Word Vietnam December 2014

CHUYÊN ĐỀ DU LỊCH, ẨM THỰC

NHÀ XUẤT BẢN LAO ĐỘNG

W OR DV IE TN AM .C OM

VIETNAM EDITION DECEMBER 2014

contents

wordvietnam.com

DECEMBER 2014

068

108

092

THE TALK

INSIDER

EAT & DRINK

010 / Of Road Closures, Bulldozers 062 / The Most Interesting Tailor and Metro Systems in Saigon

The road project that’s stopping traffic

011 / The Big Five

Events to look out for this month

BRIEFINGS 012 / A Bender with Beckham

Celebrity parties get so crazy sometimes!

014 / The Axis of Not Cricket

Leg before wicket? Go back to jumping rope

018 / Who Let the Dogs Out?

The Danes did

Getting fitted by one of Saigon’s true originals

064 / Reconstructing the Capital

Hanoi’s transit solutions come to bear

068 / The 1st Annual Wordie Awards

Our salute to the things that have defined 2014

092 / Beneath the Wrapper

A journey into Vietnam’s cocoa revival

098 / Zone 9: One Year Later

Hanoi’s cultural martyr still casts a spell

106 / Mystery Diner Hanoi

Crystal Jade Palace gives Hanoi some Chinese flavour

107 / Street Snacker Hanoi

On the menu: Xoi

108 / Mystery Diner HCMC

Racha Room is going crazy with Thai cuisine

109 / Street Snacker HCMC

On the menu: Bun Cha Ca Da Nang

FASHION 110 / Winter in Hanoi

Before everyone starts looking miserable

102 / Murder on the Red Carpet

018

Saigon Murder Mysteries are getting themselves a bit of a rep

110

contents

116

126

192

HCMC

TRAVEL 116 / Rwanda

Passport-eating dogs, volcanoes and gorillas

122 / The Bluffs Ho Tram

Number 6 on our HCMC judges’ top destinations!

126 / Bien Hoa

Number 36 on our HCMC judges’ top destinations...

134 / Travel Promos HANOI 050 / To-Do List 058 / Overscene 135 / Hanoi City Guide 138 / Recalling Hanoi 140 / Coffee Cup 145 / Food Promos

4 | Word December 2014 | wordvietnam.com

162 / Body and Temple

036 / To-Do List

172 / The Empty Wok

048 / Overscene

176 / A World of Good

155 / HCMC City Guide 164 / Coffee Cup 168 / Top Eats A 174 / Top Eats B COLUMNS 144 / Student Eye 146 / The Alchemist 150 / The Therapist

184 / Tieng Viet FINAL SAY 188 / The Inside Story of the Guerrilla War

Chapter 3 of Wilfred Burchett’s classic account

192 / The Far Side

Vietnamese students abroad in Adelaide

196 / The Last Call

Sweden’s ambassador is leading by example

152 / Medical Buff 154 / Book Buff 158 / Business Buff 160 / Job Search

196

CONTRIBUTORS

This month we asked our Word team for their highly-subjective, possibly-controversial picks of the best food and drink in Vietnam: ED WEINBERG Deputy Editor HCMC Happy Hour Pick: onTop Bar Lately, the only place I can think of for a happy hour drink is the Novotel Saigon Centre’s onTop Bar. With a 20-storey vantage, a 5pm to 8pm half-price deal and drinks that err away from the sweet side of things, my drinking buddies can ignore the fact that it’s also only two blocks from my house.

FRANCIS XAVIER Staff Photographer HCMC Working Space Pick: The Workshop A good café to me has to have good coffee, good food, a good space, good music and good light. For a few years L’Usine fulfilled all of these criteria (they make one of the best eggs dishes in town, fyi), until I walked up two sets of old colonial wooden stairs to find The Workshop café. Then I found a table by a giant window that overlooks The Grand Hotel. Feeling like I was back in Graham Greene’s time, I was sold.

NICK ROSS Chief Editor HCMC Sandwich Pick: Quoc Huong banh mi My favourite sandwich in Saigon comes from a little banh mi stall on the Quoc Huong-Xuan Thuy intersection in District 2. Every morning the vendor stands outside the cart in shorts, a white sleeveless t-shirt and a bum bag. For VND10,000 I get the works and it tastes great.

JULIE VOLA Photographer Hanoi Cosiest Café Pick: Joma It’s convenient — it might not be the best latté or best decorated café in town, but it’s comfy and cosy.

HOA LE Staff Editor Hanoi Wintertime Street Food Pick: Hotpot I love going with a group of friends when I have street food. In winter, going for a hotpot is always tempting.

We often go for lau vit (duck hotpot) on Giang Van Minh, lau hai san (seafood hotpot) on Tran Vu or lau bo nhung dam (beef hotpot) on Thai Phien.

The editorial and design of WORD is carried out by Duong Huynh Advertising JSC

EDITORIAL NICK ROSS Chief Editor editor@wordvietnam.com

ED WEINBERG Deputy Editor ed@wordvietnam.com

MADS MONSEN Creative Director mads@wordvietnam.com

HOA LE Staff Editor hoale@wordvietnam.com

KYLE PHANROY Photo Editor kyle@wordvietnam.com

DAVID MANN Staff Editor david.mann@wordvietnam.com

FRANCIS XAVIER Staff Reporter francis.xavier@wordvietnam.com

DAVID HARRIS Staff Photographer david@wordvietnam.com

MARK ALLAN Website & Graphic Designer mark@wordvietnam.com

NGUYEN LOC Layout Designer loc@wordvietnam.com

VU HA KIM VY Marketing vy@wordvietnam.com

JON ASPIN Staff Writer jon@wordvietnam.com

ADMINISTRATION BAO ROSS General Director bao@wordvietnam.com

TRANG LE Chief Accountant trang@wordvietnam.com

ADVERTISING BAO ROSS General Director bao@wordvietnam.com

TRINH BUI Sales Executive trinh@wordvietnam.com

CHAU GIANG Area Sales Manager Hanoi giang@wordvietnam.com

DISTRIBUTION trinh@wordvietnam.com

SUBSCRIPTIONS trang@wordvietnam.com

For advertising enquiries please call Ms Bao on +84 938 609 689 or Ms Giang on +84 934 640 668 Special thanks to Julie Vola, Glen Riley, Katie Jacobs, Huyen Tran, Dana McNairn, Karen Gay, Douglas Holwerda, Truong from Bookworm, Riccha Arora, Phil Kelly, Shane Dillon, Family Medical Practice, Lisa Johnson, Nicola Connolly, Owen Salisbury, Niko Savvas, Simon Stanley, Harry Hodge, Tae Jun Park, George Burchett, Danny Armstrong, Frankie Randle, Lucy Sexton and all of our judges

Word is a registered trademark. No content may be reproduced in any form without prior authorisation of the owners.

DAVID HARRIS Staff Photographer Hanoi Cocktail Pick: CAMA ATK’s Negroni My favourite drink is without a doubt the Negroni from CAMA ATK.

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CHUYÊN ĐỀ DU LỊCH & ẨM THỰC ISBN: 978-604-59-1962-0

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Nhà xuất bản Lao Động 175 Giảng Võ, Hà Nội ĐT: + 84 4 3851 5380 Fax: + 84 4 3851 5381 Chi nhánh phía Nam 85 Cách Mạng Tháng Tám, Q.1, TP. HCM ĐT: +84 8 3839 0970 Fax: +84 8 3925 7205 Email: cn–nxbld@vnn.vn

Chịu trách nhiệm xuất bản: Võ Thị Kim Thanh Biên tập: Hồ Phương Lan Sửa bản in: Nick Ross Trình bày: Bao Ross Bìa: Duong Huynh Advertising JSC

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In đến 15.000 cuốn, khổ 20.5 x 27cm In tại Công Ty TNHH MTV In Trần Phú 71–73–75 Hai Bà Trưng, Q. 1, TP. HCM. www.tranphuprint.com Số ĐKKHXB: 1476-2014/CXB/06-127/LĐ QĐXB SỐ: 80/QĐCN-LĐ. Ngày 28/11/2014.

In xong và nộp lưu chiểu Qúy 4 năm 2014.

The prelude out as a simple Best of 2014 ended up as something else — our first annual awards.

The Wordies.

Putting them together was both rewarding yet difficult.

On the one hand we tried to maintain an element of The Best of 2014. If you read the first section of the cover story, you’ll see that we’ve managed to do this. Yet we were also determined to get a voting system going, to get a real sense of what are the best

restaurants, bars, cafés, destinations, beer clubs and night clubs in Vietnam. To do this we enlisted the help of 60 judges. Our thanks goes out to every single one of them.

The other issue was the time factor. By the time we received our judges’ responses, we only had a week to write everything up, source photos and lay everything out. That we achieved this was due to a quite phenomenal team effort.

So on this front a

huge shout out for David Mann, Hoa Le, Ed Weinberg, Kyle Phanroy, Kim Vy and Nguyen Loc for all the last minute work they put in to make this happen.

As ever, we hope you enjoy the issue.

And if two lots of Thanksgivings haven’t already destroyed your appetite for turkey, we hope you get your well-needed dose this Christmas.

Happy Holidays!

— Nick Ross, Chief Editor

CHUYÊN ĐỀ DU LỊCH, ẨM THỰC

VIETNAM EDITION DECEMBER 2014

W OR DV IE TN AM .C OM

T

he festive season is upon us, and as ever it’s an opportunity to overdose on an excess of food and drink, look back on the past 12 months and reflect on our expanding waistlines. With Tet on the horizon, it’s also a chance to look ahead.

However, Tet arrives late this year. So we decided to take a retrospective approach and leave our crystal ball predictions to January. What started

NHÀ XUẤT BẢN LAO ĐỘNG

THIS MONTH'S COVER Cover by DH Advertising Illustration by Vu Ha Kim Vy

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.

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.

Get Your Credits Right

I’ve delayed writing this, as I enjoy your magazine.

However, in the November 2014 issue of Word, you credited the wrong photographer on p.199 of The Final Say. What went wrong? Alisher Sharip is a professional photographer and I only sent his photo of me for publication on condition that he was credited. Instead, you credited David Harris.

This error came despite the fact that I’d exchanged at least three emails with [your writer] Katie Jacobs about the photo, one of which was definitely forwarded to you. These confirmed the photographer’s name was Alisher Sharip. — Alison Bate Word would like to apologise to both Alisher Sharip and Alison Bate for the error.

Print Lives On I didn’t realise how big you were getting. It gets better all the time. And you seem to have lots of adverts, too. I know the other mags are smaller, but they also seem to have a lot of ads. Maybe the internet isn’t killing everything after all. — SM

Cooking up a Storm

insider

INSIDER

NATIONAL

The World of Expat Facebook Groups C

Whether its snakepits of despair you’re looking for or that small-town feeling you’ve been missing, the expat groups of Facebook supply that little touch of connection that we all occasionally need.

Words by Niko Savvas Illustrations by Vu ha Kim Vy

riticising other people’s use of Facebook is terribly passé, like saying you enjoy The Beatles or hate racism. For all of its faults (and there are many), this social media superpower has become an indispensable part of life for billions of people around the world. Whether we ‘like’ it or not, we live in the Age of Facebook. Terrible puns are only one consequence of its near-universal popularity.

Personal opinions aside, it’s hard to argue that Facebook doesn’t serve many useful purposes. From the Arab Spring to the Hong Kong protests, it has given a voice to the voiceless and opened the world’s eyes to injustices that once might have gone unnoticed. Facebook helps charities raise money for worthy causes, keeps distant family members connected, and enables fledgling artists to reach new audiences.

It’s also a convenient place to sell your motorbike.

that never coincide with my days off. In general my experience has been positive.

Yet I can’t shake my primordial loathing of these forums; a sentiment also held by most of my friends and coworkers. The mere mention of a group post is usually greeted by sympathetic moans, as if we were discussing war-torn Syria instead of cyberspace threads.

If you’ve spent a decent amount of time in Vietnam, you probably have your own horror stories of boorish and moronic behavior online. Anecdotally it seems safe to say that expat Facebook forums are the refuge of the stupid and the mean-spirited.

But how much of this is selective memory?

Are our assumptions based on facts or biases? I decided to investigate.

Hanoi Massive Most Succulent Trollbait — An entrepreneur offers to sell two cans of 333 beer for VND15,000 or trade them for an iPhone (76 likes, 24 comments) — A man shares his ‘terrible English lesson’ centred around a tired BDSM joke, comparative insults and euphemisms for fat people (34 likes, 20 comments)

of writing might be a controversy next Tuesday), Hanoi Massive seemed like a remarkably civil group of people. There were few profanity-laced tirades or threats of physical violence. Vitriolic bigotry was almost nonexistent. Solicitations for advice were generally answered sincerely, instead of ‘go f-ck yourself’ or ‘if u dont like it go home!!!’.

The tolerance (and apathy) of the Massive was astounding — a suggestive photo of a woman in ‘cellulite-eliminating lingerie’ failed to inspire a single diatribe about sexist marketing or uppity feminists. Instead, it was roundly ignored.

Apparently everybody had something better to do, like painting or digging for snails.

If the Illuminati were monitoring Hanoi Massive, which they most certainly are, they would find little to cause alarm. It reminded me of an idyllic small town online — folks buying and selling, sharing recipes, looking for jobs and love. A couple of sourpusses moaning about the skateboards and the rap music, but what can you do? There are grouches everywhere.

“Ngoc, thank you.

I’m not interested in cosplay”

After last month’s article, The World of Expat Facebook Groups (p. 62, November 2014), a little Facebook storm kicked off on Expats in Ho Chi Minh City. Here was what group administrator, Samuel Faith, had to say about the piece.

Samuel Faith: I’m so glad WORD didn’t decide to point fingers at any admins.

Not really agreeing with the premise of the article. And at least, AsiaLIFE and others approached us to ask before writing. Gutless much, WORD editors?

Depending on the Kindness of Strangers

For expats in Vietnam, Facebook forums can be an invaluable resource. Need an English-speaking ophthalmologist? Ask Facebook. Interested in taking Vietnamese lessons? A horde of eager, moderately priced tutors await your reply. Want to know if that oozing wound on your foot is infected? Skip the hospital; just share a picture and wait for the crowd-sourced diagnoses to pour in.

I’ve used expat Facebook forums to find apartments, plan romantic getaways, and to discover exciting social events

The Methodology

I focused on the main expat groups in Vietnamese cities with a large number of foreigners: Hanoi Massive, Danang Hoi An Expats and Expats in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). I surveyed the first 100 posts in each group and categorised them into four types: — General Inquiries and Comments — Buying/Selling — Events — Trollbait

To determine which posts qualified as Trollbait, I followed the rigorous standards of Judge Potter Stewart’s ruling on pornography: you know it when you see it.

Let’s start in the north.

Words of Wisdom

— 333 + 333 = 666. Get outta here with your devil beers!

— I don’t care about your bloody beer, I just wish someone could tell me where to buy some rice?

— I’m sure I won’t need to look far as you’ll be cowering in the corner behind your computer screen, abusing people on the Internet to satisfy your own insecurities.

— Where exactly is that community of sluts?

— Ngoc, thank you. I’m not interested in cosplay.

Analysis

Keeping in mind the limitations of small sample sizes and the unpredictable nature of viral trends (a non-story at the time

Hanoi Massive

T OTAL M EMBERS : 19,881 (Oct. 13)

P ERCENTAGE

OF

P OSTS :

— General Inquiries and Comments – 36% — Buying/Selling – 45% — Events – 17% — Trollbait – 2%

wordvietnam.com | November 2014 Word | 63

62 | Word November 2014 | wordvietnam.com

Storms and Teacups Really glad you wrote that piece on Facebook Groups (p. 62, November 2014). Got some real idiots posting on there. What would I give to meet a few them face to face and get them to say their comments out loud. Cowards. — PQ The groups are useful, but some of the posters need to get the hell out of Vietnam. Top level jobs are being localized, work permits and visas are harder to obtain. Some of the people on there add fuel to the fire, and given even more reason to get all us foreigners out of this country. Me? I’m determined to stay. — AR

8 | Word December 2014 | wordvietnam.com

the talk

THE TALK

TALK LEAD

Of Road Closures, Bulldozers and Metro Systems Work on the Saigon Metro System is in full flow. But not everyone’s jumping for joy

T

o all you Hanoians out there, imagine half the road circumventing Hoan Kiem lake being closed off. Not for a couple of days in honour of a meteoric cultural event, but for six months.

Yes, people of Hanoi, that’s what the Saigonese are suffering from at this very moment. A city centre split in two due to the closure of that thoroughfare, Nguyen Hue, as well as part of Le Loi, and part of Le Thanh Ton for good measure. It’s chaos.

Well, not exactly. But rush hours have become bit of a nightmare and crossing downtown from West to East or East to West can get a little unpleasant.

Okay, we know you’re laughing. Them upstarts down south don’t deserve nothing, right? But you see, oh people of Hanoi, the cause of all this is a good one. Unlike you unfortunate people who have to suffer four seasons and bone-chilling winters, Ho Chi Minh City is getting a metro system.

But not just any old metro system. This one comes with underground shopping malls stretching from Saigon’s most famous landmark, Ben Thanh Market, to its other most famous landmark, The Opera House.

In between it passes an even more famous landmark, the former Town Hall, now the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Building. There’s no messing about here — this one’s big.

10 | Word December 2014 | wordvietnam.com

As for you guys, up north, well if you’re lucky you’ll get a skytrain. We hear it’s only in the discussion phase, so don’t worry.

We reckon you’ve got a few years yet. So while down south there is frustration and increased congestion, you guys can sit back and relax over a bia hoi or four and contemplate how wonderful the world is.

Mumble and Grumble Even though Saigon knows the metro system can only be positive, this street closure thingumajig hasn’t been taken too well, oh people of the north. Yes, people are complaining. Businesses are shouting high murder, and residents, no longer the happy, happy people of yesteryear are grumbling over their café sua da, their copies of Tuoi Tre and their phablets. It’s become infectious.

You see, for those unfortunate to be located on the closed off streets, business is down, very down. 60 percent, we are told.

Even 70 percent. And of course, there was no forewarning. The streets were just blocked off and that was that.

The cleverer business owners, like our friends at Pendolasco, are using this as an excuse to refurbish. Yes, with business down, now is the time to freshen up for the reopening of the city centre. But these people are in the minority.

You see, what all those poor people down south just don’t understand is that the metro

system is being built for the greater good.

And during the construction phase, those hard-off Saigonese just have to grit their teeth and bear it. The last time them people of Ho Chi Minh City were told of a huge change to the city centre, the destruction of Eden Mall, there were protests and non-compliant residents, and banners and all sorts of obtrusive, unwelcome events. The Vincom project to build a new Vincom, now called Union Square, got held up. It cost money.

And then when they tried to clear the whole of Thu Thiem, that sinking swamp area in District 2 on the other side of the Saigon River, some of the residents just refused to let those bulldozers bulldoze their houses. It took years and even now, the odd house or two has remained.

So, this time, things are different. Yes, the roads will be open again for Apr. 30, the 40th anniversary celebration of the liberation of Saigon, and yes the centre of Ho Chi Minh City will be all modern and crispy clean and characterful just like Singapore. But there can be no delays.

But to do this and to have that beloved metro system Ho Chi Minh City so desires, so it can ease congestion and become a member of the ‘I’m an important city because I’ve got a metro system’ club, sacrifices just have to be made.

To all you Hanoians out there, you’ll be next. It’s fun! We promise! — Nick Ross

the big five

02,03,05,06

1

DEC.

HANOI / DANANG / HCMC STABIL ELITE

You could call them Cut Copy meets Kraftwerk — a psychedelic Krautrock dance experience back-ended by some pouty, preppy instrumentalists. As electric as their sound is, they’re not well-known out here — which is why Goethe-Institut is doing us a service in bringing them out.

They’ll be hitting Hanoi, Danang and Ho Chi Minh City in addition to Phnom Penh and Manila for eight dates in December,

07

3

DEC. SUNDAY HCMC

giving us a little electro-pop intel from the land where it was born.

Stabil Elite play the Youth Theatre Hanoi at 11 Ngo Thi Nham, Hai Ba Trung, Hanoi, Dec. 2 at 8pm; Danang University at 131 Luong Nhu Hoc, Quan Cam Le, Danang, Dec. 3 at 8pm; Bach Viet College at 194 Le Duc Tho, Go Vap, HCMC, Dec. 5 at 8pm; Ben Thanh Theatre at 6 Mac Dinh Chi, Q1, HCMC, Dec. 6 at 8pm. For more info, go to goethe.de/ vietnam

11,12,13

2

DEC.

HCMC CAROLS AT THE CONVENT

Get your sing on this month at St Paul’s Convent Chapel. On Dec. 5 and 6, the International Choir and Orchestra of Ho Chi Minh City will hold its annual charity Christmas concert. Entry is by donation, there will be a silent auction and all proceeds support children’s charities Loreto Vietnam-Australia and Dust of Life (Poussières de Vie). Artistic Director Brian Riedlinger will be pulling the (heart) strings.

St Pauls Convent Chapel is at 4 Ton Duc Thang, Q1, HCMC. The concert starts at 7.30pm, and entry is by donation. There are no reservations, so seats are at a first-come, first-serve basis

DEC.

HANOI

4

CAMA ATK TURNS THREE

To celebrate three years of not renting other people’s venues bringing live music and DJs to a venue they can call their own, CAMA is putting on a three-day extravaganza from Dec. 11 to Dec. 13.

Starting with Mumbai experimental act, Pinnochio’s Moment of Clarity, on Dec. 11, the celebrations will continue with Florida duo Tonstartssbandht on the 12th and hiphop DJ Jon Kennedy on the 13th.

For more info go to page 52 or click on camaatk.com

SAIGON COMIC CON 2014

While the manga scene is longestablished, and there are two cosplay-inspired cafés in town, Spiderman and Catwoman wannabes are woefully underserved in Saigon.

Enter Saigon’s first comic con, the latest international trend to hit our fair shores and feed our taste for the new. Though the organisers are new to the scene, they’re pulling some powerful strings, and all the finest gamers, cosplay artists, freaks and geeks are expected to make it out.

Saigon Comic Con 2014 is at the Phu Tho Indoor Stadium, 1 Lu Gia, Q11, HCMC. Doors open 10am and go to 8pm. Tickets are VND150,000 in advance, VND180,000 at the door. See our feature on page 30, or go to facebook.com/comicconhcm

05&06

19&20

5

DEC.

HANOI / HCMC JOHN MORALES

Straight out of the Bronx in New York, and one of the pioneers of the disco mix, John Morales will be playing two gigs in Vietnam this month — Dec. 19 at The Observatory in HCMC and Dec. 20 at CAMA ATK in Hanoi.

A legend of the dance music scene, for more information go to pages 42 and 55

briefings We tried to get photos on the night, but the bodyguards got in the way. So here is an official image instead. Yup, he is built like an “upside-down triangle with perfect hair”.

BRIEFING

HCMC

A Bender with Beckham D Out on the town with a legend... and Niko Savvas

id you guys hear that David Beckham was in town a few weeks ago? When I found out, I was so excited. The guy used to play soccer for the Los Angeles Galaxy — you don’t see many celebrities like that in Saigon!

He was having a party at Chill Sky Bar to promote his new booze. I love booze! And I love parties, but I didn’t think I’d be able to attend this one. You needed a special ticket to get in, and you could only get a special ticket if you were important.

Now, I’m neither of those things, but my buddy Ed is. He’s an editor for a superimportant magazine (this one!). Ed is so important, in fact, that he managed to get two tickets. One of which he gave to me!

Party Time When we arrived at the bar, there were a lot of people waiting outside. They didn’t have tickets, so they couldn’t come in. The security guards were scowling at them. But when Ed and I showed up with our special tickets, the guards let us right in. VIPs, coming through!

We took an elevator up to the rooftop, because all the best parties are on rooftops.

You could see the whole city from up there!

12 | Word December 2014 | wordvietnam.com

We even spotted a homeless family begging for change at a street corner, but that was depressing so we decided to get some booze instead.

Did I mention that the booze was free?

For Ed and me, anyway. We had these invisible stamps on our hands so we didn’t have to pay for anything. Everybody was really nice to us when they saw our stamps!

Other people had to pay for their drinks because they didn’t have invisible stamps.

But Ed and I got a whole bottle of the Beckham-endorsed booze for nothing, plus all the ice we wanted! Only big shots with stamps got free ice.

David Beckham showed up around 11pm. He’s a really handsome guy. You can see why Posh Spice married him. He’s built like an upside-down triangle with perfect hair.

Everybody was really excited to see him. Suddenly the room was filled with camera flashes and screaming ladies. I got so dizzy I almost fell over. It was just like having a seizure, except fun! A mohawked Vietnamese mobster splattered scotch all over my suit.

“Excuse me sir, I think you spilled your drink,” I said.

“Shut the f-ck up,” he replied.

Hahaha! Celebrity parties get so crazy sometimes!

Getting Excited Around the Stars

I tried to say hello to Beckham, but one of his bodyguards got in my way. He looked like an ex-paratrooper, or maybe an MMA fighter.

“It’s okay, buddy, I’ve got a stamp!”

The bodyguard didn’t move. The music was pretty loud so he probably couldn’t hear me. He did let some other people go by, though. Maybe they had better stamps.

Then a Vietnamese pop starlet in white booty shorts did a dance performance. There were fireworks and lasers everywhere. She was super pretty! I wanted to say hello to her, too, but the security bros wouldn’t let me onto the balcony.

“Who do I look like, one of those stampless bums outside?” I asked, but nobody was listening.

At midnight, Beckham left the party. We all lined up to say goodbye. Everybody was feeling good — one of his bodyguards even high-fived me on the way out! I was trying to take a picture at the time, which kind of stinks, but I understood where he was coming from.

You can’t help but get excited around the stars!

Photos by Tarryn-Lee Stevens-King

briefings

BRIEFINGS

HCMC

The Axis of Not Cricket On the launch of a new cricket season, all eyes stay on the prize their stance towards the game they simply reply, “Not loving it.”

Yet head to the subcontinent, and for half a billion Indians a good googly is like a good breakfast — essential for a young man’s development. If that goes over your head and you’re in a happy Vietnamese cocoon of a non-cricket situation, it’s fair to say that leather-on-willow just isn’t your thing. You’ll never understand the vagaries of the five-day test, nor ponder the value of an extra slip before tea. You’ll remain apathetic about the T20 mercenary, and it’s likely that you’ll never enjoy a well-timed pull without an element of adolescent guilt. Leg before wicket? Go back to jumping rope.

Jon Aspin

The Allies

T

he thing about cricket is — well, it’s cricket isn’t it? Most of the world loves it, that’s a fact, but there remains a recalcitrant minority. A report released by the Bureau of Accurate Information confirms the existence of ‘rogue’ states still yet to adopt cricket as their national pastime.

North and South America, mainland Europe, China, most of Africa and a fair bit of Asia that isn’t China — I’m looking at you.

Unafraid to name names, it further alleges that these anti-cricketers have organised themselves into what the bureau calls The Axis of Not Cricket, and when asked about

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For those of us of the opposite persuasion, start jumping for joy. Last month in Saigon saw the return of the Vietnam Cricket Association’s multinational T20 league. Now in its 9th edition, and still being played on the best oval and only cricket wicket in Vietnam, the action has already gone tropical — along with the heat.

Now, in cricket as in life, there is no room for impartiality, modesty or balance when it comes to the facts. For example the United Cricket Club (UCC) will win the league this season (there you go — I said it). But nice guys don’t often win in this game, rather they get smashed for 27 off an over, bat down the order and end up ruing the day they ever got involved because the English Cricket Club (ECC) were one short. Nevertheless, it is these people that make the game great and one of them is John Patrick, or JP to his fans. JP makes the game

great on two fronts. He’s an American who thinks he might be Australian, which makes him a renegade. More importantly though, he’s achieved something special before his teams even bowled a ball this year.

The Florida native and self-confessed former volleyballer, science teacher and “massive Gators fan” has had a huge offseason by taking it upon himself to get the Australian team’s crest tattooed on his upper-thigh. You’re reading that correctly. He’s had what essentially amounts to the Aussie coat of arms tattooed permanently on his body, and it’s not small.

Any American who will do this is alright with me, and any cricketer who will do it deserves a place in the hall of fame. Credit has to go to the Saigon Australia Cricket Club (SACC) administration, who immediately rewarded the act with a free lifetime membership at the club. Correct weight boys, you’ve earnt some respect back there.

“The original idea was beer-fuelled,” admits JP. “We had just won the cup, sure, but it reminds me of a tough time and some great guys that got me through it. The fact that they gave me a life membership for as long as I’m in town is a bonus.”

And that right there is why I still love cricket. A great leveller, a good clean way to spend your Sunday morning in Saigon and a game that’s loved by all, a few recalcitrant minorities aside. — Jon Aspin Check out the action at RMIT’s South Saigon campus any given Sunday from 8am, when the first of two weekly games kick off. The season runs from now until the end of May. Check facebook.com/ VietnamCricket for more info

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Photos provided by Tet Lifestyle Collection

BRIEFINGS

HANOI

Fragrant Path Green Tea Gardens

T

To the northwest of Hanoi lies one of its best-kept secrets

erraces of native trees tumble to the quiet valley floor, where a fruit orchard, vegetable patch and a once-lost tea plantation are nourished by a clear mountain stream descending from the surrounding hills.

Nestled in this oasis lies one of the area’s newest and best-kept secrets — Fragrant Path Green Tea Gardens — a nature retreat dedicated to rest, relaxation and restoration. Ringed by low-forested hills, Fragrant Path sits in the peaceful Dai Lai Valley to the northwest of Hanoi. A mere hour’s drive from downtown is all it takes for the noise to dissipate, the air to clear and a quiet calm to settle.

Fragrant Path is the latest offering from the Tet Lifestyle Collection, a boutique hospitality company with properties throughout the north of Vietnam. A decade in the making, the company is finally opening the doors to this gem, offering Hanoians a chance to escape the hustle and bustle of city life and connect with the area’s natural surroundings.

First purchased as a small plot back in the early 2000s, the Tet Lifestyle team have

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gradually been adding to Fragrant Path over the past decade. “The property is a work in progress, a journey,” says Pete Wilkes, co-founder of the Tet Lifestyle Collection. “We’ve slowly been adding small things here and there. But everything is organic, everything is handmade, everything has a story.”

The result is a sprawling property dotted with gardens, artwork and 12 reconstructed houses relocated from around northern Vietnam and restored on site. The houses, the oldest of which is 180 years, not only serve as dining and sleeping locations, but also retreats for art, reflection and yoga.

Linking the houses is a series of trails and hand-built stone walls leading guests past gardens and lotus ponds, along the ridge that encircles the area and into the hidden valley at the back of the property.

A Return “When we first bought the land we had no idea this valley even existed,” says Pete.

“The forest was so thick that it wasn’t until we started following the creek through the dense vegetation that we realised there was

an entire valley hidden behind the property — so we named it Hidden Valley.”

The discovery of the 80-year-old tea plantation happened in much the same way. After cutting back the forest the team discovered rows upon rows of old tea bushes. Today, the plantation is once again harvested and visitors are invited to sample the fragrant green brew.

With overnight accommodation starting early next year, guests will be able to stay in lovingly decorated earth houses filled with antique collectables, handmade furniture and decorations crafted in Vietnam’s northwest minority villages. In the meantime, Pete and his team are offering day excursions, known as Nourishment Days. Designed to harmonise body and mind, these day-retreats include a hands-on organic Vietnamese cooking class, restorative yoga, meditation, trekking and massage. — Katie Jacobs Fragrant Path’s Nourishment Days are held once a month and include transport to and from Hanoi. The property is also open for private groups by appointment. For more info, visit tetlifestyle-collection.com/fragrant-path

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HANOI

Who Let the Dogs Out? Hanoi gets a new street food, and it’s Danish

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ove over humble banh mi, because there’s a new meaty sandwich on the block.

Jeppe Haugstrup, an IT programmer from Denmark and a part-owner of popular hangouts Spy Bar and Tay Tap, is currently in the midst of perfecting a new food trend set to sweep across the streets of Hanoi: the Danish hotdog.

The authentic treat aims to tap into the demand for meaty sandwiches that remain ever popular in Vietnam. But Jeppe hopes that his premium snack will be a game changer.

“Vietnamese people are now earning more and we believe there is a strong demand for a high quality product like ours,” says Jeppe. “The Danish hotdog is less about the bread and more about the taste.”

His accomplice, Soren, is an

old friend from Denmark and a butcher by trade. During a drunken night in Manila, the pair came up with the idea to go into business and produce authentic Danish hotdogs in Hanoi. Two months later and that drunken thought bubble — let’s be honest, they can be the best kind — is now a reality.

Prime Cuts After disappearing into the Spy Bar kitchen, Soren returns with a neat square of brown paper folded around one of his spectacular creations. Walking me through it, he explains that “compared with usual hotdog sausages, which are actually quite low on protein, our sausages are 80 percent meat and we only use prime cuts.”

“We also use no artificial flavours and the sausage is our

Photo by David Harris

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own recipe: pork, beef, spices and a special ingredient to give it a little kick,” he says, his eyes gleaming.

So what’s on top of this glorious Danish sausage? A sprinkling of fried onions, raw onions, an authentic Danish sauce known as remoulade (a concoction of ketchup, mustard, vinegar, vegetables and spices), cucumber salad, ketchup and a dollop of mustard.

All of these elements are neatly sandwiched into a modestly sized hotdog bun, custom-made for Jeppe and Soren’s creation.

At the Ready Having litmus-tested their Danish wieners with Spy Bar’s clientele, the pair hopes to gradually roll out hotdog stands across the Old Quarter.

“We’ve spent a month and half

developing this and people love it. We really wanted to make sure it was perfect,” Jeppe says with one of his patented, no-jokingaround looks. “We already have people buying the sausages by the kilo from us and we hope one day we can expand the operation to include selling to hotels and restaurants.”

Adds Soren: “We’re also working on an even more premium sausage with sundried tomato and olive, as well as an Italian sausage and German bratwurst.”

For now, the hotdog is the main game and you can buy one of these glorious explosions of deliciousness at Spy Bar for VND35,000 a pop. But don’t be surprised if you see them dished out at stands around Ma May in the not-too-distant future.

So what does this humble writer have to say about this 100-year-old recipe perfected in Hanoi by these two burly Danes?

“I’ll have two more, thanks.”

— David Mann

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BRIEFINGS

HANOI

In Transition: Ha Hoi Developers are trying to give a classic area of the capital a makeover. Yet the 1930s buildings of the past refuse to give way. Words by Katie Jacobs.

Photo by David Harris

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ucked between Hoan Kiem and Thien Quang Lakes lies an area of Hanoi that time seems to have forgotten.

With (relatively) quiet winding streets, vines of flowers tumbling over courtyard walls and cute boutiques occupying every corner, classical colonial mansions and 1930s villas stand stoically among the chaos of modern day Hanoi.

“The area has hardly changed since I was born here in the 1960s,” says Chi Hoa, owner of Cafe 67, a coffee shop located in the renovated garage of an old French-style house on Tran Quoc Toan, one of the area’s main thoroughfares. “A little busier perhaps, and more crowded with people and motorbikes, but there are very few significant differences.”

That is until recently, when a glossy new building shot up next door to the 100-year-old house. With the destruction of the original villa five years ago, number 65 is now the site of an eight-storey apartment block.

The sparkling white exterior and grand scale provide a sharp contrast with the faded glory of the neighbouring low rises. Not that the new construction is the only contemporary building in this quarter. Newer buildings dot the streets, often creating a hybrid mismatch that reflects

the changing times and styles of Hanoi. But this bold new arrival towering over the intersection of Ha Hoi and Tran Quoc Toan streets is impossible to miss.

Saving Face In all fairness, the peaked window mouldings and French-style doors leading onto wrought-iron balconies suggest attempts have been made to mimic the neighbouring aesthetic. The result, however, lacks the delicate details of adjacent buildings, making it seem a little too big and a little too gaudy.

“The older buildings are more beautiful than the new ones and it would be good if they could be all renovated,” says Chi Hoa. “But old buildings are uncomfortable and new buildings make more money.”

