6pm Spanish tapas at Tapas Kitchen Sep. 4 (from 2pm to 4pm) Cooking demonstration at Reflections For information and reservations, call 0906 900523 or email eam-fb@caravellehotel.com
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Happy Hour @ La Habana lahabana-saigon.com The Cuban-style bar, restaurant and live music joint is now on the happy hour circuit, with a free flow of Tiger Draft from 4pm to 7pm every day costing VND120,000++. Just round the corner from Thai Van Lung and the Refinery area, for downtown Saigon, this is a pretty solid deal. La Habana is at 6 Cao Ba Quat, Q1, HCMC
Vegetarian Food @ Kabin renaissance-saigon.com Renaissance Riverside’s Chinese restaurant, Kabin, is more than just excellent dimsum and crispy Peking Duck, as it is demonstrating this month with its vegetarian promotion. For just VND299,000++ you can get your teeth into a vegetarian buffet, all the dishes coming with
a distinct Chinese flavour. Think noodles, vegetables, tofu and just about every East Asian veggie option under the sun. The promotion runs until Sep. 12 (except for on the Sep. 2 national holiday)
Beach BBQ Buffet @ Pullman Danang pullman-danang.com For anyone heading to Danang, Pullman are running a pretty awesome Sunday night deal on their beachside buffets until the end of September. Costing just VND690,000 net, including a free flow of house wine, local beer and soft drinks, the spread includes the freshest local seafood, grilled and roasted meats, a salad bar, a range of Vietnamese dishes and a sweet-tooth happy selection of desserts. For more info email bookings@pullmandanang.com
HCMC On The Town
offers a quiet atmosphere to chill out or read from their book-nook collection. Comfortable couch seating, open table space and a cappuccino costs VND40,000.
match. Also has an excellent garden-style branch at 89 Xuan Thuy, Q2. ASHOKA
has a whole page dedicated to tom yum soup as well as firey larb moo and Laotian som tam. Thai cuisine cooked up by no-holdsbarred Thai chefs.
NORTH INDIAN / CHINESE INDIAN
THINGS CAFE 1st Floor, 14 Ton That Dam, Q1, Tel: (08) 6678 6205
facebook.com/thingscafe
Feel the calm and serenity of this rustic little quiet corner tucked away in an Old Apartment. The quaint and relaxing atmosphere sets for some alone time, or quality conversations held over a drink or two.
M M M EAT 3T QUAN NUONG VIETNAMESE BBQ
Top Floor, 29 Ton That Thiep, Q1, Tel: (08) 3821 1631 The original, on-the-table barbecue restaurant still goes strong thanks to its rooftop atmosphere, excellent service and even better fish, seafood and meats. An institution. 27 GRILL GRILL-STYLE RESTAURANT
Rooftop, AB Tower, 76A Le Lai, Q1, Tel: (08) 3827 2372
chillsaigon.com
Besides the spectacular views, the cuisine at 27 Grill is a real draw, with steaks and other international grillstyle fare in a refined yet contemporary atmosphere. Subtle lighting and an extensive wine list make up the mix. AL FRESCO’S INTERNATIONAL
27 Dong Du, Q1, Tel: (08) 38238424
alfrescosgroup.com
The downtown outlet of one of Vietnam’s most successful restaurant chains, Al Fresco’s offers international, Australian-influenced comfort fare in a pleasant environment with efficient, friendly service to
17/10 Le Thanh Ton, Q1, Tel: (08) 3823 1372; 33 Tong Huu Dinh, Q2, Tel : (08) 3744 4177
ashokaindianrestaurant. com
Long-running, award-winning Indian restaurant famed for its excellent kebabs, creamy curries and Chinese-Indian fare.
BABA’S KITCHEN NORTH / SOUTH INDIAN
164 Bui Vien, Q1, Tel: (08) 3838 6661
babaskitchen.in
This pleasant, airy Indian does the full range of fare from all ends of the subcontinent, from dosas and vadas through to chicken tikka masala, kormas, kebabs and fiery vindaloos. Has a delivery outlet in District 2.
AU LAC DO BRAZIL BRAZILIAN CHURRASCO 238 Pasteur, Q3, Tel: (08) 3820 7157
aulacdobrazil.com
Au Lac Do Brazil is home to the city's best Churrasco menu with a wide variety of meats from Calabrian sausage and picanha through to D-rump steak and smoked hams. Pioneering the eat-asmuch-as-you-can theme in Vietnam, passadors bring the meat skewers to your table, and you, the customer then choose your accompaniments from the salad bar. Best washed down with red wine or a caipirinha or five.
AU PARC EUROPEAN / CAFÉ
23 Han Thuyen, Q1, Tel: (08) 3829 2772
auparcsaigon.com
Consistently tasty European café fare — think deli-style sandwiches, salads and mezzes, plus coffees and juices — served at a popular park-side Le Duan location with classic cream and green-tiled décor. BAAN THAI PAN-THAI
55 Thao Dien, Q2, Tel: (08) 3744 5453
baanthai-anphu.com
Subtle lighting and comfortable sofa-like seating at this An Phu eatery. The menu
BAHDJA 2nd Floor, 27 Le Quy Don, Q3 Tel: 0122 763 1261
bahdjarestaurant@gmail. com Located just above the Thai restaurant Spice, Bahdja is Saigon’s first ever Algerian restaurant, serving authentic, multi-ethnic Berber North African and Mediterranean cuisine cooked and served in a traditional Algerian style. Best experienced in a group, this pleasant restaurant’s soothing ambience is matched by the owners’ genuine hospitality and complimented by an array of tasty tajines and couscousbased dishes. Has a lovely semi-outdoor terrace area.
BIBI@ALIBI 5A Nguyen Sieu, Q1, Tel: (08) 3825 6257 The home of legendary French chef Bibi, this convivial restaurant serving Mediterranean cuisine uses fresh products bought early morning at the market by Bibi himself. Delicious meats and fish dishes together with the famous tarte tatin. Has a daily specials board.
BLACK CAT AMERICAN
13 Phan Van Dat, Q1, Tel: (08) 3829 2055
blackcatsaigon.com
Creatively named burgers, tasty Vietnamese-styled sandwiches, spiced up cocktails, mains and more, all served up with a Californian edge at this small but popular two-storey eatery close to the river. BLANCHY STREET JAPANESE / SOUTH AMERICAN
The Courtyard, 74/3 Hai Ba Trung, Q1, Tel: (08) 3823 8793 The work of former Nobu chef Martin Brito, the Japanese-South American fusion cuisine at Blanchy Street is among the tastiest and most unusual in the city. All complemented by fresh, contemporary decor and a leafy terrace out front. BOAT HOUSE AUSTRALIAN / INTERNATIONAL
40 Lily Road, An Phu Superior Compound, Thao Dien, Q2, Tel: (08) 3744 6790 A revamp has seen this riverside restaurant get a new management and a new menu — think American-style burgers, sliders and Tex-Mex together with soup and salad and you’ll get the idea. Excellent nachos and frozen margaritas. BOOMARANG BISTRO SAIGON INTERNATIONAL / GRILL
CR2 3-4, 107 Ton Dat Tien, Phu My Hung, Q7, Tel: (08) 5413 6592
boomarang.com.vn
Australian themed but Singaporean-owned eatery and bar on The Crescent with great terraced seating specializing in huge-portioned international fare, all set in a contemporary, spacious environment. CAFÉ IF
etnamese cuisine with a French twist, cooked fresh to order. Dishes include noodle soup, steamed ravioli and beef stew, stir fries, hot pots and curries. CHI’S CAFÉ INTERNATIONAL / VIETNAMESE
40/31 Bui Vien, Q1, Tel: (08) 3837 2502
Chiscafe.com
This affable café is a rarity in the backpacker area for its genuinely good musical playlist. Excellent, buildyour-own breakfasts, baked potatoes, toasties, Vietnamese fare and more. Has a popular motorbike rental service. CIAO BELLA NEW YORK-ITALIAN
11 Dong Du, Q1, Tel: (08) 3822 3329
saigonrestaurantgroup.com
New York-style Italian restaurant offering a range of tasty and affordable antipasti, pastas, and pizzas. Friendly staff and rustic bare brick walls adorned with Hollywood film legends make for a relaxed and attractive setting. CORIANDER THAI / VIETNAMESE
16 Bui Vien, Q1, Tel: (08) 3837 1311 A small, homely Vietnameseowned Thai restaurant that over the past decade has quite rightly gained a strong local and expat following. Try their pad thai — to die for. CORSO STEAKHOUSE / INTERNATIONAL
117 Le Thanh Ton, Q1, Tel: (08) 3829 5368
norfolkhotel.com.vn
Although a hotel restaurant, the enticing range of US and Australian steaks plus great grill and comfort food menu in this contemporary eatery make for a quality bite. Decent-sized steaks start at VND390,000.