A new rule has been put into place since the villa at number 65 was knocked down. Owners are no longer allowed to destroy old buildings without first going through a long approval process, making it more difficult to replace old buildings with new ones.

“But with the promise of money, people will always find ways around this rule,” continues the coffee shop owner. “Then the character of the neighbourhood will really change.”

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wordvietnam.com | December 2014 Word | 21

The veterinary science student-training clinic at Thai Nguyen University.

The 70th school Cargill have built in Vietnam.

Charity of the

Month

Cargill

This month’s spotlight is on an organisation that comes from a background opposed to most that we feature — and they’ve brought their business acumen with them

A

s a global producer and marketer of food, agricultural, financial and industrial products and services, Cargill employ 142,000 people in 67 countries. That’s a pretty complicated organisational chart in anyone’s language.

It also makes them unlike most of the other Charity of the Months we’ve been featuring in these pages. They don’t need your donation, but that doesn’t mean they’re not worthy of a mention for the great things they’ve been doing all over the country.

Since arriving here 19 years ago, under the umbrella brand of ‘Cargill Cares’, they’ve been building a boatload of schools of all kinds, and last month marked number 70 — a milestone for the company.

The latest build is a veterinary science student-training clinic at Thai Nguyen University of Agriculture & Forestry, 90km north of our nation’s capital. It will give students hands-on experience and provide animal treatment services for livestock farmers in surrounding communities.

Constructed at a cost of over VND1 billion, the clinic includes examination and medical storage rooms, and is outfitted with diagnostic and testing facilities.

We have no idea what that means, but it sounds pretty awesome. As a leader in

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animal nutrition, Cargill will also share its IP with students — teaching them the latest techniques in animal husbandry and welfare.

With this project — a specialised counterpoint to most of its school-building history — Cargill is directly contributing to Vietnam’s knowledge infrastructure. Tran Nhat Thang, a lecturer at the university said, “Cargill’s clinic is such a valuable asset to us. Previously, we had to work and teach under challenging conditions — deteriorating infrastructure, obsolete equipment, and students suffered from [a] lack of practical, hands-on experience.

With the new clinic, these issues have all been resolved, and we now have the ability to train students with different animal species to broaden their expertise.”

A Partner in Progress Cargill’s school-building programme has been recognised several times by the Vietnamese government — recognition that includes the Labour Medal Class 3, given by President Nguyen Minh Triet.

It aims to provide access to education for students from low-income families in rural Vietnamese communities, and at present estimates has achieved exactly that for around 13,000 students — proving

that with great responsibility comes great opportunity.

Chanh Truong, country representative for Cargill Vietnam, said, “We are incredibly proud to have reached our 70-school milestone after 19 years of hard work. All this was made possible through our shared goal of helping rural students have a better life. Together with our employees, customers and suppliers, we are committed to supporting our country’s future leaders and ensuring that Vietnam thrives.”

The aim for Cargill is not to stop there.

Their goal is 17,000 students helped and 75 schools built by the end of their 20th anniversary in Vietnam — which happens to be next year. While it’s easy to be cynical about the big players profiting from their presence in developing nations, when you read this story, visit their website and watch their videos, it’s nice to see them making good on their commitment.

Congratulations Cargill, you’re doing what you said you would, we all look forward to hearing about school number 75. — Jon Aspin To track Cargill’s school-building effort, go to cargill.com/connections/building-schools-invietnam

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F Surfing BRIEFINGS

MUINE

Suoi Nuoc

On Nov. 19 and 20, the surf once again rolled in on the competitors of the 4th Annual Suoi Nuoc Sunrise, Surf & S.U.P Competition, and some slick moves were rolled out

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or the past four years, Stephen Quinn has been organising a showcase for Vietnam’s nascent surfing culture. Through his quirky adventure travel agency, AHI Co. Ltd, the tourney has gone a long way towards growing the surfing community in the kitesurfing badlands of Mui Ne. This year’s event drew competitors from all over the watersports world, and the water was kind enough to provide clean threeto-four-foot swells in the lightly windy conditions.

After waiting most of the month for ideal conditions, the 4th Annual Suoi Nuoc Sunrise, Surf & S.U.P Competition was called for consecutive mornings on Nov. 19 and 20.

The first morning hosted the surf part of the competition, with the newly-launched women’s division coming up first. Russia’s Anfisa Grigorova and Sasha Kiseleva battled it out in the final, with Anfisa coming out the winner and earning a new Jibes surfboard in the process.

The men’s final then took place, with local Vietnamese rider Phi up against Spanish surfer Albert Pijoan Monne. These guys had knocked out 30 other riders from Russia, Bali and Vietnam to make it to the final — and, with a Starboard surfboard

up for grabs, neither held back as the lead changed right throughout the final. In the end, after a judges’ tally, Albert emerged the winner by half a point.

Stand-Up Paddle The next morning competitors were greeted by clean three-foot waves and light offshore winds. With 10 SUP riders in action, they took to the water — as the predicted onshore winds arrived. The conditions became more challenging as the morning unfolded.

In the end, Russia’s Oleksandr Olefirenko and Alex Shafinsky battled it out to see who would take the main prize of a Starboard inflatable SUP board. After another tight final, Oleksandr emerged victorious. That ended the competition part of the event.

At the awards ceremony, over VND60 million in prizes were handed out, giving the competition one of the biggest prize pools for amateur surfing in Southeast Asia.

Then the sun set on another day of sick airs, spectacular shove-its and absolutely no paddlepusses, paving the way for a brighter surfing future in Suoi Nuoc.

To stay up to date on the next Suoi Nuoc Sunrise, Surf & S.U.P Competition, keep ahivietnam.com on your speed dial

Au Lac Do Brazil II Hanoi 6A Cao Ba Quat, Ba Dinh Dist Tel: T el: (04) 3845 5224 - Fax: (04) 3747 4330 pr_hanoi@aulacdobrazil.com Au Lac Do Brazil I HC M C 238 P asteur asteur, Dist. 3 Tel: T el: (08) 3820 71 57 - Fax: (08) 3820 7682 pr@aulacdobrazil.com

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BRIEFINGS

NATIONAL

The Love Below’s Neighbourhood Tour

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The Love Below asks the question: What’s a Saigonese band got to do to get some national notoriety?

fter an 11-day, 10-show, six-city tour, The Love Below got back to Saigon with one question, at least in the mind of vocalist / keyboardist Tanya Smackdab — “Why don’t we do this ‘tour’ thing forever?”

“Basically it was a paid vacation where we got to play our original music,” she says. “It was well-received — we sold about 40 EPs, and already have plans to go back to some of these cities.”

The hip hop/funk/soul combo’s itinerary read like this: 8/11, Vung Tau — Private party (“Gas and Oil golf tournament after party. Oh yeeeeaaa”) 9/11, Vung Tau — Haven Bar (“Day 2 of our tour!”)

10/11, Mui Ne — Joe’s Cafe (Free entry, free peach shot) 11/11, Mui Ne — Joe’s Cafe (“Feeeeel that groove!”)

12/11, Nha Trang — M Lounge (“We ready to tear it up Russian style”) 13/11, Danang — Luna Pub Danang (“[They] treated us like family and showed us an amazing time”) 14/11, Hoi An — Live Music Soul Kitchen (“Theres so much love in Central VN its making us cry!”)

15/11, Hanoi — Fashion Fringe Festival after

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party at Hanoi Rock City (“That was hella fun!”)

16/11, Hanoi — The Doors Café (“Oooooh baby, I I I can’t wait!”)

They got home in time to play a show at Saigon’s La Fenetre Soleil, in front of the home crowd. The room was electric. Talking about the tour, Tanya said, “The weirdest thing was mainly seeing all the small expat communities in these smaller cities of Vietnam. Great vibes but Saigon is much crazier.”

Dear Diary After the tour, bassist / vocalist Gabriel

Kaouros wrote down some impressions for us: It was the first ‘official’ musical tour any of us have ever been on, so we were all quite excited and were not exactly sure what to expect. But the experience was unforgettable.

It was a great chance for us to come closer as a band and as friends. Playing a show every night for nine days straight, and taking buses and flights almost every day can get a bit tiring after a while — but we usually had time to relax and enjoy ourselves, the towns we were in and the wonderful people that were hosting us.

We had a great reception everywhere we played, especially in Danang (Luna Pub) and Hoi An (Soul Kitchen) where the owners and entertainment company (Soundcheck Vietnam) treated us like family and showed us an amazing time. Hanoi Rock City was also a great place and crowd to play for.

It was interesting talking to people along the way and getting a feel for the music scenes in the rest of Vietnam and how they are also lacking in many ways. We received a lot of praise and support from people, both musicians and music lovers, and we hope that this tour serves as an example and inspiration to other musicians in Saigon and across Vietnam to follow their dreams and take the music as far as it can go.

You can follow The Love Below at soundcloud. com/thelovebelow-1

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BRIEFINGS

HANOI

The Rant You Read That Article About Facebook, Didn’t You? On Facebook, cats, The Top 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Toothpicks! and Niko Savvas’s neuroses

I

sn’t that the only reason you’re reading this one too? If you didn’t read that article last month I wrote about expat Facebook groups, where I described Expats in Ho Chi Minh City as a “vicious snake pit of despair”, then I apologise. Just flip around — there are nice adverts somewhere.

All right, they gone? Let’s get down to business. You read that article. I know you did because A) this magazine employs covert home-surveillance squads or B) you liked it on Facebook.

A lot of you liked it. Some of you shared it too (thanks Mom!). It was really validating — I must’ve refreshed the browser a hundred times, giggling as the likes piled up.

It was like getting a gold star, but for grownups.

There’s only one problem with that article about Facebook, which is: writing it really, really sucked. I thought it would be a fun little experiment, but it wasn’t fun at all.

Whatever the opposite of fun is, unfun I guess, you could dunk it in a big barrel of sadness and roll it in anger bits, then top it off with a hearty scoop of self-loathing. That’s how writing the Facebook article tasted.

Feline Frustrations But you liked it. And that puts me in a bit of a pickle, because the editors at Word are always telling us to write stuff that readers will like.

This is really hard. Trying to guess what readers like is like trying to choose the perfect toy for a cat. You guys like cats, right?

Of course you like cats. Readers like the dumbest things. Like articles about Facebook, or The Top 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Toothpicks! You like lists, don’t you? They’re easy to read, and they often have pictures.

What kind of pictures do you like? Pictures

of hot naked boobs, I’d guess, but we can’t really show a lot of boobs in this magazine.

Especially naked boobs.

Forget about boobs for a minute, you pervert.

What else are you into? You strike me as an intelligent, physically attractive person who smells nice. You must have some interests I can write about.

How about food? I could totally write you an article about food. There’s a tiny restaurant on the outskirts of District 12 that serves this unique kind of fermented fish soup from Danang. It’s almost impossible to find and it’s only open for 15 minutes every third Tuesday, but the soup is great! The cook uses a special blend of spices you can only find in certain aisles at Big C. This is a must-try if you’re into obscure regional cuisines. It’s well worth the two-hour drive!

No? You’re not into fish soups? Okay, let’s try again.

Music! You guys must like music! There’s a lot of music going on in Saigon, much of it listenable. Did you hear about the Finnish art-pop duo playing at Le Gran Douche next week? Better grab your tickets fast — they recently hit #473 on the Scandinavian Hot 500!

If you’re interested, I can probably get you on the VIP guest list. For free.

Please, somebody take these tickets.

Okay, so you don’t like eating and you’re philosophically opposed to music. We can work with this. I’ll just have to reach a little deeper into my magic writer’s bag of ideas.

What about architecture? Architecture is cool, isn’t it? (Architecture means buildings.)

There are tons of buildings in this city. Some are really big and old. They’re trying to tear down many of these big old buildings so they

can make big new buildings. Doesn’t this make you mad? How can they just demolish pieces of history like that? If a city loses its colonial-era boot factories, it also loses its soul.

Wait, they’re putting an H&M there? Tear that motherf-cker down!

Forget the architecture. You guys are a tough crowd. If I knew writing was going to be this hard I would’ve chosen an easier career, like neurosurgery or dolphin hunting.

Can’t you help me out a little here?

Of course — travel! You good-looking genius, you! Travel is the perfect thing to write about. I travel all the time, often to places that you’ve probably never heard of.

I learn a lot of life lessons that way. Would you like me to write some of them down in a mildly condescending morality tale?

No? Jesus.

Me and You I give up. You people are impossible to please.

I’ve gone through all five kinds of ideas I’m capable of having, and you’re not impressed by any of them. You know how that makes me feel?

We have a relationship, you and I. And relationships are a game of give-and-take.

I give you a story, and you take it home to read. Then you pat me on the back for being a great writer, and later I become rich and famous. There may be another step in there somewhere, but it’s not important.

When you stop reading, the relationship falls apart. If you’re not going to read an article just because it’s boring and poorly written, what am I supposed to do? Choose more interesting topics? Write better?

Pfft, please. From now on you’re getting nothing but lists of Facebook’s sluttiest cats

wordvietnam.com | December 2014 Word | 29

briefings BRIEFINGS

HCMC

Saigon Comic Con 2014 As Saigonese geeks get more discerning, a comic con is born

Comic Con this year in New York

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irst off — here’s a standard disclaimer: I went to the New York Comic Con this year. It was one of the coolest things I’ve ever been to. I wished I was dressed as Deadpool, so I could have hung out with all the other wacky kids dressed as Deadpool and posed for silly pictures all day. I also went to Burning Man this year — Comic Con blew it out of the water. Comic Con is my Burning Man. So, hearing that Saigon is hosting its first comic con brought an arch to my eyebrow.

Would there be as much free swag? Would there be cool swag that you have to pay for, but don’t mind because it’s so cool (see my Nintendo cartridge-shaped flask)? Would there be as many Doctor Whos? Would there be as many dreamboats who might — probably! — want to become my girlfriend and dress up in their Psylocke and Poison Ivy costumes more often than is normal?

Organiser Kyle Farr tempers my expectations slightly when we meet. “One thing that’s been a challenge,” he says, “is we’ve tried to stay true to the original [San Diego] Comic Con, but at the same time we’ve had to adapt for the local market. They don’t even translate Marvel and DC comics into Vietnamese yet. And that’s a big issue because it basically means people aren’t as ‘into’

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western comic book characters as they might be in the US.” They’ve branched out to the more localised aspects of geek culture — professional gamers, local pop-style artists, manga and anime stuff, dance contests — and are bringing an awesome team of cohorts to the party.

Tastemakers Yan Live are co-organising and doing their share of the heavy lifting. Everyone — Pikachu, Doraemon, those girls wearing the sassy nurse costumes — is invited.

That’s what is takes to start a movement.

Future Comix So, the upshot of my interview with Kyle and Anna Thu Nguyenova — recent transplants to Saigon from Prague, and the team behind Saigon Comic Con 2014 — is that they’re being methodical and far-reaching in stacking the pieces, but no-one knows exactly which way they’ll fall.

One burning question is in their minds — will the cool geeks show up?

Kyle says, “We do plan on ‘seeding’ — we’re renting costumes and having costumes made, just to make sure we have that foundation to go off of. And we’re also having a costume contest, for people who dress up in western costumes. We’re really trying to encourage and develop that aspect of Comic Con.

“[And TVN Comics] might be publishing Marvel / DC comics in the next year.”

“Oh yeah!” Anna says. “They would like to get the rights.”

This is an important development, Spiderman-wise. “I would like us to be the platform where we can encourage that,” she continues, “There is already a community of Marvel fans in Vietnam, and they translate for each other. People don’t read comics in English, so there’s a bunch of geeks who translate it to Vietnamese, they put it online, they read to each other... there’s a community of western comics fans, and we are hoping that this is another step for them to do more and more.”

Kyle sees exciting potential here. “I see our role more as building the demand for that...

We’re more of a platform to show what’s already out there, to get people more interested in it. Then I think as demand increases, we’ll see more supporters rallying around and starting to demand more in this area.” — Ed Weinberg The Saigon Comic Con 2014 is at Phu Tho Indoor Stadium, 1 Lu Gia, Q11, HCMC on Sunday Dec. 7. Doors open at 10am and go until 8pm. Tickets are VND150,000 in advance, VND180,000 at the door. Head to facebook.com/ comicconhcm for more info

BRIEFINGS

NATIONAL

On the Dock of a Bay The pioneer luxury resort in Vietnam turns 10

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t is difficult to imagine Vietnam’s beach destinations without the top-end resorts, but at the turn of the millennium there were perhaps only a couple of four-stars serving beachgoers looking for sun, sea, sand and luxury.

The years that followed saw the arrival of many pretenders, but true luxury only came to Vietnam with the 2004 opening of Six Senses in Ninh Van Bay. Hidden away on a peninsula north of Nha Trang, and with access only by boat, this was the first exclusive, top-end property in this country.

Attracting royalty and top celebrities — the likes of Prince Andrew, Prince Harry and Prince William are said to have stayed there, as have Michael Schumacher and apparently Madonna — a decade later, it still remains one of the top resorts in Vietnam.

Yet despite age bringing wisdom, experience and market recognition, it also brings risk. Says Ninh Van Bay general manager, Gary Henden, “After four years a property needs to be a little bit reinvented. You need to look at your market niche, because your market changes — is it families, is it couples? What are you attracting? So you need to adapt your business model quite a bit.”

It’s one thing to build something beautiful, but keeping it at the top of its game requires constant work, constant reinvention.

From Humble Beginnings Ninh Van Bay was the original brainchild of then Six Senses managing director, Bernhard Bohnenberger (known as BB). Having worked as part of the development team on

Ana Mandara in Nha Trang in the late 1990s, the linguist — he speaks five languages — was determined that Vietnam could cater for the luxury market.

“He was really interested in one of the islands off Nha Trang,” says Gary. “But then the owners [of Ana Mandara] took him to Ninh Van Bay. Back then there was only a shack on the beach and a coconut plantation.

And that was about it. Ana Mandara used to use it as their picnic beach.”

At the time there were no international resort chains in Vietnam — Ana Mandara and Six Senses were the first to take their products to Vietnam’s beach destinations — so the exclusivity and seclusion of Ninh Van Bay was a hard sell.

“It was difficult getting luxury travellers to come to Vietnam when the country first really opened up,” explains Gary. “It was either real pioneers in the luxury market or backpackers coming through Vietnam and firing an AK47. So, it was tough at the start.”

He adds: “But really the last three to four years have been really strong. Of course, the economic downtown around the world meant that everyone suffered, but it’s been good ever since.”

Since the opening of Ninh Van Bay, only a handful of other properties in this country have tried to cater for the truly top-end visitor — The Nam Hai, Amanoi just south of Nha Trang and Six Senses Con Dao. For Gary, the arrival of these other resorts has been positive — it helps build Vietnam into a luxury destination.

other destinations in Vietnam? According to Gary it’s the location.

“The setting is beautiful,” he says.

“It’s got a bit of everything. It’s got the mountains, the rocks, the jungle, the beach, it’s got the coral reef, it’s private, you’re not affected by the surroundings. It’s really a little bubble, a self-sustainable bubble.

And I think it’s one of these timeless destinations.”

And yet when he first arrived at the resort three years ago, it was starting to look a bit dated. So, he focused initially on upgrading the public areas, the spaces that everyone sees. The beach bar was rebuilt, work was done on the restaurants and the concepts, and Gary tried to do more “fresh and funky things like bringing in guest chefs.” They also used the idea of staging a 10-year anniversary party as a goal to help them make a number of changes.

To keep yourself at the top of the market, he says, “you can never stop working”.

For more info on Six Senses Ninh Van Bay, click on sixsenses.com

Staying Ahead of the Game So what sets Ninh Van Bay apart from

wordvietnam.com | December 2014 Word | 31

briefings BRIEFINGS

HCMC

The Great Escape In a locked room, the only way to go is out

T

he door locks closed with a thunk, rendering the four of us silent as our eyes adjust to the dim light. A tiny room, an office maybe, a century or so before our time. Old, musty, a few books and ornaments scattered about. A chalky outline of a body laid out on the wooden floor.

“The timer!” my girlfriend and appointed Chief Inspector exclaims. We turn and look up at the large, illuminated countdown on the wall. The clock is indeed ticking.

With less than an hour remaining to identify the killer and escape from this shadowy world of sin, the space is suddenly alive with activity as we scour every shelf, cupboard and upturned flowerpot for clues.

“What’s in there?” I enquire, pointing to an as-yet-unopened drawer in the dresser, twirling the tips of my imaginary moustache.

“We don’t know,” comes a muffled reply.

My friend’s head has vanished beneath the heavy oak desk as he searches for more fragments of the jigsaw he’s assembling.

“There’s a combination padlock on it… four digits. Here, take this…”

A leather-bound journal appears in my hands. Written in elaborate cursive script, the last entry is cut short, ending midsentence. Something about a jealous lover, an illegal business deal gone wrong. And so it begins…

A Global Phenomenon Turns Vietnamese This summer, an international phenomenon arrived in Saigon, bringing with it daily spates of murder and deceit, crimes too heinous even for these pages. But fear not, dear citizens, it is but a game, and quite possibly unlike any you’ve played before.

Global entertainment franchise The Escape Hunt Experience invites you to flex your finest Sherlock-esque lexicon (deerstalkers optional) and test your crime-solving, codecracking and lateral-thinking puzzle skills in this, Vietnam’s first live room-escape gaming adventure.

Similar to popular online point-and-click room-escape games such as The Crimson

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Room and MOTAS (the genre having first leapt from the virtual environs of the internet to the real-world in 2011 via an abandoned Budapest basement), players are transported back to early 20th century Saigon to be ‘locked’ inside a room and presented with a crime scene. From here, by solving a series of interlinked clues and challenges in the one-hour time limit, the key to the door, the identity of the culprit and a well-earned cup of English tea in the opulent reception area can be yours. Your team photo may even make it onto the prestigious wall of fame.

The Escape Hunt arrived in Bangkok in July 2013, in Southeast Asia’s first exposure to the concept, and quickly became the city’s number one-rated attraction on TripAdvisor. Not surprisingly then, the Saigon branch has also just landed itself the top spot after a flood of highly positive reviews. With three unique games available in English and Vietnamese, the semi-secretive District 3 location (ideal for impressing your friends) has drawn in scores of tourists and locals alike since opening, with high schools and corporate groups also making use of the teambuilding, cooperative elements of the challenges within.

“When groups of people come here,” says Ngan, the branch’s cheerful overseer, “they may be backpackers who just met in their hostel or colleagues from a local business, but after playing our games they leave like old friends. It brings people together.”

Ngan is clearly proud to be part of such a unique attraction in Saigon, a city where a few days of exploring museums and markets can leave visitors feeling a little underwhelmed… and sweaty.

“People want something else to do — a cool place to visit,” she says. The Escape Hunt is definitely that, in both senses of the word. — Simon Stanley The Escape Hunt Experience is situated above The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf (entrance via the rear staircase), 60-62 Cach Mang Thang Tam, Q3, Ho Chi Minh City. For more info, go to hochiminhcity.escapehunt.com

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briefings

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IN BRIEF

Tuan Snatches Record Thach Kim Tuan broke his own Asian record to bag a gold medal at the International Weightlifting Federation World Championships 2014 in Kazakhstan in November, according to Thanh Nien.

The 20-year-old Saigonese weightlifter successfully lifted 135kg in the men’s 56kg snatch to break his Asian record of 134kg, achieved at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon.

Vietnamese Youngsters Swing into Action More than 400 young golfers from Vietnam, other countries in the ASEAN region and South Africa will compete at the Kids Golf World Championship 2014 in Malaysia next month, according to Thanh Nien.

Young people between the ages of five and 18 years from over 20 countries are expected to compete in Johor Baru from Dec. 8 to Dec. 12.

Willing and Able to Rule the Table Vietnamese players won six bronze medals and one silver at the ASEAN Table Tennis Championships, which wrapped up in Cambodia in November, according to Vietnam News.

Senior players Tran Tuan Quynh and Mai Hoang My Trang placed third in the men’s and women’s singles events, respectively. Athletes competing in the mixed doubles and the women’s doubles events won four more bronze medals, while earlier the women’s team won the silver medal.

Odds Likely for Football Bets: Official Betting on international football matches is likely to be legalised in Vietnam, according to a lawmaker of the National Assembly.

Tran Quang Chieu, a standing member of the Committee for Finance and Budget of the law-making body, told Tuoi Tre in November that the legalisation of such betting should be done as soon as possible.

BRIEFINGS

NATIONAL

Saigon Luta-Livre W Harry Hodge headed to District 3 to check out Ho Chi Minh City’s first gym devoted to Brazilian LutaLivre grappling.

Photos by Kyle Phanroy

hen we arrived at the doors of a fancy coffee shop with an outdoor pool, we wondered if we were in the right place.

A new gym with a rooftop fight space was meant to be hosting a Brazilian jiu-jitsu fight card for its opening. But the parking attendant could see what had brought us there, and pointed up.

Once we got to the top of the stairs, a crowd of martial arts enthusiasts and students of the Saigon Luta-Livre gym were there, either in the cosy clubhouse or warming up on the

mats. American founder Erik Koehne took us through all the twists and turns leading to the opening of the first gym in the city devoted to this particular fight discipline.

“I said this is the place, it’s an oasis in District 3,” Erik says of the space down an alley of Ky Dong.

The mat measures eight-bysix metres, and the “clubhouse” is another six-by-four, so it’s an economical use of space to say the least, a far cry from the warehouse-sized California Fitness locations one can enter across the city. Prior to the fight

card, it was interesting to watch the fighters slipping in and out of various holds in the warm up before a grueling grappling match.

When the fights started, we had to remind ourselves that this was not a UFC-style bout; no kicks or elbows thrown, just grappling with a goal of forcing an opponent to submit. Koehne reckons it’s this mental aspect to Brazilian Ju-Jitsu (BJJ) that attracts prospective students to Luta-Livre. The LutaLivre style is also distinct from traditional Brazilian jiu-jitsu, with a no-gi (uniform-free) aspect.

“It’s like magic when you first do it,” says Erik, who has been

sharing his knowledge of BJJ with students since 2010, and decided during a visit in 2012 that he wanted to open a gym in Ho Chi Minh City.

“For every submission, there’s an escape that can lead to a counter,” Erik says. “You don’t expect it’s going to give someone as much strategy and power as it does.”

The Saigon Luta-Livre gym is open daily, with a variety of options for all levels of participant. The gym is located at 20/11 Ky Dong, Q3, Ho Chi Minh City. For more information, visit saigonlutalivre. weebly.com

Iron Man Comes to Danang

Williams a Slam-Dunk as Defensive MVP

According to its competition website, the IRONMAN triathlon series is coming to Vietnam in May of next year.

VNG IRONMAN 70.3 Vietnam will offer 30 qualifying slots for the 2015 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Zell am See-Kaprun, Austria.

Professional athletes will be competing for a total prize purse of US$15,000 (VND320 million). IRONMAN events take place in settings around the world.

“Swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles, run 26.2 miles — brag for the rest of your life,” says John Collins, the co-founder of the event, which dates back to 1978.

The event will offer athletes a unique and unforgettable racing experience. Danang is situated along an immaculate 30km stretch of white, sandy beach, in a region surrounded by three UNESCO World Heritage sites.

General registration for VNG IRONMAN 70.3 Vietnam is now open. Athlete inquiries should be sent to secretariat@ ironman703vietnam.com

In a season of historic firsts — including the Saigon Heat’s debut in the ASEAN Basketball League playoffs — Heat centre Justin Williams has been named the 2014 ABL Defensive Player of the Year.

According to the team’s website, the recognition comes after he helped Saigon make history by advancing to the ABL Playoffs for the first time ever. The 2.1-metretall center is a major defensive force in the league, leading the ABL in rebounds — 17.5 per game — and in blocks — 4.4 per game.

Williams’ best defensive performance came on Oct. 22 against the Indonesia Warriors, where he grabbed 30 rebounds and blocked seven shots. Because of Williams’ heroics, the Heat were able to defeat the Warriors 75-73 in overtime — a win which punched their ticket to the playoffs.

The Chicago native and former cager for the NBA’s Houston Rockets also recorded the most blocks in a game by any player this season on Aug. 30, against Laskar Dreya South Sumatra. In that game, Williams posted a triple-double, with 18 points, 20 rebounds and 12 blocks.

To Play or Not to Play

Another One Gone from V-League

A debate has begun over the plan to send under-19 players from the Hoang Anh Gia Lai– Arsenal JMG Academy, who are semi-professional, to the 17th ASEAN University Games this month in Indonesia, according to Tuoi Tre. According to the Games’ regulations, nine of the Academy’s players are eligible to compete in the student tournament in Palembang being held Dec. 9 to Dec. 19, as current students of the Ho Chi Minh City University of Physical Education and Sports.

But the question is if Vietnam even needs a win at the event with those players, who have been training with one another since the age of 12 and were silver medalists at the 2013 Southeast Asian U-19 Championship in Indonesia, the 2014 U-22 Hassanal Bolkiah Trophy in Brunei, and the 2014 AFF Nutifood U-19 Cup in Hanoi.

Observers fear the prospect of injuries in such a competition outweigh any benefit of having the academy players participate.

Vietnam’s top-flight V-League will continue regardless of the number of competing football teams, Vietnam Football Federation chairman Le Hung Dung said in a recent interview with Tuoi Tre. Dung provided the confirmation after Dong Thap FC announced their withdrawal from the league, expected to start in January, because of financial problems.

He noted that Vietnam should also be prepared to turn the V-League into an arena for grassroots football, to make it the basic foundation for future development of the sport in the worst-case scenario.

Apart from Dong Thap, who won the First Division last season and were promoted to the V-League, several other clubs are mired tes pda r u in financial s r d u you difficulties, Senabout group o@ y r g as many rtin har m spo ent to nam.co companies v e dviet are reluctant wor to fund them.

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03

DEC. WEDNESDAY FOOD FOR WEIGHT LOSS Get a jump on the holiday season weight gain with certified health coach and yoga teacher Chiara Squinzi’s Healthy Eating Class Series — Food for Weight Loss. In this 75-minute talk on Wednesday Dec. 3 you’ll learn what food and eating habits to choose in order to help your body find its best shape and optimal weight.

The Food for Weight Loss class meets at 10am at Cyril and You Sports Center, 49A Xa Lo Ha Noi, Q2, HCMC. VND190,000 includes the talk, calorie calculation and a Q&A session. Email chiara@ laholista.com to RSVP

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DEC. THURSDAY

06

DEC. SATURDAY

SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS THE COSMOS AND THE SEA Los Angeles-based artist Christine Nguyen is bringing her art-science lab to Galerie Quynh on Thursday Dec. 4, and it should be a new experience for Saigon’s art goers. Combing drawing with photographic techniques, she plays with negatives, opening dark corners to dream-like speculation. In this way she disseminates her personal cosmology — where

“commonalities among species, forms and environments become visible and expressive”.

The Cosmos and The Sea has its opening at both the downtown Galerie Quynh — Level 2, 151/3 Dong Khoi, Q1, HCMC — and the main gallery — 65 De Tham, Q1, HCMC — from 6pm to 9pm on Dec. 4. The show runs until Jan. 17, 2015 at the downtown venue, Jan. 10, 2015 at the main location

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If you’re wondering when Christmas starts in Ho Chi Minh City, mark this date. The 2nd edition of the Spirit of Christmas fair is in town on Saturday Dec. 6 in the luxurious digs of Villa Song, where there will be magic, kids’ art workshops, a cooking contest, fashion and a silent auction taking place.

Food and refreshments will be served — not only to attendees, but also to the orphanage the fair benefits, Thien Binh Orphanage.

With 100 percent of proceeds going to the orphanage, the

organisers hope to best the VND329 million they raised last year, and add to the IT classes, English programmes, improved sleeping conditions and medical support they’ve already contributed.

The 2nd Spirit of Christmas fair takes place at Villa Song, 197/2 Nguyen Van Huong, Q2, HCMC, from 3pm to 7pm. Tickets are VND400,000 for adults, free for children or VND2.5 million for a VIP magic show table for five guests. For advance booking, contact christmas2014shoppingfair@ villasong.com

06,13,20,27

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DEC.

DEC. SUNDAY

SAIGON SOUL POOL PARTIES Remember those raging New World Hotel pool parties from last year? Well, that’s when they were just getting started.

This December they’re back every Saturday afternoon with a full season at Splash, giving their 500+ weekly revellers a little bit of semi-wholesome party time. It’s good house

music in a non-club setting, giving Saigon a weekly 12-hour mini-festival.

Saigon Soul Pool Parties go from 10am to 10pm, at the New World Hotel’s Splash Bar — 2F, 76 Le Lai, Q1, HCMC. Admission is VND150,000 — free for hotel guests — with VIP cabanas and towel rentals available

HIP HOP WORKSHOP FOR CHILDREN Hip-hop and breakdance tricks will never be uncool. Learn top rock, footwork and power-moves from French B-Boy Yohan Ly at Dancenter on Sunday Dec. 7.

Bring your best smile and a cando attitude, and hang out with one of the best hip-hop dance

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DEC.

INTERNATIONAL DANCE FESTIVAL HCMC 2014 Get ready to dance your socks off some more because the International Dance Festival is back for the second time in Ho Chi Minh City. This year, the event will include choreographers and dancers from Italy, France, Japan, Korea,

instructors going around. Fun for the young and young at heart.

Dancenter is at 53 Nguyen Dang Giai, Q2, HCMC, and at dancentervn.com. Cost is VND200,000 per person including snack and juice. Register at info@ dancentervn.com before Dec. 5 Israel, Sweden, Vietnam and The Philippines. The festival will present three main shows at the Opera House (Dec. 16) and GEM (Dec. 12 and 13). As part of the festival, a series of open-to-public contemporary dance workshops will be organized from Dec. 7 through Dec. 16 at various locations.

The IDF is organised by Arabesque in collaboration with the Saigon Concert and Dancenter.

For specific info on shows and workshops, check idf-hcmc.org

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Ho Chi Minh City

PRIME MOVER

09

DEC. TUESDAY UNICEF ZERO 150 business leaders will gather at The Sheraton on Thursday Dec. 9 to talk about ‘Children’s Rights and Business Principles’, as well as how we can reach the target of Zero — Zero preventable child deaths, Zero malnourished children and Zero violence against children.

With support from UNICEF, Save the Children, KOCHAM, AUSCHAM and EUROCHAM, this is a chance to put the rights of children on your organisation’s CSR agenda.

To RSVP and get your ticket in the mail, contact Ms. Le Thi Thanh Tam by Dec. 4, at ltttam@unicef. org or on (08) 3821 9413. The event runs from 3pm to 5pm at Level 23.

The Sheraton is at 88 Dong Khoi, Q1, HCMC

Paul Tonkes Founder of Heart Beat Saigon heartbeatsaigon.com

Heart Beat’s Saigon’s “underground body music” house parties get a venue change, to the newly opening Saigon’s Lookout (37bis Ky Con, Q1, HCMC). But the beat remains the same

Show I’m really excited about

How is the scene going in general?

I am excited about the twoyear Heart Beat anniversary coming on Dec. 12. To meet the very accomplished Martin Eyerer... and even though it will be a bit sad with our farewell moment for Robert — DJ Cybersnack — we will be ‘test-driving’ a new venue.

Getting better and better every day. Even the EDM craze that causes mainstream / DJ Mag Top-10 DJs to pass through Vietnam gives us the chance to put our stuff in the same spotlight. It is all new and exciting, whatever you label it.

Best night out last month I enjoyed Pulse in The Cube with Till Hennig on the main floor and Chris, in his Darkroom domain. After, we had fun at Last Call, where Vincent Valentin was playing the perfect music for the moment.

Thing I posted on Facebook that got the most likes An article on the e-joint made in the Netherlands I shared on my wall, triggered my friends to comment and like, like I have never seen before. Yes, my friends...

I wish this DJ would come to town One wish will be fulfilled when I can see Ben Klock tearing it up in Saigon.

The best secret in town is...

The secret is a venue! No-one knows the name of it yet. But very soon this will be one of the hottest new spots in town.

We have the unique chance to ‘test-drive’ this venue. Even before their soft opening we will go in and give the sound proofing a hard time and warm up their new sound system. On the night it will still have this raw and unfinished ‘bunker’ look we feel so at home with.

Now I am revealing the name: ‘Saigon’s Lookout’ on 37bis Ky Con, Q1, HCMC.

If my older-yet-still-cool Mom came to town, I would take her to...

She experienced our event at Pogo Bar in Mui Ne. This was in fact the after-party of my wedding. Never seen my mom dance so much.

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11 DEC. THURSDAY PIANO RECITAL WITH CELIMENE DAUDET Having performing for years as a soloist in France and abroad — Carnegie Hall, Moscow philharmonic halls — the skillful pianist Celimene Daudet is coming to Saigon at the request of IDECAF on Thursday Dec. 11. See her

give masterful turns on the works of Chopin, Liszt, Debussy and Franck in the main concert hall.

Celimene Daudet comes to IDECAF, 28 Le Thanh Ton, Q1, HCMC, at 8pm. Tickets are VND160,000, half off for students

12 DEC. FRIDAY JINGLE BELLS JOY RIDE Cyclists, Santa outfits and the spirit of Christmas — this has the potential to become a classic. Already an established monthly event starting in District 2, the Joy Ride gets festive on Friday Dec. 12 in the name of good cheer and as always, the joy of cycling.

Leaving from The Bike Shop at 7pm, riders are encouraged to bring a bike with lights, a helmet and a good attitude. Prizes will be awarded for best costumes, (something which we at Word wholeheartedly support) and the approximately 15km gently paced ride is an A to A, meaning you end up exactly where you started. Stay safe out there Santas, and enjoy the ride!

The Bike Shop is at 250 Nguyen Van Huong, Thao Dien Q2, HCMC. Bike Rentals are available on the day. Check out the Bike Shop on facebook. com/thebikeshopVN. The event is family-friendly, though for safety reasons, children under the age of 12 are not encouraged to participate

12 DEC. FRIDAY Christmas markets are one of the most season-appropriate things there are for this time of year, and Loreto knows we’re missing them in sunny Saigon. So Friday Dec. 12 will be a festive catch-all — with Christmas gifts for sale, a raffle and auction, food and drink, flashy decorations and a nighttime concert with Thanh Bui & The Soul Club as well as other artists. All proceeds go

to disabled and disadvantaged kids in Vietnam, like the 28,000 kids Loreto has already helped in its 17 years operating in this country.

The Christmas Market will be entry by donation, 4pm to 9pm, while the Christmas Soulful Music show is ticketed, from 9.30pm to 11.30pm. For more info, contact Trang Le at trangle@loretovietnam. org or (08) 3910 6364

to do list

Ho Chi Minh City

The Festive Season

Christmas at the InterContinental Asiana Saigon

Au Lac do Brazil aulacdobrazil.com All Dec. 24 and Dec. 25, Au Lac do Brazil is keeping the holiday buzz going with a welcome drink of Swedish Glogg and their Churrasco main course, all for VND900,000++. Take in your meat feast to the sounds of live music, and get a sense of what it’s like to celebrate the holidays in Brazil.

Caravelle Hotel caravellehotel.com If you find yourself at Caravelle this month, chances are you’re getting your festive season done in style. Take a traditional Christmas Tea with a side of carols at Cafe de l’Opera from Dec. 15 to Dec. 23 — VND380,000++ per person. If that isn’t your thing, hold onto your Veuve Clicquot flutes until Dec. 24 when the recently refurbished Restaurant Nineteen starts putting its kitchen through its paces — VND1,980,000++ for the Christmas Eve Gala Buffet (VND1,390,00++ for early birds) or VND1,680,00++ on Christmas Day. Sleep that off until Dec. 31 and go again at the New Year’s Eve Gala dinner buffet — VND2,380,000++ from 8pm (VND1,390,000++ for the

home-before-midnight set).

If you want to step it up a notch, get to Reflections fine dining venue and enjoy Chef Darren Watson’s creations on Dec. 24 — VND1,680,000++ — and Dec. 31 — VND1,980,000++. After that’s all said and done don’t forget to dance the final night of the year away at the iconic rooftop bar Saigon Saigon where everyone’s invited — for VND1.4 million net including one standard drink.

Hotel Equatorial equatorial.com/hcm This Christmas and New Year’s, Hotel Equatorial is inviting you to stay traditional with its Chit Chat Restaurant or to mix it up in its fine Asian resto, Orientica.

On Dec. 24, take your pick of Christmas Eve buffet dinners — with a VND1.59 million++ fresh seafood and carving station option at Chit Chat, and a family feast of their own at Orientica for VND1.38 million++. Brunch on Dec. 25 is VND940,000++ at Chit Chat — international delicacies style — VND50,000++ at Orientica — dim sum style.

And if you haven’t had enough grilled seafood, USDA prime beef and cheese boards

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by New Year’s Eve, check out Chit Chat’s Dec. 31 dinner for VND1.49 million++ before making your way down to the pool, where there will be DJs and live music going past midnight — and a VND1.69 million++ buffet for those who come before midnight. Free flows of house wine, beer, sparkling wine and soft drinks are standard.

Intercontinental Asiana Saigon icasianasaigon.com The Intercon is a by-word for classy soirees in Saigon, so with three dining venues to choose from, there’s no shortage of opportunity to pop a few buttons this Christmas.

Start things off on Dec. 24 at Market 39 by indulging in a Gourmet Christmas Buffet Dinner — VND1,998,000++ per person.

Follow that up on Dec. 25 with the appropriately titled Lavish Brunch — VND2,100,000++.

If your not in a food coma by then, try the Dec. 25 Buffet Dinner for VND1,090,000++. All inclusive of a free flow of house wine, selected cocktails, soft drinks and Tiger beer.

For a change of pace on Dec. 31 check out Yu Chu’s East Meets West Buffet Dinner

—VND1,888,000++ which includes entry into Purple Jade’s countdown party — VND380,000 for those showing up just for that. Add an extra VND199,000++ and you’ve got yourself a free flow of Vueve Clicquot all night.

If Italian is more your flavour, Basilico has two set dinners on Dec. 25 and Dec.31 — VND1,488.000++ each, inclusive of free flow Prosecco and all the good cheer of the season. If this all sounds great but you’d rather just bliss out at home, Intercon’s Turkey Take Away is still on, with VND3,250,000++ getting you a huge bird with all the trimmings delivered directly to your door.

Mövenpick Hotel Saigon moevenpick-saigon.com If you’re picking the Mövenpick this holiday season, Café Saigon has the bases covered all week long. On Dec. 24 and Dec. 25, dinner rates are VND1,399,000++ per person, while lunch on Dec. 25 is only VND599,000++. All feature the standard free flows of wine, beer and soft drinks.

Dinner on Dec. 31 steps up the standard free flow to include champagne and weighs in at VND1,499,000++.

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DEC.

VIGHT LIGHTING FACTORY SALE After a successful lighting sale in July, Vight Lighting Company — which distributes to several wellknown European luxury resellers — is running out another big factory sale at The Vista. The lamps are manufactured to high standards, mixing the best of Vietnamese craft with original designs (pink owl lamps!). This is your one chance to get them

13&14

in their country of production, as they are usually exported to major retailers across the globe such as Marks & Spencer, Habitat, Alinea and Pier1.

Vight Lighting’s Factory Sale is at The Vista Apartments, 628c Giang Van Minh, Q2, HCMC, from 10am to 5pm through the weekend.

For a browse of the lamps, check the company profile at vight.com

DEC.

3A STATION BAZAAR GETS A HAPPY AT XMAS 3A Station Bazaar is a new player in the expanding Saigon weekend market scene. Their vendors focus is on locally sourced and handmade products, giving smart shoppers the chance to get something of high quality at a price they can afford.

Usually occurring on the first and third weekend of every month, 3A have thrown out the rule book for Xmas and will be setting up shop on Dec. 13 and Dec. 14 at their usual location.

As always, part of the funds

raised will go to support children’s charities Loreto Vietnam-Australia and the SCC. Look out for a host of free activities including gifts for the kiddies and TWO 60 minute “Happy Time Sales” where all stock goes on 10 percent discount between 11am and noon, and 4.30pm and 5.30pm.

3A Station Bazaar will be held at 3A Ton Duc Thang, Q1 HCMC between 9am and 8pm. For more information visit facebook.com/ pages/3A-Station-Bazaar/ or call 0902 373403

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Dance Parties SATURDAY 6th Electric Kicks Saigon Ranger is the new kid on the block, effortlessly cool but unproven. Electric Kicks is the sleazy, indie-styled discopunk who’s gonna show them the electro ropes. We’d say give them their privacy but Crazy Monkey is doing visuals, Superkid, El Capitan and Mike Pham are DJing, and it sounds too cool a scene to be prudish about.

Electric Kicks is at Saigon Ranger, 5/7 Nguyen Sieu,

all the way from Germany to give Heart Beat its most famous guest so far. Supporting will be B.A.X, Darkroom-specialist Chris Wolter and the dear, soon departing DJ Cybersnack — who’s been a consistent presence at Heart Beat since it was a thing.

Providing the backdrop will be yet another new venue, Saigon’s Lookout, which is set to be quite the book-click-boom hotspot when it opens later in the month.

The Heart Beat Two-Year Anniversary is at Saigon’s Lookout — 37bis Ky Con, Q1, HCMC — VND100,000 entry, VND50,000 for students

Q1, HCMC — VND50,000 / VND30,000 for students

FRIDAY 12th Heart Beat Two-Year Anniversary Heart Beat has been bringing the “underground body music” to Saigon for two years now, flying in international guest DJs, dropping techno bombs on their imprint and generally getting people moving. This celebration looks to be one of their most ambitious yet, with headliner Martin Eyerer making the trip

The Month in The Observatory With a move last month to District 4, The Observatory is throwing off the chains of downtown respectability for one of its biggest months ever. All parties take place at the new late night hub of 5 Nguyen Tat Thanh, Q4, HCMC, starting around 10pm FRIDAY 5th

John Morales

Adrian Giordano Nu-disco pioneer and veteran producer, party-provider and DJ, Adrian Giordano will bring his two decades of experience to a night that's going to burst with funky electronic energy.

SATURDAY 6th Groove Control Anniversary Get your groove on big time as DJs Starchild, Joey T and Dan Lo are joined by live act Dat Phonk for a night of pure, solid, footmoving sounds.

SATURDAY 13th Trus’me His third visit to the city and the first to The Observatory.

Label boss, producer and DJ Trus’me has played in the most underground clubs and festivals on the planet, honing his signature touch of disco and techno for one of Saigon’s best nights of the month.

FRIDAY 19th John Morales and Alton Miller Detroit veteran Alton Miller is

returning to The Observatory with legendary New York disco producer John Morales. These two individuals are pioneers of dance culture, and their combined energy is going to make for a night that is nothing

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short of epic.

SATURDAY 20th La Royale A key agent of the vibrant and emerging electronic

scene in Mexico, and owner of the Electrique Music label, La Royale’s productions are unique forays into the heavy possibilities of disco, and you can expect his set on this night to do the same.

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Ho Chi Minh City

EXOTISSIMO DROPS THE TISSIMO, BECOMES ‘EXO TRAVEL’ COULEURS D’ASIE OPENS ITS DOORS Last month marked the launch of the new-look ‘EXO Travel’ brand. “Designed not only to incorporate EXO’s pioneering and professional values, but also to inspire a connection between our incredible customers and suppliers,” it’s been business as usual for the two-decade-old travel company.

With offices all over Asia, the EXO experience won’t change, only the name will from now on reflect their immersion in the

places in which they operate, as well as their reputation in providing travellers with the best possible experience wherever they go — even if they say so themselves.

To watch a video explaining the new brand, check out their new website at exotravel.com. They’re also keen to let you know that any communications sent through the old Exotissimo site will continue to reach their intended destination — until they tell you otherwise

Seven years after falling in love with Vietnam, consumated by his 2011 relocation to Hoi An, in 2012 French photographer Rehahn released his first photography book, Vietnam — Mosaic of Contrasts. Featuring portraits that capture the soul of his subjects, most of the photos were taken in the remote provinces of Ha Giang, Cao Bang and Lao Cai. His work, along with that of two other photographers Manny Librodo (Phillipines) and

Rarindra Prakarsa (Indonesia) is now celebrated at new gallery in Hoi An, Couleurs d’Asie.

In the gallery, Rehahn displays some of his best work including some limited editions certified by the photographer himself.

Previously located at Enjoy Resturaunt, the new gallery is a chance to “move on to bigger things and a bigger space”.

Couleurs d’Asie is at 7 Nguyen Hue, Hoi An. For more information email rehahn.hoian@gmail.com

CARAVELLE GETS A MAKEOVER Just in time for Christmas, Caravelle has given itself a gift with a refreshed lobby and reception, and a renewed design on Restaurant Nineteen. This is just the start of its most significant overhaul in 15 years, which will also take on the Cafe de l’Opera and Champagne Corner before its completion in mid-2016.

To check out Restaurant Nineteen’s new, even cosier iteration, head to the Caravelle at 19-23 Lam Son Square, Q1, HCMC

LAZADA OVERCOMES LANGUAGE BARRIER With 80,000 expats now residing in Vietnam, Lazada have decided that it’s a slice of the market they could no longer afford to ignore. That’s the simple wisdom behind the leading e-commerce player’s decision to go bilingual. Simply click on the Union Jack tab at the top of your screen and voila! — a world of buying opportunity is now open to you in a language you can understand.

Alexandre Dardy, CEO of Lazada Vietnam, had this to say: “After nearly three years in Vietnam, we came to the conclusion that the 80,000 plus foreigners that live here still faced huge difficulties in negotiating the language barrier for both online and offline retail.

Therefore, it was a priority for us to offer a convenient and accessible platform for shopping to all consumers regardless of nationality.” See, we told you so.

To check out Lazada’s massive catalogue, holiday discounts and plans for world domination go lazada.vn and shop online to your hearts content

NIGHTLIFE AT NINH CHU BAY As the Central Coast beach vacation spot has grown, so have the number of kite surfers and travellers looking for a cool place to wind down the day. Located just outside Phan Rang, Ninh Chu Bay Beach Club & Bar is positioning itself as that place, with craft cocktails, a propriety

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vodka brand and PR statements invoking the legendary Nha Trang Sailing Club. With 400 metres of private beach, it certainly has room to grow.

Ninh Chu Bay Beach Club & Bar is at Thon Khanh Tuong (Hwy 702), Ninh Chu, Thuan Hai, and facebook.com/ninhchubaybeachclub

FUNNY NAME, SERIOUS VALUE Billed as a place you can get everything you want and nothing you need, the guys at KEPI have you covered when it comes to things like astronaut ice cream, edible skeletons and the world’s largest wine glasses. On top of that they also have a huge range of classic games, toys, decorations, candles and gifts — right in time for Chrimbo!

Sourced locally and from all over the world, KEPI is one of those places that specialises in hard-to-find fun from VND20,000 and up.

KEPI will open Monday to Saturday, from 10am to 5pm, Dec. 1 through to Dec. 20 at 92 Nguyen Huu Canh, Saigon Pearl Villa 10-12, Street D8, Binh Thanh, HCMC. Check out their wares at facebook.com/Kepivn.

A permanent location will open early next year

We are proud to be the FIRST and ONLY authorised International Clinic to obtain the LICENSE to conduct

WORK PERMIT HEALTH CHECK in HCMC

International SOS Clinics in Vietnam

For all your healthcare needs, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year

HANOI: 51 Xuan Dieu, Tay Ho Dist. Tel: +84 4 3934 0666 HCMC: 167A Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, Dist. 3. Tel: +84 8 3829 8520 wordvietnam.com | December 2014 Word | 45

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Ho Chi Minh City BROOKS BROTHERS FALL/WINTER COLLECTION 195 years in, and Brooks Brothers is still styling, now with a new Fall/Winter collection. And though there’s a timeless elegance at play, there are also sports

shirts, fairisle sweaters and skirts, and lots and lots of houndstooth.

For more info on Brooks Brothers’ newest, check facebook. com/BrooksBrothersVietnam

THE OBSERVATORY MOVES TO DISTRICT 4

CMI-HEART INSTITUTE CHARITY GALA RAISES OVER VND2.5 BILLION Leveraging the work of Professor Alain Carpentier — a French pioneer in providing heart surgery to underprivileged children in Vietnam — CMI has once again proven how far a little bit of magic and a lot of goodwill can go. With the show-stopping moment being a wallet-splitting US$40,000 live auction bid for a 7-day trip to the Komodo Islands, the Monte Carlo-themed charity event did just what it set out to do.

Smashing last year’s VND1.98 billion take-home record, the luxurious gala at the Park Hyatt Hotel in Ho Chi Minh was the very model in how to raise money for a good cause; invite the well-heeled and well-intentioned, put them in a beautiful room, entertain them with magic and music, ply them with great food and drink, add some sex appeal in the form of the Urban Dance Group performers, and ask them to give generously.

Congratulations to all involved in supporting such a worthy cause. A silent auction featured magazines handled by royalty, artwork donated by dignitaries and the coolest pair of bespoke leather brogues we’ve ever seen. And while VND2.5 billion is indeed an impressive figure, the most important one is the 60 Vietnamese children whose lives will now be saved because they can get the heart surgery they need. Merci beaucoup CMI — keep up the great work and see you next year!

If you missed the gala, you can still donate to CMI at cmivietnam.com

PARK HYATT RETOOLS It’s been in the air for a while.

Park Hyatt has had plans to upgrade what’s already one of Ho Chi Minh City’s premiere addresses since September of last year, and it’s finally scheduled. Starting Mar. 3, 2015, the hotel will close for 13 weeks to accommodate the bulk of the improvements, reopening in early June. While

work will continue through November, you’ll already notice the improvements — crystal chandeliers, silver leaf white-paneled walls, lush gardens, artisanal furniture pieces and other traditional comforts combined with the contemporary.

For more info, go to parkhyattsaigon.com

Known for its late night parties and focus on international artists, The Observatory has moved location from its previous position in District 1 to a bigger space in District 4, near the Elisa Boat and the next port space down from Cargo Bar/Q4. Complete with a new balcony overlooking the Saigon River and an even larger sound system (and a location where they can actually turn on the subwoofer), this feels like a big move towards The Observatory’s intended destination, becoming a key node in the Asian underground music circuit.

The Observatory’s new location is at 5 Nguyen Tat Thanh, Q4, HCMC — facebook.com/theobservatoryhcmc

ELEVATE INNOVATION The British Council are dangling a carrot worth S$50,000 at cultural innovators with a passion for early childhood education. The ELEVATE StartWell Challenge is a brand new programme developed in partnership with the Lien Foundation in Singapore, that asks applicants to “present new concepts to improve the element of play in early childhood, reimagine urban spaces and playgrounds, and the way young people interact with space”. If this sounds like your thing, you could end up at a residential innovation camp in Japan in February 2015 and be in the

running for a share of the cash.

“Play is how children navigate experiences, cultivate curiosity and creativity, and most importantly, learn,” says Lee Poh Wah, the Lien Foundation’s Chief Executive Officer. Australia, China, Japan, Malaysia, Taiwan, South Korea and the UK are among the other participating nations.

Applications are on now until Jan. 5, and are open to “anyone who uses creativity in their work and life, including (but not limited to) artists, designers, performers, digital technologists, and architects”. To find out more about ELEVATE, visit britishcouncil.vn

It was time for a move from one of Ho Chi Minh City’s most iconic buildings — the brilliant white modernist fountain pen-laden District 1 location that served as a backdrop for our September fashion story, Futura. But Gaya isn’t mourning, instead they’re using their new Thao Dien location for all its worth, with a more natural set up for their furniture, a champagne bar and a nice pool patio to look lazily at between sips.

Check out the new Gaya digs at 3 Tran Ngoc Dien, Q2, HCMC

PENDOLASCO REFURBISHES

space with sofas and a new wine cellar. Work will also be done on the garden area, with new tiling replacing the terracotta tiles that have long been the signature of this eatery.

As part of the refurbishment, the menu will also be upgraded.

While continuing to focus on classic Italian fare, a new more contemporary specials menu will be added, with dishes changing

every two weeks.

Pendolasco is at 87 Nguyen Hue, Q1, Ho Chi Minh City

The longest running Italian restaurant in Saigon is closing down until Dec. 17 for a long scheduled refurbishment.

Taking advantage of the road closure of Nguyen Hue, on which the restaurant is located, the bar area will be extended by 9 metres while the restaurant will be turned into a no-smoking dining

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GAYA MOVES TO DISTRICT 2

LIT LOUNGE Ngo Van Nam’s newest bar should make the District 1 corridor even more of a destination. A couple doors down from The Orient, LIT Lounge has a cool, decadent, after-hours vibe, which will spread over two DJ-manned

PUB CRAWL BOARD GAME floors into the wee hours. It opens in mid-December after a month of soft opening reps, and we have high hopes for the Long Island Iced Teas.

LIT Lounge is at 16B Ngo Van Nam, Q1, HCMC, and facebook. com/LITLoungeSaigon

VERY NGON’S NEW OFFERINGS Just in time for the holidays, Very Ngon Homewares has struck inspiration in the most unlikely of places — San Francisco. “We were exploring San Francisco by foot and wandered past a shopfront featuring a simple yet striking paper cut out of the streets of a local district,” says co-owner Lise Nguyen-Owen. “The idea of hand-quilting grew from there.”

From that passing impression, the idea for elegant quilted bed covers of modern street

maps of central Saigon, An Phu and Hanoi was sown. Unlike Very Ngon’s classic Indochineinspired homewares featuring images of early 1900s Vietnam, the bed covers are unprinted, relying on the beauty and simplicity of the quilted lines, which represent the streets and boulevards of the cityscapes featured. And perfect for making your house a home.

Very Ngon Homewares can be found at Decosy, 112 Xuan Thuy, Q2. For a sneak peek go to facebook. com/VeryNgonHomewares

So staring into half-full pints is getting boring? Well the makers of the Saigon Pub Crawl board game have a different idea for you. It’s a drinking game, but — get this — it’s fun enough to play sober! But you probably won’t.

Land on one of the card spaces and take on a silly foreign accent for the rest of the game. Draw the Dude Looks Like a Lady! card and tram-phan-tram your way to public drunkenness, or sashay your way across the room

shouting, “I’m a ladyboy!”

With VND600,000 in drink vouchers for the bars on the board — including popular spots like Spotted Cow, BMV, Phatty’s Boomarang, Game On, Blanchy’s Tash and more — the game makers have made real-life pub crawls easier as well.

The game can be played at any of the featured pubs, or by emailing saigonboardgames@gmail.com.

For more info, go to facebook.com/ pages/Saigon-Pub-Crawl-BoardGame/1551966475018601

DOGMA GALLERY AT WAR REMNANTS The Dogma Collection, the most skillfully curated set of propaganda artworks in Vietnam, has been invited to showcase selected works in a new gallery at the War Remnants Museum. With an emphasis on

the history behind the art, the Dogma gallery goes beyond Bui Vien clichés and adds a new dimension to the story told.

The Dogma Gallery is at the War Remnants Museum, 28 Vo Van Tan, Q3, HCMC

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27grill

Photos by Glen Riley The restaurant above Chill Skybar put on an exclusive beef-tasting event, with prime cuts of Robbins Island Wagyu Beef from Tasmania.

What the F**k?

Photos by Glen Riley The only professional comedy night in the city got the Cargo Bar crowd involved with a cheeky monkey, some top-classed magic and lots of highpitched cussing

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stella artois

Photos provided by Stella Artois You only get promo girls this classy if your beer has been brewed for 650 years. Bottled Stella launches in Saigon.

The draft version should be here next year.

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

CMI Charity Gala

Photos by Francis Xavier While attendees got to dress up like James Bond, 60 children elsewhere got a second chance at life from the funds raised

Q2 Gaya Opening

Photos by Kyle Phanroy Although we’ll miss their iconic former location, some champagne and a fun night got us feeling more comfortable with the move

Swedish Lunch Beat Photos by Kyle Phanroy During a week in which the Swedes brought out every cultural trick they have, a lunchtime jam session was a highlight

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DEC. FRIDAY SOUL DEEP SESSIONS One of the founding fathers of house, Alton Miller, returns to Vietnam for a magical night of deep record digging, soulful loving and explosive dancing.

Miller has been entwined with the scenes and sounds of Detroit and Chicago for two decades. Inspired by his house heroes DJ Ron Hardy, Frankie Knuckles, Larry Levan and Timmy Regisford, Alton

05-08

DEC.

ART FOR YOU Manzi and Work Room Four have teamed up to put on an art fair at Manzi Art Space from Dec. 5 to Dec. 8.

With the intention offering a space where people can buy affordable art, on sale will be a collection of sketches, photographs, illustrations and paintings. All works are created with a range of ideas in mind, and come in different mediums, offering up questions and responses by some of the finest creative

talents in Vietnam today.

A great way to support your local artists and keep creativity kicking in the capital, the art fair at Manzi comes just in time for you to stock up on Christmas gifts.

As the organisers exclaim, “Buy it. Hang it. Cherish and share it.”

Manzi’s Art Space is located at 14 Phan Huy Ich, Ba Dinh, Hanoi. The art fair will run from 10am to 7pm from Friday Dec. 5 to Monday Dec. 8

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opened a club in the 1980s with his friend Chez Damier called the Detroit Music Institute, which went on to become an epicentre for the underground house movement in Detroi.

This is a chance to see one of the true gurus of house — an event not to be missed.

Doors are at 8pm. Entrance TBA. CAMA ATK is located at 73 Mai Hac De, Hai Ba Trung, Hanoi

DEC.

HANOI ART MARKET Inspired by the Vietnamese traditional market and learning the art market concept from other countries, a group of young Hanoian artists have come together to create the Hanoi Art Market for the first ever time in Vietnam.

Designed to be a forum where art lovers can meet and talk directly with artists, and understand more about them, their works and direct ownership of the artwork, the work of 59 artists will be on

sale at Hang Da Galleria in the Old Quarter from Dec. 5 to Dec. 28. Coming in a variety of mediums — painting, statues, installations, art craft products and more — the art market is the work of Nguyen Hong Phuong and Tran Dan. It has also been put together in cooperation with Cuci Fine Art. For more information please contact Vo Quynh Hoa on 0903 745657 or email cucifineart@ gmail.com. Hang Da Galleria is on the intersection of Hang Da and Duong Thanh, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi

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DEC.

JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH The Hanoi International Theatre Society (HITS) is performing a theatre adaptation of the Roald Dahl novel, James and the Giant Peach, throughout early December.

With six shows scheduled to take place at Nha Hat Theatre (1 Trang Tien, Hoan Kiem — behind the Opera House), this is an all-ages show that should be perfect for adults and kids alike.

Tickets cost VND200,000

06

(adults) and VND150,000 (kids) and are available at The Republic, Kitchen, Hanoi Social Club and Puku. Performances are at the following times: Friday, Dec. 5 — 7.30pm Saturday, Dec. 6 — 3pm and 7.30pm Friday, Dec. 12 — 7.30pm Saturday, Dec. 13 — 3pm and 7.30pm For more information go to hitshanoi.com

Once reserved exclusively for royalty, tranquil Westlake now boasts Hanoi’s Gold-Standard serviced residences.

Minutes from the city with unobstructed lake views, Fraser Suites Hanoi offers you the award-winning service even ancient kings would envy.

DEC. SATURDAY

THE TAY HO FLEA MARKET Think the famous flea market at Paris’s St. Ouen, or the likes of Brick Lane in London.

While the eighth installment of Tay Ho Flea Market doesn’t have the history or the scale to compete with its compatriots overseas, its return to West Lake on Saturday Dec. 6 offers a great chance to pick up a range of secondhand goods.

Selling everything from used clothes, household items and ornamental furniture to decorations, the market will run from 9am to 5.30pm.

The Tay Ho Flea Market is held outside Quang Ba Temple, Lane 67, To Ngoc Van, Tay Ho, Hanoi.

THE FRASER COLLECTION BAHRAIN • BANGALORE • BANGKOK • BEIJING • BUDAPEST • CHENGDU • DOHA • DUBAI • EDINBURGH • GLASGOW • GUANGZHOU • GURGAON • HANOI • HO CHI MINH CITY • HONG KONG • ISTANBUL • JAKARTA • KUALA LUMPUR • LONDON • MANILA • MELBOURNE • NANJING • NEW DELHI • OSAKA • PARIS • PERTH • SEOUL • SHANGHAI • SHENZHEN • SINGAPORE • SUZHOU • SYDNEY • TIANJIN • WUHAN • WUXI • CHENNAI (2014) • AL KHOBAR (2015) • FRANKFURT (2015) • RIYADH (2014)

For information email info@ weekendmarket.com

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DEC. SUNDAY

HANOI SECRET SALE A number of designers in Vietnam have put their minds and wares together to put on a festive Christmas sale on Sunday Dec. 7 at Chula.

Selling the products of Valerie Cordier, Dame Clemence, Soa Va Soa, Chula and Chez M'Lain, a range of

wares will be available from fashion garments through to massage oils, cashmere bedding and a range of shawls, sweaters, blankets and throws, all at mark-down prices. Say the organisers, “Everyone deserves a little luxury”.

Hanoi Secret Sale is on Sunday Dec. 7 from 11am to 5pm at Chula, 43 Nhat Chieu, Tay Ho, Hanoi

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SPANISH MOVIES EVERY SUNDAY La Bicicleta, the self-styled Barcelona Bistro formerly known as THBC, continues its season of original Spanish movies every Sunday night throughout December.

The schedule for this month is as follows: Sunday Dec. 7 — El Aura Sunday Dec. 14 — Fragiles Sunday Dec. 21 — Roma Sunday Dec. 28 — Alatriste All movies start at 7.30pm and are shown with English subtitles.

Entrance is free. La Bicicleta is at 44 Lane 31 Xuan Dieu, Tay Ho, Hanoi

11,12,13

CAMA ATK TURNS THREE Kicking off CAMA ATK’s threeday-long 3rd birthday weekend, the venue and music promoters are bringing in the Mumbaibased experimental music of Pinnochio’s Moment of Clarity live experimental music on Thursday Dec. 11.

Supported by local live acts, the extravaganza will continue

DEC.

on Friday Dec. 12 with Florida act Tonstartssbandht. The work of Andy and Edwin White, to quote a diehard fan, “Andy and Edwin White sent the bitch up. Edwin’s percussive assault, Andy’s tectonic riffs on his Danelectro, and their telepathic sibling jam instincts turned the packed room into a shaking jello mold of sweaty flesh.”

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The extravaganza comes to a finale on the following day with the arrival of hip-hop DJ, Jon Kennedy.

Emerging out the 1990s heyday of hip-hop heyday, originally a drummer, Jon Kennedy is one of those DJs with an innate understanding of rhythm. With a bag full of golden beats, expect him to

rip up the dance floor to make way for the sounds of some rad hip-hop.

First discovered by the infamous Mr. Scruff back in 2000, Jon has been producing, remixing, scratching and DJing ever since.

Doors are at 8pm. Entrance TBA. CAMA ATK is located at 73 Mai Hac De, Hai Ba Trung, Hanoi

Why are children more affected by air pollution?

• Infants and children’s lung and respiratory system are still developing • They have faster breathing rate and inhale more pollutants per body weight compared to adults • Their nose do not filter as much particulates as they tend to breath through their mouths more

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DEC.

SEEDS Kilomet109 is hosting another exciting runway show and textile installation to mark the launch of its new Sustainable Line collection on Friday Dec. 12 at Manzi Art Space. The installation will be shown at Manzi until Dec. 30.

13&14

Showcasing chic men’s and women’s urban clothing, every piece is original — made by hand from all-natural ingredients. Kilomet 109 uses weaving, dying, and printing techniques adapted from the Nung, Thai, and H’mong ethnic groups in northern Vietnam.

The brand supports those communities in maintaining their age-old textile traditions.

The textile exhibition is designed to bring guests closer to Kilomet 109’s production process — from concept to runway. Founder and designer Vu Thao will reveal the relationship between the ecofriendly material that goes into her fabrics and dyes, and the modern fashion Kilomet 109 crafts for its.

Manzi Art space is at 14 Phan Huy Ich, Ba Dinh, Hanoi. The fashion show kicks off at 8pm on Friday Dec. 12, while the showcase continues until Dec. 30. To get an invitation for the fashion show, email manzihanoi@gmail.com

NOV.

THE CHAU LONG SPIRIT OF XMAS Hanoi Cooking Centre and Bookworm are teaming up for a little Christmas shindig from 2pm to 4pm on both Saturday Dec. 13 and Sunday Dec. 14.

With live music and

carols, free mulled wine and gingerbread, free balloons and to he figures for children, HCC will be putting on some Christmas treats will Bookworm will be discounting everything in their shop.

Bookworm and HCC are at 44 Chau Long, Ba Dinh, Hanoi

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DEC. SUNDAY

THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO Screened opera continues its renaissance this month in the capital with the showing of Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro on Dec. 14 at Hanoi Cinematheque (22A Hai Ba Trung, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi).

A four-part comic opera that first premiered in Vienna

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in 1786, The Marriage of Figaro recounts a day of madness in the palace of Count Almaviva near Seville in Spain. A story of conspiracy, revenge and non-stop scheming, through clever manipulations the opera finishes with the restoration of the Count’s love for his countess.

For more information email info@hanoioperaguild.com

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DEC. MONDAY

THE STIRRING OF A THOUSAND BELLS Moon Gramophone presents the official Vietnam premiere of The Stirring of a Thousand Bells (Matt Dunning, 2014) on Monday Dec. 15 at Manzi Art Space.

A fascinating, two-part 'unconventional' documentary that introduces viewers to Indonesia's ancient Javanese gamelan culture, in doing so, it examines the relevance and reverence of this tradition in the modern world.

Manzi Art Space is at 14 Phan Huy Ich, Ba Dinh, Hanoi. Doors are at 8pm. Entry is by donation on the door

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DEC. SATURDAY

JOHN MORALES John Morales, straight out of the Bronx USA and one of the pioneers of the disco mix comes to CAMA ATK on Dec. 20.

Starting his trade in 1975 spinning records to the US troops, John found his true calling in taking short disco hits and making them epic. A hugely in demand DJ and a pioneer of his craft, if you are into disco then you are into him Entry is VND80,000 in advance or VND120,000 on the door. Doors open at 8pm. CAMA ATK is located at 73 Mai Hac De, Hai Ba Trung, Hanoi

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hanoi

POSITIVE (CRITICAL) MASS KEEPS GROWING DIRECT FLIGHTS TO INDIA Following recent visits to Vietnam by dignitaries from India, India‘s Jet Airways has officially opened direct flights connecting New Delhi and Mumbai to Ho Chi Minh City via Bangkok. They are also expanding their codeshare flights to Hanoi.

According to the Indian Embassy to Vietnam, the launch of direct flights will

contribute to promoting cooperation between Vietnam and India in various fields, especially in tourism. Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet Air are also shortly expected to commence direct flight services to India.

For more information on Jet Airways’ Vietnam flights go to jetairways.com/EN/VN/Home.aspx

Not content with taking place on the last Friday of the month in four cities around Vietnam, Positive Mass has now added a fifth city to its cycling roster, with the first cycle ride around Thanh Hoa taking place at the end of November.

The final jaunt of 2014 will hit the streets of Hanoi, Thai Nguyen, Son La, Thanh Hoa and Ho Chi Minh City at 8pm on Friday Dec. 26, perfect for cyclists who like to travel en masse and reclaim the streets of the big city.

Positive Mass meeting points are at the following locations: Hanoi: St Joseph’s Cathedral HCMC: Cultural Labour Centre Thai Nguyen: City Museum Son La: Viettel Building Yard Thanh Hoa: Hong Bang University

EXOTISSIMO BECOMES EXO

ZEN HOUSE Well-known spa outlet Zen Spa has added a new location to its portfolio, Zen House.

Located inside a 1,000-year-old village by the Red River and next to Ba Gia Pagoda, the peace and quiet of the new location offer a perfect way to escape and get yourself pampered.

As well as the standard range of holistic

UMA EXPANDS Furniture producers, UMA Vietnam, are continuing their meteoric expansion to the north with the opening of two new showrooms.

The closest Vietnam has to IKEA — or maybe we should say, IKEA is the closest the world has to UMA — UMA not only sells furniture, interior decoration and accessories for all your homely needs, but is also running a number of promotions with the arrival of its new stores.