VIETNAMESE FRENCH
38 Dang Dung, Q1, Tel: (08) 3846 9853 MSG-free traditional Vi-
ELBOW ROOM AMERICAN
52 Pasteur, Q1, Tel: (08) 3821
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TOP EATS RELISH & SONS
S
how me a man who hasn’t waxed lyrical about a pattie of meat and two bits of bun in his hand, and I’ll show you a man who hasn’t lived. A good burger is simply good food, so it’s no surprise that it’s been on the surge here for a while in food-loving Vietnam. Yet, far from being sated, in Ho Chi Minh City the public’s hunger for a high quality and still affordable burger option has remained. Enter Relish & Sons.
100% Aussie Situated in the hustle of the CBD, this modern eatery would fit in on any high street I know — though most likely in Melbourne or Sydney, given its owners heritage. With four Australians behind the six-month-old Dong Du burger joint, I asked them why they started it. “We literally walked up and down the road,” said one, “round Hai Ba Trung and down Nguyen Hue. We just couldn’t find a decent burger place. That’s where the original idea came from.” Together the four of them are responsible for the 100 percent Australian beef burgers, cheesy fries, breakfast quesadillas and strawberry cheesecake shakes you can also find on the menu. It isn’t always all about the burger.
Oh Yes It Is... However, with names like ‘The Classic’, ‘The New Porker’, ‘Lamb Baagaa’ and ‘Mother Hen’, there’s plenty of choice
PHOTOS BY KYLE PHANROY
when it comes to the ultimate burger experience. And what an experience it is. When we visited I got involved in a ‘New Porker’ (VND150,000). This burger (served with the crispiest fries of course) rewarded me with that melt-in-your-mouth meat experience, side-armed with BBQ onions, apple slaw and just enough chilli to keep things interesting. On top of this, and this goes for all of their burgers, there’s an in-house relish made from scratch (oh I get it). These invariably have you biting in for more because you’ll want to know where that delicious bit of flavour is coming from. After the New Porker, we weren’t allowed to visit without trying ‘The Classic’ (VND160,000). This burger plays it a tad straighter, letting the 100 percent Aussie beef do more of the talking, next to the all important melted cheddar cheese, mustard, gherkin and a signature relish, all on their locally baked buns. This burger is a worthy contender. Also available for smaller appetites are sliders, (that’s a mini burger for first timers), sandwiches, and I personally recommend the Forager Salad (VND80,000) for the between times. Of course, what burger joint would be complete without an all-day combo deal (VND190,000), which gets you any burger with chips or onion rings plus a soft drink or Platinum Pale Ale Draught. Relish & Sons? I’m yours. — Jon Aspin Relish & Sons is at 44 Dong Du, Q1, HCMC
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HCMC On The Town
4327
elbowroom.com.vn
The comfort food on offer at this striking US-style diner ranges from meatball baguettes to chilli burgers, pizzas, blackened chicken salads and a selection of more expensive international mains. EL GAUCHO ARGENTINIAN STEAKHOUSE
74 Hai Ba Trung, Q1, Tel: (08) 3827 2090; 5D Nguyen Sieu, Q1, Tel: (08) 3825 1879; Unit CR1-12, The Crescent, Phu My Hung, Q7, Tel: (08) 5413 6909
elgaucho.com.vn
A themed eatery mixing an Argentinian steakhouse theme with pork, chicken, lamb, homemade spicy sausage, skewers, burger dishes and everything that can come off a grill. Slick service, a good wine menu, and caramel vodka teasers at the end of the meal. Probably serves up the best steak in town. EON51 FINE DINING TOP-END EUROPEAN / ASIAN
Level 51, Bitexco Tower, 2 Hai Trieu, Q1, Tel: (08) 6291 8750
eon51.com
Situated on level 51 of the most iconic building in town, Eon51 Fine Dining offers a unique fine dining experience accompanied by unparalleled 3600 picturesque views of Saigon. The sky-high restaurant proffers the taste of Europe in Asia, orchestrated from the finest local foods and top-quality imported ingredients. GANESH NORTH / SOUTH INDIAN
38 Hai Ba Trung, Q1, Tel: (08) 3823 4786
ganesh.restaurant.vn@hotmail.com
The ubiquitous mint sauce is thick and creamy and the curries are both authentic and smoky. Ganesh is rated by many as the best Indian in town. Very friendly service. HOA TUC CONTEMPORARY VIETNAMESE
The Square, 74/7 Hai Ba Trung, Q1, Tel: (08) 3825 1676 Highly rated restaurant with stunning outdoor terrace. Specialities include pink pomelo squid and crab salad, mustard leaf prawn rolls, fishcake wraps and barbecue chicken in ginger, onions and a lime leaf marinade. HOANG YEN PAN-VIETNAMESE
7 Ngo Duc Ke, Q1, Tel: (08) 3823 1101; The Crescent, 103 Ton Dat Tien, Q7, Tel: (08) 2210 2304 If you’re looking for midrange, aircon Vietnamese
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restaurants that just seem to do every dish perfectly, then Hoang Yen really is the place to go. The atmosphere may be a bit sterile, but its amply made up for by the efficient service and excellent cuisine. Now with a number of restaurants around town.
with the KOTO vocational training school. All the staff — from bar tenders and waiting staff through to the chefs — come from disadvantaged backgrounds and are being trained on the jon in hospitality. Serves up tasty Vietnamese cuisine, to boot!
HOG’S BREATH CAFÉ
L’OLIVIER
AUSTRALIAN / INTERNATIONAL
FRENCH/MEDITERRANEAN
Ground Floor, Bitexco Financial Tower, 2 Hai Trieu, Q1, Tel: (08) 3915 6066
hogsbreathcafe.com.vn
Mixing hearty pub grub such as burgers, salads and prime rib steaks with a sports bar atmosphere, this Australian chain also offers regular promotions and a 4pm to 7pm happy hour. Excellent outdoor terrace. INAHO SUSHI / SASHIMI
4 Chu Manh Trinh, Q1, Tel: (08) 3829 0326 A sushi bar needs a good chef, and the chef-owner of Inaho is one of the best. Sit downstairs at the low-key bar or upstairs in the private VIP rooms. Either way, this is one of the best sushi and sashimi joints in town.
Sofitel Saigon Plaza, 17 Le Duan, Q1, Tel: (08) 3824 1555
sofitel.com
Exuding a southern Gallic atmosphere with its tiled veranda, pastel-coloured walls and ficus trees, this traditional French restaurant has quarterly Michelin star promotions and an award winning pastry team. LA CUISINE FRENCH / MEDITERRANEAN
48 Le Thanh Ton, Q1, Tel: (08) 2229 8882
lacuisine.com.vn
This intimate, open-kitchened restaurant bathed in white specialises in a mix of contemporary Mediterranean and French cuisine. Has a small but well thought out menu, backed up with an extensive wine list.