The two new UMAs are at 84 Quan Thanh, Ba Dinh and 36 Cat Linh, Dong Da. For more information or to see their online catalogue, click on uma.vn. To take advantage of the promotions, head directly to the two new stores

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and beauty therapies that Zen has become so well-known for, Zen House is offering half and full-day spa treatment packages which come complete with meals. All within a 20-minute drive of Hanoi’s Old Quarter.

Zen House is on alley 209 (near Ba Gia Pagoda) An Duong Vuong, Tay Ho, Hanoi. Tel: (04) 3719 9889. For more information click on zenspa.vn

Well-known travel specialists, Exotissimo Travel, have rebranded, cutting off all that ‘issimo’ in their name and using the new moniker, Exo Travel.

Yet, for anyone who is worried, don’t be. The new-look company will provide the same, professional travel services that they’re so well known for. And they’re trading at the same addresses, too, although for online communications you’ll have to change @exotissimo.com for @exotravel.com.

For further information go to exotravel.com or pop into 66A Tran Hung Dao, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi

A HANOI COOKING CENTRE CHRISTMAS Entering into the Christmas spirit Hanoi Cooking Centre will be running their delivery service of Christmas treats right up until midday on Christmas Eve. This includes all the classical festive fare from mince pies and

Christmas puddings to plum sauce, gingerbread trees and white bean and apple dip.

Hanoi Cooking Centre is at 44 Chau Long, Ba Dinh, Hanoi. To book your deliveries call (08) 3715 0088

ART VIETNAM GALLERY

VERY NGON HOMEWARES Specialising in creating unique, lasting mementos of time spent in Vietnam, for the Christmas season Very Ngon Homewares has launched a number of new products.

With a new, elegant quilted bed cover based on modern street maps of central Saigon, An Phu and Hanoi, also added to the collection is a range of stylish handbags with retro-style cane handles. The tea towels, which have long been part of the

range, now come designed with a selection of new images and streetscapes, while there is also a new cushion cover design featuring a wealthy woman in a pousse-pousse, the predecessor of modern-day cyclos which were used around Asia and parts of Africa.

Very Ngon’s products can be found at Tan My Design, 61 Hang Gai, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi. Alternatively, click on facebook.com/ VeryNgonHomewares

After a quiet but vibrant three years in more somber surroundings, Art Vietnam Gallery has returned its operations to the Old Quarter, with new premises just down the street from St. Josephs Cathedral at 24 Ly Quoc Su. Set in the same building that houses the Nha Son Collective, the Ly Quoc Su Art Café and Barbetta, the new location has brought together the four businesses in attempt to build the arts in Vietnam with art talks, exhibitions, music performances and video installations.

For more information go to artvietnamgallery.com

TADIOTO LAUNCHES NEW FOOD MENU

Photos by Tuong Vi

Determined never to stand still, Tadioto has teamed up with well-known chef, Hugo Barberis, to add new dishes to the food menu to go with all those fine cocktails, spirits and beers its clientele are used to knocking back.

Building on the existing offerings, new dishes include pasta fare, sandwiches, breakfasts and a selection of desserts.

There’s also a range of tapas including hummus and baba ghanoush (aubergine spread) as well as the likes of taro and shitake mushroom soup. Dishes cost between VND50,000 and VND150,000.

Tadioto is at 24B Tong Dan, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi, Tel: (04) 6680 9124

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overscene hanoi

argentine food festival

Photos provided by Argentinan Embassy Argentina was overdue for a visit, and hearty cuts of beef and cocklewarming wines charmed the home crowd

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fashion fringe festival

Photos byJulie Vola Hanoi forgot jacket season for a night, as the city’s cutting edge young designers took centre stage

HIWC Annual bazaar

Photos by David Mann Following in a tradition that raised VND2.65 billion for Vietnam’s needy in the last edition, thousands shopped for a good cause

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

pet garage sale

Photos by Julie Vola Hanoi Pet Rescue and SmartHeart staged their annual fundraiser, and your puppy was the guest of honour

based on kyoto

Photos by David Harris The Japanese collective brought the house-electro-ambient-dub-soul-jazz-rock flavour to CAMA ATK

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Insider

MANY FACES // RECONSTRUCTING THE CAPITAL // THE 1ST ANNUAL WORDIE AWARDS // BENEATH THE WRAPPER // ZONE 9: ONE YEAR ON // MURDER ON THE RED CARPET // MYSTERY DINER HANOI // STREET SNACKER HANOI // MYSTERY DINER HCMC // STREET SNACKER HCMC // FASHION // RWANDA PASSPORT-EATING DOGS, VOLCANOES AND GORILLAS // THE BLUFFS HO TRAM // BIEN HOA PHOTO BY GLEN RILEY wordvietnam.com | December 2014 Word | 61

insider MANY FACES

HCMC

The Most Interesting Tailor in Saigon

In the market for a suit, Niko Savvas gets fitted by one of Saigon’s true originals.

Photo by Kyle Phanroy

I

’m waiting for Kenn Smith at a chic French café so I can get measured for my suit.

When he walks through the door, people turn and stare.

They stare because Kenn Smith is huge. He played American football in university and still seems like he could knock some heads on the field. He dwarfs the young waitress who escorts him to our table.

They stare because Kenn Smith is welldressed. He wears a crisp three-piece suit, black with thin white pinstripes. Golden cuff links glitter at his wrists and his polished shoes sparkle brilliantly.

But mostly the people stare because Kenn Smith really, really looks like the Dos Equis guy.

Sartorial Psychology The resemblance is no accident. As a tailor Kenn is in the business of image crafting, and he’s good at it. He has a businessman’s attention to detail, which makes sense because he was once the chief financial officer for a multinational corporation based in the US. His business background is evident when he sits down at the table. His handshake is firm but not bone-crushing. When he speaks, his voice is deep and calm. He makes polite eye contact but doesn’t stare. Not once does he glance at his phone.

Kenn makes me feel like everything I say is interesting. It’s a practised skill.

“The most important aspect of human communication is body language and facial expression,” he explains. “You may hear a word, but that isn’t enough to tell you what the person intended. You need to see and feel the undertones.”

When Kenn talks, the rest of the room fades away like the blurry background of a photograph.

“55 percent of our communication comes from that,” he adds. “And 37 percent comes from the quality of our voice. How are we using it — are we raising it or lowering it, what’s the tone? That tells us a lot more than the words alone, also.

The actual words we say only give us eight percent, which is why I don’t carry a smartphone. I prefer to communicate face to face with people.”

He’s like a professional hypnotist; I know that he’s exerting a subtle influence over me, but the effect is so pleasant that I don’t mind.

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Also, although the café is full of beautiful women I find it difficult to look away from Kenn’s face. He smiles when I mention this.

“In face-to-face conversation, a suit augments the communication. It grabs the attention of your listener. If you’re wearing a dark jacket and trousers with a white shirt, it creates a natural spotlight on the face.”

He traces a V with his hands from his collarbone to mid-chest. Then he raises his wrists.

“We also want to frame our hand gestures when we talk, which is why jacket sleeves are

“They stare because Kenn Smith is huge...

They stare because Kenn Smith is welldressed... But mostly the people stare because Kenn Smith really, really looks like the Dos Equis guy” a little bit shorter than shirt sleeves.

“If you’re dressed improperly for a situation, you’re allowing your listener’s mind to wander. People aren’t very good listeners to begin with — if they’re listening hard, they might retain 10 percent of what you’re saying.

If you’re wearing something that distracts them, the percentage is even lower.”

The suit is not distracting. I think I may have retained as much as 20 percent of what he said.

The Price of Elegance Still, the entire time Kenn is talking I’m silently worrying about money. By now I’m convinced that he can make a better suit than your typical tailor on De Tham, but I also suspect that I’d need to sell a kidney to afford one.

So I’m a little startled when he quotes a price that even an English teacher could manage. Kenn explains that I’m buying a fused-line suit, in which the lining is glued to the wool jacket shell. The price for these suits

varies depending on fabric, but most fall between VND4 million and VND5 million.

If I was willing to spend VND9 million, I could walk away with a canvassed suit, which has a hand-sewn silk lining. Kenn regularly exports these to fashionable London boutiques, where they sell for over UK£1,000 (VND34 million).

He also has occasional orders for pure cashmere suits, which can run up to US$25,000 (VND530 million). I chuckle when he tells me that. Who the hell would spend that kind of money on a suit?

“Nobody in Vietnam,” Kenn says. “You’d sweat right through it.”

Apparently there are limits to the power of a suit. I order one anyway.

The Modern Gentleman A few weeks later, I visit Kenn’s villa in District 7 to pick up my suit. His wife brings us chocolate milkshakes as we sit in the living room, watching the rain sizzle on the pavement.

Kenn’s in a three-piece suit again, seemingly oblivious to the Saigon heat. He asks me if I enjoy cigars. I say yes. This is the right answer — Kenn explains that he’s in the process of developing a new British-style gentleman’s club in Saigon. He envisions it as a modernday salon, where members can mingle while enjoying fine whiskies and cigars.

“It’s no accident that the best known figures from the 20th century knew each other socially,” Kenn says, “and probably enjoyed cigars and whiskey together. I think that’s one thing that’s lacking here. There are a lot of great minds in Saigon, both local Vietnamese and some of the expats. But they don’t have a place where they can come together and talk without loud music and other distractions.”

I ask if he thinks there are enough rich, cigar-smoking people in Saigon to make such a club viable (personally I had my doubts).

As it turns out, I was asking the wrong question.

“I don’t care who has the most money,” he says. “What I’m looking for are people who have something to contribute. Who has an idea that might be great? Can other people learn from him?”

If he’s wearing the right suit, why not?

Kenn Smith is the brains behind House of Brijuni, a Saigon-based fashion line. Find more on Facebook at facebook.com/www.brijuni.us

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insider THE CITY

HANOI

Reconstructing the Capital While Saigon is working on a public transport network that will transform the city, Hanoi has some solutions of its own in the works. Words by Lucy Sexton.

Photos by Julie Vola The Nhat Tan Bridge The seventh bridge in Hanoi to cross the sprawling Red River delta, Nhat Tan is Vietnam’s newest and largest cable-stayed bridge at a massive 33.2m wide and 8.9km long (including the approach road). Its eight lanes — four of which are reserved for buses and motorbikes — and pedestrian sidewalks are scheduled to open to traffic in January 2015.

Although the bridge arose from pragmatic considerations — shortening the distance to Noi Bai Airport and connecting major

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industrial parks in the north — it is a project steeped in symbolism. Some see the bridge as a reflection of Vietnamese and Japanese friendship; the Japanese ambassador to Vietnam, Hiroshi Fukada, even proposed changing the name to the Japan-Vietnam Friendship Bridge (Cau Huu Nghi Viet Nhat). Without the principal investment of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the project would never have moved forward; a project that director Nguyen Le Minh said cost VND13.6 trillion (JPY89.943 billion).

The bridge design itself, however, is of local inspiration. As Minh explains, “The continuous cable-stayed bridge has five tower cranes and five spans, which will most certainly come to symbolise the five gates [of Thang Long Citadel].”

Whether residents in the neighbouring districts of Tay Ho, Dong Anh and Soc Son will see it as such may rest upon the realities of the transformation to the area.

Commercial activity is sure to pick up, but with that will come an increase in daily traffic as mercantile transport between the

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“Despite its scale, the design of the bridge lends it an immaterial quality; wind and water seem to flow through as if it had never been built” industrial parks will become finally feasible.

But even if the changes are unwelcomed by residents, one hopes the bridge views over the maze of river veins bleeding out to the sea can alleviate some of the growing pains. Despite its scale, the design of the bridge lends it an immaterial quality; wind and water seem to flow through as if it had never been built.

The five-year project will soon reach its completion. The last of the asphalt on the connecting Noi Bai airport road will be a welcome sight to what has been a marathon project.

Noi Bai’s Terminal 2 There would be little cause to build a new bridge and airport road if there wasn’t an airport in need of it. And if ever there was an airport in need of an upgrade to its runways, Noi Bai is it.

The 21st century inaugurated a revolution in Vietnam’s air-travel industry. In the first decade air traffic quadrupled, with a stunning 80 percent of international passengers going through just two airports, Hanoi’s Noi Bai and Ho Chi Minh City’s Tan Son Nhat. Top those numbers off with the

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fact that Noi Bai has had the highest growth rate of any airport in the country, and its humble beginnings seem a distant dream.

Originally built as a military airbase for the NVA, Noi Bai’s two runways began accommodating commercial flights postwar. From 1975 to 2001, when the first international terminal opened, the airport largely operated out of its old military skeleton. Today the skeleton still survives, but it’s struggling to keep up with a new Vietnam.

The two air force runways, never intended for commercial service, are limited to 10 million passengers by international aviation standards. Terminal 1 was originally designed for a modest six million passengers. A decade later, and serving over 13 million passengers, the airport has outgrown itself yet again, far surpassing its allowance. The figures are a testament to its unparalleled growth.

Vietnam again has much to thank from their Japanese neighbours. A project to build a second terminal was made possible by assistance from JICA, the same partners on Nhat Tan Bridge. Construction costs, tallying at more than VND4.7 billion (JPY36.65

million), were offset by JICA’s JPY12.6 million loan.

The new Terminal 2 (T2) of Noi Bai Airport has been long in the making.

According to a deputy director, it’s on track to open at the end of this year. The terminal, capable of serving another 10 million passengers annually, will alleviate the airport’s current crunch — but for how long?

The decision to build T2 was perhaps a bit shortsighted. Born from an anxiety to get the airport up to code, and mired in a vision of Noi Bai as Hanoi’s one-and-only airport, there was only talk of how big Noi Bai could grow. Estimations in the ‘Master Plan’ dreamed as high as a passenger capacity of 50 million.

Talk was upbeat. “Noi Bai International Airport in Vietnam’s capital of Hanoi will become a major international airport in Southeast Asia with high-security and convenience,” said a JICA press release in mid-2013. By December 2013, they were already speaking of expanding T2.

But the idea of a new airport altogether was also posed, one that could become an international hub in Southeast Asia, along the lines of Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi. And with a grander project on the horizon, the hopeful vision of Noi Bai’s international expansion would perhaps become moot.

Hai Duong International Airport According to Vietnamese newspapers, an MoU between the government and GARUDA, a seaport and airport building,

“When the first international terminal opened [at Noi Bai], the airport largely operated out of its old military skeleton. Today the skeleton still survives, but it’s struggling to keep up with a new Vietnam” management and consultant company was signed in January 2010. The flurry of reports promised US$15 billion (VND315 trillion) in FDI money towards building new international airports— Long Thanh in Ho Chi Minh City, Hai Duong in Hanoi and Chu Lai in Quang Nam Province.

Each airport was expected to out-shadow their predecessor in the hopes of alleviating the growing strain on the country’s three international airports. “The new airport is due to replace the overloaded Noi Bai International Airport, which will likely be relegated to domestic flights only,” said Mr. Koenigsberg, the director of the proposed GARUDA project, back in 2010.

So Noi Bai, according to Hai Duong advocates, was to take on recent growth in domestic air traffic, which had increased by 304 percent since 2005. An initial capacity of 35 million international passengers a year, and 80 million by the 2035 end of the new airport project, is a scale hard to compete with.

Designs proposed for Hai Duong also posed a challenge to an outdated Noi Bai. Two heliports, a hospital, a school, apartments and hotels in the surrounding area, would introduce a predicted 10,000 new permanent jobs. The vision, beyond merely satisfying a hunger for runway space, reflected a Hanoi aspiring to become a globalizing and dynamic nexus in the region.

After 2010 the media coverage came to a lull. Presumably plans were underway for the late 2014 airport deadline… well,

no reports were published to the contrary.

And certainly no new airport appeared.

Hai Duong seemed lost amongst the slew of projects on the agenda; 26 functioning airports have been promised by 2020.

While airport development was planned all over the country, investment money was coming in from all over the globe.

“Many enterprises have expressed interest in investing in airport projects in Hue, Cam Ranh and Lam Dong,” Luong Hoai Nam, an aviation expert, told Thanh News this October. France’s ADP, Samsung, South Korea’s Incheon Airport and Japan reportedly already offered investment

money.

The facts remain shaky. Requests for information on the Hai Duong airport revealed that no one could either confirm or deny that there ever was such a project.

Further entreaties for information were bounced around in a bureaucratic game of email ping-pong.

It seems safe to say, Noi Bai’s international future will not be dimmed by Hai Duong.

Terminal 2, Nhat Tan Bridge, JICA, tourists and the capital will have a moment to breathe more comfortably in a new skin… until the phantom Hai Duong project precipitates out of its wafty vision.

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THE 1ST ANNUAL

WORDIE AWARDS W

e’ve wanted to do annual awards for years, but there’s something cumbersome about the name, The Word Awards. Two w’s and similar vowel sounds — while there’s a ring to it, it just doesn’t quite work.

At the beginning of October it all changed.

One of our freelancers came up with an abbreviation — The Wordies. Suddenly we had something. Putting together annual awards has been a long time coming.

Nine years ago, when we first started exploring the lifestyle landscape in Vietnam, international-standard restaurants were rare and beer clubs were still quan nhaus. Our mission was not only to entertain and to fill an information gap at a time when information was scarce, but also to support a developing Vietnam and anything or anyone that was doing something intrinsically good.

Now that our nightlife and daylife scenes have gained a certain degree of maturity, and now that information is everywhere, our role has changed. For those of us who don’t get our intel off TripAdvisor, there is a need for a more discerning source of comparison.

So we’ve compiled a list of the best in Vietnam at the current moment — places that excel, but are still grounded in the uniqueness of this country.

To do this we’ve split our awards into two parts.

The first are awards that we’ve put together — the best (and worst) of 2014. We cover everything from culture to technology to news and back again.

The second section includes our person of the year as well as our Top 10s — restaurants, bars, cafes, nightclubs, beer clubs and destinations. For the Top 10s we asked 60 judges to give us their votes. While some of the top places on our lists were expected, some others were less so. It’s good to be surprised.

We then finish off The Wordies with the individual awards of guest judges from both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

We hope you enjoy the read!

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What You’ve Been Missing By Not Reading the News

The Mad Fishmonger Award for Most Dead Fish in a Weird Place goes to...

The Sea of Dead Fish in Thien Quang Lake

Known as a relaxing area for early exercisers, on the morning of Sep. 15 Hanoi’s Thien Quang Lake stopped being a pleasant place to walk by. Tonnes of dead white fish floated over the water and covered many parts of the lake. The smell from the fish on that still-warm day was not pleasant. One official charged with cleaning the lake estimated that over six tonnes of dead fish were removed in the morning only.

This wasn’t the first time this has happened in Thien Quang. Locals say that the fish die every time the lake is dredged with fishing nets, which stir up the mud at its bottom.

However, this was the biggest fish massacre seen here to date.

The “Who Are the Real Animals Here?” Award for Hastening the Apocalypse goes to...

The Tiger Terrorists

This past June, authorities patrolling National Highway 1A in Nghe An Province saw a truck driving without a plate number, so they signaled the driver to pull over for a routine check.

Instead of stopping, the driver sped away. In the ensuing chase, people in the truck started throwing obstacles at the car following — but what happened next went beyond anyone’s imagination.

Two anesthetised tigers were thrown from the hold, stopping the police in their tracks.

The two rope-bound animals were identified as endangered Indochinese tigers, weighing 75kg and 90kg respectively. They were taken to Pu Mat National Park for care on the same day, waking up four days later and eventually making a full recovery.

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The Daily Mail Yellow Journalism Award for Most Fearmongering Headline goes to...

The No Frills Airline We Will Get You There Eventually Award goes to...

The Machete Thief

VietJet Air

In April, the leader of an eight-member machete-wielding gang, Ho Duy Truc, was given the death penalty. The headline once again recalled the public’s feelings of fear and anger towards the man who nearly chopped off a woman’s hand, in an attempt to rob her motorbike in December 2012. Despite his appeal for a lighter sentence after being charged with capital punishment in 2013, the board of judges said the 20-year-old’s crime was too brutal and hysteriainducing to let slide.

Notorious for their ‘slash and rob’ technique, Truc’s machete gang perpetrated 15 robberies in Ho Chi Minh City, with the most terrifying one attempted on Nguyen Thi Thuy when she was riding a scooter over Phu My Bridge.

Truc slashed at her wrist twice, leaving her arm connected by only a thin piece of skin.

But Thuy has since recovered, and in April sent a letter to the president asking for clemency for Truc, on account of his young daughter. And so the destiny of the machete thief has not yet been sealed.

Sep. 19 will forever be remembered as the day the VietJet girls flipped the ‘no smoking’ light off. A photo set posted on ‘Lingerie Queen’ Ngoc Trinh’s Facebook went viral, showing a sneak peek at a new Vietjet Air promotional campaign featuring nine scantily-clad models posing in the airline’s branded bikinis. The models were seen inside the cabin checking the overhead lockers, walking down the aircraft steps waving sparklers, and doing other things that lingerie models routinely do on VietJet flights.

The photo leak was met with mixed reactions from netizens — some thought it was fun and creative, while others objected. Perhaps VietJet would have garnered less criticism if one of their planes hadn’t landed in the wrong airport in June — going to Cam Ranh instead of Dalat.

The Bilbo Teabaggins Memorial Trolling Award goes to...

The Mankini Models of Quan Ut Ut

Less than a week after VietJet Air’s photo leak scandal, Facebookers were again shocked by photos of ‘models’ in red-and-yellow swimwear — this time taken in the space of Saigon barbecue restaurant Quan Ut Ut. The five foreign men in sexy outfits and sassy facial expressions imitated the poses of the hot models in VietJet Air’s photo shoots — with guys checking out the bar area in the restaurant instead of the aircraft cabin.

The “Wear Your Titanium Alloy Flip-Flops” Most Flooded Road in Vietnam Award goes to...

The Great Hydrochloric Acid Flood of Bien Hoa City

In November, an accident occurred in Bien Hoa that would give even the most ardent flipflop wearer pause for thought. A truck carrying 5,000 litres of hydrochloric acid flipped over, flopping the plastic cases containing the toxic acid onto the highway. The leaked substance flooded the road, creating a threatening scene of simmering liquid and toxic fumes.

Fortunately no-one was injured.

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The Tour Operators Gone Wild Award for Shortsightedness goes to…

Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park Photos by Nick Ross

Son Doong is the world’s longest cave, and part of a network of outstanding natural beauty recognised by UNESCO — a pristine part of Vietnam’s heritage. So, what to do? Team up with the Sun Group to build a cable car linking the network of caves in Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park ending at Son Doong to encourage tourism.

Using a manmade solution to access a place of natural beauty has a certain logic to it.

Bring more people to the site, make money out of it and, in theory, protect it. Yet there’s another issue here. Places like Son Doong are ecologically delicate. And mass tourism has the potential to create mass destruction. To make this work, the project needs to be undertaken with the upmost care.

That the go-ahead has now been given to build a cable car up to the top of Fansipan is also a worry. On the one hand, Europe’s tallest mountain, Mont Blanc, is served by a cable car. So, giving access to the summit of Indochina’s highest peak makes sense, both economically and in terms of attracting tourists. But as with so much in Vietnam, the issue once again is conservation. The path to the top of Fansipan already suffers from an excess of litter along its sides. By bringing up more tourists, unless stringent rules are put in place, this will only be exacerbated.

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Photo by Francis Xavier

Photo by David Harris

The “They Do Listen To Us!” Award for Not Fixing Unbroken Things goes to…

The Most Elegant Poophouse Award goes to…

Long Bien Bridge

Tao Dan Park

The Expat Forums are Frothing Award for Corporate Debut goes to…

The “Are We There Yet?” Award for “It’s Complicated” goes to…

Monsanto

The Ho Chi Minh City Metro

Hanoi’s Long Bien Bridge, colloquially referred to as the horizontal Eiffel Tower, has had a chequered yet central history in the city. Having fallen into disrepair, there were plans to demolish it. But due to a spirited campaign led by Nguyen Nga, and other Hanoi natives, the bridge is now once again being seen as a thriving symbol of Hanoi’s history, with annual festivals to celebrate its cultural significance.

Just don’t make the mistake of thinking this structure was built

by Gustave Eiffel. It wasn’t.

Nope, it’s not McDonald’s. Yes, this multinational is an easy target. But the fast food symbol of American globalisation and the purveyor of the Big Mac Index has for many turned into quite a welcome addition to Ho Chi Minh City. Hanoi should be next on the McMenu.

The debutising company that has really got people’s backs up is Monsanto. Not, of course, that they’re called Monsanto in Vietnam.

No, in our fair climes they go under the moniker of Dekalb Vietnam, with offices both in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. And with several varieties of genetically modified corn now approved for import into Vietnam, the makers of Agent Orange are making a comeback.

With such a perverse irony at play, not surprisingly it’s a comeback that online has had some, erm, real comeback.

Over the last two years, the Ho Chi Minh City authorities have opened a series of five-star toilets based on those that you would expect to find in the finest hotels — with estimated construction costs ranging up to VND1billion a go. Except these are not in fivestar hotels or restaurants, but in public parks.

Our award for the number one toilets, with stiff competition, goes to one of the originals at the one and only Tao Dan Park. It even comes with toilet paper.

Vietnam has a number of large-scale infrastructure projects in the works, getting the go-ahead or in construction.

The most talked about are the Hanoi Monorail — which many of us mistakenly thought had started construction three years ago — and the Ho Chi Minh City Metro system. First put on the drawing board in the early 2000s, Saigon is finally getting its much yearned for metropolitan rail network. Hanoi will have to wait a bit.

Getting from A to B, or in this case, Z, has been very complicated.

Hoops the size of the rings of Saturn have been leapt through. But thanks to investment, knowhow and specialists provided by Japan, together both local and overseas partners have navigated the triple jump, which then became the long jump. Now the two partners working on the Ho Chi Minh City Metro System are negotiating puddles.

This doesn’t mean that building lines 1 and 2 will be easy. With Nguyen Hue, parts of Le Loi and parts of Le Thanh Ton closed down, central Ho Chi Minh City is dealing with the disruption.

But something unique is coming to Vietnam’s commercial hub. Its arrival will be very welcome.

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TECHNOLOGY AWARDS For keeping us inside on Friday nights

The “Maybe We Should Try Laying Two Cables” Award goes to...

The Stinking, Goshdarn Internet Cable

A break in the Asia Pacific Gateway (AAG) Internet cable connecting Southeast Asia with the US mainland caused uproar among Internet users not once or twice, but three times this year — and perhaps set a new record.

The cable, which was found sliced 70km off the coast of Hong Kong, resulted in a significant slowdown in bandwidth for weeks in March, September and October, and meant we couldn’t stream Game of Thrones episodes. So yes — it was really, really annoying.

Authorities have since repaired the cable and are probably on standby until it breaks again. On the plus side, they seem to be getting faster at repairing it.

The “From Where You’d Rather Be” Award for Best Facebook Updates goes to...

The Prison Selfie Master

Everyone knows the whole point of Facebook is to post jealousyinducing updates that make your life seem way more awesome everyone else’s. So when Tan Lap Prison inmate, Nguyen Duc Hung, took to Facebook to update his friends on life behind bars, we were a tad surprised.

The young prisoner, who still has five years to serve before his release, caused a media storm after posting selfie after glorious selfie of himself and his cellmates parading in stripey prison slacks and appearing a bit too happy with their incarceration.

Unimpressed prison officials soon shut down the “holiday camp” slideshow, confiscating mobile phones and restricting Hung to solitary confinement for three months. Hung soon responded with a cheery Facebook farewell to his newfound Internet fans. Touché, Hung, touché.

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The JD Salinger Award for Best Disappearing Act goes to...

Flappy Bird Creator Nguyen Ha Dong

After becoming the most downloaded game on smartphones the world over, an intense wave of media scrutiny soon sent Flappy Bird into a tailspin. The rags-to-riches success of the simple game, which launched in 2013 and soon topped app charts, catapulted the game and its maker Nguyen Ha Dong into the global spotlight.

After initially positive coverage, however, green-eyed hysteria surrounding the game’s VND1 billion-a-day advertising revenues quickly devolved into frenzied speculation by local media of IP theft and tax evasion. Not long after, Dong took to Twitter to chastise the howling media and announce he was pulling the game.

While that meant we could all get back to work, we never liked work that much anyway.

The “Sharing Economy is Here” Award for App Arrivals goes to...

Airbnb and Uber

You can’t spell start-up without the word ‘upstart’ — and that’s exactly how some perceived the arrival of US-bred apps Airbnb and Uber this year. While the firebrand apps drew protest from Vietnamese industry groups and befuddled regulators, they wasted no time in attracting consumers obsessed with luxury experiences and low-end price tags.

American taxi app service Uber, which offers a cheap-butdefinitely-not-nasty private car service, launched in Ho Chi Minh City in June and reached the capital in October. Meanwhile, Airbnb, which debuted in August, allows users to rent apartments from local hosts, and already boasts more than 1,000 listings across Vietnam’s major cities.

The “Is That With a Zero or an O” Award goes to...

Wireless Vietnam

Loitering outside cafés to leech off Wi-Fi is no longer required in Danang after the central city installed 400 Wi-Fi hotspots at major attractions. The free service, which can allegedly accommodate up to 10,000 connections at any given time, was even extended from 20 minutes to an hour over Tet to accommodate the extra snapchatting and holiday-related emojis.

Tam Dao also launched its own free Wi-Fi network in January in a bid to lure tourists to the mountainous resort town. The clever strategy was first employed by tourist hotspots Hoi An, Halong Bay and Hue and has led to a dramatic increase in tourism numbers and social media mentions. Who knew those annoying Facebook check-ins and #foodgrams were actually a good thing?

The “Please Have a Cow, Man” Award for Best Marketing Gimmick goes to...

Viettel’s Canny Cow Promos

Nowadays, cash incentive schemes are, well, just plain boring. Like, where’s the imagination? Which is why we were delighted to see the crafty marketing gurus at Viettel put on their thinking caps and devise a sales strategy that was a bit more moo-ving.

As reward for purchasing 15 new Viettel SIM cards at VND50,000 each, 1,300 lucky people in Quang Ninh Province were handed the keys to a real-life, cud-chewing, milk-producing cow. The gimmick saw the company smash an ambitious sale of 20,000 new SIMs in the province. Now THAT’s what we call marketing, folks.

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CULTURE AWARDS For Wasting Time in Fun Ways

The ASEAN Pride Festival

In Hanoi, promotional powerhouse CAMA teamed up with the American Embassy and several LGBT groups to put on a glittery, grungy showcase of the best music Southeast Asia has to offer, all in support of diversity and acceptance. Eight bands and one high-heel dance troupe provided the soundtrack last May at the American Club, but the spotlight was on rockin’ in the free world.

The “If You Book It, They Will Come” Award for Biggest Touring Act goes to...

Hardwell

While we make a lot of noise about Vietnam’s strides towards international tour stop legitimacy in live music, when it comes to big time international DJs Vietnam has already arrived. And all this momentum came to a head this year, when the consensus number one DJ in the world, Hardwell, came to Ho Chi Minh City’s Quan Khu 7 Stadium. Capping a year that also drew luminaries like Steve Aoki and Lil Jon on the wheels of steel, Vietnam’s place in the EDM world is looking more secure than ever.

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Photos by Teresa Welleans

The Collaborative Culture Award for Best Party goes to...

The Techsavvy Manchild Memorial Award for Best Selfie goes to...

Everyone Who Took One in Front of the Giant Rubber Duckie

Visitors to Ho Chi Minh City’s Crescent Lake were greeted by a delightful photo op for nearly a month last May, when a 600kg yellow duck took to the waters off Phu My Hung.

Bobbing merrily alongside the lakefront attractions created to complement its presence, the duck aimed to trigger “everyone’s fond childhood memories”, in the words of its Dutch creator. And no future recollections were harmed in this escapade, as the duck enjoyed the smooth seas that evaded it last year in Hong Kong, when it deflated into a giant rubber puddle, and in Belgium in 2009, when it was stabbed 42 times by a vandal.

The Wu Tang Clan Memorial RuckusBringing Award for Most Informative Raps goes to...

RapNews+

Photo by Francis Xavier

The Janet Jackson Memorial Prize for Best Nip Slip goes to...

Fish Girl's Cosplay Antics at the Spring Days Festival

Ho Chi Minh City’s cosplay scene got a little too heated at the Japanese-themed Spring Days Festival, when according to Tuoi Tre scene icon Erina — aka Yokusou Gyo (‘bathtub fish’), aka Sakana-chan (‘fish girl’) — “acted provocatively… pulling up her skirt and crawling on the floor”. After cosplay enthusiasts circulated videos of her sexy act, some of which were taken from a ground-level vantage, online outrage mounted, and Erina was forced to issue an apology. Soon after the blow-up she disappeared, both from the scene and online — which was perhaps best for Vietnamese cosplay’s gentle heart, considering the masturbatory toy-laden Facebook profile she took with her.

While it’s a well known fact that kids these days won’t listen to anyone, Vietnamese news agency VietnamPlus has figured out a way to reach even the most jaded youth: rap to them. And when you’re rapping about such social media-friendly topics as poorly-run domestic airlines and celebrity scandals, the kids will even help you spread your knowledge seeds.

In recognition of the kings of knowledge rap, at this year’s World Young Reader Prizes the top award in the ‘Digital First’ category went to RapNews+.

Honouring “the news publisher that most creatively engages the young through mobile telephones, tablets and other digital devices”, this prize showed finally that parents — well, governing media associations — do understand. With their newfound street cred, RapNews+ has vowed to go down to the rap store and search out some fresher beats.

The “I Just Got My Hair Did” Award for Most Public Ice Bucket Challenge Snub goes to...

A Still-Dry Transport Minister

When Voice of Vietnam first runner-up Dinh Huong poured her ice bucket in a YouTube video, she took the weird step of nominating Vietnamese Minister of Transport Dinh La Thang, saying, “We share the last name [Dinh], so I decided to challenge him.” He did not respond.

Newswires countrywide picked up the story, wedging in the gossipy tidbit to more substantial reporting on the craze, such as the doctor who warned that “people with heart diseases and the elderly should not take the challenge”.

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PERSON OF THE YEAR: ALAIN CARPENTIER N ovember’s CMI charity gala in Ho Chi Minh City, which benefits Alain Carpentier’s heart-surgery initiatives in Vietnam, raised more money than ever before.

Substantially increasing the funds from the previous edition, the event at the Park Hyatt raised the equivalent of 60 life-saving children’s surgeries. All cementing the fact that Alain Carpentier has been the most productive 81-year-old we know.

It’s not just his philanthropic work which continues to amaze, but also his scientific work in developing the “world’s first fully artificial, self-regulating heart”. Designed to be a permanent replacement for the failed organ, rather than a bridge until a donor can be found, it’s an ambitious piece of equipment that failed its first human trial — but it’s a fair sign that the ‘father of modern mitral valve repair’ is still on his game.

In our short photo session, we saw proof of Mr. Carpentier’s energy, as well as his impatience with being made to stand still.

After the photo shoot had dragged on for three or four minutes, he asked photographer Francis if she knew who Henri Cartier-Bresson was — the father of photojournalism. Not waiting for an answer, he said, “He was my friend, and he never took more than one shot to get a picture. Do you see what I am saying?”

This is what it’s like to spend 30 seconds in conversation with our 2014 Person of the Year. He’s like the coolest uncle ever — the one who you don’t want to interrupt, for fear you’ll miss the point.

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THE TOP RESTAURANTS IN VIETNAM

As we put together our list of the top restaurants in this country’s two major cities — Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City — we decided to keep it simple.

Blanchy Street

Pizza 4Ps

The Deck

Pizza 4Ps

Racha Room

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ith over 60 judges replying to our questions, we asked them what places in their opinion they thought were the ‘best’. By soliciting a response to such a broad question, it meant that their answers would be based on the whole package — service, décor, cuisine, ambience — rather than judging these facets of restaurants as separate components. This was what we were looking for.

As the votes came in, with a few notable exceptions it became clear that our judges went for international restaurants as opposed to Vietnamese, and restaurants serving up a la carte fare as opposed to those known for their buffets. Except for Square One in Ho Chi Minh City and JW Marriot in Hanoi’s two restaurants — Crystal Jade and French Grill — the hotel restaurants, often known for their buffets, struggled to get votes.

Likewise, except for El Gaucho, which managed to finish in the Top 10 for both cities, the chain restaurants found it difficult to get attention. Yet restaurant collaboratives such as the Au Parc / Refinery / Blanchy’s Street group in Ho Chi Minh City, focusing on one-of-a-kind eateries, got the judges’ blessing.

So here’s the lowdown on the best places to eat in Vietnam.

Ho Chi Minh City

In the past few years, Ho Chi Minh City’s Pizza 4Ps has achieved something of a cult status. Set down an alleyway off Le Thanh Ton

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on the other side of the Expat Ghetto, this Japanese-run, homemademozzarella joint has long tickled the fancy of its customers. From our judges’ votes, it was very much the number one restaurant in Saigon.

In fact, it was the runaway number one, getting 40 percent more votes than the nearest contenders, El Gaucho and The Deck. A bit of an anomaly, really. Who ever heard of a pizza restaurant being the best restaurant in a city of over 10 million?

That El Gaucho ran in equal second with The Deck tells you how well this Argentinean-themed restaurant with its taste-like-home steaks, themed décor and international ambience has managed to set itself up in Saigon. With three restaurants already opening their doors to grill-loving customers, so popular is its Bangkok outlet that you have to book in advance to get a table.

The Deck, too, has managed to carve itself out a niche, one that is not just due to its riverside, District 2 location. Elegant and romantic, and serving up great cocktails to go with its contemporary pan-Asian fusion menu, together with two other Top 10 restaurants in the same area of Saigon — Lubu and Trois Gourmands — it provides quality cuisine outside the city centre.

Of the newcomers, Racha Room’s entry into the Top 10 is perhaps the most surprising. Serving up ‘Thai-accented, Pan-Asian cuisine’, this restobar set within the confines of a colonial-era building on Mac Thi Buoi is finding success in a location where past restaurants have failed.

Photo by David Harris

Don's Tay Ho

Foodshop 45

El Gaucho

Hanoi

When Dani Himi, the brains behind El Gaucho, was opening his first restaurant in Hanoi, he researched the dining scene in the capital. His opinion was that Da Paolo was the best restaurant in Hanoi. It’s an opinion that was shared by our judges, with the Italian eatery getting the most votes.

That El Gaucho came in at a close number two was perhaps no surprise. And other well-known favourites such as Don’s Tay Ho, Foodshop 45, Jackson’s Steakhouse, Moose & Roo and Namaste making the Top 10 was expected. What was perhaps less expected was the entry of Cousins — a French-inspired eatery only opened in the summer. Likewise, the fact that Pots ‘n Pans was one of only two Vietnamese eateries making the Top 10 in either city suggests that the concept of mid to top-end Vietnamese fare in an international setting is still in its infancy.

Also interesting was the lack of classic French restaurants among your favourites, with only La Badiane hitting the spot. The contemporary yet traditional eatery came third in the rankings.

A number of other restaurants came close to the Top 10 including 1946, Angelina, Highway 4, Cau Go, Quan An Ngon and interestingly, both the restaurants in the JW Marriott — French Grill and Crystal Jade. Like Cousins, they are new to the dining scene in the capital. And despite location — the JW Marriott is in My Dinh in West Hanoi — they are already getting a reputation.

Ho Chi Minh City

Hanoi

The Top 10*

The Top 10*

Au Parc

Cousins

Ciao Bella

Da Paolo

Cuc Gach Quan

Don’s Tay Ho

El Gaucho

El Gaucho

Lubu

Foodshop 45

Pizza 4Ps

Jackson’s Steakhouse

Racha Room

La Badiane

The Deck

Moose & Roo

Trois Gourmands

Namaste

Vesper

Pots ‘n Pans

Restaurants in The Top 35*

Restaurants in The Top 35*

Au Lac Do Brazil

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Bahdja

a la Folie

BiBi at Alibi

Al Fresco’s

Blanchy’s Street

Angelina

Corso

Au Lac Do Brazil

Elbow Room

Bluebird

Ganesh

Cau Go Vietnamese Restaurant

Hoa Tuc

Crystal Jade

Khoi Thom

French Grill

May Restaurant

Green Tangerine

Mekong Merchant

Halia Hanoi

Mogambo

Highway 4

Quan Ut Ut

Khazaana

Pendolasco

KOTO on Van Mieu

Refinery

La Verticale

Restaurant 13

Le Beaulieu

Saffron

Madame Hien

Secret Garden

Pyza

Shang Palace

Quan An Ngon

Shri

Ray Quan

Skewers

Salt ‘n Lime

Square One

Sen

Sorae Sushi

Sushi Bar

Ty Coz

THBC Tapas Bar

Tuk Tuk Thai

The Republic

*The restaurants in these lists have been organised in alphabetical order

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THE TOP BARS IN VIETNAM

Martini Bar / 2 Lam Son

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Chill Skybar

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o matter how innovative or Bohemian the décor, how alternative the clientele or how congenial the service, the bars that we like are the ones that fit in with the experience we are searching out after dark. This is what we bore in mind when we chose our judges. We looked for people from different walks of life, people with different experiences and tastes, so that when their opinions were measured up and put together, we would be able to obtain an aggregate sense of the bar scene in this country.

And of course, compile a Top 10.

As the list below was finally added up and discussed in our office, there were a couple of awws and groans, disagreements and comments like, so and so is “sh*t”. Or, xxx is “only for rich people.

Where’s the spot for xxx?” Such is the subjectivity shown towards the bars that we love and hate.

Most interesting was the balance. It was the mid to top-end bars that seemed to fare best. In Hanoi, seven of the Top 10 fit into this pigeonhole, while in Saigon it was as high as eight. All suggesting that the days of dive bars on Saigon’s Bui Vien or Hanoi’s Ta Hien as a favourite hangout are a thing of the past.

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Ho Chi Minh City

Topping the bunch was Xu, followed by Broma, Martini Bar, La Fenetre Soleil and Vesper. Also in the Top 10 was Chill Skybar, OMG, Saigon Outcast, Blanchy’s Tash and The Observatory. Just missing out were Cargo Bar, deciBel, Last Call and Blue Gecko.

What stands out here is the variety. Not just the variety of bars chosen by our judges, but the sense that in this ’top of the drops’ watering hole list there is a little something for everyone.

Take Blue Gecko, an Australian sports bar running since the late 1990s. Mix this in with venue, event and live music space Cargo Bar, the more business-orientated Vesper Bar and Lounge, the top-end Martini Bar in The Park Hyatt and the street-credhaving alternative arts space Saigon Outcast. The bars in this list represent a cross-section of Ho Chi Minh City’s nightlife.

Once the complaint was that Saigon could get dull — everything was very same-same and not all that different. Now it is difficult to make the same accusation. Bars these days come with a variety of themes. It’s a change that has been positive for the city’s nightlife.

Photo byDiego Cortizas del Valle

Tadioto

Hanoi

Barbetta's former incarnation in Zone 9

Photo by Nguyen Bao Ngoc

Barbetta's former incarnation in Zone 9

The Red River Tea Room

Hanoi

The complaint constantly made by non-Hanoians visiting Hanoi is that the nightlife, to avoid the standardly quoted expletive, is boring.

There’s nowhere to go and everything closes down at midnight.

While the latter statement may be true for much of the time, the former is quite wrong. You only need to look at our Top 10 to see the variety of nightlife options now available in the capital.

Heading up the list is the Vietnamese-owned, aesthetically endearing Barbetta, which sits on top of the pile together with Indochine-cum-contemporary downtown watering hole Tadioto.

Also in the Top 10 is event and live music venue CAMA ATK, and cocktail and wine bar 88 Lounge. Don’s Oyster Bar, with its nightly live jazz and great views over West Lake, is at number four.

Alternative event spaces Madake and Hanoi Rock City, and sports bar and gastropub The Republic follow.

The French-run gastrobar Ete makes an appearance, as does expat riverside hangout Red River Tea Rooms. And just missing out on the Top 10 are places like the upscale, outdoor bia hoi joint, Backyard Bia Hoi, the motorbike-themed Kub and Kub Café, and live music venue Rockstore.

As in Saigon, Hanoi’s nightlife has undergone immense change.

The days of the dive bar are behind us.

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The Top 10*

The Top 10*

Blanchy’s Tash

88 Lounge

Broma

Barbetta

Chill Skybar

Cama ATK

La Fenetre Soleil

Don’s Oyster Bar

Martini Bar / 2 Lam Son

Été Bar

OMG

HRC

Saigon Outcast

Madake

The Observatory

Red River Tea Room

Vesper Bar

Tadioto

Xu

The Republic

Bars in The Top 25*

Bars in The Top 25*

Blue Gecko

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17 Cowboys

Bootleg DJ Café

Backyard Bia Hoi

Cargo Bar

Binh Minh’s Jazz Club

deciBel

Chez Xuan

Game On

Kub

Last Call

Lake Kub

McSorley’s

Mao’s Red Lounge

O Brien’s

Mojito Bar

Phatty’s

Rockstore

Saigon Ranger

Rooftop

Saigon Saigon Bar

Summit Lounge

The Cube

Sunset Bar

Vino Wine Bar

Tay Tap

Wine Embassy

Tracy’s Sports Bar

*The bars in these lists have been organised in alphabetical order

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Ho Chi Minh City

It used to be enough to have air-conditioning and non-invasive music. The smooth surfaces of mid-listers Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf and Starbucks hearken back to that era, and offer delicious coffee confections besides. Phuc Long has a few more place-specific edges,

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e knew this one would be tricky, as soon as we tried to schedule a meeting at Ho Chi Minh City’s The Workshop café. Waiting upstairs for everyone to arrive, a team member sent this text: “Lol i can’t afford workshop’s coffee, im on the sidewalk outside”.

And so the divide is growing, as more cafés offer speciality roasts and Chemex-brewed cups (The Workshop offers five brewing options for drip-filter coffee) at the expense of the classic ca phe. On Ho Chi Minh City’s chain-drinking list, one notable omission was ca phe sua da specialist Trung Nguyen — faring as well, with three votes, as Hanoi’s least-favourite corporate, Starbucks.

It seems Saigonese just want to see and be seen — top vote-getter L’Usine doubles as the best café in Ho Chi Minh City to take a selfie at. They also want to have outlets next to every table — at WORK Saigon, you’re a straight-up nerd if you don’t have a Macbook — and sip lattes poured with masterful rosettes. In Hanoi, Cong Caphe, Tet Decor Café and Café Nha San are all atmosphere, focusing on a textured past rather than a sleek future. They’re social spaces — like top Hanoi vote-getter The Hanoi Social Club — whose quirkiness just helps the conversation flow.

So we present: The Top Cafés in Vietnam.

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managing to stand out in a sea of corporate-come-latelies like nearmiss Urban Station, and far-misses like My Life Coffee and The Coffee Factory.

But that’s not where the heat is at in Saigon, which also toplisted design-heavy favourites such as lead vote-getter L’usine, the thoughtful architecture of ID Café and two places with ‘work’ in the name — co-working surrogates The Workshop and WORK Saigon.

These places are hip enough to make it in world cities like New York or Melbourne, but faithful enough to local design traditions to only be possible in Saigon.

Escaping the trendwatch are our second and third-highest votegetters — Café RuNam and Cuc Gach Café, respectively. With their cool vintage stylings, they’re not tapping into global currents — rather a current that is very localised, and runs very deep. And while we’re on the topic, we want to give an honorary mention to Things Café, which might be too niche for even our expert judges, located in the crumbling café-tattoo-vintage clothing mecca of 14 Ton That Dam, Q1. It’s also home to three other cult favourites: The Other Person Café, Mockingbird Café and Nep Café.

And rounding out the Top 10 is a true original, Fly Cupcake Garden. Synthesising the Saigonese love of cupcakes with Alice in Wonderland-like decor is a challenge, but the Fly Cupcake empire builders did so with finesse in their premises on Tu Xuong. And it’s fittingly on the periphery of this list, representative of the still-alternative café corridor it shares with other standouts like Den & Trang, Café Cuckoo’s Nest and the second iteration of ID Café.

Hanoi

Cong Ca Phe

The Hanoi Social Club

Hanoi

When talk turns to where to get a healthy meal that isn’t light on flavour, you’d be surprised not to hear about The Hanoi Social Club, which now enjoys cult status in the capital. Tucked away in the central business district on Hoi Vu, this rustic café-cum-live music venue has topped our polls with its hearty gourmet cuisine and refreshing homemade drinks menu.

Close behind, Cong Caphe’s iconic Communist-themed hangouts have also earned your collective high-fives, with their precisionlike consistency, effortlessly cool spaces and rigorous dedication to artisan coffee.

Art-house café and gallery space Manzi has also gotten your tick of approval. Beautifully designed in a colonial-era villa, the contemporary art hub has won a place in the hearts of Hanoi’s art lovers and home-grown artists with its constant flood of exhibitions and stage performances.

Injecting a dose of North American café culture into our list, Joma has carved out some serious kudos from this year’s voters with its killer mugs of fair trade coffee, tasty bagel eggers and delicious pastries baked fresh, daily.

Tay Ho’s Tet Décor Café also rounds out our Top 5. After being open for barely a year, it has quickly attracted a loyal band of followers that flock there for its strong flat whites, farm-fresh produce and organic cooking. The café also doubles as a comfy showroom for the uber rustic furniture designs of the Tet Lifestyle Collection.

Modern hipster hangout the KAfe has also earned a place on our list. The urban café’s focus on affordable quality and its international menu was a much-needed game changer for Hanoi’s culinary establishment. Its wide selection of tapas dishes and handmade cupcakes have now made it a pet favourite.

Even with so many new kids on the block, it’s hard to shake an institution like Puku that’ll deliver greasy hash browns and bacon sandwiches to your door at literally any hour of the day. Further north, fellow brunch-master Commune follows close behind with its modest-but-poignant mix of baguettes and breakfast treats.

Newcomer Six Degrees on Nghi Tam has made a big splash this year with its sweeping views of West Lake and the Red River, while serving up reasonably priced gourmet cuisine and curious-sounding waffle sandwiches.

Nha San Café, a rural Muong ethnic minority house on stilts run by the avant-garde Nha San Collective, is located in the quiet streets of Vinh Phuc. With its impressive collection of Subsidy Era and wartime antiques, and unpretentious drinks-only menu, it’s easy to see why this one has charmed its way into the final spot in our Top 10.

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Hanoi

The Top 10*

The Top 10*

Café RuNam

Commune

Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf

Cong Caphe

Cuc Gach Café

Joma

Fly Cupcake Garden

KAfe

ID Café

Manzi

L’Usine

Nha San Café

Phuc Long

Puku

Starbucks

Six Degrees

The Workshop

Tet Décor Café

WORK Saigon

The Hanoi Social Club

Cafés in the Top 20*

Cafés in the Top 20*

[a] café

Boo Café

Café Centro

Café Duy Tri

Cong Vien Van Hoa Park coffee

Café Kinh Do

Era Café

Café Pho Co

Fix Republic

Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf

La Rotonde

Kafe Village

The Fig Café

Kitchen

The Loop

Oriberry

Things Café

Ray Quan

Urban Station

Yolo

*The cafés in these lists have been organised in alphabetical order

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Taboo Bar & Lounge

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Check out our judges’ selections of the best nightspots in Vietnam, and find the cure for what ails you (sobriety).

Ho Chi Minh City

Try as we might, we still can’t shake it. Apocalypse Now — aka Apo — is still going strong 22 years into its reign, despite the rep it’s always had as a bad decision in the making. Here again it takes the top spot, tied at 15 votes with actual-DJ-booker Lush — although it should be noted there were a number of “I don’t go to clubs” abstentions.

This low voter turnout seems to be due to the overall shift in Saigon nightlife, from the boom-chik-boom of yore to the cool bars and venues that have been opening by the month, often booking better DJs than even Lush manages. The Observatory owner Dan Bi Mong stood in for many of us, when his write-in list for the category read: The Observatory The Observatory The Observatory Which is not to say these clubs have been standing still. Thirdplace finisher Fuse took a page from the protoculture manual in

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booking Saigon’s preeminent live visuals artist Crazy Monkey to run the hallucinations at their fifth-anniversary festival, Fuse Night Out. In lining up a murderer’s row of DJs — including DJ Mag's 17th-inthe-world ranked DJ Showtek — in a sweet outdoor space in front of 7,000 people, Fuse showed that they can still throw a party with the best of them.

Hanoi

Gyrating its way to the top of our ballot pile, The Bank is your favourite place to hit the town and twerk your respective derrieres.

Complete with state-of-the-art lasers, roped-off areas, bottle service and bathroom attendants, Hanoi’s hippest club is the city’s Mecca for party-seekers and visiting DJs. Anchored off Pier 1 in Tay Ho, floating fortress Taboo Bar and Lounge was your second favourite place to see and be seen. Never failing to cause a traffic jam on Thuy Khue on a Saturday night, Taboo’s raised stages and winding stairwells are the perfect place to — as their motto encourages — “unlock your secret”.

Rounding out our list is Level 10. Hidden up high and away from the hustle and bustle, the club’s attentive cocktail staff, slick décor and sweeping views make it a good place to let your hair down and meet Hanoi’s most vibrant party animals.

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f you’ve got a hip Facebook newsfeed, you’ll know that the world has been taking notice of Vietnam’s beer clubs, puke sinks and all. What do those of us living here make of this uniquely Vietnamese phenomenon? Well, we like it... sometimes.

Brauhaus — also popular in the city to the north. With the Saigon branch dating back to 2001, it’s the first brewpub in Vietnam, and whether you believe they’ve made the most of that head start or not, at least they don’t have puke sinks.

Ho Chi Minh City

Bursting onto the Hanoi scene last year, Vuvuzela tops our list with its vast selection of imported brews and tasty beer accompaniments, including beef carpaccio and glazed chicken wings. Located in Hoan Kiem District, the beer club has been a firm favourite with the after work business crowd.

Coming in at a close second, Hoa Vien Brauhaus specialises in its own variations of Czech beer brewed in-house and poured on tap.

This distinctly Vietnamese beer hall also serves up a mix of Czech and Vietnamese fare, all suitably aimed to line/grease the stomach in between strong pitchers of golden ale.

Fellow Czech-inspired pub Pilsner Urquell snags the final spot on our list. Whether it’s the weirdly technologised toilet seats, authentically decorated walls or English-speaking staff, this place has plenty to offer beer-lovers and casual beer drinkers alike. The balanced brews are concocted to the highest possible standards, while the happy hours are second to none.

It’s been a barn-burner of a year for Saigon’s top vote-getter MOB Beer Club, about the classiest beer club on the block, if you ignore the cheeky anagram (which, to be fair, is credited as “Make it Or Break it” in the official explanation). Housed in a restored French mansion dating to the 1920s — “the best restoration job I’ve seen in this city,” quipped one architect — the pours are some of the best you’ll find, the atmosphere is methodically distinct and the, erm, ‘lavabo’ is usually spotless.

Vuvuzela — the original — follows closely behind, its year-plus tenure helming the phenomenon not yet over. Straddling the country with locations as far off as Vinh City — not to mention Hanoi, where it topped our judges’ poll — it doubles as a metaphor for the whole beer club phenomenon. Like its namesake, it might have seemed like a fad at first, but it’s now wormed its way into our hearts.

Tied with Vuvuzela is the true, pre-’beer club’ original, Hoa Vien

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kay, so we occasionally hype stuff up a bit, but damn 2014 was good to us live music fans. And it wasn’t so much the periodic thrill of seeing live acts like The Lemonheads and Jagwar Ma come through that got us excited for the future, but rather seeing venues like Cargo Bar/Q4 come into their own, and festivals like ASEAN Fest figure out their formula — with hosting by the versatile American Club playing a big part.

So you know the usual suspects: in Ho Chi Minh City, head to Acoustic if you’re looking for virtuosic covers — in Hanoi it’s Rockstore. For a touch of the weird, Saigon Outcast is a fitting backdrop in the southern city, while Madake mixes it up in the north. CAMA ATK and Hanoi Rock City handle the big draws, and have for years, while Cargo is finally realising the potential crowds it was built for (1,100 paid entry to the Run For Cover: Halloween Party — a local band showcase!). 2014 debutantes Saigon Ranger and Eden Hanoi are ones to watch.

But local tastes for live music are growing, outpacing the ambitions of yesteryear, couching mega-concerts in quirky outdoor concepts. It’s no longer “if you build it, they will come” — they’ve come, and those live music cravings we’ve had forever are finally being satisfied.

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Ho Chi Minh City’s Five Most Endangered Buildings While the fate of Hanoi’s built heritage has been closely monitored, in recent years a large number of Ho Chi Minh City’s historic buildings have been systematically demolished in the name of economic development. We asked local historian Tim Doling to put together a list of the ‘top five’ historic buildings currently under threat of destruction.

District 1 People’s Committee Building

45-47 Le Duan, Q1 Last month it was announced that the former Cercle des Officiers (Officers’ Mess) of 1876 is to be demolished to make way for a new high-rise.

Phuong Nam Mansion

110-112 Vo Van Tan, Q3 This imposing old mansion is currently on the market for US$35 million (VND750 billion) — and at that price, it’s obvious that only demolition and reconstruction as a tower block will offer prospective buyers a big enough return on their investment.

WHAT YOU SAY

What did we miss? We asked seven guest judges in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to tell us their thoughts.

The Top Graffiti Walls In Saigon An Oi — aka Trane — owned the first graffiti supply shop in Saigon, and his support has kept the nascent scene evolving. We asked him a hard one — “most are illegal and some spots are hard to find, bro”.

could be better, right? Unfortunately it’s been banned because of people coming here for photos, and leaving a mess after.

You can also buy spray cans from the shop of mine nearby, and try the best French baguette I have ever known at Lamie.

Reborn

Saigon Outcast

Duong 21, Go Vap This place is hidden away in a neighbourhood where everyone is highly supportive of the wall, for eight years already. This place is where I first met all the real writers, in a party named Style Jam.

Hem 15B Le Thanh Ton, Q1

This wall is also hidden in an alleyway surrounded by lots of restaurants, and it’s located right in the centre of Saigon. What

188/1 Nguyen Van Huong, Q2 Saigon Outcast is one spot where everyone loves graffiti. Nice place, cool people and funny staff. You’re free to do whatever you want, with a half-pipe for skating, big venue for chilling, oldschool table football and of course a big wall for everyone who loves painting.

An Oi

Catinat Building

Cnr. Dong Khoi and Ly Tu Trong, Q1 Located on so-called ‘Gold Land’, this 1927 Art Deco apartment block will soon be cleared to make way for more luxury hotels and office buildings.

273 Dien Bien Phu, Q3

The Department of Science and Technology recently announced their intention to build a new technology centre in place of this 1920s French mansion, once the residence of the Swiss Consul to Cochinchina.

159-161 Ly Tu Trong, Q1

Will the former Secrétariat Général du Gouvernement building (1888) be demolished, or can its facade be incorporated into the design of the new 14-storey Government Centre to be built immediately behind the People’s Committee building? The jury’s still out on that one.

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The Top Five Hangover Spots in Saigon The face behind late-night cocktail and lounge bar Last Call, Lola Guimond knows all about hangovers. “I’m going to start with a quick drinker’s tip. Take two Silymarin pills before bed (or in the morning if you forget). This helps your liver detox faster. Also drink coconut water.”

If that doesn’t work, here are some spots for some light relief.

cucumber strips on your face and wash your feet, too. You don’t leave greasy like in other massage places, just ready to hit the town.”

OMG

206B Nguyen Trai, Q1 “Half-and-half hotpot (half spicy, half savoury), order a bit of meat and a ton of veggies. Great dipping sauce too!”

15-17-19, Nguyen An Ninh, Q1 “A simple glass of wine and take in the view.”

137 Foot Massage 137 Ham Nghi, Q1 “Private room for two, 90-minute massages. They lay

Lola Guimond

FAME Nails

45 Mac Thi Buoi, Q1 “Head to toe treatment or just mani and pedi in the massage chair.”

Pot & Bone Hong Kong Hot Pot

Last Call

1st Floor, 59 Dong Du, Q1 “Try the Devil’s Breath Martini — chilliinfused tequila with hydrating vegetable juices and chilli salt.”

The Best Places to Drink into the Early Hours in Hanoi The face and name behind Mao’s Red Lounge, and one of the best-known players on Hanoi’s nightlife scene, when it comes to drinking after hours, Luong Van Mao is an old hand.

Here are his recommendations for taking your drinking in the capital past midnight.

From 11pm to 12.30am

Coach House, 37 Dao Duy Tu, Hoan Kiem “It’s famous for good cocktails like Margaritas, White Russians or Bloody Marys, and at super cheap prices!”

From 12.30am to 2am

Tet Bar, 2B Ta Hien, Hoan Kiem

“It totally makes my day with some mixed drinks here such as the Malibu orange or amaretto cranberry, or for heavier stuff, I go with several glasses of gin and tonic.”

From 2am onward

Ras Tama, 7 Xuan Dieu, Tay Ho; Tay Tap, No. 20 Lane 50/59/17, Dang Thai Mai, Tay Ho or sometimes Bomba Latina, 46 Ngo Huyen, Hoan Kiem “I really like these bars because they have great drinks, open late and most people speak English here. And the music is great!”

Luong Van Mao The Best Bands Who Have Played in Hanoi Each year, Hanoi’s music scene gets stronger, as the capital edges its way onto the tours of international artists. We’ve seen a real boom in quality music in the last couple of years — and 2014 was no exception.

Nick Greenfield is one of the faces behind music collective, CAMA. Here are his highlights.

The Love Junkies

One of Australia’s hottest new acts, these fuzz-rockers ripped a sonic hole in Hanoi’s heart this May. This was rock ’n’ roll done right.

Lydmor

Described as a one-woman aural explosion, Dane Lydmor stopped our hearts with an hour-long show in October.

This was raw and melodic. Definitely one of our unmissables.

Regurgitator

20 years after their debut and seminal album, Aussie electro punks Regurgitator still rock like they’re teenagers. #Solid.

Le Cat Trong Ly

Perhaps Vietnam’s

most singular young talent, singersongwriter Le Cat Trong Ly continues to break hearts every time she visits Hanoi.

Ours included.

Anchorsong

One man and his machines. Tokyo/ London beatsmith Anchorsong proved button-pushers can be as vital as any rock band.

Blue Hawaii

What better way to end a Hanoi summer than with the sun-kissed electro pop of Montreal duo Blue Hawaii? Soaring vocals, driving beats.

Say Oms

Their time in Vietnam was too short, but damn it was sweet. These homegrown heros gave Hanoi their all in their penultimate performance at CAMA ATK in June.

Ngot

Fuzzy. Indie. Goodness. Student favourites Ngot proved Vietnam is about more than metal. One to watch in 2015.

The Offensive

These expat scene stalwarts headed Hanoi’s punk resurgence in 2014. Loud, raw, raucous. #Boom.

George Burchett The Best Bia Hoi in Hanoi An artist and perhaps one of only a handful of Caucasians born in Hanoi during the war era, George Burchett just loves his bia hoi. Here’s his pick of where to go to get your favourite tipple.

Bia Hoi 68

68 Quang An, Tay Ho “Great location, great food, friendly service and a good vibe.”

Truc Bach Bia Hoi

1 Tran Vu, Ba Dinh “My introduction to bia hoi, it was my bia hoi of choice during my first year back in Hanoi. Good food — I particularly like the grilled mackerel — and a popular place. Great location, too. Right on Truc Bach Lake overlooking the exact spot where John McCain landed when his plane was shot down.”

Bia Hoi Hanoi

15 Yen Phu, Tay Ho “Good food and atmosphere. A great place to watch the traffic on Yen Phu.”

Bia Hoi Thanh Nien

Opposite Sofitel Plaza, 1 Thanh Nien, Ba Dinh “This is where I go with my Vietnamese artist friends and kung fu class for fresh bia hoi.”

Quan Bia Hoi Ha Noi

19C Ngoc Ha, Ba Dinh “Huge bia hoi with good food and of course beer. Famous for its duck hotpot. The place where Hanoi’s film industry crowd hangs out.”

Nick Greenfield The Best Hamburgers in Hanoi The general manager of the Press Club, together with friend and colleague Darren Gall, Kurt Walter has been doing the rounds of Hanoi’s burgers.

A long-term resident of the capital with a nose for the finer things in life, according to Kurt, the best burgers in Hanoi can be found at El Gaucho (11 Trang Tien, Hoan Kiem); JW Marriott (8 Do Duc Duc, Me

Tri, Tu Liem); Moose & Roo Pub & Grill (42 Ma May, Hoan Kiem); Tracy’s Sports Pub (40 Xuan Dieu, Tay Ho); and of course Press Club (corner of 12 Ly Dao Thanh and 59A Ly Thai To, Hoan Kiem).

Word is hoping to do a Best Burgers in Hanoi piece in the next couple of months. So, will the results match up?

Stay tuned.

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THE TOP DESTINATIONS IN VIETNAM

Phu Quoc

Six Senses in Con Dao

Dalat

Hemp-weaving Hmong in Ha Giang

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hoosing top holiday destinations by committee is like travelling with a big group — it isn’t easy.

It often comes down to one’s own particular travelling experience. While putting normal life at arm’s length and getting close to nature matters for some, for others it’s comfort and ease of access.

And for our judges coming from two ends of Vietnam — Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City — there is another thing that matters: the proximity to the cities that they now call home. Although they share a few similarities, there are also many differences.

The Consensus Picks

Hoi An

According to our judges, the consensus number one destination in Vietnam is Hoi An. With beautiful, century-old yellow houses lying alongside peaceful narrow streets, this old riverside town attracts

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tourists by the busload.

A hub for regional trade dating back to the 15th century, as a port town Hoi An once attracted boats and traders from many parts of the world, resulting in its unique mix of historic architecture — a blend of Vietnamese, Chinese, Japanese and European. Although the place became something of a tourist trap after its recognition as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1999, it’s still an interesting destination for anyone who is willing to stick around and absorb the local life, enjoy the beaches nearby or have some tailoring done at a bargain price.

Phu Quoc

Scoring high on both southern and northern lists, Vietnam’s largest island is appreciated for its mix of isolated and well-trodden beaches, rugged mountains, dozens of bays, fishing villages, excellent pepper and countless nuoc mam-making households.

With things to see at every turn, hiring a motorbike and getting a map is a great way to discover the island.

Sapa

The last common pick, Sapa made it to third on the northern list and fourth on the southern one. No longer the undiscovered secret that it was in the 1990s, the rich opportunities for treks, homestays — and, on clear days, the beautiful panoramas of the surrounding valleys and Mount Fansipan — can still bring visitors unforgettable experiences. Skip the aggressive hawkers for the vibrant morning markets, or better yet, head into the mountains and get to know a very unique side to Vietnam.

Agree to Disagree

Hanoi Loves Hue and Ha Giang

While we may have a slight bias here — in

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Photo by Aaron Joel Santos

The Judges Ha Giang

our September issue we described Ha Giang at the most beautiful place in Vietnam — the northern contingent departed from the southerners on their last two entries into the Top 5.

Straddling the beautiful Perfume River, Hue was once the seat of power for the Nguyen lords, the last feudal dynasty in Vietnam.

The complex of tombs, pagodas and palaces throughout this city and its surrounds are a perfect fit for someone into historic attractions or a space to get some well-deserved quiet. If you can get away from the hawkers, that is.

Although it’s not a spot for vibrant nightlife, with great food, great places to stay and the beauty of the central citadel to its credit, Hue was the number two destination among Hanoibased judges.

Lying in the northernmost part of Vietnam near the Chinese border, Ha Giang is far more challenging to get to than the other destinations nominated. But that also means the place remains spectacularly untouched. As it’s often

An Bang Beach in Hoi An

said, ‘It’s the journey, not the destination.’ And this is particularly true in one of the country’s best places for motorbiking and trekking. You’ll see a world of breathtaking mountains, soaring rice terraces and diverse ethnic cultures along the way.

Saigon Loves Southern Getaways

Although the judges in Ho Chi Minh City agreed with Hanoi on Hoi An, Phu Quoc and Sapa, Dalat and Con Dao surpassed Hue and Ha Giang by a fair margin to get into the southern Top 5.

While Dalat charms explorers with its cool air, stunning mountain scenery and French-era villas, the wildness of the Con Dao archipelago is a gem for holiday seekers thanks to its steep coastline, rocky hills, rugged beaches, jungle, isolated islands and sweeping coves. Once Vietnam’s answer to Alcatraz, Con Dao also boasts the remains of a French-built prison, a number of crumbling forts and colonial-era villas.

A special thanks to our judges for voting for their favourite restaurants, bars, cafes, nightclubs, beer clubs and destinations in Vietnam.

Aili Ramberg, Alex Falter, Andrew Souto, Aron Szabo, Bien Nguyen, Brad Segal, Bryon Ramsey-Leonard Rudd, Cyprien Pervlosi, Damian Kilroy, Dan Bi Mong, Darren Gall, Darren Scharzberg, David Appleton, Debajit Banerjee, Dinh Q Le, Doan Phuong Ha, Dominic Scriven, Don Berger, Edge Pamute, Emmanuel Rudzitsky, Fred Wissink, Gabriele Fanni, Giang Thy, Hanh Ngoan, Hisui Kobayashi, Jase Nguyen, Jeff Puchalski, Jeremie Courivault, Jeremy Wellard, Jody O' Dea, Josh Zukas, Julian Talbot, Julien Tavagnutti, Lawrence Boal, Linh Nguyen, Linh Phan, Linh Tran, Lola Guimond, Ludovic Tran, Marilyn Drinkwater, Mark Rowland, Matt Underwood, Nada Offner, Nguyen The Son, Nicola Connolly, Richard Burrage, Richard Frot, Rose Arnold, Sandip Rakhit, Shane Dillon, Thao Bach, Thuan Nguyen, Timen Swijtink, Tom Nguyen, Tracey Lister, Tram Vu, Tri Minh, Vivek Chaudary, Vu Nhat Tan and Zoe Butt.

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Beneath the Wrapper: A Journey Into Vietnam’s Cocoa Revival From the cocoa plantations of southern Vietnam via its modest Ho Chi Minh City factory, Marou chocolate has made its way onto the shelves of some of the finest stores in the world. Simon Stanley and Francis Xavier rode out to the edge of Nam Cat Tien National Park to meet the farmers supplying the country’s only bean-to-bar producer

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“H

ow was the trip?” asks my apartment building’s manager, as I stumble through the lobby doors fresh from the road, my two-day-old clothes hanging shabby and mudspattered. A black smear below my eyes marks the gap between my facemask and visor. After many hours in the saddle I stagger towards him, dropping my helmet and keys onto the reception counter — along with three second-hand LaVie bottles. “What is that?” he asks, eyeing the suspicious golden liquid within.

“That,” I reply, “is chocolate wine.”

“Chocolate… wine?”

“It’s a long story.”

The Rebirth of Vietnamese Chocolate In 2011, Vincent Mourou and Samuel Maruta — a pair of French expats living in Ho Chi Minh City — came back from a trip out of the city with a small sack of cocoa beans and an idea. What started as an evening of Google-assisted experiments on Samuel’s kitchen table soon became Marou Chocolate, today an award-winning range of ‘singlesource’ gourmet bars grown and produced entirely in Vietnam and sold in 25 countries worldwide.

Using nothing more than cocoa, cocoa butter and sugar, their products are a return to artisanal chocolate making traditions.

“Our process is simple,” explained Vincent when I met the pair at their factory in Thu Duc before our expedition. “We like to say that we find the taste at the farm. We’re not magicians and we don’t want to be. It’s a lot more fun to find great cocoa.”

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And that’s exactly what they did, setting out into the countryside on scooters in search of Vietnam’s elusive cocoa farmers.

But through their adventures, Marou have created more than just good chocolate.

They’re paving the way for the future of the industry.

Introduced to Vietnam by the French in the late 1800s, cocoa was quickly abandoned in favour of more profitable crops like coffee and rubber. Then came a short but doomed revival in the 1980s following investment from the USSR, then Vietnam’s biggest trading partner. With the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe, the Russian buyers vanished and the trees were destroyed. And now, Marou is heralding the latest chapter in Vietnam’s chocolate-making history.