Drawing inspiration from the great cuisines of Europe, The Mediterranean and The Orient, this contemporary, Australian-run restaurant bathed in white focuses on wholesome, fresh ingredients, with breads, cheeses, pickles, pastas and preserves made on site daily from scratch. A well-conceived wine list supplements the excellent fare. Has petanque on the terrace. LUONG SON PAN-VIETNAMESE
31 Ly Tu Trong, Q1, Tel: (08) 3825 1330 A typical Vietnamese-style quan nhau, this fan-cooled downtown eating and drinking haunt is famed for two things: it’s on the table, grill-it-yourself bo tung xeo (marinated beef) and oddities such as sautéed scorpion. A great place to take out-of-town guests. MARKET 39 INTERNATIONAL BUFFET
Ground Floor, InterContinental Asiana Saigon, Crn. of Hai Ba Trung & Le Duan, Q1, Tel: (08) 3520 9999
intercontinental.com/saigon
a drinking haunt thanks to its Cajun-inspired, American cuisine; Tex-Mex, excellent burgers, US-style soups and salads. Still furbished as it was 20 years ago. MONSOON PAN-SOUTHEAST ASIAN
1 Cao Ba Nha, Q1, Tel: (08) 6290 8899 Traditional pan-Southeast Asian favourites served in a visually arresting setting within a French colonial-era villa, just minutes from the backpacker area. Reasonably priced, with healthy juices and smoothies. NAM GIAO HUE CUISINE
136/15 Le Thanh Ton, Q1, Tel: (08) 38 250261; 116 Suong Nguyet Anh, Q1, Tel: (08) 3925 9996
namgiao.com
If you want to take friends, relatives or people out of town to eat Hue-style street food in a hygienic yet downto-earth environment, Nam Giao is the place. Not only is it well-priced, but the bun bo Hue, bun thit nuong, com hen, banh bot loc and other such dishes are excellent.
JASPA’S WINE & GRILL
LE JARDIN
NINETEEN
INTERNATIONAL FUSION
CLASSIC FRENCH
INTERNATIONAL / ASIAN
The Square, 74/7 Hai Ba Trung, Q1, Tel: (08) 3827 0931
Alfrescosgroup.com
Although a chain restaurant, the international offerings here are consistently good and creative. Excellent service, an attractive outdoor terrace area, and a good kids menu. Check out their pepper steaks. KABIN CANTONESE
Renaissance Riverside Hotel, 8–15 Ton Duc Thang. Q1, Tel: (08) 3822 0033
marriott.com
Offers authentic, gourmet Cantonese cuisine in an elegant, classic setting, with striking décor and the bonus of views over the Saigon River. Dishes range from VND80,000 to VND900,000. KOH THAI CONTEMPORARY THAI FUSION
Level 1, Kumho Link, 39 Le Duan, Q1, Tel: (08) 3823 4423 Modern Thai fusion restaurant serving Thai classics alongside tom yam cappuccinos and more. Koh Thai’s creative cocktails merge Thai flavours with local seasonal fruits and herbs. KOTO TRAINING RESTAURANT CONTEMPORARY VIETNAMESE
3rd Floor Rooftop, Kumho Link, 39 Le Duan, Q1. Tel: (08) 3822 9357 The restaurant associated
31 Thai Van Lung, Q1, Tel: (08) 3825 8465 Unpretentious but tasty French fare in a relaxed garden setting within the French cultural centre. The robust, bistro-style cuisine is very well-priced, and excellent, cheap house wine is served by the carafe. LION CITY SINGAPOREAN
45 Le Anh Xuan, Q1, Tel: (08) 3823 8371
lioncityrestaurant.com
Friendly, authentic fivestorey Singaporean eatery, plating up the likes of nasi lemak, mee rebus, and awesome chicken curry, as well as specialities like frog porridge, chilli crab and fish head curry. LOVEAT MEDITERRANEAN
29 Hai Trieu, Q1, Tel: (08) 6260 2727
loveat.vn
Located bang opposite the Bitexco Tower, Loveat serves up three floors’ worth of Mediterranean cuisine mixed in with continental favourites like moules frites. A great place for dinner, cocktails and wines in a contemporary Saigon atmosphere.
MAY RESTAURANT INTERNATIONAL COMFORT FOOD 19 – 21 Dong Khoi, Q1, Tel: (08) 6291 3686
may.restaurant19@gmail. com
Casual yet stylish, May places international-style wining and dining in the heart of historic Saigon. Subtle lighting, comfortable seating, an extensive wine and cocktail list, and beautifully crafted comfort food from Europe, the Antipodes and Asia all make up the mix at this multifloored restaurant and bar. Check out their set lunches and happy hour.
MEKONG MERCHANT INTERNATIONAL CAFE FARE / SEAFOOD
23 Thao Dien, An Phu, Q2, Tel: (08) 3744 6478
info@mekongmerchant.com The rustic looking, bananaleaf roofed Mekong Merchant has long been the place in An Phu. Set around a cobblestoned courtyard the cuisine includes gourmet seafood and pastas. Bakery-style Bistro out front. MOGAMBO PAN-AMERICAN / TEX-MEX
LU BU CONTEMPORARY MEDITERRANEAN
97B Thao Dien, Q2 Tel: (08) 6281 8371
luburestaurant.com
50 Pasteur, Q1, Tel: (08) 3825 1311
mogambo@saigonnet.vn
The longest running expat bar in town, these days Mogambo is more a restaurant than
Ground floor, Caravelle Hotel, 19 Lam Son Square, Q1, Tel: (08) 3823 4999
caravellehotel.com
One of the top three buffet restaurants in town. Although the selection is small, the meats, fishes and seafoods are all fresh, and everything you eat here is quality. OSAKA RAMEN JAPANESE NOODLES
18 Thai Van Lung, Q1; SD04, Lo H29-2, KP My Phat, Phu My Hung, Q7 If you fancy dosing out on ramen and soba noodles, then Osaka Ramen is noodle soup heaven. A typically Japanese aircon environment mixes bar-style seating with booths and private dining. Open late. PACHARAN SPANISH / EUROPEAN
97 Hai Ba Trung, Q1, Tel: (08) 3825 6924 Legs of Iberian ham hang in the downstairs bar at this multi-story bodega serving Spanish-styled tapas. Attractively decorated in warm reds, yellows and oranges, Pacharan’s food menu is traditionally Spanish. PENDOLASCO PAN-ITALIAN
87 Nguyen Hue, Q1, Tel: (08) 3821 8181; 36 Tong Huu Dinh, Q2, Tel: (08) 6253 282
pendolasco.vn
Opening out into a large, leafy terracotta-tiled garden area, this trattoria-style Italian restaurant serves up quality homemade pasta, risotto, gnocchi, excellent pizza and grilled dishes. Has a second branch in District 2. PIZZA 4P’S EUROPEAN/ASIAN FUSION
8/15 Le Thanh Ton, Q1, Tel: (08) 3822 9838
pizza4ps.com
This quirky but highly rated Italian / Japanese fusion pizza parlour serves wacky yet delicious pies such as tuna curry pizza and calamari seaweed pizza, as well as more traditional varieties. PROPAGANDA CLASSIC VIETNAMESE / BISTRO
21 Han Thuyen, Q1 Part of the group that includes Au Parc and Refinery, Propaganda serves up classic Vietnamese cuisine in an atmosphere of barebrick walls interposed with Propaganda Art murals and prints.
REFINERY FRENCH BISTRO / INTERNATIONAL
The Square, 74 Hai Ba Trung, Q1, Tel: (08) 3823 0509
therefinerysaigon.com
A slightly retro feel pervades this popular French-style bistro and wine bar which once housed the city’s opium refinery. The cuisine runs from creative salads through to Mediterranean influenced mains. RELISH & SONS GOURMET BURGER BAR
44 Dong Du, Q1, Tel: 01207 214294
facebook.com/relishandsons
Some have described them as glamburgers, we describe them as creative burgers done well in a contemporary atmosphere. That is certainly the gloss you’ll find at Relish & Sons, along with funky draught beer options, cool refreshing cocktails and a range of all things burger. Their cheesy fries are to die for. RIVERSIDE CAFÉ INTERNATIONAL / ASIAN
QUAN BUI TRADITIONAL VIETNAMESE
8 Nguyen Van Nguyen, Q1, Tel: (08) 3602 2241; 17A Ngo Van Nam, Q1, Tel: (08) 3829 1515 Make sure to try the sautéed shrimps with cashew nuts and crispy fried tofu with lime wedge, at this popular, high-quality, chicly designed eatery where all food is served in traditional crockery. One of the best Vietnamese restaurants in town. QUAN UT UT US-STYLE BARBECUE
168 Vo Van Kiet, Q1, Tel: (08) 3914 4500
facebook.com/quanutut
It’s a no-brainer, right? American-style barbecue in a contemporary Vietnamese, quan nhau-style setting. Of course it is, which is why Quan Ut Ut is constantly packed with grill-obsessed diners going for the burgers, meats off the barbecue and Platinum pale ale served on tap.