Samuel explains: “It’s a story that restarts about 15 years ago. 70 percent of cocoa was coming from two countries in West Africa — Ivory Coast and Ghana. The big buyers wanted to release this stranglehold, so they sought new places to plant cocoa.”

Enter some big-name organisations like the WWF and USAid, and with help from the Vietnamese government the humble cocoa tree reappeared. Third time lucky? Yes and no.

After a five-hour ride to Lam Dong Province, trailing Marou’s agronomist, taste analyst and tropical agriculture and cocoa expert Alexandre Parizel, I meet Doai, a cashew, jackfruit and durian farmer since 1987. When an economic development NGO arrived in 2009 to reintroduce cocoa, he took full advantage of the plants, tools and training on offer.

Was it not a huge risk, to make such a

change from traditional crops to something relatively unknown?

“Not really,” says Doai. “Cocoa is an intercrop. It can grow below my existing fruit trees.”

Hoa has been a ranger for Nam Cat Tien National Park for 27 years. He was heavily involved in the VND1.5 billion WWF project in 2007 to plant cocoa and protect the park’s buffer zone at a time when many farmers were cutting back the forest for coffee trees.

However, the project reached its inevitable conclusion and the inexperienced cocoa farmers were left to fend for themselves.

“Now we are facing a lot of difficulties,” he explains. “The cocoa trees planted by the WWF are producing less-than-normal quantities and farmers are finding it difficult not to cut them down and revert to other crops.”

Raising Standards Were it not for Marou, such a fate may have befallen Toan. From his two-hectare field in Dong Nai, he has been growing cocoa since 2010 as well as fermenting his own harvest — a process vital to the quality, flavour and value of the beans.

“When Marou first came here,” Toan says, “they checked the fermented beans and said that the quality was not right, so I had to sell to other buyers at a much lower price.

When they came back, Marou helped me with the fermentation process. They showed me how to monitor the timings and check temperatures so I could sell good beans to them.”

With Alexandre’s supervision, Toan was able to increase the value of his harvest by over 30 percent in just two months.

“Our process is simple,” explained Vincent Mourou. “We like to say that we find the taste at the farm.

We’re not magicians and we don’t want to be. It’s a lot more fun to find great cocoa”

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“I begin to sense more than just a conventional buyer-seller relationship at work here, all of whom are known to the company by name.

There is a connection there, a responsibility�

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Across all five provinces supplying Marou, Alexandre is constantly on the move, rolling out his expertise and advocating Marou’s ‘quality over quantity’ approach to secure the crop’s future in a market still dominated by mass producers like Ivory Coast. Whether they’re making regular visits to monitor a farmer’s round of fermentation, or financing a suite of improved drying racks, it seems Marou’s assistance knows no bounds. “We just want the best quality beans,” says Alexandre, “and we’re prepared to pay a lot more to get them.” As Vincent told me before we went on our trip, “It’s a win-win situation.”

Today, using a specially made guillotine, Alexandre selects 50 beans from Mr. Toan’s latest offering, a wonderfully aromatic bag slumped on the veranda of his family home.

With a satisfying crunch, the beans are quickly dissected, the guillotine opened and Alexandre gets to work. “I inspect every bag of beans we purchase,” he says. “For aroma, for fermentation and for flavour.”

“Every bag?” I ask.

“Every bag.”

It’s little wonder that the tanned 24-yearold from Strasbourg has clocked up 1,800km on his dusty Suzuki in the last three weeks alone.

Fermentation is not an exact science, however. “Normally, we don’t take the beans if less than 85 percent are fermented. Many companies will accept 70 to 75 percent, so at 78 percent, this bag is still very good. So we want to form a partnership with another buyer, to ensure that Mr. Toan can always sell 100 percent of his beans.”

I begin to sense more than just a conventional buyer-seller relationship at work here, all of whom are known to the company by name. There is a connection there, a responsibility.

Spreading the Wealth Squeezed from the sweet pulp of the fruit, we sip dewy glasses of cocoa juice in Toan’s living room. I swirl the cocoa juice in my glass. “It tastes like guanabana,” says Francis. I’m thinking mangosteen.

Surprisingly it tastes nothing like chocolate.

“If he has cocoa juice,” I ask, “does he have cocoa wine?”

I’d read about this homemade elixir during my research and couldn’t leave without trying it. “Not today,” says Thuong.

“Sold out.”

We leave empty-handed, but at the next farm we strike gold. Rich and flavoursome and served ice-cold — 20 percent alcohol maybe — I’m reminded of something between port and schnapps.

The next product in Marou’s lineup?

Perhaps not. But with praise for its chocolate arriving from all over the world and a recent endorsement from Michelin Star chef Michel Roux, Marou won’t be going anywhere but up, and taking a lot of happy farmers with them.

Marou Chocolate is available in stores across Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. For more info, go to marouchocolate.com

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insider INSIDER

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Zone 9: One Year On One year after Zone 9 shut its doors, David Mann went in search of the precinct’s former tenants to see what they’re up to now. Photos by David Harris and Julie Vola

Work Room Four

T

here was a palpable excitement surrounding Zone 9 that was felt far and wide across Hanoi’s cultural and artistic communities. Originally a disused pharmaceutical factory in Hanoi’s French Quarter, the transformation of Zone 9 quickly made it the city’s go-to cultural precinct.

It was home to underground music venues that attracted performance artists and well-regarded musicians, including acts from places as far afield as Europe.

Art-lovers strolled through galleries curated by emerging Vietnamese artists, while fashionistas browsed its quirky boutiques.

With Hanoi being a place where venues famously shut down when the clock strikes twelve, Zone 9 offered nightlife that a city of millions had been crying out for. Not only

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did it have hip restaurants, but revellers could dance under Barbetta Republic’s twirling lights or sip Tadioto’s fusion cocktails. Even The Economist reported on how Zone 9 “pulsed with energy every night of the week”.

“It was such a big surprise in Hanoi because they hadn’t had anything like that before,” says Claire Driscoll, who co-founded with her partner, Dorian Gibb, the art gallery and design consultancy, Work Room Four.

Comparisons were soon made with Beijing’s famous Zone 798, but ultimately these proved premature; after only six months of being opening, Zone 9’s meteoric rise was cut abruptly short in December 2013.

But for Zone 9’s most popular tenants, this was not the end. The precinct’s closure made them more determined than ever before to

inspire the public through contemporary art and culture.

Tadioto After putting so much energy into the popular Tadioto bar, owner and operator Nguyen Qui Duc had no plans to reinvest in hospitality after the precinct closed.

But sometimes an entrepreneurial and adventurous flame can be hard to extinguish, and so it was when Duc came across a perfect space near the Hanoi Opera House. In early 2014, the new Tadioto opened its doors.

To be fair, this is a far more pretentious location than an old factory with dubious safety standards. But there is also no doubt that the surrounding business and luxuryshopping district had been crying out for a cool and chic venue where you could settle

Tadioto

down with a cocktail or a glass of wine after a busy working week.

For Duc, this new clientele — in addition to the loyal admirers from the old premises — means this Tadioto has been his most successful venture to date.

While the old Tadioto was officially registered as a design studio, the latest venture is most definitely a bar and café.

The new venue has retained its Bohemian vibe and even brings with it a collection of premium whiskies. But Duc also has plans to soon begin hosting poetry readings and performance art shows.

Work Room Four Looking out at Hanoi from their wall-toceiling glass studio near Ciputra, Work Room Four’s Claire Driscoll explains how she and husband Dorian Gibb have come a long way since setting up their artistic consultancy in Zone 9 last year.

“Zone 9 gave us the publicity and the standing to help people know what we were doing super fast — almost overnight,” says Claire.

“You had all these people coming through and visiting and being exposed to your work and that’s how a lot of people found us. We wouldn’t be here at all without Zone 9.”

That leg-up from Zone 9 has now catapulted Work Room Four into the forefront of some of Vietnam’s most exciting new projects, including the construction of Vietnam’s newest and hippest startup space.

“We’ve been asked to fit out the space — from design to implementation — for the Vietnam Silicon Valley project, which will be an incubator for new startups in Vietnam,” says Dorian.

Work Room Four is also doing its own share of talent incubation through its much larger artists’ space, capable of hosting exhibitions, art classes and even art performances for emerging artists. The pair is also collaborating on an art fair with café gallery Manzi at the beginning of December.

Nha San Collective This gallery-cum-artist space played a significant part in Zone 9’s cultural impact by nurturing younger artists through a collective approach to exhibitions, workshops and classes.

But its relocation to the centre of the Old Quarter has brought its fair share of challenges.

“Before we relied more on the space in Zone 9 to deliver an engaged audience who visited the other galleries. Now we have to

“‘Zone 9 gave us the publicity and the standing to help people know what we were doing super fast — almost overnight. You had all these people coming through and visiting… and that’s how a lot of people found us’

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“Walking through [X98], the similarities with Zone 9 are overwhelming. Simple yet innovative architecture, distinctively designed boutiques and artistic décor are already luring the next cohort of scenesters”

reach out and bring them to us,” says Nha San manager, Le Thuan Uyen.

The need for community outreach has also prompted Nha San Collective to build a presence online and through mainstream media, with the first exhibition being mentioned in more than 10 news articles online. “We’re really focusing on the power of the internet and social media to broaden our audience and showcase our work, which is also really important for archiving as well,” says Uyen.

The Nha San Collective has already hosted its first exhibition, The Clouds Will Tell, at its new location. A second exhibition entitled LATCAFF FRACTAL opened at the end of November and will run until Dec. 14.

“Since moving into this space, it’s almost as if our programme has been busier than it’s ever been. And we’ve already planned what we’re doing next year.”

Barbetta Centre

Top: Nha San Collective Bottom: Bar betta Right-hand page: X98

Much like the former Zone 9 space, the new Barbetta Centre shares some of its walls with funky boutiques and trendy galleries, including Nha San Collective and Art Vietnam. But unlike Barbetta Republic, the once thumping dance floor that drew hundreds of revellers every weekend, the new space also comes with a restaurant on the ground floor.

Master Chef Vietnam judge Pham Tuan Hai oversees this kitchen, which dishes up bistro fare at reasonable prices, whether it’s the marinated Australian steak with kimchi and gochujang sauce (VND186,000) or the tasty apple crumble (VND45,000).

As expected, the public has responded emphatically to this more substantial and central reincarnation of Barbetta Republic, which was one of the most mourned venues from Zone 9’s closure.

As owner Tran Vu Hai puts it in a recent interview, “normally you want to go somewhere for drinks after eating. Here, you just have to walk up the stairs.” That people do indeed, and every weekend there is a slow but steady trickle of patrons up the stairs to the thumping open dance floor.

With help from BBR partner Pham Hong Cuong, the pair has recreated the retroindustrial atmosphere of Zone 9, most notably through the same old-school décor, recycled materials and unpredictable soundtrack that made BBR so popular.

For now, it seems to have been successful in attracting the scenesters of Zone 9, not least because of its convenient location in the centre of the Old Quarter.

While this iteration of Barbetta is a slight way off receiving the same cult status as its predecessor, we hear there may be more Barbettas on the horizon.

X98 Opening its doors as recently as October 2014, X98, a once-thriving entertainment and arts venue in Zone 9, has reemerged bearing a striking resemblance to its forbearer.

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Zone 9 are overwhelming. Simple yet innovative architecture, distinctively designed boutiques and artistic décor are already luring the next cohort of scenesters.

One important difference, perhaps, is X98’s alleged focus on safety. With many a rusty stairwell in sight, we’re keeping our fingers crossed.

The facility is also not just for play. Artist workshops and studios appear in various stages of completion. There is a definite whiff of optimism in the air, hope that the opportunities and expression of Zone 9 will recreate themselves here.

New Beginnings

Tucked away down in Hoang Cau, the new venue occupies five conjoined blocks in an abandoned packaging factory built in the 1960s.

A project of one of Zone 9’s co-founders, the new X98 has already kicked the word-ofmouth reel into full gear. The space’s peeling walls, industrial layout and upwards of 15 tenants, including a range of boutiques and cafes, have already led to whispers that “a new Zone 9 has formed”.

Walking through, the similarities with

As Work Room Four’s Claire Driscoll told me back in their studio, only time will tell whether another Zone 9 will take shape and if it will remain committed to artistic expression.

“By the end there weren’t many artists working there even though it was supposed to attract the community with cheap rent and workspaces. There weren’t as many people doing the creative things we’d initially hoped for.”

Nonetheless, Driscoll says that this has seen artistic ventures reemerge with a stronger enthusiasm to cultivate young artists and entrepreneurs.

“When it finished we had to make a decision,” she says. “We either wouldn’t do this anymore or we had to just keep going.”

“It’s not about recreating Zone 9. It’s about creating something different — that next big thing.”

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insider

INSIDER

HCMC

Murder on the Red Carpet At a swanky soirée, Niko Savvas uses his reporter instincts to expose a killer. Photos by Francis Xavier

I

’ve never been murdered before. I’ve never even seen somebody else get murdered. This isn’t a complaint — most people would probably be content to go through life without being murdered (or murdering someone else, for that matter).

Unless there were prizes, of course, and they got to dress up.

A few months ago, editor Nick asked me if I’d be interested in covering the Saigon Murder Mystery gala around Halloween.

I agreed, mostly because I love costume parties that don’t involve zombies, but also because I occasionally wonder what it would be like to murder someone without a whole bunch of legal consequences.

If you think that sounds weird, you’re right. But have you ever driven down Cach Mang Thang Tam in the late afternoon?

Try it, and then tell me you’ve never contemplated murder.

Given the chance to indulge my homicidal tendencies without actually homiciding anybody, I took it. Several days later an email appeared in my inbox from a Mr. Tat Lay, who introduced himself as the creator of Saigon Murder Mysteries.

He explained this month’s theme was an Oscar awards party. His email was polite, informative and extremely well written. I ignored most of it and went straight for the character card attachment.

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Getting into Character Culled from one of murder mystery supplier Night of Mystery’s download packages, the Lights! Camera! MURDER! setup we were following was a world unto itself, with a bit of backstory to read up on.

Much to my disappointment, my character was not a knife-wielding Charles Manson type, but rather a lowly entertainment reporter by the name of Joe Svenson. It looked like I wouldn’t be murdering anyone after all.

Instead, according to the character card, I was supposed to interview two members of a failed boy band, a couple of teen starlets and the husband of a famous actress.

Their names reminded me of characters from the game Clue — Hunter Starr, Brady Comeback, Mario Talent. I wondered how important any of them were.

Luckily, the email attachment also included a back page gossip column about the event. Under the heading of ‘Vanity Affair’s Short List’, I found a brief description of each major character. A sample: T. Redd — Aspiring rap artist. The exhusband of Princess Pop, T. Redd knows how to use his connections to get what he wants out of life, despite his lack of talent.

Joe Svenson didn’t make the short list,

“Most people would probably be content to go through life without being murdered. Unless there were prizes, of course, and they got to dress up�

Photo by Niko Savvas

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but most of my interviewees did. From their bios, it was clear these people were a bunch of backstabbing, duplicitous cads. I couldn’t wait to meet them.

Dressed to Kill If I was to have any hope of scoring a juicy quote, however, I needed to act (and look) the part. The name didn’t give me much to work with. ‘Joe Svenson’ sounded like the name of a lumberjack or a semi-successful used vacuum salesman.

My character card suggested I dress in my ‘most fashion-forward designer outfit’, which was slightly more helpful than saying ‘wear clothes’, but not by much. So I was on my own.

At first I thought of going as a Jazz Age news reporter complete with fedora, suspenders and over-caffeinated nasal voice.

“Lookee here see, what’s the big idea with this new talkie in the works? Which choice dame is gonna get the lead? Is some blind tiger slinging suds on the side? Poppycock!

Horsefeathers! Calvin Coolidge!”

Then I realised this would probably get tiring after five minutes.

I decided to play it Miami Vice style, figuring ‘coked out paparazzi slimeball’ would be a more sustainable persona. For my costume I wore a white linen suit over a neon sky blue shirt, with some matching ear studs and a turquoise ring. A giant gold chain with a lion’s head rounded out the ensemble. The outfit could have been stolen from a Cuban drug lord’s closet.

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“Many of my fellow guests took their roles so seriously that they wandered off mid-sentence when it became clear that I couldn’t benefit them in any way” table, each bearing the name of a different character. I found the one reading ‘Joe Svenson’ and tore it open. Stuffed inside were a wad of fake money and a list of Dial M for Murderousness objectives for the evening. I stood beneath The location was kept secret until a few the chandelier and tried to memorise the days before the event. Then, I received an names of people I was supposed to bribe, email with exhaustive directions to the Fan schmooze and extort.

Club at Vista Apartments in District 2. The directions were so detailed because, as the A Chance Encounter A handsome, well-dressed man message explained, “90% of [those] who approached me. He was Tat Lay, the visit the Vista get lost.” architect of Saigon Murder Mysteries.

90 percent might have been generous.

His posh British accent was so elegant I When we finally arrived, the Murder wondered if he was already in character.

Mystery was just getting started.

He had time to answer a few of my The lights were dim and people in questions before his minions dragged him eveningwear floated around the large, empty room. Soft music played ominously away.

“This is our third Saigon Murder in the background and glass bottles Mystery,” he said. “The first two were twinkled behind the bar. so popular that we had to add more Rows of envelopes sat on a long white After accessorizing with a little notebook and camera bag, Joe Svenson was ready for the red carpet.

characters this time. This is a unique experience in Saigon and spots fill up fast. We’ve actually had to turn people away.”

I saw what he meant — the room was beginning to fill with people. Most of them were making a mad rush to cash in their complimentary drink vouchers at the bar. I excused myself and joined the crowd.

As it turned out, the complimentary drink choices were a warm bottle of San Miguel beer or a warm bottle of San Miguel beer with ice. Like most guests, I ended up grabbing my wallet and paying for a glass of wine. The bar girl in her blue mini-dress did not look pleased.

Then the music swelled, and the Murder Mystery began.

Wheeling and Dealing According to my list of objectives, I was supposed to pump several B-listers for gossip about an upcoming blockbuster, A Fallen Angel. This proved much more difficult than I imagined, because Joe Svenson was a nobody.

Each time I tried to lure someone into conversation, the exchange lasted less than a minute before he or she realised how utterly unimportant I was. I admired their commitment to staying in character — many of my fellow guests took their roles so seriously that they wandered off mid-sentence when it became clear that I couldn’t benefit them in any way.

So I found solace at the bar, drinking overpriced Pinot Grigio and commiserating with other bottom-feeders.

A dolled-up production assistant named Annette Lorde summarised our feelings perfectly.

“It’s exactly like a real Hollywood party! I feel nervous and socially awkward and nobody wants to talk to me. But it’s exciting.”

Le Petit Mort At some point in the night a person got murdered, the evidence was examined, and the murderer was revealed. Joe Svenson didn’t pay much attention to any of this. Instead he slunk around the room with his camera, snapping scandalous cleavage shots and eavesdropping on people who were more important than him.

He mercilessly critiqued the sartorial faux pas of his fellow guests. He bemoaned his lack of industry connections. He unsuccessfully flirted with a woman twice his age and weight. He almost threw up on the sidewalk. He found himself outside McDonald’s at 3am, wallowing in shame and Chicken McNuggets.

He had to admit that Annette Lorde was right. It was exactly like a real Hollywood party.

To read more about the parties, check facebook.com/mysteriesinsaigon. The next party, Terror in a Toga, will take place in Saigon’s District 7 on Friday Dec. 19

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Food & drink

MYSTERY DINER

HANOI

Crystal Jade Palace Quality Chinese restaurants in the capital are a rarity.

Could JW Marriott’s offering fill a gap? Our anonymous food reviewer finds out. Photos by Julie Vola

S

tationed in the outlying district of My Dinh, Crystal Jade Palace isn’t exactly the easiest restaurant to get to. But pulling up to the imposing façade of the JW Marriott, you instantly realise this is not your ordinary dim sum joint.

The new Hanoi branch is barely 12 months old and joins a renowned global empire of more than 120 Crystal Jade Palaces, dishing up Cantonese and Teochew cuisine.

Although the menu has widened in recent years to include authentic Korean, the chain is famous for its awe-inspiring spread of both traditional and contemporary Chinese fare.

Dim Sum and Duck Having arrived at lunchtime, the polished wooden tables were already buzzing with business clientele eager to make the most of the hotel’s reasonably priced (and lunchtimeonly) dim sum menu. Enticed by the intoxicating aroma of fresh dumplings, we opted for batches of steamed minced pork and radish dumplings (VND48,000), steamed minced pork with mushroom dumplings (VND82,000), and deepfried radish pastry (VND55,000).

This proved to be a good move, as within minutes we were

presented with three piping hot bamboo steamers. Dipped in the accompanying sweet bean sauce, each dumpling delivered a tasty mouthful of rich, textured flavours, while the sweetness of the barbecued pork lingered pleasantly on our palettes.

Returning to the glossy menus, we marvelled at the illustrations before quickly feeling overwhelmed by a veritable encyclopedia of choices, ranging from the more benign barbecued meats to a long list of Chinese delicacies.

The main event, however, was half of an exquisite looking, blood-red Peking duck (VND400,000) that was wheeled over to our table. Parking the cart in clear view so we could watch, our server ceremoniously carved off generous chunks of perfectly cooked duck breast, crispy skin still intact, and folded them into pancakes ladled with hoisin sauce.

Minutes later, we dove into our plate of succulent, crispy, Peking duck rolls as our waitress whisked away the carcass so it could be turned into a delicious fried rice.

The deep-fried soft shell crab with pepper and salt (VND160,000) also impressed, with a generous sprinkling of fried garlic adding a pleasant crunch to the dish. Our accompanying side dish of stir-fried vegetables (VND190,000), doused in

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a generous helping of X.O. sauce, also gave us a satisfying kick.

Rounding out the main course, we also opted for the soup of the day — a very authentic chicken and corn soup (VND110,000). So authentic in fact, that upon raising my spoon for the second time, a pink, scaly, tendonwielding foot came with it. Foot aside, the depth of the broth’s flavour was hard to beat.

The Finale The desserts are listed on a separate menu but don’t offer much in the way of heavy continental pastries.

However, with each spoonful of our refreshing mango cream served with grass jelly and pomelo (VND75,000), I became convinced that eating cake after five courses of Chinese food would have been a bad idea.

Taking our final sips of jasmine tea, we savoured the views of the Hanoi Convention Centre from our corner of Crystal Jade’s elegantly proportioned dining room. Just like the food, the destination had been an experience in itself.

Crystal Jade Palace presents a compelling choice for those who like their Chinese food authentic and their service with a flourish.

Crystal Jade Palace is in the JW Marriott, 8, Do Duc Duc, Me Tri, Tu Liem, Tel: (04) 3833 5588

THE VERDICT

13 FOOD

12

SERVICE

11

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

STREET SNACKER

HANOI

Xoi Hang Hom For some of the tastiest, cheapest and most traditional xoi available in the capital, head to Hang Hom. Words by Huyen Tran. Photos by David Harris

F

or those travelling to Vietnam, looking at guides and travel sites like Trip Advisor or CNN travel seems like common sense, as these sites advise on “not-to-miss” local dishes and eateries. Yet when it comes to sticky rice or xoi, one of Hanoi’s most unique dishes, Xoi Yen is recommended as the go-to place. Xoi Yen is the modern side of sticky rice thanks to its range of mix-ins like chicken breast, steamed pork and egg.

But there’s also another side to xoi — the original and traditional version.

That version is the rustic, simple sticky rice with natural ingredients grown in the villages of Vietnam, like bean, peanut and corn. There is no added meat. This traditional xoi is often wrapped in lotus or banana leaf, and sold on street pavements.

It is less of an accompaniment to a meal — more a breakfast. It is said that it was only in the late 1990s that people started selling xoi with meat. Since then, both xoi with meat and rustic xoi have become indispensable.

But for Hanoians of all walks of life, a portion of rustic xoi for breakfast is part of the daily routine.

rice or xoi gac, xoi ngo or sticky rice with corn, or sticky rice with beans, or sticky rice with coconut.

Hanoi’s rustic xoi is believed to have originated in Ke Ga Village in Phu Thuong, now part of Tay Ho District. As the old saying goes, Ke Ga Village boasts three things: “banyan trees, long rivers and the xoi cooking tradition”. Indeed, people say that Phu Thuong’s xoi has a distinguished fragrance and flavour thanks to the type of sticky rice grown in the paddy fields of Phu Thuong. It is hard to find elsewhere.

If you want to try a heart-warming, particularly tasty portion of Phu Thuong xoi for your breakfast, pass by Hang Hom in the Old Quarter. The two sticky rice ladies, Aunt Hien and Ha, sitting on the pavement in front of number 44, will offer you various versions of the dish for only VND5,000.

The xoi sold by these two ladies is a favourite of those living in the Old Quarter.

“It is hard to believe, but these two ladies sell about 200 kilos of sticky rice every day,” says a neighbour. “The aroma and the taste are so special.”

The Phu Thuong Factor

Trade Secrets

There are many types of rustic xoi: xoi xeo or Hanoi original sticky rice with mung bean; xoi lac or sticky rice with peanuts, red sticky

“Delicious sticky rice must have a shiny yellow colour,” says Aunt Hien. “[When we make xoi xeo] we have to carefully select the

mung beans. After being steamed, they are pummeled and rolled into small tight balls.

The tighter the ball, the more appetizing the mung bean.” As she talks, Aunt Hien skillfully shapes the balls inside her palms, covering the base with thin yellow layers of bean.

“The taste of xoi xeo is incomplete if it lacks crunchy deep fried onion or shallot on top, together with liquid fat. Xoi should be wrapped in banana or lotus leaves. The leaves not only keep the heat and the aroma inside, but also add a light aroma to the xoi so that when you open up the package, you get an irresistible blend of fragrance and taste.”

Having sold xoi in the same location for 20 years, the ladies have become well-known.

“We have become friends with families in this street. But we also sell cheap xoi for students and blue-collar workers coming to the city centre to work.”

Buying xoi from the two sticky rice ladies, you may notice a small sign reading: Park your bike at the corner. Mind your voice.

Even though every morning they are surrounded by a crowd of people, there is no chaos here and the crowd is never noisy. For the xoi prepared by Hien and Ha, people are prepared to wait their turn. Quietly.

The sticky rice ladies sell xoi at 44 Hang Hom, Hoan Kiem. Each pack of xoi costs VND5,000

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Food & drink

MYSTERY DINER

HCMC

Racha Room

Our undercover reporter ventures into a contemporary Thai restobar that has been receiving rave reviews. Photos by Kyle Phanroy

O

ccasionally bars and restaurants open their doors and are an instant hit. Occasionally.

Racha Room is one such place.

Serving up contemporary Thai cuisine in a lounge bar-style setting, this four-month-old venture has transcended the difficult-to-conquer problem of the restobar — finding the right balance between the needs of the diners and those of the drinkers. But the balance is a fine one. As operations manager Greg explains, Vietnamese diners don’t mind the smell of smoke in their vicinity. The majority of Western diners hate it. The solution?

Before 9.30pm you are only allowed to smoke in the bar area.

That they’re trying to strike this balance says much about the ambition of this venture. With possibly only a handful of other venues truly managing to fit into the restobar theme — the beer clubs are no more than glorified quan nhau — not only have they entered an untested realm, but they have created for themselves a double challenge. Both the food and the drink must be top-notch.

Down to Business My visit to Racha Room was my fourth, but on previous occasions I’d been there as a drinker, only sampling bites and morsels of other people’s dishes.

Arriving without an entourage of fellow revellers, this time I found myself taking in the ambience. Bare brick walls, high ceilings, a bar area,

three dining spaces including a mezzanine level, but most notably, the spray-painted Thai elephant on the wall. Screaming the word ‘traditional’, the elephant in the room also screeches ‘contemporary’.

The cuisine follows this theme.

For my starter I went for the som tum salad (VND65,000). I love the street food version of this dish.

Some years ago I spent three months in Thailand and som tum, with its pumice-crushed snake beans, chilli, sour papaya, cherry tomatoes, dried baby shrimp and fish sauce, became a daily staple. Together with the fiery streetside curries, tom yum soup and Chinese noodle soup, it is my palate’s enduring memory of Thai cuisine.

Biting into the papaya the spice descended with explosion-like force on my tongue. A welcome change from the normal, watered-down version of Thai cuisine that you are often served outside of Thailand. This is not a dish for the queasy.

Yet the version here, both ingredients-wise and texture-wise, is different. While the green papaya, chilli, fish sauce and dried shrimps are present, the other ingredients are missing or altered, the papaya sliced rather than shaved. And it is still every bit as good. Som tum has a kick to it, and this version has Muay Thai written all over it.

Two and Two Equals Five To wash down the spice I went for the gin sin sling cocktail (VND150,000).

A cursory look at the bar area and

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I spotted well over 100 different spirits on its shelves — a mixologist’s paradise, especially in Vietnam.

Except for the peach liquor element, like the elephant spray painted on the wall it bleated out the word Thailand.

With Keffir lime leaf, lime juice and lemongrass, it tasted like a cocktail version of tom yum, just without the shrimp and that overdose of chilli.

Another hit.

When I ordered my Massaman beef rib curry (VND360,000), I ordered it spicy. Like the som tam it came out to the table within minutes — the kitchen is well set up here. Yet such are the infusions and alterations with this dish that it came out as a peanut-based mix between a French casserole with black pepper sauce and the original ThaiPersian dish from which it takes both its name and its origin.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t spicy.

Despite this minor disappointment, the curry was tasty nonetheless, the beef melting in my mouth, the sauce sitting perfectly with the jasmine rice on the side. I almost wiped the bowl clean.

A friend of mine recently raved at me about Racha Room. “They’re going crazy with the cuisine there,” he said. “They’re experimenting with everything.”

From the cocktails to the cuisine, Racha Room is very much a grand experiment. But it’s an experiment where right now, most things are falling into place.

Racha Room is at 12-14 Mac Thi Buoi, Q1, Ho Chi Minh City

THE VERDICT

13 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

STREET SNACKER

HCMC

Bun Cha Ca Danang This month, Simon Stanley ditches the pork and swaps his beloved bun cha Ha Noi for Danang’s signature dish — bun cha ca.

Photos by Kyle Phanroy

Q

uy Nhon prefers it spicy, Nha Trang likes it sweet, Hai Phong takes it with dill… the varieties are endless. Like its midpoint location along Vietnam’s 3,300km of coastline, Danang’s version of bun cha ca — fish cakes and noodles — sits somewhere in the middle, the perfect blend maybe, giving the city its ‘absolute must-eat’ dish. But even then, as with grandma’s meatloaf or any bartender in Havana’s mojito, everyone does it differently, and all will argue their version’s authenticity.

Nguyen Van Huan has been bringing his family’s bun cha ca Da Nang recipe to the thrum of Phan Xich Long Street for the past seven years. Here are the basics: Bun — simple enough. Vermicelli rice noodles, few grounds for contention.

But add the cha ca and things get a little blurry. Ground fish cakes (or ‘pies’ to translate directly), are poached or shallowfried, and served with noodles in a zingy vegetable-based broth — most commonly a reduction of boiled pumpkin, pineapple, tomato... and the all-important fish head.

The Daily Grind So which fish? “Other recipes use a mixture,” says Huan. “But here we just use mackerel, that is the traditional Danang way.”

I’m in no place to argue, but do not be surprised to find combinations of flying fish, knife fish, catfish, tuna or barracuda elsewhere. To make the cake, the raw meat is ground to a smooth paste along with spring onions, salt, pepper, various seasonings and corn flour. In this process, density is key, the thicker the better. “One traditional way,” my friend Loan tells me, “is to cover the grinder with ice, to keep the machine and the fish cold so the meat will be firm and thick.” Huan’s cakes are indeed plenty thick and meaty, delicately flavoured and not too heavy as such a description might suggest.

In our bowls we uncover a combination of poached and fried slices of the cha ca, the latter fringed with a tasty golden coating (a result of the paprika-spiked oil). By also adding tender cubes of pure and unground fish meat, Huan has achieved a pleasing balance of textures and flavours.

The Elements Combine On to the soup. Although restaurants in Danang will serve the stewed pineapple, tomato and pumpkin (bamboo shoots may also make an appearance), at Huan’s, they are removed, with only some basic herbs and spring onions added — leaving a simple but flavoursome broth that is far less ‘fishy’ than I had expected.

“This tastes… healthy!” says my dining partner.

We top our steaming bowls with a few pinches of the fresh greens provided — cabbage, basil, lettuce and coriander — and the overall effect is one of perfect finesse; gentle flavours bouncing lightly between sweet and salty, the citrus notes from the pineapple working particularly well with the fish. With the tiniest dab of fresh chilli, the meal is complete. While your grandma may provide a saucer of shrimp paste to top it off, at Huan’s it’s all about the basic flavours.

So important a dish is this to the central regions, that many restaurants use their own fishing boats to catch just the right ingredients. In Huan’s case, like others living away from the coast, he has established a direct link with suppliers in Danang to retain the authenticity of the meal.

“So, is this a ‘Saigon’ version of bun cha ca Da Nang?” I ask.

“No, no,” he says. “Everything, all of the ingredients, it’s all from Danang.”

“Even the fish?”

“Even the fish,” he replies.

Grandma would be proud.

Bun Cha Ca Da Nang is at 8 Phan Xich Long, Phu Nhuan, Ho Chi Minh City. Thanks to Minh and Duc from Tiger Tours for their translation services

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fashion

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Winter in Hanoi A change in the weather ushers in a change in the fashion. And with temperatures starting to dip, it’s time to get out the winter clothing.

Photos, styling, hair and makeup by Julie Vola Clothes from Kilometer 109, Magonn and Emporium Modelling by Amy Pons and Laurinda Belcher

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Amy Jacket, shirt and pants from

Kilometer

109

| Silver bracelet from Emporium, VND1,300,000 | Shoes from Emporium, VND800,000 Laurinda Jumpsuit from Kilometer 109

|

Bracelet

Emporium

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from

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Laurinda Grey dress, Cattan @ Emporium, VND1,150,000 Amy Red pants, Magonn, VND920,000 | Grey Sweater, Georges @ Emporium, VND360,000 | Shoes, Emporium, VND800,000

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Laurinda Grey pants, VND920,000 | Cardigan, VND920,000. Shirt, VND450,000 | Grey coat, VND1,980,000. All from Magonn | Necklace from Emporium, VND1,500,000 Amy Penny Lane dress, VND1,350,000 | Blue coat, VND1,950,000 | Red clutch, VND920,000. All from Magonn | Shoes from Emporium, VND800,000

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travel

Rwanda

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Passport-Eating Dogs, Volcanoes and Gorillas When Danny Armstrong went to sleep in Rwanda at night, he didn’t know about the suspense and beauty the morning would bring. Photos by Frankie Randle

I

n the Kinyarwanda language there is an expression: “At night God comes to sleep in Rwanda.” In April 2013, entering my 34th year, I decided to go sleep in Rwanda for a brief time. It proved to be the most life-affirming and simultaneously heart-wrenching experience of my life, and the country remains the most beautiful land I have ever had the privilege of setting foot in.

Rwanda is situated a few degrees south of the Equator and is bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo in the Great Lakes region of Africa. At 26,338 square kilometres, Rwanda is the world’s 149th-largest country… in other words, tiny!

We entered the capital Kigali on the redeye Kenyan Airways flight from Nairobi, and as I lined up to speak with customs about my visa on arrival, my British travelling companions took full opportunity of their freedom from this task to go buy several bottles of Amarula Cream for breakfast. Just as I was set to exit from the bowels of the airport an armed officer stepped up to me.

“Kigali is plastic free, sir.”

After disposing of the plastic bag I was carrying, I met my colleagues in a coffee shop and headed downtown. The first impression a visitor to Rwanda has is an immediate appreciation of the plush greenery. It’s like entering the interior of a ripe fertile fruit.

Kigali, like all of the country, is around 1,500m above sea level and this enhances the aesthetic qualities of a land generously endowed with mountain ranges and lakes.

Blessed with a moderate high altitude climate that belies its tropical location, the Rwandan capital provides both a comfortable and welcoming introduction to this land of a thousand hills and an ideal springboard from which to explore this magical country.

Disaster Strikes However, the local Kigali dog populace

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did not prove so welcoming and within 24 hours disaster struck in the most absurd way imaginable. I woke after my first night in Rwanda to the sound of an incoming text message.