Renaissance Riverside, 8–15 Ton Duc Thang, Q1, Tel: (08) 3822 0033 Offers versatile all–day dining of international quality, with the bonus of being able to watch the action on the river sidewalk. Features western, Asian and Vietnamese buffets. SAFFRON PAN-MEDITERRANEAN
51 Hai Ba Trung, Q1, Tel: (08) 3824 8358 Sporting food from around the Mediterranean rim, this compact and cozy eatery with pots hung from the ceiling is a popular choice with expats and tourists alike. Reservations advised. SAIGON CAFÉ INTERNATIONAL / BUFFET
Level 1, Sheraton Saigon Hotel and Towers, 88 Dong Khoi, Q1 Tel: (08) 3827 2828
sheratonsaigon.com
If you like your buffet selections to be big, then here it is
gargantuan, with every type of option under the sun. A great place to catch up on your seafood addiction or to pig out over a Sunday brunch. SAN FU LOU CANTONESE KITCHEN
Ground Floor, AB Building, 76A Le Lai, Q1 Tel: (08) 3823 9513
sanfulou.com
Open until 3am, this popular, contemporary Cantonese dining hall mixes contemporary with traditional, in a space that takes Chinese dining in Saigon to a new level. And if you like your dim sum, look no further. SCOTT AND BINH’S INTERNATIONAL
15-17 Cao Trieu Phat, Phu My Hung, Q7, Tel: 0948 901465
bizuhotel.com/main/pages/ scottbinhs.php
Serving creative, all homemade comfort food, this restaurant boasts a full bar, ice-cold beer and an international wine list to complement meals. Has a focus on the creative use of local ingredients. SEOUL HOUSE KOREAN
33 Mac Thi Buoi, Q1, Tel: (08) 3829 4297
seoul.house@yahoo.com.kr
The longest running Korean restaurant in town, with all the Koreans moving out to the hinterland, the clientele here are mainly Vietnamese. Fortunately the food preparation remains traditional. An excellent place for group dining. SHANG PALACE RESTAURANT PAN-CHINESE / CANTONESE
Norfolk Mansion, 17-19-21 Ly Tu Trong, Q1, Tel: (08) 3823 2221
shangpalace.com.vn
Featuring over 200 dishes and 50 kinds of dim sum prepared by chefs from Hong Kong, Shang Palace has nine private dining rooms and a main dining area seating over 300. Good for events.
SKEWERS INTERNATIONAL / MEDITERRANEAN
9A Thai Van Lung, Q1, Tel: (08) 3822 4798
skewers-restaurant.com
Simple, unpretentious Greekinfluenced, international cuisine ranging from the zucchini carpaccio through to the saganiki, a range of dips, mousaka, osso buco and lamb chop skewers. Also has an excellent upstairs cigar room. SHRI CONTEMPORARY EUROPEAN
23rd Floor, Centec Tower, 72–74 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, Q3, Tel: (08) 3827 9631 A breezy terrace, indoor bar and separate dining room with sweeping views over central Saigon make up this enormous, comfortable space. A well-thought out and romantic venue, with excellent food. SORAE SUSHI SAKE LOUNGE
Level 24, AB Tower, 76 Le Lai, Q1, Tel: 0938 687689
soraesushi.com
Set over two floors, this astonishing, no-expensespared Japanese restaurant and lounge brings to Saigon the type of environment and ambience you’d expect of New York, Singapore, Hong Kong and Dubai. With the décor comes a modern take on Japanese fare. A place to see and be seen. TAMAGO PAN-JAPANESE
39 Tong Huu Dinh, Q2, Tel: (08) 3744 4634
tamagoresto@gmail.com
Located on the main drag in Thao Dien, Tamago has indoor and out door seating, a terrace and private rooms. They have a ladies’ night on Tuesdays as well as a Teppanyaki themed night on Saturday evenings. Have a second restaurant in Mui Ne. TEMPLE CLUB PAN-VIETNAMESE
29-31 Ton That Thiep, Q1, Tel: (08) 3829 9244
Templeclub.com.vn
Once a hotel for Indian dig-
nitaries visiting old Saigon, the elegant and atmospheric Temple Club is one of the city’s best-preserved buildings. Serving quality Vietnamese and Indochine cuisine at reasonable prices. THE DECK MODERN ASIAN FUSION
38 Nguyen U Di, Q2, Tel: (08) 3744 6632
thedecksaigon.com
Set on the banks of Saigon River across from Thanh Da Island, this innovative restaurant serves up modern Asian fusion cuisine in a Bali-style atmosphere, complemented by great cocktails and a long wine list. THE HUNGRY PIG BACON BAR / CAFE
144 Cong Quynh, Q1, Tel: (08) 3836 4533
facebook.com/thehungrypigcafe
Think bacon, bacon and more bacon, all set in airy, spacious atmosphere, and you get The Hungry Pig, an eatery specialising in anything from the bacon butty through to the bacon Caesar. A popular hangout. TIN NGHIA VEGAN
9 Tran Hung Dao, Q1, Tel: (08) 3821 2538 One of the city’s oldest eateries (established in 1925) does some of the cheapest and tastiest vegan cuisine in town, all cooked up without onions, garlic or MSG. VESPER GOURMET LOUNGE INTERNATIONAL
Landmark Building, 5B Ton Duc Thang, Q1, Tel: (08) 3822 9698
facebook.com/vespersaigon
Headed up by well-known chef Andy Ertle, Vesper is a sophisticated yet down-toearth cocktail bar and restaurant with subtle lighting and a great spirit selection. Serves creative, Japanese and German-influenced cuisine to supplement the
wordvietnam.com | September 2015 Word | 179
TOP EATS MEZZ
I
t is rare that we write about buffet restaurants. Not that there’s anything wrong with them — when it comes to the dining options, their offerings range from the average to the phenomenal. Rather, there is a tendency for sameness; the hot food station, the salad bar, the sushi, the pasta or pizza area, the grill and sometimes but not always, the roast. Yes, one restaurant will be different to another, and certain buffet eateries in Saigon boast some exceptional fare. But the concept is usually the same. Which is why the Sofitel’s latest offering is worth a mention. A refurbishment has seen Café Rivoli transformed into a new restaurant, Mezz. Yet, it’s not just any old
makeover. It’s US$1million refurbishment that has seen the space resized and reorganized. Colonial French-style floor tiles mix with art-deco Parisian designs. Hung delicatessen meats and wrapped cheeses fill one corner, while elsewhere there’s a Chinese section complete with a chicken rice-style, roasted poultry window. There’s also a salad bar, a French-styled hot food area, a bakery and an Asian corner. The overall combination makes you feel you’re walking into a Gallic bistro. A buffet restaurant. Are you sure? The key, says Sofitel’s executive assistant manager, Julien Tavagnutti, is the idea of “interactive dining”. Each food station is manned by one, two or even three chefs,
each serving you portion sizes according to your need. This gets even better at the sushi and sashimi station where the fish is prepared fresh in front of you. The deli station is similar, with the meats and cheese being sliced according to need. This way, adds Julien, not only does the restaurant avoid the wasted food syndrome, where a person or a family will pile as much onto their plate as possible, regardless of how much they eat, but it also creates interaction. Interaction with the chefs that doesn’t exist in your standard buffet restaurant. Avoiding wasted food also allows Mezz to increase the quality of their ingredients. As an example, check out their cheese
PHOTOS BY KYLE PHANROY
section: here it’s not just your cheap edams and bries, but morbier, gruyère, bleu de gex, rouy, tomme de savoie and much more. And I haven’t even got to the deli meats yet. Did anyone say Parma ham and prosciutto?
The Nuts and Bolts As ever, what makes any restaurant tick is the food. Before writing this article I’d visited Mezz twice. Now on my third visit, here’s a rundown of how I ate my lunch. First the salad bar: baby octopus salad, seafood pasta, smoked salmon, roasted vegetables in olive oil, salad greens, parmesan, boiled egg, sun-dried tomato; a very light continental mix.