I have never experienced an unsolicited hallucination before, but the contents of this message had me convinced I’d finally gone completely sideways. When I showed it to my workmate who was staying in the same Indian restaurant-cum-hotel he was rendered equally speechless. Within the timeframe of landing, getting drunk on Amarula Cream and falling asleep at a former colleague’s house in downtown Kigali, the message informed me that a vital member of our travelling posse had lost his passport because it had been devoured by a Rwandan canine.

The ramifications of this were too awful to contemplate — especially with travel looming on the same day. With my friend’s burgundy ID floating in the digestive tract of a Rwandan cur, we set off for Lake Kivu on the border with the troubled Democratic Republic of Congo.

As I placed a sympathetic hand on his shoulder at the Kigali bus terminal, he told me how it happened: he had placed his trusted British documentation on a table and fallen asleep. The housedog promptly sniffed it out and ate it. It was a blow from which my friend would not recover.

After a crowded and visually spectacular journey through the mountains on hillhugging highways, we arrived at the city of Gisenyi in the West of Rwanda. The city features resorts on the shores of Lake Kivu and is contiguous with the troubled town of Goma across the border in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The region is home to Bralirwa — the only brewery in Rwanda, which manufactures various local beers such as Primus and Mutzig as well as Amstel and Guinness — and Lake Kivu, the sixth-biggest lake in Africa. But, proving beyond a doubt that no matter how bad things get they can always

get worse, my friend who had lost his passport to a hungry dog was stricken with a savage bout of food poisoning... brought on by what I deemed to be some of the best fish I had ever tasted.

Of the five members of the group he was the only one rendered ill by the fish. This sadly spelt the end for him. He took the bus back to Kigali as soon as he was capable and then moved on to London with an emergency passport.

Testing Fate The remaining members couldn’t let this tragic turn of events sap our morale, as we were going to need every ounce of strength we could muster as we set off for the Virunga Mountain range — where gorillas and volcanoes awaited.

“Do not attempt to climb Mount Bisoke in the wet season, which is in April; do not climb this volcano if you are not an experienced mountaineer; make sure you have enough supplies, like water; and please make sure you have the correct mountainclimbing attire,” it reads in the guidebook.

We were not privy to this information — and given that it was in fact April, none of us had any experience going up mountains, we had very little water and were dressed like we were going for a Sunday stroll, it may have proved useful. On the other hand, it may have prevented us from choosing to go up.

The peak of Mount Bisoke sits at an elevation of 3,711 metres and is an active volcano — with the benefit of hindsight I’m glad our desperately unlucky friend did not accompany us, as it no doubt would have erupted! There were times when we crawled through mud on all fours for what seemed an eternity, hour after hour. At some point I broke through the pain barrier and was in a strange euphoric state — which was shattered on the way down.

The eldest member of our group suffered terribly and at times broke into what sounded like fluent Chinese and at other times made noises similar to what I was to

However, the local Kigali dog populace did not prove so welcoming and within 24 hours disaster struck in the most absurd way imaginable.

wordvietnam.com | December 2014 Word | 119

Just as he sat down the Rwandan trackers gleefully announced it was time to make the descent. I seriously contemplated kicking our older colleague into the bubbling crater, a mercy killing of sorts. hear the next day from a silverback gorilla.

When he reached the summit, about an hour behind us, he was not coping well. His face was grey and he was shaking terribly, cursing all the while, and when some mountaineering snob offered him a sardine I felt compelled to intervene, dragging him away for a hard-boiled egg.

Just as he sat down the Rwandan trackers gleefully announced it was time to make the descent. I seriously contemplated kicking our older colleague into the bubbling crater, a mercy killing of sorts. The descent was

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done for the most part on one’s backside, and I came crashing down at least 20 times.

By this stage our elder counterpart had his own personal escort, both of whom were carrying automatic weapons, and the tirade of virulent Chinese and gorilla mating calls flowing from him had me convinced they would shoot him.

Gorillas in the Mist The next day we were up at dawn to go see gorillas. We had paid US$750 (VND16 million) for this privilege, and like imbeciles destroyed ourselves physically the day before.

“Can’t we just go to a zoo and see them?”

I asked, only half-joking.

We trekked about three hours before our guide started making a series of low grunting noises, and sensing we were close to the gorillas I started making the same ridiculous noise, done to placate the silverback! Stepping through a series of vines, we were suddenly and magically in the living room of a group of gorillas, close enough to touch, there they were. A rustling high up in the canopy informed of the silverback’s presence, and this precipitated a jealous spat between two of his females.

When he came into view it was a sight to behold, the most powerful looking specimen I had ever seen. He was not so impressed with us, and spent most of his

time drinking from a vine that we were told was alcoholic.

20 Years Ago As we left the gorillas our ranger gave us a moving talk about the genocide of 1994.

The result of growing tension between the Hutu majority and Tutsi minority, the spark point came when a plane carrying the Hutu President, Juvénal Habyarimana, was shot down. The following day the conservative elements of the Hutus went on the rampage, slaughtering moderate Hutu and Tutsi. By the time the genocidal killings came to an end, 20 percent of the population were lost to the madness.

Although there has since been a period of reconciliation and healing, Rwanda remains unstable and tension still bubbles under the surface. Everyone in the country has been scarred by this trauma in some way, and despite much forgiveness, it is a memory that is difficult to forget.

Yet, such is the beauty of this altitude land, that it remains one of the most stunning travel locations in Africa. In the same way that so many people now head to Cambodia, which had its period of genocide in the late 1970s, travellers should not be put off by the scars of the past.

As our ranger explained to us, as a nation, Rwandans must never allow anything so terrible to occur again.

Information You can fly to Rwanda via Nairobi with Thai Airways and Turkish Airways. Both do direct flights to the Kenyan capital.

From there you’ll need to hop on a Kenyan Airways flight to Kigali.

Wikitravel has a fairly comprehensive travel guide to Rwanda online. Click on wikitravel.org/en/Rwanda for information.

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travel TRAVEL

NATIONAL

The Bluffs Glen Riley got invited to the three day-long opening of The Bluffs, a Greg Norman-designed golf course in Ho Tram. He even got a chance to meet the great man himself

W

hen I was offered the opportunity to go to the grand opening of The Bluffs, the much talked about golf course in Ho Tram, I jumped at it. I grew up with my father watching golf every weekend.

It was an obsession of his and golf, or at least televised golf, was a big part of my childhood.

One of my golfing heroes, Greg Norman, was going to be there. The designer of The Bluffs, his second course in Vietnam, here was my chance to meet him. Not that I expected to have the chance to talk to him

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— seeing him in the flesh and attending a press conference was going to be enough.

Still, just having him there was a thrill. In the golfing world Norman is royalty.

Bring it On Put up at the Ho Tram Grand, the enormous Las Vegas-style resort complex replete with a casino, the first evening was given up to a pool party and a buffet with live entertainment from well-known model and DJ, Angie Vu Ha. Of course the standard speeches came as part of the package. The audience was introduced to the various

executives behind the project and naturally Greg Norman was on hand to say a few words.

We were lucky. In the afternoon the monsoon had unleashed its full force on the coastline of Ho Tram. But by early evening the clouds had cleared, setting up the evening for what turned out to be an enjoyable event.

Norman’s presence, though, was minimal. He had his table. He arrived an hour late and contact with him was impossible. I had managed to get permission to go on a walkway splitting

“One of my golfing heros, Greg Norman, was going to be there. The designer of The Bluffs… here was my chance to meet him. Not that I expected to have the chance to talk to him — seeing him in the flesh and attending a press conference was going to be enough”

wordvietnam.com | December 2014 Word | 123

“Ho Tram is an ecologically delicate area. Here the ecology has, as much as possible, been left intact”

the kidney-shaped pool to take photos of the on-stage entertainment. Yet once Norman arrived I was quickly removed from my vantage point by his minder — a huge American guy who I guess travels everywhere with him. It was eventually worked out and I was allowed back on the platform. That was the closest I got.

Teeing Off The second day was our entourage of guests and journalists’ introduction to The Bluffs. It started with speeches — we were told what had been involved in transforming this sandy, hilly outcrop into the golf course that is.

The Bluffs has been built with full respect for the land’s natural topography.

The course designers and Norman himself have worked hard to avoid the typical environmental issues that can come with the construction of golf courses. Ho Tram is an ecologically delicate area. Here the ecology has, as much as possible, been left intact.

One of the issues was getting the right grass so that it wouldn’t affect the natural landscape. Strategic lakes have also been placed within the course — all the water feeds into the lakes and is purified and re-used. Already this is ticking the right boxes.

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When the course was landscaped, a helicopter surveyed it from above to pinpoint a particular indigenous type of tree that only grows in this area. When other more commonly found trees were cut down to create the course, they were cut down by hand so as to not disturb the indigenous species. More ticks.

With the speeches finished, four pro golfers were lucky enough to play the course. They were introduced — two of them were Vietnamese women. These were the first four people to officially go round all 18 holes.

The day was rounded off by a tour of the property — the casino, the private rooms, the spa, all the facilities. I had expected the gaudy side of Las Vegas when the place was described to me, but it was anything but. The place is surprisingly elegant, even down to the handpicked artwork hung on the resort’s many walls. Going from living in the less developed end of District 1 to being in such a place was quite a shock.

The day was then rounded off by a gala dinner in the hotel ballroom and a Greg Norman televised interview with Fox Sports Singapore.

The Press Conference On the last day we finally got our chance to pose questions to Greg Norman. Here’s

a clippet of what he said.

Me: What were your learning experiences from establishing your golf course in Danang versus what you established here?

Greg Norman: Every site is different.

Danang was so unique and it’s right on China Beach. Danang and the history of what happened there so many decades ago. And I thought that was a great site, too. But it was a totally different feel, a totally different walk and a totally different product that came down out of the ground.

The beautiful part about here, I came here in 2006, it’s been an eight-year process. Now eight years may seem like a very long time, but we had to take into account government regulations and approvals. It’s not a long period of time.

Where the important bond really exists is between the developer and the designer.

Because if you stretch a project over that period of time you have to a have a belief and support structure in place to make sure that we all see the end goal. Whatever that end is in time lines, we’ve seen our end goal, we’ve seen our renderings and land planning. We actually believe in it.

Part of it is my responsibility to get the officials to get water here and

infrastructure in here, to give us the capabilities to build this golf course and allow them to see five years, 10 years, 20 years, 30 years down the line that this is going to happen. So eight years seems like it’s a long time, but it’s not quite honestly.

So when you come into a country like Vietnam, the experiences I learned, like in Danang are just that. There is a process of time that takes place and then educating the guys up here about that process of golf course design helps them lay out their land and time frames of construction and completion. Because you pretty much want them both done at the same time. They did a fantastic job here and got this all done in 15 to 18 months to where we are today Me: So you pretty much have a kick ass development team?

Greg Norman: Excuse me?

Me: I said you must have a pretty kick ass development team?

Greg Norman: Oh yeah, we pretty much do. You should really speak up louder when you say something that complimentary. [laughter throughout the room].

More information on The Bluffs click on thebluffshotram.com

wordvietnam.com | December 2014 Word | 125

travel

DAY TRIPPER

HCMC

Bien Hoa

Owen Salisbury makes a pit stop off the Hanoi Highway, to discover a city whose charms fly beneath the radar

“W

hy are you going there?”

Counting out VND46,000, I paused. The ticket agent frowned, baffled.

“Why not go to Mui Ne or Phan Thiet?”

I explained it was for fun, that I was writing a story about Bien Hoa. Still puzzled, she handed me two tickets, saying, “Good luck.”

I think she was wishing me luck at finding fun in Bien Hoa. Don’t be surprised by similar reactions when announcing you’re deliberately going to Bien Hoa. Despite only being a 45-minute train ride away from Ho Chi Minh City, many Saigonites seem to regard it as part howling wilderness, part bleak industrial exurb.

It’s neither. It’s a fun little town, with more possibilities than the uninitiated think, easily enough for a pleasant day or weekend getaway. The train ride is cheap and quick, though cab fare mounts up once there.

Driving takes twice as long.

Buses are even cheaper, though schedules are limited.

The train has the added bonus of going over the Ghenh and Rach Cat Bridges, built by one M. Gustave Eiffel, famous for a couple other little trifles in Paris and New York... though these little bridges are deservedly not world-famous.

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Bien Hoa Night Market Trinh Hai Duc, Bien Hung Park After lunch, we walked the rain-freshened town, dotted with jewel-like parks, lakes and unexpected vistas. Our ramble took us to our next destination, the Bien Hoa Night Market.

Arriving at dusk, most stalls were still setting up. Western tourists must be rare; we were the objects of double-takes, frank stares, whispers — and often approached in that charmingly bizarre way, for pictures with complete strangers.

Established in 2005 with around 100 stands, the Night Market has grown steadily.

We browsed along, eventually stopping at Minh Nhat’s

six-year-old clothing stall, mostly because employee Sang, 21, asked in excellent English if we could take a picture together.

We stayed to chat.

“People come from all over — Long Canh, Sung Loc, Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong. All come here, most on Saturday, Sunday and Monday,” said Sang. “They hang out at night and shop.”

They did brisk business, customers walking and biking by, waving like old friends. The other stalls, selling everything imaginable but most featuring clothes and snacks, were equally busy.

K’Tan: Wild Menu, Wooden Taste 131A Cach Mang Tang Tam Following locals’ advice, we lunched at K’Tan, right above the Dong Nai River, with the Ghenh Bridge visible down the vast bend of water.

The interior is charming, with faux-aged brick and fake vines hanging from the ceiling, the second floor a nicer version of the first. Our riverside table boasted a marvelous view.

But restaurants are about food, and that’s where K’Tan’s charm falters. The menu is vast.

Ever craved duck tongues? Pig uterus? Sparrow or pigeon?

‘Dried Beef Ant’s Egg Salt’? (who hasn’t?)

My traveling companion and I opted for recognisable food.

No waiters spoke English or

understood my Vietnamese, so ordering took time. I’m fairly confident we got what we requested, point-and-grunt being universal.

It’s sad when the best thing about a restaurant is the rice.

Everything looked beautiful, and K’Tan’s garlic-fried rice was good, but the “colourful” mango salad included a smoked fish (“Tastes more like smoked mud,” commented my companion), complete with pop-eyed head, not listed in the menu. The grilled goat with soya cheese was actually deep-fried in margarine, and even sweet garlic sauce couldn’t enliven steamed sweet potato buds.

wordvietnam.com | December 2014 Word | 127

Lang Buoi: Pomelo, Pomelo and More Pomelo Tan Trieu Our second lunch was far better, at Lang Buoi, a riverside restaurant of thatched huts and tables scattered amid artfully tamed jungle, next to a pomelo orchard. According to a local friend, Lang Buoi was the first pomelo-orchard restaurant, now much imitated.

Here too were local delicacies — field eel, selachian, herring, game birds, boar — alongside dishes from many regions of Vietnam (but usually including pomelo.) The H’mong chicken looked particularly intriguing.

Finally, we chose bap xao, an appetiser of fried corn, followed

Lu Khach Quan Guesthouse: ‘The Place to Be in Bien Hoa’ 73A/5 Nguyen Ai Quoc This is the third time I’ve been to Bien Hoa — and on both previous trips I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of hotels.

The Lu Khach Quan Guesthouse goes way beyond surprising, however — it’s fantastic. Barely 18 months old, it’s simply owner-operator Nguyen Thanh Sang’s family home, and they welcome you to the family with open arms.

If you go, make sure you have the guesthouse’s phone number, as most cabbies won’t know the way there. Located far down busy Nguyen Ai Quoc, it’s easy to miss, a building whose narrow front belies the warmth and comfort within.

The warmth emanates from Sang and his family, who opened the guesthouse in 2013. When we visited, the hotel was more than fully booked. I slept in an upstairs living room fixed up especially for me, and Sang cheerfully gave up his own bedroom to another guest.

Comfort is covered with a beautifully done six-bed dormitory, and the small private rooms are dominated by massive beds. The rooftop garden boasts a nice view, and guests gather nightly to drink and talk with Sang.

Breakfast is included in your stay, and is much better than at most hotels.

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by a massive pomelo-chickenshrimp salad and com chay chien, crispy browned rice cake with green onion-chilli sauce. And, of course, the mildly alcoholic local pomelo wine, tart and refreshing. We finished with che buoi, pomelo sweet soup.

It’s peaceful, next to this lazy river, and while again there were communication problems (the entire restaurant has one lonely, ill-translated English menu) the food made up for it brilliantly.

Wine is for sale at about VND120,000 per ceramic, pomelo-shaped bottle. So you can bring home a bottle or two.

The Friendliest Man in Town

The Halong Bay of the South Buu Long Park We spent our last afternoon wandering Buu Long Park, an amusement park/zoo/outdoor theatre/many other things, complete with restaurants and event centre. Statues abound, like the massive dragons guarding the entrance. A temple features a gilded statue of the sleeping Buddha, surrounded by lesser figures.

The centrepiece is the artificial lake, dotted with jagged spires and cliff faces carved into animals. It’s stunning from almost every angle, despite occasional litter.

One of the best views is at inpark restaurant Du Long (Street 24), where the whole sweep of the lake is framed by gardens and flowers. Words cannot do it justice.

Stopping at a lakeside gazebo, we watched people paddling

swan boats in and out of coves, stopping at the tiny islands.

Our rest ended when workmen started chain sawing a tree nearby, which seemed a fitting signal to leave.

Not Nearly the End When it’s time to leave, either schedule well, or be prepared to shell out over VND600,000 for a cab — buses and trains both stop around 5pm.

I’ll say again: don’t be put off

by Bien Hoa’s reputation. It’s a nice, peaceful town not far from Ho Chi Minh City’s bustle, great for when you just need a short break.

Weekend over, my travelling companion summed it up nicely: “That was a lot more fun than I expected for my first magazine assignment.”

“Despite only being a 45-minute train ride away from Ho Chi Minh City, many Saigonites seem to regard it as part howling wilderness, part bleak industrial exurb”

This mini tour barely touched the surface — ironically, nearly everything we did was included in the tours Mr. Sang offers. Ostrich riding, croc fishing, the midnight market, pomelo village tours… whatever you want to do in or around Bien Hoa, Mr. Sang is there to help.

Nguyen Thanh Sang, 33, started his guesthouse 18 months ago, about 18 months after he started his tour company.

“When I came back to my hometown from Saigon, I started my company. After a while, I started the tour company to let people know about my city.”

When asked more about his company, he demurs, preferring to boost his home city and spread a message of friendship.

“I want people to learn about Vietnamese culture and experience Vietnamese hospitality. I want people to really feel Vietnamese family life,” he says. “I really want people to know about my hometown.

“The way I’m doing it is to really let people live with my family, going to the market and cooking together. That’s different from other hotels.”

To learn more about Mr. Sang’s tours, guesthouse and café, visit his website at lukhach.com.vn

travel

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AIRLINES

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AIR ASIA

DALAT / AROUND HANOI / HANOI - INTERNATIONAL / HANOI – MID-RANGE / HANOI – BUDGET / HCMC - INTERNATIONAL / HCMC - DELUXE / HCMC - MID-RANGE / HCMC - BUDGET / HOI AN & DANANG / HUE & LANG CO / NHA TRANG / PHAN THIET & MUI NE / PHONG NHA / PHU QUOC / SAPA / VUNG TAU & HO TRAM / TRAVEL SERVICES — HANOI / TRAVEL SERVICES – ELSEWHERE 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

tours of the serene Halong Bay, aboard reproduction wooden junks. Two or three– night trips with a wide range of cabin styles: standard, deluxe, or royal.

CUC PHUONG

$ Cuc Phuong, Nho Quan, Ninh Binh, Tel: (030) 384 8006 cucphuongtourism.com

EMERAUDE CLASSIC CRUISES, HALONG BAY 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.

$$$$ Tel: (04) 3935 1888 emeraude-cruises.com Reproductions, of 19th– century paddle steamers, trawl around Halong Bay in colonial style. A classic experience, complete with, overnight accommodations in impeccable cabins suites.

LA FERME DU COLVERT

$$ Cu Yen, Luong Son, Hoa Binh, Tel: 02183 825662 etoile-des-mers.com

LA VIE VU LINH

$ Ngoi Tu Village, Vu Linh, Yen Bai , Tel: (04) 3926 2743 lavievulinh.com

MAI CHAU ECOLODGE 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

AROUND HANOI BEST WESTERN PEARL RIVER HOTEL

$$$ KM 8 Pham Van Dong, Duong Kinh, Hai Phong, Tel: (031) 388 0888 pearlriverhotel.vn

BHAYA CRUISES, HALONG BAY

$$$ Tel: 0933 446542 bhayacruises.com Experience breathtaking

Na Phon, Hoa Binh, Tel: (04) 6275 1271 maichau.ecolodge.asia Occupies a private hill in Na Phon Village in Mai Chau, Hoa Binh — a beautiful valley roughly 135km southwest of Hanoi — Mai Chau Ecolodge is a new four-star property featuring 21 bungalows built and operated with ecological principles in mind.

MAI CHAU LODGE

$$$ Mai Chau Town, Hoa Binh, Tel: (0218) 386 8959 maichaulodge.com

NOVOTEL HA LONG BAY

$$ Ha Long Road, Bai Chay Ward, Ha Long City, Quang Ninh, Tel: (033) 384 8108 novotelhalong.com.vn

TAM COC GARDEN RESORT Hai Nham, Ninh Hai, Hoa Lu, Ninh Binh. Tel: (030) 249 2118 contact@tamcocgarden. com tamcocgarden.com Surrounded by rice fields and spectacular karsts,

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Tam Coc Garden is a haven of peace, an oasis of serenity and understated luxury.

Spacious rooms with rustic and chic décor, a pool with breathtaking views, a beautiful garden, and panoramic views over the fields and mountains. The perfect place to relax.

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 www.hanoi-daewoohotel. com 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 www.fortuna.vn 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 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 fullyequipped 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 www.hanoi.intercontinental. com This stunning property built over West Lake falls in between a hotel and a resort.

Beautiful views, great balcony areas, comfortable, top-end 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 www.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. Stateof-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 www.moevenpick-hanoi. com With its distinctive French architecture and top end service, Mövenpick Hotel Hanoi is aimed squarely at corporate travellers. An all-day 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 well-appointed rooms and suites, 93 are non-smoking.

PULLMAN HOTEL

$$$$ 40 Cat Linh, Ba Dinh, Tel: (04) 3733 0808 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 www.sheraton.com/hanoi

www.airasia.com

AIR FRANCE 130 Dong Khoi, Q1 Tel: 3825 8583 www.airfrance.com.vn

AIR MEKONG 1st Floor, Centre Point Building, 106 Nguyen Van Troi, Phu Nhuan Tel: (08) 3846 3999 www.airmekong.com.vn

AMERICAN AIRLINES 194 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, Q3. Tel: 3933 0330 www.aa.com

CATHAY PACIFIC 5th Floor, Centec Tower, 72-74 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, Q3 Tel: 3822 3203 www.cathaypacific.com/ vn

CHINA AIRLINES 37 Ton Duc Thang, Q1 Tel: 3911 1591 www.china-airlines.com

JAPAN AIRLINES 3rd Floor, Sheraton Hotel, 88 Dong Khoi, Q1 Tel: 3821 9098 www.vn.jal.com

JETSTAR PACIFIC www.jetstar.com/vn

KOREAN AIR 34 Le Duan, Q1 Tel: 3824 2878 www.koreanair.com

LAO AIRLINES 93 Pasteur, Q1 Tel: 3822 6990 www.laoairlines.com

MALAYSIA AIRLINES Ground Floor, Saigon Trade Centre, 37 Ton Duc Thang, Q1 Tel: 3829 2529 www.malaysiaairlines. com

SINGAPORE AIRLINES Saigon Tower Bulding, Room 101, 29 Le Duan, Q1 Tel: 3823 1588 www.singaporeair.com

THAI AIRWAYS 29 Le Duan, Q1 Tel: 3822 3365 www.thaiairways.com.vn

TIGER AIRWAYS www.tigerair.com

VIETJETAIR www.vietjetair.com

VIETNAM AIRLINES 27B Dinh Tien Hoang, Q1 Tel: 3832 0320 www.vietnamairlines.com

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Want to add more information to your listing? Get in touch and let us see what we can do. Email us at listings@wordvietnam.com 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 www.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.

HANOI – MID-RANGE 6 ON SIXTEEN 16 Bao Khanh, Hoan Kiem www.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, homestyle 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.

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 wellappointed rooms including four suites.

HANOI – BUDGET HANOI BACKBACKER’S HOSTEL 48 Ngo Huyen, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3828 5372 www.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.

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.

DUXTON HOTEL

$$$ 63 Nguyen Hue, Q1, Tel: (08) 3822 2999 saigon.duxtonhotels.com Famous for its day–long rotating–menu buffets, the Duxton deserves luxury appellation with a pool, gym, spa, and fine dining.

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.

$$$ 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

REX HOTEL

$$$$$ 235 Nguyen Van Cu, Q1, Tel: (08) 3925 7777 hotelnikkosaigon.com.vn

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 HOTEL

$$$$$ 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.

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.

HOTEL MAJESTIC

$$$ 1 Dong Khoi, Q1, Tel: (08) 3829 5517 majesticsaigon.com.vn

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.

STAR CITY SAIGON HOTEL

$$$ 144 Nguyen Van Troi, Phu

Joseph’s Hotel Foreign-run,boutique hotel Next to the cathedral

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 high-tech meeting venues able to host up to 600 guests make up the mix.

EQUATORIAL

Brimming with history the Rex’s open–air fifth–floor bar is Saigon highlight. A recent renovation, of this now five-star property, boasts designer fashion and a shopping arcade.

$$$$ 141 Nguyen Hue, Q1, Tel: (08) 3829 2185 rexhotelvietnam.com

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

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travel 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.

HCMC - MID-RANGE ROYAL HOTEL SAIGON

$$ 133 Nguyen Hue, Q1, Tel: (08) 3822 5914 kimdohotel.com

EMM HOTEL 157 Pasteur, Q3 A sleek, contemporary threestar hotel that mixes vintage appeal and modern chic thanks to a subdued palette of white and grey around two ‘pop’ colours: azalea pink and green hot pepper. Part of the Thien Minh Group that includes Victoria Hotels and Buffalo Tours.

LAN LAN HOTEL 1 AND 2

$$$ 46 and 73-75 Thu Khoa Huan, Q1, Tel: (08) 3822 7926 lanlanhotel.com.vn

THAO DIEN VILLAGE

$$ 195 Nguyen Van Huong, Q2, Tel: (08) 3744 2222 thaodienvillage.com A colonial–style hotel and spa offers fine Italian, Thai and Japanese dining. Manicured gardens and a view that overlook the bank of the Saigon River, this is truly someplace special.

THE ALCOVE LIBRARY HOTEL

$$$ 133A Nguyen Dinh Chinh, Phu Nhuan, Tel: 08 6256 9966 alcovehotel.com.vn

HCMC - BUDGET DUC VUONG HOTEL $ 195 Bui Vien, Q1, Tel: (08) 3920 6992 ducvuonghotel.com 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 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

Looking for something? Missed a previous issue? Find it all online at www.wordvietnam.com. Only a click away.

sinhhuonghotel.com.vn

HOI AN & DANANG AN BANG BEACH RETREAT An Bang Beach, Hoi An www.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

FURAMA RESORT AND SPA

$$$$ Vo Nguyen Giap, Khue My, Ngu Hanh Son, Danang, Tel: (0511) 384 7888 furamavietnam.com

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 with a stunning view of the Marble Mountains. There are 182 luxurious residences and 27 private ocean villas, each with a private pool.

LE DOMAINE DE TAM HAI

$$$ Tam Hai Island, Thon 4, Nui Thanh, Quang Nam, Tel: (0510) 354 5105 domainedetamhai.com

LIFE RESORT HOI AN

$$$ 1 Pham Hong Thai, Hoi An, Tel: (0510) 391 4555 life-resorts.com

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.

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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.

VICTORIA HOI AN BEACH RESORT AND SPA Cua Dai Beach, Tel: (0510) 392 7040 victoriahotels.asia

HUE & LANG CO ANGSANA LANG CO

$$$$ Cu Du Village, Loc Vinh Commune, Phu Loc, Thua Thien 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

NHA TRANG EVASON ANA MANDARA AND SIX SENSES SPA $$$$ Beachside Tran Phu, Nha Trang, Khanh Hoa, Tel: (058) 352 2222 sixsenses.com/evasonresorts/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.

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/ ninh-van-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

SUNRISE BEACH HOTEL AND SPA

$$$ 12–14 Tran Phu, Nha Trang, Tel: (058) 382 0999 sunrisenhatrang.com.vn

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.

PHAN THIET & MUI NE ALLEZ BOO BEACH RESORT AND SPA

$$$$ 8 Nguyen Dinh Chieu, Mui Ne, Phan Thiet, Tel: (062) 374 3777 allezboo.com This resort offers exotic

Bali–style, thatched roof “honeymoon” villas, 55 spacious suites, deluxe rooms, fresh seafood, Vietnamese cuisine, Thai and international cuisine, kite surfing and parasailing.

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 cocobeach.net 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.

MIA RESORT MUI NE

$$$ 24 Nguyen Dinh Chieu, Mui Ne, Tel: (062) 384 7440 miamuine.com

PRINCESS D’ANNAM RESORT AND SPA $$$$ Khu Hon Lan, Xa Tan Thanh, Ham Thuan Nam, Binh Thuan, Tel: (062) 368 2222 princessannam.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.

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.

HO KHANH'S HOMESTAY

$$ Son Trach, Bo Trach, Quang Binh, Tel: 01299 597182 phong-nha-homestay.com

PEPPER HOUSE

$ Tel: 01678 731560 pepperhouse-homestay.com

PHONG NHA FARMSTAY

$$ Hoa Son, Cu Nam, Bo Trach, Quang Binh, Tel: (052) 367 5135 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.

PHONG NHA LAKE RESORT

$$ Khuong Ha, Hung Trach, Bo Trach, Quang Binh, Tel: (052) 367 5999 phongnhalakehouse.com

SAIGON - PHONG NHA

$$$ Son Trach, Bo Trach, Quang Binh, Tel: (052) 367 7016 sgphongnhahotel@yahoo. com.vn

PHU QUOC 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.

CHEN SEA RESORT AND SPA

$$$$ Bai Xep, Ong Lang, Cua Duong, Phu Quoc, Kien Giang, Tel: (077) 399 5895 centarahotelsresorts.com

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.

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.

travel 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.

TOPAS ECOLODGE

$$ 24 Muong Hoa, Sapa, Tel: 0203 872404 topasecolodge.com For the environmentally conscientious, 25 individual lodges rest on hills overlooking valleys. Employing solar technology and a wastewater facility, the Topas also organises treks and bicycle tours.

VICTORIA SAPA

$$$ Tel: 0203 871522 victoriahotels.asia

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 ultimately will include a 1,100-room five-star hotel, a world-class casino, restaurants, high-tech meeting space, an exclusive VIP area, as well as a variety of beachfront recreation activities.

The first 541-room tower of this development opened in July 2013 with its casino including 90 live tables and 614 electronic game positions. The second 559-room tower is on track to open in 2015.

TRAVEL SERVICES — HANOI BUFFALO TOURS AGENCY (BTA) 94 Ma May, Hoan Kiem Dist., Ha Noi, Tel: (04) 3828 0702 travelagency.hn@buffalotours.com www.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, with the highest standards

of customer care. This premium Travel Agency has been created to help travelers select their destinations and organize their trips, take care of the timeconsuming procedures and ensure that all journeys are enjoyable and successful.

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 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.

HANDSPAN TRAVEL 78 Ma May, Hanoi, Tel: (04) 3926 2828 www.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-thebeaten-track sustainable and responsible tourism initiatives. Also provides to excursions to more wellworn destinations.

INDOCHINA LAND

SYRENA CRUISES

61 Cua Bac, Ba Dinh, Tel: (04) 3715 2852 www.indochina-land.com Indochina Land is a French local travel agency for expatriates and tourists who want to see northern Vietnam in a personal and tailored way. Think small knowledgeable teams of Vietnamese and French who share their passion for discovery during varied itineraries, usually focused on freedom, family, health trips and classic home stays. They will show you around Ha Giang, too.

51 Xuan Dieu, Tay Ho, Tel: (04) 3719 7214 www.syrenacruises.com If you’re thirsty for a Halong Bay experience while enjoying luxury comfort, Syrena Cruises could be the quencher you’re looking for.

Forget drinking games and backpackers by relaxing on one of the two wooden boats from the fleet. Alone, as a couple or with a group, 34 luxurious cabins and suites are all ready for action. All you have to do is decide on how long you want to holiday for.

INTREPID TRAVEL VIETNAM 57A Nguyen Khac Hieu, Ba Dinh, Tel: 0904 193308 www.intrepidtravel.com/ vietnamsales Intrepid Travel Vietnam is an international travel company operating in Vietnam since 1992, offering innovative day 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.

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 www.buffalotours.com This premium travel agency helps travelers select their destinations and organize their trips. From corporate travel to small group tours, explore the world or Vietnam.

CHUDU24 HOTEL BOOKING SERVICE 12th floor, 242 Cong Quynh, District 1, HCMC

Call center: 1900 5454 40 www.en.chudu24.com info.en@chudu24.com Chudu24.com - the locally famous Vietnam hotel booking website now has an English version. The company is known for having the best prices and reliable service.

If you are looking for great local deals and insightful advice then visit Chudu24.com.

It has been the #1 Vietnam hotel booking service for Vietnamese people since 2008.

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.

HG TRAVEL 47 Phan Chu Trinh, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3944 8844 www.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 — www.kenya-airways.com), American Airlines (www.aa.com) and Turkish Airlines (www.thy.com).

www.cocobeach.net

paradise@cocobeach.net

Coco Beach Resort

58 Nguyen Dinh Chieu, W. Ham Tien Phan Thiet, Vietnam +84-(0)62-3847111 / 2 / 3

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travel GINKGO VOYAGE

TRAVEL PROMOS

1st Floor, 130 Nguyen Cong Tru, Q1, HCMC Tel: (08) 3914 3344 ginkgovoyage.com Offers a full range of quality travel services to both domestic and international travellers, including private and customized tours, small group tours, hotels bookings as well as corporate travel / MICE solutions in Vietnam and further. Email info@ ginkgovoyage.com for info.

PROMOTIONS OF THE MONTH

INTREPID TRAVEL VIETNAM 149/42 Le Thi Rieng, Q1, Tel: 0904 193308 intrepidtravel.com/vietnamsales

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. Englishspeaking tour guides lead the way.

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 www.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.

MANTA SAIL TRAINING CENTRE 108 Huynh Thuc Khang, Mui Ne, Tel: 0908 400108 mantasailing.org

TU TRAVEL 60 Hai Ba Trung, Can Tho City, Tel: 0713 752436 tutrangtravel-mekongfeeling.vn

Sheraton Nha Trang

Hyatt Regency Danang danang.regency.hyatt.com If you’re in the tropics for Christmas, you might as well embrace it. Up in Danang, the Hyatt’s Pool House Restaurant was voted most likely to make your shivering friends and family back home jealous — and with special drinks added to the menu for Dec. 24 and Dec. 25, as well as a VND1 million net laid-back New Year’s Eve option, you’ll start your year off humble-bragging the right way.

Move inside for the Green House and Beach House options, with Green House doing a VND1,090,000 net buffet — VND1,640,000 net with free flow wine and a glass of champagne — on Dec. 24 and Dec. 25, and Beach House handling the a la carte. On New Year’s Eve Beach House is the place to be, with a resident jazz duo providing the backbone of two set dinner options — VND1,590,000 net for the four-course, VND1,960,000 for the five-course.

Novotel Nha Trang novotel-nhatrang.com Getting beached this Christmas season? Escape the bustle of the major capitals and enjoy the

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party season with Novotel Nha Trang’s Christmas Gala Dinner at The Square on Dec. 24 — VND1,155,000++ per person. Once you’ve swam that off in the East Sea, settle down for the Dec. 25 Brunch Buffet — VND630,00++.