Next, sashimi — octopus, salmon and tuna. There’s a nice little touch here. On the side you can add the likes of daikon radish, seaweed and edamame. And then, already close to bursting, onto the hot, western food station. And that with all the Asian cuisine, grilled seafood, deli meats and cheeses left out in between. My conclusion? Here it’s about the experience. Each time I got food I found myself talking to the staff. “What’s that?” I asked of the guy at the deli counter. He responded. When I looked over the cheeses, the staff seemed determined to serve me up some of the more expensive cuts. So full was I that I didn’t accept.
The waiting staff did the same, engaging me in conversation, serving me bread, drinks and more, ensuring that everything was okay with my meal. It’s refreshing. Normally in buffet restaurants you pile up your plate, open your mouth and fill yourself up to the brim. It’s a get ‘em in, get ‘em out scenario. Here there’s something in between. It’s called service. — Nick Ross Mezz is on the first floor of the Sofitel Plaza, 17 Le Duan, Q1, Ho Chi Minh City. The meals range from VND610,000++ for weekday lunches, while dinner starts at VND850,000++ with an extra VND140,000++ added for freeflow beer, wine and soft drinks
wordvietnam.com | September 2015 Word | 181
THE EMPTY WOK MAC AND CHEESE
BY RICCHA ARORA
PHOTO BY CHARLES VON PRESLEY
Q
uite possibly the ultimate comfort food, nothing can really top a good bowl of hearty macaroni and cheese. While classic cheddary options are divine, other combinations of cheeses and various ingredients can combine to make this classic American dish even better. This rich and creamy, three-cheese macaroni and cheese with crispy topping is the ultimate feel-good meal. Yet for me, it’s the golden crispy layer on top that makes it really stand out. Using crushed, plain Ritz crackers rather than regular breadcrumbs, the crispness gives this wholesome dish its final, tasty twist.
Ingredients — 1 big bowl of pre-cooked macaroni pasta (200 gms)
182 | Word September 2015 | wordvietnam.com
— 4 tbsp of unsalted butter — 4 tbsp of flour — Salt and pepper to taste — 2 cups of warm whole milk — 1 cup of extra sharp cheddar, grated — 1 cup of mozzarella, grated — ½ cup of Parmesan, grated — ¼ cup of plain Ritz crakers — 2 to 3 cooked sausages, diced
Method Pre Heat your oven to 250C for 10 minutes. Roughly break the crackers and add one tablespoon of melted butter and mix well. Keep aside. In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and add the flour. Stir it together and cook it for about a minute. While constantly stirring, slowly add the milk and cook it for about four
to five minutes or until the milk turns into a custard consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste and take off the heat. Add all of the grated cheddar, mozzarella and half of the Parmesan, stir until all of the cheeses have melted. Add in the diced sausages and the cooked and drained pasta. Mix together until everything is well combined. Put the mac and cheese into a casserole dish and sprinkle the crushed crackers and the remaining Parmesan evenly over the top. Bake for about 10 to 15 minutes or until the top is golden and bubbly. Riccha Arora runs the Facebook page Sassy Kitchen —facebook.com/ arorassassykitchen. You can also check out her website — arorasassykitchen.com
HCMC On The Town
drinks and has a separate dining space.
BANH KHOT CO BA VUNG TAU BANH KHOT
102 Cao Thang, Q3 WRAP & ROLL 62 Hai Ba Trung, Q1, Tel: (08) 3822 2166; 111 Nguyen Hue, Q1, Tel: (08) 3821 8971; 226 De Tham, Q1, Tel: (08) 3837 5097
wrap-roll.com
The lime green walls and bright pastel colours of Wrap ‘n Roll are just part of the theme of this homegrown, Vietnamese brand which is all about spring rolls of all types, and healthy, Hueinfluenced cuisine. YU CHU TOP-END PAN-CHINESE
1st Floor, InterContinental Asiana Saigon, crn.of Hai Ba Trung & Le Duan, Q1 Tel: (08) 3520 9999 intercontinental.com/saigon Skillful chefs prepare authentic hand-pulled noodles, fresh dim sum and hot wok dishes within an impeccably designed open kitchen, as diners look on. Stylish and spectacular. ZEUS GREEK / KEBAB
BANH MI HONG HOA VIETNAMESE BANH MI
62 Nguyen Van Trang, Q1 BANH MI SAU MINH VIETNAMESE BANH MI
170 Vo Van Tan, Q3 BANH MI THANH MAI HOANG VIETNAMESE BANH MI
107 Truong Dinh, Q3 BANH TAM BI TO CHAU BANH TAM
271 Nguyen Trai, Q1 BEEFSTEAK NAM SON VIETNAMESE STEAKHOUSE
200 Bis Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, Q3; 157 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, Q3, Tel: (08) 3930 3917
Namsonsteak.com
BUN CHA HA NOI BUN CHA
26/1A Le Thanh Ton, Q1 CHI THONG
164 Cong Quynh, Q1, Tel: (08) 3837 3248 The service is often slow, and the staff are often surprisingly lazy, yet the food here is so good and so unique to this city, that no-one seems to mind. The perfect place to feast out on gyros and all things off a skewer. Cheap, too.
BUN THIT NUONG / BANH HOI
ZOOM CAFÉ
MI QUANG MY SON
AMERICAN / TEX-MEX
169A Bui Vien, Q1, Tel: (08) 3920 3897
vietnamvespaadventures. com/cafe_zoom
This corner-located Vespainfatuated venue is a café and restaurant by day and a sidewalk drinking joint by night. Friendly staff and American deli-style and Cajun fare makes it a regular expat haunt.
M M M STREET FOOD BA GHIEN COM TAM
84 Dang Van Ngu, Phu Nhuan
195 Co Giang, Q1
COM GA XOI MO SU SU VIETNAMESE FRIED CHICKEN
55 Tu Xuong, Q3
COM TAM 40A COM TAM
40A Quoc Huong, Q2
MI QUANG
38 Dinh Tien Hoang, Q1 NAM GIAO BUN BO HUE
189 Bis Bui Vien, Q1 PHO DAU PHO BO
288/M1 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, Q3 PHO HOA PHO BO & PHO GA
260C Pasteur, Q3, Tel: (08) 3829 7943 PHO LE PHO BO
413-415 Nguyen Trai, Q5
BA NAM
PHO PHU GIA
BO KHO
PHO BO
Alleyway to the left of 162 Tran Nhan Tong, Q10
146E Ly Chinh Thang, Q3 THE LUNCH LADY
BANH CANH HOANG TY BANH CANH / TAY NINH CUISINE
23 Hoang Sa, Q1
TIEM COM GA HAI NAM BANH CUON
11A Cao Thang, Q3
Based north of Mui Ne in Central Vietnam, the foundation provides the children with a home, a family and an education. To help fund this programme, for every copy of our Word you get delivered direct to your door, we will donate VND50,000 to Mai Nha. At VND120,000 per month (minimum of six months), this is a small price to pay to help those in need.
DAILY CHANGING DISHES
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BANH CUON HAI NAM
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HAINANESE CHICKEN RICE
67 Le Thi Hong Gam, Q1, Tel: (08) 3821 7751
To arrange your home delivery, simply email trang@wordvietnam.com For more information on Mai Nha, click on mai-nha.org
wordvietnam.com | September 2015 Word | 183
BRIDALWEAR 3 Thang 2 C1
PAINTINGS Tran Phu D1 Bui Vien D3
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FABRICS Hai Ba Trung A3
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SHOES Nguyen Dinh Chieu C1, C2 Luu Van Lang C4
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The Final Say THE FINAL SAY
NATIONAL
The Inside Story of the Guerrilla War Land Problem in the Delta For a short answer as to who formed the National Front of Liberation, one would have to say Diem and Dulles. In a remarkably short time, Ngo Dinh Diem succeeded in alienating the main religious, social, political, national and economic forces in the country. With total U.S. support for every move he made, he violated all the rules. A Catholic in a country overwhelmingly Buddhist, he insisted on installing co-religionists in all key posts down to provincial and district level. Power, it is usually acknowledged, is based on a class, but Diem based it on a faction of a class; on dispossessed landlords who had fled from North Vietnam and his own landlord cronies from the centre, plus what was left of the old Mandarinate. All political parties, even the most reactionary, were driven underground and only the personal sections of Diem and his more diabolical brother Nhu, were permitted. The national minorities, whom the French in their time had made considerable efforts to win over, were treated by Diem as savages to be liquidated as soon as possible. Local industry and commerce were despised and crushed in favour of goods imported with U.S. dollar aid. The class on which Diem based his power, was outside the country. All real forces inside the country were driven into opposition. One error, more fatal than all the others, was to try and undo land reform, to seize back from the peasants the land distributed to them during the first resistance war. That the U.S. government — at his elbow all the time — supported and applauded every move, is only evidence of the naïveté of their whole approach to Asian problems. The Dollar and the Bomb for Diem and Dulles were a sufficient substitute for the classical forms of support governments hitherto had needed. “Although the Front was formed officially on December 20, 1960, it existed in fact before,” said Nguyen Huu Tho, when I asked him about the actual setting up of the NFL. “As an idea it existed from 1954 when the broadest sections of the population were delighted with the Geneva Agreements and our Saigon-Cholon Committee was formed as a sort of watchdog to ensure the strict application of the Agreements.
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Chapter 12: Frontal Assault For the next four issues, Word is presenting excerpts from Wilfred Burchett’s seminal account of the American War. A close friend of Ho Chi Minh, Burchett was the only westerner to be embedded with the Viet Cong frontlines in the early 1960s. This work was written in 1964 “When Diem set out to crush the religious sects and large areas of the Saigon suburbs were burnt out in the battle against the Binh Xuyen, committees were set up to give relief to the victims. These represented the broadest section of the population, but were immediately suppressed by Diem, and leading members were arrested and tortured. Once Diem had consolidated his power, he lashed out at all sections of the population, at all the political parties, the religious sects, the minorities and the peasantry. The latter were the most dynamic in resisting, and in return received the heaviest blows at the beginning. Of 500,000 hectares of land distributed during the first resistance, all but 15 percent was taken back by Diem. Sects and political parties that had no mass basis were quickly eliminated. Major minor racial groups like the Chinese and Khmer had to adopt Vietnamese language names and customs. Khmer schools were closed down. For the larger minority groups it was a policy of brutal assimilation; for the lesser groups one of extermination. No class, no religious or racial grouping was spared.” The assault against the peasantry was the greatest blunder of U.S.-Diemist policy. What happened in Central Vietnam was multiplied on a much larger scale in the South, especially in the Mekong Delta, the richest and most densely populated region of South Vietnam. In the 13 provinces of the Delta area were concentrated 5,700,000 of South Vietnam’s 14,000,000 population. The Delta was a region of big estates, with absentee landlords on the old European pattern, who lived in luxury in Saigon, with rents paid into their bank accounts by plantation managers, who travelled abroad and sent their children to study in France. At the time of the first resistance, there were
2,700 owners of over 100 hectares, including 244 owners of over 500 hectares. At the other end of the scale there were 86,000 peasant families with less than a hectare and hundreds of thousands of others who had nothing at all. The Delta is the country’s rice basket. It also had fruit, coconuts, fish and a valuable charcoal industry of a million tons a year, a major source of fuel for Saigon and other urban centres. During the war against the French, the land of absentee landlords — many of whom had acquired French nationality — was taken over and distributed to poor or landless peasants. In cases where landlords stayed on and did not collaborate with the French, rents were substantially reduced and old debts were canceled. About 350,000 of a total of 1,684,000 hectares of rice gelds were distributed. Of the big landowners, only about five percent continued to draw rents. Diem worked out a scheme with his American adviser on land reform, Ladejinsky, to get this land back again. At a landlords-peasants conference in Saigon in September 1956, the landlords demanded reinstatement, with rents fixed at 33 percent of crops. The plan, subsequently approved, was to force peasants on the distributed land to sign contracts under which they would pay amounts ranging from 15 to 25 percent of their crops in rent, but as the pro-Diem Saigon paper Tu Do (Liberty) reported on March 3, 1960: “The contracts fixed rents at 25 percent, but in fact the landlords were levying 45 to 50 percent as in the old days with no reduction even when the crops were bad.” Moreover, they tried to squeeze out back payments for all those years when no rent had been paid. Naturally the peasants resisted this, so
An altitude view of the Mekong Delta
“A Front was formed that reflected all the forces in South Vietnamese society that Diem and Dulles had alienated… The common factor that united them was a determination to overthrow the regime in Saigon and to set up one that would end foreign intervention and guarantee a minimum of democratic liberties” the tax and rent collectors were escorted by police and army units. Among other schemes adopted was one to force owners to sell land in excess of 100 hectares — which did not affect Diem’s land-owning friends in Central Vietnam — to make a pool of land available for sale to the landless peasantry. But this was at exorbitant prices. By July 1960, four years after the decree on forced sale of property over 100 hectares was
signed, only 90,000 hectares of land had been purchased by 41,000 peasant families. For the peasants — whether the extortions were in the form of rents, part payments, interest payments or back debts — the results were the same. The bad old days were there again, the rent and tax collectors with the police and army at their beck and call. The seeds for the classic form of a peasants’ uprising, resistance to the rent and
tax collectors, were sown. Nguyen Tu Quang, a member of the Liberation Front’s Executive Committee for An Xuyen province (formerly Ca Mau, the extreme southern tip of the Mekong Delta) gave me some details of how the Front was formed in his area. “People were desperate by 1959,” he explained. “They had tried all forms of legal struggle, individual petitions to the
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Wilfred Burchett with a local guerilla
National Assembly as well as to provincial and district organs. Everything fell on deaf ears. As individual actions failed, they started collective struggle, deputations of a whole hamlet or group of hamlets to local authorities, but the more the protests the severer the repression. It came to the point where patriotic elements could no longer remain at home; they fled to the forest to find other means of carrying on the struggle. There in the forests a national front of patriots fleeing persecution came into being spontaneously. We put our heads together as to how to fight back.” Nguyen Tu Quang himself was a tailor and also had to flee to the forest. “At 3am on February 13, 1960,” he continued, “junks and sampans started converging on the market at the Cai Nuoc. They were laden not only with the usual pigs, chickens and goats, but with people from all over the district. Khue, the district commissioner, a real brute of a man, had his offices overlooking the market, but he fled when he saw the big crowd that had assembled. The police commissioner mobilised all the police and with batons drawn, they ordered the crowd to disperse. We refused — we were around 4,000 by then — and locked arms when the police tried to lash out and arrest people. A couple of hundred soldiers were called out and together with the police they started making arrests. The whole crowd, together with the local market people, marched to the jail with the arrested people, kicked in the doors and
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released those arrested and others held from previous arrests. The troops were ordered to fix bayonets and charge. They couldn’t charge because the crowd was too thick, but they stabbed at the legs of the women in the front ranks; some were badly stabbed, but they continued marching, blood streaming down their legs. The police commissioner ordered the troops to fire on the crowd, but the soldiers shouted to us: “Keep your heads down and we’ll fire high.” So we lay down and they fired over our heads. There was a stalemate for a while; Chinese merchants and restaurant owners brought us tea and food. We kept shouting our demands to see Khue and eventually he had to appear. Furious as he was, Khue had to promise in front of the whole crowd that he would forward our petition to the government. “We doubted he would do it, but as a morale-builder for the people it was highly successful. We had some wounded, but we had freed people from the jail, humiliated Khue and staged a demonstration that we knew would soon become known all over the province. It had a big effect on the troops. A couple of dozen deserted on the spot. “It was the beginning of political-military warfare.”
The Religious Sects An important factor in the formation of the Front was the existence of the armed religious sects. After Diem drove the Binh Xuyen out of Saigon, he turned on the Cao Daists, using military pressures
and U.S.-financed bribes to win over the military chiefs. Later he used the chief Cao Daist general, Tran Minh The, to make a treacherous attack on the Binh Xuyen in their jungle hideout. During the action, Diemist agents shot The in the back of the head. The main Hoa Hao military leaders, Ba Cut and Nam Lua, after their forces had been defeated in battle, agreed to rally to Diem. On their way to a rendezvous to arrange this, they were captured by Diemist agents and beheaded. Diem thought he had been very clever, but for the rank and file in all the sects these were very sharp lessons. They were not very well up on politics, but treachery was something they understood. They had not been consulted about mergers with the Diem forces, but the manner in which their leaders had betrayed them and been betrayed themselves turned the rank and file of the sects against their traditional chiefs and Diem at the same time. By now, the remnants of the armed sects were in the Mekong Delta; the Cao Daists and Binh Xuyen in the Plain of Reeds near the Cambodian frontier, the Hoa Hao further south. Former resistance cadres made contact with them. The sects often lived on semi-banditry; they had no money and supplies, only arms, and used these to pillage the peasantry. The resistance people started to help them with shelter and food, and later with clothes, and brought their dispersed forces together, always stressing the prime importance of being at one with the people and never opposed to them. The Liberation Army was eventually formed partly on the basis of a merger of the rank and file of the forces from the three sects under the leadership of reliable, proven cadres of the first resistance war. An important step in forging a National Front, was the section in early 1960 of the Association of Ex-Resistance Members, formed by those who had survived the Diemist extermination machine. The association later developed into the People’s Revolutionary Party. I met one of the founders of this association, a burly, middle-aged veteran revolutionary, Tran Nam Trung. “When we were not using force to resist the unrestrained violence of the enemy,” he said, “the U.S.-puppets showed all their ferocity and inflicted enormous losses on us. But once we found a correct form of struggle, we learnt they were not as strong as they seemed. After we took the decision to form the National Front, to stand up and fight back, our losses were less. “We realised we had to face up to something new, the ‘special warfare’ as laid down by the U.S. No. 1 military theoretician, General Maxwell Taylor, and we soon came to the conclusion that we needed a combined military-political form of struggle. The great majority of people by the end of 1959 were united in wanting to overthrow the U.S.-Diemist regime. And while we couldn’t try and overthrow power at the centre, the
peasants did rise up in 1960-61 and in armed struggle seized power in the countryside. “We use the term ‘armed struggle’,” Trung said, a smile fleeting over his powerful, rather somber face, “but when the people rose up, they had no arms; they used hoes, knives, agricultural implements, jungle weapons, even billets of wood-but. In 1960, there were less than 1,000 firearms at our disposal in the whole of South Vietnam. But planes, tanks and artillery were powerless to suppress the uprising. Although it was the peasants who rose up, they had the support of other sections of the population.” At the time, the Buddhists were suffering considerable persecution, as were Catholic peasants and fishermen who had been tricked into leaving the North in 1954-55 under a Diem-created impression that the Virgin Mary had deserted North Vietnam for the South, and the ‘infidels’ that remained would be wiped out by nuclear bombs. The Catholic émigrés were being shot down and imprisoned for demanding either repatriation to the North again or fulfillment of pledges to provide them with homes and land or jobs. Buddhists and émigré Catholics were enthusiastic supporters of forming a broad front to fight for basic democratic rights, as were the religious sects, the Khmer and other ethnic minority groups, and the various associations that had mushroomed into existence.
The Nature of the Front So a Front was formed that reflected all the forces in South Vietnamese society that Diem and Dulles had alienated. Among the leaders with Nguyen Huu Tho when we had our first meeting, were a Catholic priest and high dignitaries of the Buddhist and Cao Dai religions, an architect, a pharmaceutical chemist, a journalist, the commander-in-chief of the Binh Xuyen armed forces, and a peasant. Among those I met elsewhere were another lawyer — apart from Nguyen Huu Tho — a radio engineer, a writer and dramatist, a journalist, a woman schoolteacher, a professional revolutionary, and a chief of the Rhade ethnic minority who represented the tribespeople of the Tay Nguyen. The common factor that united them was a determination to overthrow the regime in Saigon and to set up one that would end foreign intervention and guarantee a minimum of democratic liberties. A detailed programme was worked out when the NFL held its first congress in February to March 1962. It provided for independence and neutrality in foreign affairs, diplomatic relations with all states, and foreign aid from all who would give it without strings, and moderate reform policies in internal affairs. “Our programme reflects the broad nature of the Front and the forces represented in it,” said Nguyen Huu Tho. “We are in favour of land to the peasants for instance, but not systematic confiscation; we are for reduction of rents but for the maintenance of present property rights except in the case of traitors.
Landlords who have not supported the U.S. puppets have nothing to fear. We respect the economic liberty of industrial and economic enterprises, legitimate property rights of foreigners and to a certain extent we are not opposed to foreign investments. Above all, the Front stands for democratic liberties, freedom of speech, assembly and movement, and in our liberated areas these basic freedoms do really exist.” The Front’s armed forces were of three types: self-defense guerillas, regional guerillas and regular army. Self-defense guerillas are local village units, usually peasants by day and guerillas by night. Their primary task is to defend their own villages but also to carry out road destruction and neutralize enemy forces in the immediate vicinity of their villages. They usually rely a good deal on rudimentary arms, including a great variety of traps. Regional troops are on a more permanent basis, drawn from the region, perhaps a province or several provinces, which they are assigned to defend. Their job is to deal with enemy forces stationed in their region; to pin them down, harass or frustrate their operations. The regular army, based largely at first on the fusion of the remnants of the forces of the armed sects but which grew rapidly later with generous infusions of new blood from the peasantry, was to deal with the enemy’s mobile reserves and carry out military operations of their own, destruction of posts, counter “mopping up” operations, and so on.
Throughout 1961, there were peasant uprisings all over the country, mainly taking the form of cleaning the Diemist officials out of their villages and setting up local, elected bodies. “The great thing,” said Tran Nam Trung, “was that the peasants rose up and became the real masters of the countryside; they could end for all time the type of repression suffered in the preceding years. The greater part of Saigon authority was disrupted. “In 1961, before Diem started the ‘strategic hamlets’ scheme inside the liberated areas, we had approached Saigon and other urban centres; our forces were right alongside the strategic highways.” By that time, Diem was in very great danger. It was because of this that the USA decided to intervene by launching ‘special warfare’ within the framework of the Staley-Taylor plan. The principal points of the plan were: 1) To create a no-man’s land along the l7th parallel, and along the frontiers with Laos and Cambodia, by destroying all villages there and using air-sprayed chemicals to destroy the jungle, and thus isolate the liberated areas from the outside world. 2) To set up 16,000 ‘strategic hamlets’ into which two thirds of the whole population of the South would be concentrated. By doing that, they calculated to isolate all the resistance forces from the population. 3) Once the above two measures were completed, there would be a general military offensive to wipe out all organised resistance forces. The first part of the plan was to have been
Collecting coconuts in the Mekong Delta
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completed by the end of 1962, but things worked out somewhat differently, despite the setting up of a U.S. military command in Saigon under General Paul Harkins and the gradual build-up of some 25,000 U.S. military ‘advisers’ and ‘instructors’ in South Vietnam.
Tug of War If 1961 was a Front year, 1962 however must be largely credited to Saigon. With U.S. aid in men and materials pouring in from the end of 1961, a major effort was made to re-install Diemist power in the countryside. The use of helicopters and amphibious tanks to increase rapidity of movement and to avoid the devastating ambushes that the Diemist troops invariably fell into when they moved by road or river, caught the guerillas off balance at first. High mobility is something new in guerilla warfare — America’s only ‘special warfare’ tactical innovation. The drive to set up ‘strategic hamlets’ was also a problem for NFL organizers and an additional hardship for the population. Set up under the guns of military posts, swathed in several rows of barbed wire or bamboo palisades with mine-filled moats in between and a fantastic system of espionage and controls inside, the ‘strategic hamlet’ represented Diem’s maximum hope of re-imposing his control in the countryside. It was a scheme that had total U.S. support and billions of dollars were spent. The ‘strategic hamlet’ scheme looked very efficient on paper, as a means of preventing contact between villagers and resistance leaders. One fatal weakness was that it turned even the most passive and resigned among the population against Saigon. People were forced to abandon villages and soil they had tilled for generations, and to abandon the graves of their ancestors — a very serious thing in Asia. They had to watch while Diemist troops hacked down their fruit trees, filled in their fishponds and burned their homes. Freedom of movement was ended; peasants could only move outside the barbed wire to till fields immediately around the perimeter of the compounds and only in daylight hours; controlled and searched as they left the heavily guarded gateway, they were always at the mercy of armed hoodlums. Although it was difficult for Front organizers to penetrate them, the ‘strategic hamlets’ were rich soil in which to sow seeds of resistance. One of the very first ‘strategic hamlets’ in Central Vietnam was set up at Ky-Lô in the Dong Xuan District of Phu Yen. Le Van Chien, a high cadre of the NFL, told me that the Front attached great importance to dismantling this particular hamlet because of the effect it would have on morale, “the enemy’s and ours,” as he put it. “The difficulty was how to get in,” said Chien, a stocky, grey-haired veteran in his early 60s, one of the oldest Front cadres I met. “We had no guerilla base in that
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district and it was heavily fortified and guarded. Because it was a pilot project, the Diemists had also selected the toughest, roughest hoodlums to run it. We knew the gate opened at 7am and the buffalo were taken out first, boys on their backs in the traditional way. After taking the beasts to pasture, the boys returned to the compound for their early morning meal. We selected the youngest looking of our lads and when the buffalo boys came outside, we persuaded them to change clothes and it was our lads who went back in, in units of ten. The sleepy-eyed guards paid no attention; our lads went straight to the administrative headquarters, where the Diemist big shots were still asleep and rounded them all up; we had a fairly complete dossier on every one of them. They were really a prize lot, 13 altogether. People started tumbling out of their houses and could hardly believe it when they saw their oppressors tied up and very meek and begging the chance to apologise to the people and ask their mercy. “The villagers wanted us to kill all 13, but we executed four. Another five we sentenced to prison terms and four who freely admitted their crimes on the spot and promised to repent, we set free. The local Diemist garrison, which had no stomach for a fight, surrendered and we took their arms. “Our calculations were correct and news of this soon spread. People in 13 other ‘strategic hamlets’ in the same district rose up, dismantled the barbed wire and palisades, went back to their original villages and set up self-defense units. That was early in 1962. In March of that year, the Diemists launched their first famous Sea Swallow operation with a whole division and boasted they would wipe out the Viet Cong within a month. They did succeed in herding people back into some of the hamlets. But the people destroyed them again as soon as they withdrew. The struggle could not develop everywhere as in Phu Yen. Although it had the most unfavourable conditions for guerilla warfare in Central Vietnam, it was a paradise compared to the flat Mekong Delta, which had no mountains and only forest in the unpopulated mangrove swamps bordering the coastal areas. During 1962, helicopter-borne troops took a fairly heavy toll of resistance fighters and there was a period when Front leadership almost decided the price was too high, that resistance in the Delta should cease and regular Front armed forces should withdraw to bases in the mountains. “But when we discussed this,” one of the military leaders told me, “we realised in the bottom of our hearts that to withdraw from the Delta would mean never to return. It would mean to abandon the most revolutionary region, the foyer of the first uprising against the French in November 1940 and of the first resistance war in 1945. Millions of Delta peasants had vested their confidence in us: to desert them would be a terrible defeat.”
By the end of 1962, Diem had not been able to set up his 16,000 strategic hamlets, but he had set up many thousands and reestablished some sort of nominal control in regions which a year previously had been solidly Front-controlled. The tug-of-war struggle never ceased. Sometimes the outer fortifications were never completed, sometimes they were destroyed by the peasants themselves the very night on which they were completed. The blame always placed on the Viet Cong and with a complaint to the local Diemist authorities: “Why were you not here to protect us.” In terms of territory and population, Diem made a considerable comeback in 1962; in terms of winning popular support, he lost out heavily. In strictly military terms, the U.S.-Diemist forces registered a number of successes and held the strategic and tactical initiative. But this situation was dramatically reversed in the very first days of 1963. In planning their anti-insurgency tactics, the American Saigon command was able to pool experiences from worldwide anti-guerilla operations since World War II — from General Van Fleet’s experiences in Greece in 1946 to those of American advisers in the Philippines against the Hukbalahap; the British in Kenya and Malaya; the Kuomintang in China, not to mention those of the French in Indo-China and in Algeria, where helicopters were used in anti-guerilla operations for the first time. But the Liberation Front, through the representatives it was able to get abroad in a remarkably short time, was also able to draw on experience from China and Korea to Cuba and Algeria. If British experiments with concentration camp villages in Malaya and the French use of centres de regroupement and helicopterborne troops in Algeria were valuable for the U.S. command, the development of antihelicopter tactics by the FLN in Algeria was no less precious for the Liberation Front. So a world pooling of guerilla and anti-guerilla experiences went into operation in this very special war in South Vietnam. If 1961 could be considered a Front year and 1962 was Diem’s year, in the tug-of-war for power, the Ap Bac battle was a good auger for the Front as to whose year 1963 was to be. That battle, proved to be a turning point; by the time 1963 was over, there was no longer a Diemist regime. Wilfred Burchett was an Australian reporter often described at the ‘rebel journalist’ for his stories about the American War ‘from the other side’. After years of being at odds with the Australian government, last year the Melbourne Press Club inducted him into their Hall of Fame. Burchett was also the journalist to break the scoop of the 20th century — the devastation caused by dropping nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Special thanks to George Burchett for allowing us to republish this work. Please note that some of the language in this piece has been changed to reflect its modern-day spelling
Even the normally pacifist Buddhists were involved in the NF
Armed action in the Delta
Nguyen Van Ngoi
“For the peasants — whether the extortions were in the form of rents, part payments, interest payments or back debts — the results were the same. The bad old days were there again, the rent and tax collectors with the police and army at their beck and call”
Boats on the Mekong
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The Last Call Dao Van Viet is on a solo mission to clean up Vietnam’s beaches. Now he needs your help The first time I collected litter of a beach was... in
2000 when I was on vacation in Thai Binh and then Cua Lo in Nghe An. It was for fun and unserious. I picked up the litter I saw or put the litter bins back in place. Whenever I arrived, I spent about 20 minutes collecting and gathering litter. Then I left.
The reason I do this... is I love the sea, love to spend time with fishing villagers and enjoy discovering hidden beaches. I don’t expect to change people’s thoughts and awareness. I just want to give them a little cleanliness and comfort. I travel... with my bicycle. I just put everything from clothes and medicine to kitchenware and my sleeping bag on it. Then I cycle away. I am obsessed with bicycle touring... because it
provides precious experience. I love to travel by bicycle and collect litter off beaches at the same time. It also helps me to be cautious and train my endurance and patience. Cycling takes time.
When people see me collecting litter off beaches... they stare at me, curious,
and make some negative comments under their breath. Some have a conversation with me and say “thanks” when they discover I am from Hanoi and am doing this for free. Some just say: “Why are you doing this? Soon there will be more litter!”
My Facebook friends usually... tell me not to do this
feeling...
is Ca Mau Cape. It’s the southernmost point of Vietnam and believed to be sacred. Everyone should go there once in their life. So tourists come and take photos. They then post them on Facebook. But when they leave the beach, they leave a lot of litter behind. I collected around 30 plastic bottles, although the litter bins were right there on the beach.
Collecting litter...
has to be prepared and includes many stages. Normally, I spend at least one day to get everything including gloves, masks, tools, clothes, big bags, posters and my bicycle ready. I also need to contact local authorities for some support (and this usually takes three days). After the collecting’s done, posters will be placed in important places to try and spread the word about keeping the beach clean.
In the four times I have asked other people for support... only one time
worked. It was at Duy Hai (near Cua Dai, Hoi An). A group of people was sent out to help me. People usually promise me to lend a hand, but they lack enthusiasm. I remember when I was at Rang Beach (Chu Lai, Nui Thanh). I had to spend two days, from 7am to 6pm, to finish the beach by myself.
The weirdest thing... is
that some people don’t want to help me at all, don’t want to understand. They get annoyed because they think what I am doing affects their daily life.
I’m the kind of person...
because it’s not my business, or it is not effective. I have to campaign to get people to believe in me.
who loves to travel and do things to help others. I’m ready to quit my job to make these dreams come true.
Beaches and provinces I have been to include...
Now I hope...
Quang Ninh, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Thai Binh, The Central Regions, Quang Nam... Last August, I was in Ca Mau.
The beach that has given me the most unpleasant
I can get some support from organisations to help draw people into this, to raise awareness about the need to keep Vietnam’s beaches clean. Check out Van Viet’s activities at facebook.com/baibienxanh or keepthebeachesclean.blogspot.com
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