If you’re not in a rush to return to the Vietnamese rat race, consider the Dec. 31 New Year’s Eve Gala Dinner your perfect excuse — VND1,470,000++ including one round of beer, wine or soft drinks on the house. All that’s without even mentioning Vous Spa’s Pampering Package which is on as soon as this edition comes off the printers and remains valid until the last day of the year. VND1,190,000 net gets you a two-hour herbal compression package that’ll have you channeling your inner Ghandi — that’s how good your life will be.

Pullman Danang Beach Resort pullman-danang.com Celebrate on the white sands of Danang this year and let the Pullman do the hard yards in the kitchen for you. Their Dec. 24 Christmas Eve Buffet Dinner at VND1,350,000 net also includes a free flow of beer, wine and

mojitos, so it’s not even worth mentioning the mocktails and soft drinks as well. Children 12 and under get a seat at the big table for VND675,000 net, while Dec. 25’s Christmas Day Lunch Buffet is a steal at VND600,00 per adult. It’s also served with a side of magic and all the Christmas pudding you can eat.

Sheraton Nha Trang sheraton.com/nhatrang If you want to go up north — but not too north — for Christmas, Sheraton Nha Trang has a little plan for you. Check out the Christmas Eve buffet at Feast on Dec. 24 — VND2.15 million++ for adults, VND1,175,000++ for children, Santa and his lucky draw prizes included in the bargain. On Dec. 31 the Grand Ballroom will be your New Year’s Eve destination, with five hours of free flow, a DJ, love band, Lion Dance and Cham Dance performers and a seaside countdown — VND2.8 million++ for adults, VND1.4 million++ for children.

The rest of the month will also be holiday-like, with the children of Nhan Ai Orphanage attending the Dec. 5 lighting of the 6-metre tree.

Hanoi

Recalling Hanoi // coffee cup // top eats // srudent eye // food promos // the alchemist // the therapist // Medical buff // book buff Photo OF NGO VAN SAC'S 2014 WORK, UP THE STREAM, by david harris wordvietnam.com | December 2014 Word | 135

hanoi

business

BUSINESS GROUPS / CORPORATE SERVICES / INSURANCE / INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS / LANGUAGE SCHOOLS / MANAGEMENT TRAINING / MARKET RESEARCH / RELOCATION & TRACKING AGENTS / SERVICED APARTMENTS BUSINESS GROUPS ICHAM Sofitel Plaza, Ground floor, 1 Thanh nien, Ba Dinh, Tel: (04) 3715 2229 icham.org The Chamber has the main purpose of undertaking activities to support commercial exchanges with Italy and to assist economic agents, as well as to foster the developmew nt of economic relations and cooperation among entrepreneurs of the various countries. The Chamber will not engage in commercial activities with the aim of producing profits.

CCIFV Sofitel Plaza, No 1 Thanh Nien, Ba Dinh, Tel: (04) 3715 2229 ccifv.org A business group with over 240 members that supports the French business community in Vietnam by listening to their members’ needs and expectations. Also promotes Vietnam to French companies and helps them in developing their businesses here.

EUROCHAM G/F, Sofitel Plaza Hanoi, 1 Thanh Nien, Ba Dinh, Tel: (04) 3715 2228 eurochamvn.org A confederate organisation with strong ties to national business associations in its member countries, Eurocham looks after and provides advice and support for the business interests of European Union members in Vietnam.

INDOCHINA RESEARCH LTD

MARKET RESEARCH xavier@indochinaresearch. com indochinaresearch.com Active in Vietnam for more than 20 years, Indochina Research has the capacity to run large research projects in the country, for commercial and social purposes.

CORPORATE SERVICES ENDO 79, Quang An, Tay Ho, Tel: (04) 3783 2085 endo.vn Endo offers garment manu-

facturing for local resorts, restaurants, hotels, golf courses, travel agencies and apparel shops. They also manufacture giftware from polos and hoodies to keychains, card holders and menu covers.

INSURANCE IF CONSULTING CCIFV/Eurocham, Sofitel Plaza, 1 Thanh Nien, Ba Dinh, Tel: (04) 3936 5370 Emergency: 0903 732365 insuranceinvietnam.com Specialises in medical, employee benefits and personal lines insurance advice to expatriates. The company has been operational in Vietnam since 1994 and offers free advice and comparative quotes.

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS BRITISH INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL, HANOI Hoa Lan Road, Vinhomes Riverside, Long Bien, Hanoi Tel: 04 3946 0435 www.bishanoi.com The British International School (BIS) Hanoi, is a selective, independent, co-educational day school. It provides a British style education for an international student body operating from a modern purpose-built campus in the vibrant and cultured city of Hanoi. The National Curriculum for England, International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) and Advanced Level (A Level) are taught to English speaking students from Pre-School to Year 13. The International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma will, pending IB authorization, be offered from 2016 onwards.

CONCORDIA INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL HANOI CMC Building, Duy Tan, Cau Giay, Tel: (04) 3795 8878 concordiahanoi.org International brand, 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.

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ETONHOUSE INTERNATIONAL KINDERGARTEN HANOI 3rd floor, Tower A, Keangnam Landmark, DinhNghe, Me Tri. Tel: 0965 588888 etonhouse.edu.vn Thanks to a unique curriculum used in over 100 schools, a stimulating and motivating environment, and a child-centred approach, children at Eton House make rapid progress and achieve their maximum potential.

Classes offeredfor students aged 18 months to 6 years and there isan ‘Open Door’ Policy at all times.

HANOI INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL 48 Lieu Giai , Ba Dinh hisvietnam.com With schooling available for students studying at the elementary through to secondary levels of education, HIS is one of the few private, international education options in the capital. The institution offers Cambridge IGCSE and IB Diploma for students at the secondary level. Located near the Japanese Embassy.

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF VIETNAM 6-7 Nguyen Cong Thai, Dai Kim Urban Area, Dinh Cong, Hoang Mai, Tel: 3540 9183 www.isvietnam.org The International School of Vietnam (ISV) is a not-forprofit, Pre-Kindergarten to Grade 12 school serving the international and local community of Hanoi. ISV accepts students of any nationality aged 3 and up. ISV offers an international education experience. 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.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 hanoi.qsi.org With nearly four decades of experience in international education, QSI International School of Hanoi is next in the long line of ‘quality schools’ that have been established by the Quality Schools International. The institution specialises in instructing pre-school and lower elementary age students.

SINGAPORE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL (SIS) 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 www,kinderworld.net/sis SIS provides international education for students from Primary up to University Foundation Programme. 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

Unit 9 – 10, Shophouse CT17, Ciputra, 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, Me Tri New Urban, Tu Liem District, Tel: +84 4 3794 0209

APOLLO 67 Le Van Huu, Hai Ba Trung, Tel: (04) 3943 2051 Apollo.edu.vn Established in 1994, Apollo offers high-quality and costeffective English language classes including general English, English for teens, English for business communication and a pronunciation clinic. One of the country’s

RELOCATION & TRACKING AGENTS

BRITISH COUNCIL 20 Thuy Khue, Tay Ho, Tel: (04) 3728 1922 britishcouncil.org The cultural arm of the British government’s presence in Vietnam, the BC offers a variety of English language courses – business writing, corporate training and general English – in a large learning centre close to West Lake.

AGS FOUR WINDS 41A Ly Thai To, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3938 8762 agsfourwinds.com A global leader in international removals and relocations, with 130 offices globally, we can move your property to and from any location.

LANGUAGE LINK VIETNAM 62 Yen Phu, Hanoi, Tel: (04) 3927 3399 languagelink.edu.vn With four schools around Hanoi, Language Link runs international English language courses endorsed by Cambridge University. One of the top language centres in the capital.

MANAGEMENT TRAINING RMIT Hanoi Resco Building, 521 Kim Ma, Ba Dinh, Tel: (04) 3726 1460 rmit.edu.vn A leading international provider of skills training and professional staff development, RMIT offers both short and long-term courses, customised courses, and can provide for either on or off-campus clients. Known for its Business MBA which is open to both Vietnamese and overseas students.

ALLIED PICKFORDS Room 302, 12A Ho Xuan Huong, Tel: (04) 3943 1511 vn.alliedpickfords.com The international home moving company helps make the burden of moving a lot easier. As the largest home moving company in the world, Allied Pickfords moves over 1,000 families in over 175 countries every day. Available with a full range of services — domestic moves, office moves and storage — whether you are moving within Vietnam or across the world.

ASIAN TIGERS TRANSPO Inland Customs Deport Area (ICD), Pham Hung, My Dinh, Tu Liem, Tel: (04) 3768 5882 asiantigergroup.com Asian Tigers Group is committed to its mission of moving households without disruption ti family life. They also offer pre-move advice regarding customs and shipping.

JVK INDOCHINA MOVERS

MARKET RESEARCH CIMIGO

LANGUAGE SCHOOLS KINDERWORLD INTERNATIONAL KINDERGARTEN

leading language centres.

142 Le Duan, Dong Da, Tel: (04) 3518 6696 vietnam@cimigo.com cimigolive.com

INDOCHINA RESEARCH LTD

MARKET RESEARCH xavier@indochinaresearch. com indochinaresearch.com Active in Vietnam for more than 20 years, Indochina Research has the capacity to run large research projects in the country, for commercial and social purposes.

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.

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, re-

hanoi location services including home search, orientation, cultural training, immigration services and records management. For more information email Vietnam@ santaferelo.com.

SERVICED APARTMENTS ATLANTA RESIDENCES 49 Hang Chuoi, Hai Ba Trung, Tel: 0912 239085 atlanta.com.vn Atlanta Residences fully serviced apartments have been created to provide a space where you can ‘feel at home’. Within walking distance from Hanoi’s Opera House and Hoan Kiem Lake, this building offers a panel of 51 spacious apartments for you to choose from. The serviced apartments here offer the luxury of a hotel mixed with the peaceful comfort and privacy of your home, under one roof of course.

old quarter

BARS & CLUBS / CAFES / CLOTHING & ACCESSORIES / CRAFTS & FURNITURE / EAT / FITNESS & YOGA / GROCERIES & LIQUOR / HAIRDRESSERS & SALONS

BARS & CLUBS CHEEKY QUARTER

LATE NIGHT LOCAL 1 Ta Hien, Hoan Kiem, Tel: 01679 647254 8pm to late Last building on the right before Hang Buom, this popular with the French (and everyone else) watering hole is a classic. Has the same Old Quarter vibe; small, cosy and personal with funky twists – and an awesome logo. Spread over two floors with good tunes, drinks specials and a foosball table, Cheeky is open till late. Also does tasty paninis into the early hours.

DRAGONFLY FRASER SUITES HANOI 51 Xuan Dieu, Tay Ho, Tel: (04) 3719 8877 Located in the West Lake area, Fraser Suites Hanoi consists of 186 apartments, from studios to four bedrooms, which meet any lifestyle. With a calming and warm interior feel, each apartment features all the latest amenities. 24-hour security surveillance provides peace of mind.

SOMERSET GRAND HANOI 49, Hai Ba Trung, Ba Dinh, Tel: (04) 3934 2342 somerset.com Internationally-managed accommodation with personalised services and extensive facilities. 185 fully furnished apartments, car park, 24hour reception and central location.

SPORTS GARMENTS SCORE-TECH 44 Ngo 31 Xuan Dieu, Tay Ho, Tel: 01203 802832 A 100 percent foreigninvested company offering personalised sport garments. Using the latest printing technology as well as a design team from Barcelona, Score-Tech controls the whole production process from producing fabrics and sewing to printing. Big and small orders of garments produced for all sporting needs.

DANCEHALL LOUNGE 15 Hang Buom, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 4926 2177 11am to late One of the better venues in the Old Quarter for dancing on the weekends. Although crammed into a small space, cheap drinks and a mix of chart chits makes Dragonfly the regular go-to for younger Vietnamese crowds, tourists and the foreign resident looking to get up on the dance floor. If you don’t feel like dancing, relax upstairs with shisha and friends with one of the two lounges on the second floor. The sister venue on Phung Hung has a bigger menu and an earlier opening hour (11am instead of 6pm) but still keeps with the shisha, pool table and dance floor combo so popular on Hang Buom.

FATCAT BAR

DJ / LATE NIGHT JOINT 25 Ta Hien, Hoan Kiem, Tel: 0986 495211 linkhanoi.com 4pm to late Straddling Bia Hoi Corner and the cobblestoned end of Ta Hien, FatCat Bar is 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.

Nightly cocktail specials, reasonable bottles deals starting at VND500,000 and a DJ on the decks make up the mix.

FUNKY BUDDHA

ELECTRO LOUNGE 2 Ta Hien, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3292 7614 8pm to late

HAIR OF THE DOG

LATE NIGHT LOCAL / LOUNGE 32 Ma May, Hoan Kiem, Tel: 0947 893232 10am to late

HALF MAN HALF NOODLE

LATE DIVE BAR 62 Dao Duy Tu, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3926 1943 3pm to late

IRISH WOLFHOUND

IRISH PUB 4 Luong Ngoc Quyen, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 2212 6821 irishwolfhoundpub.com 8am to 2am The open-air watering hole with seating on the pavement is a great spot to enjoy a tall dark stout or light pilsner at anytime, day or night. What it lacks in gaudy decorations, it makes up for with a constant stream of regulars, occasional live Irish music and billiards on the third floor.

Has a decent food menu and even better pizzas.

LA BOMBA LATINA

LATIN BAR 46 Ngo Huyen, Hoan Kiem, Tel: 0917 245155

LE PUB

BRITISH / INTERNATIONAL RESTOBAR 25 Hang Be, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3926 2104 7am to midnight Dark red walls and even darker brown seating run through the homely and casual Le Pub, one of the few bars in town with a regular stream of clientele. A long list of imported beer, Tiger draft, a decent international cum Vietnamese food menu, happy hour specials and live sport make up the comfortable mix. The venue also gets involved in the local community through regular events.

MAO’S RED LOUNGE

LATE-NIGHT GRUNGE BAR 7 Ta Hien, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3926 3104

MOJITO BAR

CONTEMPORARY COCKTAIL BAR 19 Nguyen Quang Bich, Hoan Kiem facebook.com/mojito.bar. lounge Decked out in wooden panelling and bare brick, this tastefully designed watering whole in the Old Quarter is known for its prize-winning bartender and excellent cocktails

POLITE PUB

LONG BAR 5 Bao Khanh, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3825 0959 5pm to 2am A bit musty and jaded, despite being one of the oldest pubs in the city, this staple watering hole on Bao Khanh continues to be a hit. Probably the closest thing Hanoi has to an authentic Englishstyle pub, Polite is frequented by a steady mix of locals and expats who find solace in the nightly conversations at the long bar, billiards and live football matches.

ROCKSTORE LIVE MUSIC BAR 61 Ma May, Hoan Kiem, Tel: 01653 336087 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.

SPY BAR

HOLE IN THE WALL / IRISH 12A Nguyen Huu Huan, Hoan Kiem, Tel: 0932 373802

TEMPLE BAR

NIGHTCLUB / LATE-NIGHT BAR 8 Hang Buom, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 6675 7908

TET BAR

LATE-NIGHT BAR 2a Ta Hien, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3926 3050

THE SPOT

LOUNGE BAR / TERRACE 47 Hang Be, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3935 1874 8am to midnight

CAFES JOMA

INTERNATIONAL CAFE 28 Tong Duy Tan, Hoan Kiem joma.biz Housed in a two-storey converted, colonial-era villa, the concept of the third Joma is the same as at its two other cafes - fair-trade coffee, payas-you-order at the counter, and a great selection of sandwiches, bagels, salads, cakes, ice-cream and tea.

JOMA BAKERY CAFE

COFFEE/BAKERY 222 Ly Quoc Su, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3747 3388 joma.biz 7am to 9pm With two branches, Joma

has brought a little slice of ‘home’ to Hanoi for expatriates 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 7am to 8pm

MOCA CAFE

CAFE / INTERNATIONAL 14-16 Nha Tho, Hoan Kiem.

(04) 3825 6334 8am to 10pm Set in a deliciously attractive slightly run down colonial villa, the tourist friendly location gives Moca a large amount of guidebook-driven clientele. But don’t let this put you off. 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 Open 24 hours 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 nosmoking downstairs space is filled with people working and socialising. Serves as community centre, catering both to ravenous backpackers who’ve just arrived off the night train from Sapa and locals looking to meet up.

THE CART

SANDWICH SHOP / CAFÉ 10 Tho Xuong, Tel: (04) 3938 2513 thecartfood.com 7.30am to 5pm Small a cozy café hidden on the quietest of Hanoian streets. 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.

THE HANOI SOCIAL CLUB

CAFÉ / CONTEMPORARY EATERY 6 Hoi Vu, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3938 2117 8am to 11pm Situated on one of the quieter Old Quarter streets just off Hang Bong, The Hanoi Social Club is a cozy midsize café/restaurant where you can forget the heat and bustle of Hanoi.

The atmosphere is relaxed and you can imagine, for a second, that you’re sitting in a European café. The food is fresh and internationally inspired, and the design is complimented by the work of Tadioto’s Nguyen Qui Duc. To top it off, the coffee here is said to be up there with the best in the country.

CLOTHING & ACCESSORIES BOO SKATESHOP

SKATESHOP 84 Hang Dieu, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3923 1147 Booskateshop.com

CONTRABAND

CONTEMPORARY WESTERNSTYLE 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.

L’ATELIER

WOMEN’S WEAR & ACCESSORIES 21 Nha Chung, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3938 2419 ateliervietnam.com The downtown store of this well-known chic boutique.

Stocks women’s wear, leather bags, shoes and handicrafts. Offers both ready-to-wear and madeto-fit clothing.

METISEKO

ECO-CHIC / LIFESTYLE 71 Hang Gai, Hoan Kiem. metiseko.com A lifestyle brand that started out life in Hoi An, Metiseko’s

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RECALLING HANOI PART EIGHT

L

andscape is entangled with history and people’s lives. No matter how young we are or what social position we have, we all have stories to tell.

The book I am working on, Recalling Hanoi, is my vision of Hanoi, a tapestry weaved out of portraits, people’s stories

and the urban landscape that hosts them.

I ask people living in the city to tell me about a place in Hanoi that holds memories. It can be about anything — a personal story intertwined with history; a great event; everyday little stories that our lives are made of. These stories, along with the photographs of the storyteller

and the location provide depth.

Through this collection I am attempting to create an intimate, multi-layered portrait of this city through its collective memory. The hope is that the audience will connect to other people’s lives and also to their own memories in an attempt to understand this beautiful city.

Tran May A Moving Scene Location: Little Lane (Ngo Hep), 1988 The movie I was working on was shot during Doi Moi, a time when everything was changing in Vietnamese society, and the subject was very rare: a girl decides to marry an old but rich man instead of choosing love.

The scene I remember the most is the one where local people were lining up to take water from the communal tap in a very narrow lane. That communal area was like a small society. People would fight and be aggressive to get to the water first, but whenever the

respected teacher would come to get water, the people would let him get it first and they would stop fighting and show a lot of respect. That movie scene makes me think of the behaviour and the relationships between people and how they have changed.

I remember the time before Doi Moi. Hanoi’s streets were empty; there were less people than now and life was very difficult. But relationships were more important; people were closer to each other and love stories were simpler.

I remember the image of the bicycle was a symbol for love: simple and immaterial. I feel like now society is more money orientated and it wasn’t at that time. It was simpler like a bicycle.

I am a bit nostalgic. I reckon Doi Moi brought more material comfort and before it life was really difficult. But though in the past there were power struggles, nobody had money, so it was a level playing field and there was less corruption. Everything has two faces.

hanoi

BY JULIE VOLA

Hong May Nguyen Friendship Location: Hanoi Amsterdam School We are four girlfriends like sisters. We have known each other for almost 20 years now.

I met Ha in primary school. We disliked each other for almost five years. She was a formal and studious girl, I wasn’t. When we went to the Hanoi Amsterdam School we ended up in the same class, we didn’t know anybody and because we came from the same school the teacher sat us next to each other.

I met Anh the year after. She was very shy and the other kids made fun of her.

Her birthday was one day before mine. To be nice I decided to bring her flowers that day at school.

I met Linh around the same time as Anh. One day, after school she was alone waiting outside the gates for her father.

To keep her company I waited with her.

For over an hour-and-a-half we talked non-stop.

That summer, my father passed away.

With their support and friendship they helped me get through that very hard time. Now I understand how important and deep a friendship can be. Though we’ve all grown up and left the school, we have managed to stay close.

This is the eighth excerpt from Julie Vola’s work, Recalling Hanoi. The work is presently being serialised in Word. For more information email juls.vola@gmail.com

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hanoi

COFFEE CUP AND HERE CAFÉ

O

ne of the things I love about Vietnam is that when it sometimes feels impossible to get things done, streets can literally change overnight. It’s one of those things that gives you hope during the occasional #expatfail that one day, you’ll unlock the secret to getting things done.

Having been gone for only a month, I was shocked when I returned to my favourite bar on Nguyen Quang Bich to notice a fluorescent beam of light streaming in from across the street. In typical Hanoi fashion, And Here Café had almost literally sprouted overnight, and was buzzing with young evening patrons. Intrigued, I ventured back the next day.

From the outside, And Here Café appears to clash with its scruffier neighbours. It sits amid a sea of bun cha nem stores that spill off the footpath and overtake the street behind Hang Ga Mall. Outside, stall minders recline in their ever-so-stylish two-piece pyjamas, with strips of carefullyfolded newspaper incubating their fresh highlights. Inside, neatly organised tables

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Photos by Chris Humphrey

play host to chic handbags and glistening white phablets (a hybrid of smartphone and tablet), symbols of Vietnam’s growing middle class. Albeit somewhat chaotic, the area provides an endearing contrast of the old and new Hanoi.

An IKEA Bomb Inside, the café’s trendy white, yellow and timber design, cafeteria-style seating and whitewashed walls make you think an IKEA bomb has exploded and left nothing untouched. To the side, a black spiral staircase winds its way to a second-floor mezzanine in front of a feature wall covered with bright green foliage. Funky magazine racks adorn the walls with the latest issues of Harper’s Bazaar, Elle and gay-friendly mag Attitude, in a nod to Vietnam’s liberalminded youth.

If you consider watching people take selfies by the dozen (each with the same pouted expression and background) an intriguing spectator sport — as I most certainly do — then visiting is a must. You can also enjoy a colourful list

of coffee options, iced smoothies and sodas, including the café’s own signature chocolate soda for VND38,000.

Pretty much everything comes served in a funky jam jar, which makes everything taste better and exciting-er. Apparently.

The café’s Casadio barista machine pumps out pretty consistent brews, and those seeking some reprieve from the humidity might find a pleasing alternative in the café’s iced caramel macchiato (VND38,000). Unfortunately, the benign sounding mango smoothie (VND38,000) comes with a deadly dollop of whipped cream on top, which can tip the taste scales into the sickly-sweet territory. But no surprises there.

Overall, the selection isn’t huge, but it’s enough to get you by if you want a hip place to do a few hours of web surfing, or to step out of your usual roster of cafés.

If you’re after somewhere quiet, then you may want to avoid it at peak times around lunch and dinner. — David Mann And Here Café is at 22 Nguyen Quang Bich, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi

hanoi move to the capital has seen them bring us their creative, poetic prints designed for an 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 fair-trade, Textile Exchange.

THINGS OF SUBSTANCE

AUSTRALIAN-STYLE UNISEX 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.

THREE TREES

JEWELLERY 15 Nha Tho, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3928 8725

CRAFTS & FURNITURE MEKONG QUILTS

HANDMADE / CHARITABLE QUILTS 58 Hang Trong, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3824 4607; 13 Hang Bac, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3926 4831 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.

METISEKO

ECO-CHIC 71 Hang Gai, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3935 2645 metiseko.com A lifestyle brand that started out life in Hoi An, Metiseko’s move to the capital will see them bring us their creative, poetic prints designed for an 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 fair-trade, Textile Exchange.

EAT AL FRESCO’S

AUSTRALIAN / INTERNATIONAL 24 Quang An, Tay Ho, Tel: (04) 3938 1155 alfrescogroup.com 8.30am to 11pm

CAFE DE PARIS

FRENCH BISTRO 12 Luong Ngoc Quyen, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3926 1327 cafedeparis-hanoi.com 8am to 11pm Thanks to its original tiled floor, cast iron backed chairs and wall-hung black and white photography, there is something decidedly charming about this tiny Parisianstyled bistro and bar. Serving up a simple menu of snacks such as quiche Lorraine, Paris beurre and croque monsieur, there is also a selection of classic but unpretentious French mains. Has a daily specials board and a decent range of pizzas.

FOODSHOP 45

INTERNATIONAL INDIAN 32 Hang Buom, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3993 1399 10am to 10.30pm A slither of a joint serving up the same fare that the lakeside Foodshop 45 location in Truc Bach has become famous for. 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. Also has a good range of breads and tandoor-cooked kebabs.

GREEN MANGO

WESTERN / VIETNAMESE 18 Hang Quat, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3928 9916 greenmango.vn 7.30am to 11.30pm

GREEN TANGERINE

FRENCH / VIETNAMESE FUSION 48 Hang Be, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3825 1286 greentangerinehanoi.com 10am to 11pm daily A leafy, cobblestone courtyard with dark green castiron 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 again and again. A traditional Vietnamese and kids menu is also available, as is a wine list focusing mainly on French wines.

HIGHWAY 4

VIETNAMESE / ETHNIC 5 Hang Tre, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3926 4200; 25 Bat Su, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3926 0639 10am to midnight

LITTLE INDIA

INDIAN / MALAY / CHINESE 32 Hang Tre, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3926 1859

littleindianhn@gmail.com

LA RESTAURANT

VIETNAMESE / INTERNATIONAL 25 Ly Quoc Su, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3928 8933 8am to 10pm The complimentary warm bread with rosemary is reason enough to visit this homely spot featuring hearty lentil and black bean soups, along with a range of international and Vietnamese options like New Zealand beef tenderloin or tofu with chilli and mushrooms. We aren’t quite sure why the Miele Guide nominated it as one of Asia’s finest restaurants as service is lackadaisical and tables could use candles to improve the lackluster ambience, but the immaculately tasty dishes more than make up for any quips.

goes over two floors and has a welcome and inviting three-level outdoor terrace high up amid the concrete and cables of the Old Quarter.

NAMASTE HANOI

PAN-INDIAN 46 Tho Nhuom, Hanoi, Tel: (04) 3935 2400 namastehanoi.com 11am to 2.30pm, 6pm to 10.30pm The latest newcomer to the Indian restaurants family, Namaste specializes in dishes from both northern and southern India — using Halal meat throughout. A meal will cost you between VND150,000 and VND300,000 and everything is there, from curries and breads to soups and desserts. Available to dine in or out with a free delivery.

thekafe.vn 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.

THE 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.

LA SALSA

IBERIAN / MEDITERANEAN 25 Nha Tho, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3828 9052 8am to 11pm 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, European-style coffee and first-floor terrace area with views over the cathedral.

Has a second garden restaurant on Xuan Dieu.

LITTLE HANOI

VIETNAMESE / INTERNATIONAL 21-23 Hang Gai, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3828 8333 7.30am to 11pm

MEDITERRANEO

PAN-ITALIAN 23 Nha Tho, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3826 6288 10am to 11pm 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. Throw in an extensive wine list, a traditional wood fire oven and a balcony spot looking over Hanoi’s trendy café scene and you’re onto a winner.

MILLENIUM

PAN-FRENCH 11B Ngo Bao Khanh, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3828 7207 10.30am to 2.30pm, 6pm to 10pm Clean and fresh with a finedining vibe, the Millennium restaurant is the minimal and chic result of a Café Des Arts makeover. The street’s new go-to for a high standard of eating and drinking

OLD HANOI

GOURMET VIETNAMESE 4 Ton That Thiep, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3747 8337 10am-2pm, 5pm-10pm 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, in a casually elegant setting that make this spot near the train tracks standout.

Be sure to try the roll-yourown cha ca spring rolls and check the schedule for live traditional music.

PROVECHO

TEX-MEX / BURGERS / INTERNATIONAL 18 Hang Be, Hoan Kiem, Tel: 0912 223966 The successor of My Burger My, this American-run, selfstyled burger bar and restaurant fits a lot into a tiny, multi-storey space. Specializing in tasty, American-style, chargrilled burgers from around VND50,000 with a range of additional toppings including jalapeno peppers, smoked bacon, mushrooms, cheddar cheese and avocado, the creative menu also has a good range of Tex-Mex fare, a number of pan-Asian dishes and a decent delivery service.

SOUTHGATE

CONTEMPORARY INTERNATIONAL 28 Tong Duy Tan, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3938 1979 southgatehanoi.com

THE KAFE

CONTEMPORARY CAFE / CUISINE 18 Dien Bien Phu, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3747 6245

TAMARIND

CONTEMPORARY VEGETARIAN 80 Ma May, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3926 0580 5.30am to 10.30pm Perhaps the only restaurant in Hanoi to cater to vegetarians that doesn’t focus on faux meat. Features a wide range of juices and shakes in a crunchy granola backpacker atmosphere. Has Asian favourites like vegetarian pho, Ma-Po tofu and Thai glass noodle salad, along with some falafel and western influences. Vegetarians and carnivores alike will find something to try on this menu.

THE LOFT STOP CAFÉ

FRENCH BRASSERIE/ VIETNAMESE SPECIALITIES 11B Ngo Bao Khanh, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3828 7207 8am to 11pm

SPICE

CONTEMPORARY INDIAN RESTAURANT 80 Ma May, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3926 0580

TANDOOR

PAN-INDIAN 24 Hang Be, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3824 5359 11am to 10.30pm A long-popular, Indianfood enclave specialising in Northern Indian cuisine.

Has an indoor and upstairs, white tablecloth aircon area with a more casual dining and bar space out front. Does excellent kebabs served from an authentic tandoor oven as well as the full range of mainly North Indian curries. Also has a branch in Saigon and does excellent set lunches.

ZENITH YOGA STUDIO II & CAFÉ

FITNESS & YOGA STUDIO FIVE

YOGA & WELLNESS 5th Fl, 135 Bui Thi Xuan, Hai Ba Trung. Tel: (04) 6263.1515 http://studio5.vn facebook.com/yogastudio5 6am to 8pm An international and professional Yoga Studio providing more than 20 different yoga styles such as: Hatha Yoga, Yoga Therapy, Ball Yoga, Props Yoga, Hot Yoga (with infrared heater), Power Yoga and much more, with a flexible schedule of 10 classes per day. Bring harmony back into your life — Studio Five is the perfect place to reconnect your mind with your body.

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.

GROCERIES & LIQUOR BACCHUS CORNER

WINE RETAILER 1C Tong Dan, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3935 1393 Part of the Tan Khoa chain, the largest liquor and wine distributor in the country, the walls here are lined with a decent selection of wines, pleasantly arrayed and back lit. Besides their selection of new and old world wines Helpful staff and free delivery.

THE WAREHOUSE

WINE RETAILER 59 Hang Trong, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3928 7666 warehouse-asia.com The Warehouse is Vietnam’s ultimate premium wine importer, distributor, and retailer, representing many of the greatest wines from the best wine-growing regions on the planet. The portfolio mixes the best of both old and new world wines.

HAIRDRESSERS & SALONS DINH HAIR SALON

HAIR SALON 2A Cua Bac, Ba Dinh, Tel: 0987 718899

16 Duong Thanh, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3923 0253

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TOP EATS COUSINS

C

yprien Pierlovisi loves his food.

He was toiling away in French kitchens from the age of 15, before he moved to a London pub and worked behind the bar. This was followed by stints opening successful restaurants and wine bars across Europe.

So, when Cyprien arrived in Hanoi seven years ago to work for a gourmet food and wine distributor, he quickly realized something was missing. “There was a lot of French food but no gastro pubs that served the things I loved eating in Europe,” he says.

And when his cousin, Maya, visited from Shanghai, they decided they needed to do something about it. They went into business and started Hanoi’s newest European gastro pub.

Only a few months later and the selftitled eatery, located on a quiet corner of Quang Ba, is now one of Tay Ho’s most beloved weekend venues. Even from the street, it’s impossible not to notice the sunny courtyard buzzing with expats tucking into plates of homemade Gruyèrestuffed ravioli (VND180,000) and swirling glasses of chilled French rosé.

“We really wanted to focus on quality by using top-notch ingredients,” says Cyprien, or ‘Cyp’ as he prefers to be known. “But we don’t pretend to do fine dining. We’re a very laid back gastro pub with a focus on good European food.”

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Photos by David Mann

That focus has been translated into a balanced menu of pastas, salads and soups, with plenty of room for gourmet favourites like salmon tartar (VND130,000) and hearty meat dishes. The rustic, unpretentious décor also oozes an effortlessly cool vibe, like you’d expect from a place in Marseille or Melbourne.

The restaurant uses trained KOTO graduates to dish up its colourful fare alongside a generous selection of imported European wines and — as you might have guessed — cheese.

Family Connections Cousin Maya insists that it is her 15 years in project management and Cyp’s stern eye for quality that has helped the restaurant function like a well-oiled machine.

The emphasis on quality is evident from my very first bite of fresh bread smeared with generous spoonfuls of olive tapenade (VND60,000). The concoction, made from green olives, capers, chilli and anchovies, is a burst of unapologetically bitey flavours that instantly whet the appetite.

Our second starter of calamari and mango bruschetta (VND75,000) is another knock-out, with the lumps of fresh squid providing a surprisingly good match for the diced mango.

The stand-out starter, however, is Cousins’ glorious falafel served with a mint yoghurt sauce (VND50,000). As I carve

my knife through the firm golden shell, a gush of steam erupts from the centre. Each golden piece is perfectly cooked: crisp on the outside, moist on the inside and with a strong helping of spices.

As the smiling waitress dutifully carries over my plate of beef cheek ragu pasta (VND150,000), Cyp tells me that it has been painstakingly prepared in red wine for 12 hours. I nod and hold the plate up to my face to bask in the rich aromas of red wine and ribbons of collapsed beef. Each piece of meat is tender, while the hearty flavours of the sauce soak their way into the homemade pasta.

By the time my fork makes its final twirl, the finale — a sumptuous bread and butter pudding with salted caramel ice cream (VND80,000) — is hovering towards us. My already full stomach makes an enthusiastic jump at the sight of the spongy pudding dotted with black flecks of vanilla bean and drizzled with caramel sauce.

My face awash with caramel custard, I gulp down the final dregs of my rosé (VND100,000 per glass) imported from southern France and feel pangs of remorse for things I didn’t get to try, like the pecorino and almond pesto pasta (VND125,000) or the mango crème brulee (VND65,000).

But then again, I guess there’s always next weekend. — David Mann Cousins is at 3 Quang Ba, Tay Ho, Hanoi

hanoi HANOI INTERNATIONAL THEATRE SOCIETY (HITS)

hoan kiem

THEATRE GROUP hitshanoi.com

L’ESPACE

BARS & NIGHTCLUBS / CAFES / CINEMAS / CLUBS & SOCIETIES / EAT

PARIS DELI

Bà i

Triệu

Hàng

Hu ế

Phan

Bà

Chu Trin h

Sứ

Q uá n Sứ

Đinh Ti ên H o à n g

Hưng

Phùng

Hà n g G à

Hàng Điếu

Hưng Phùng

Quán Nguy ễn Du

Trần Hưn gĐ ạo

Lê Văn H u ư

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uyên

MODEL CLUB

CATWALK BAR 45 Hang Bai, Hai Ba Trung 8pm to late

PHUC TAN

LATE-NIGHT GRUNGE BAR 51, To 4A Phuc Tan, Hoan Kiem

RELAX BAR

HOSTESS / LIVE MUSIC BAR 26 Tran Hung Dao, Hoan Kiem

ROOFTOP

SKYLINE LOUNGE 19th Floor, Pacific Place, 83B Ly Thuong Kiet, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3946 1901 8am to midnight

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 wellknown and well-loved space.

ZONE 17

CAFÉ / BOULANGERIE 6 Phan Chu Trinh, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3934 5269 7.30am to 11pm Time has been good to this airy, bistro-style café and patisserie opposite the Opera House. One of the original international-style establishments to hit the capital, despite its prime location prices remain reasonable — espresso-style coffees cost around VND40,000 — and the cakes and croissants are moreish. Also does filled baguettes and a larger cafécum-restaurant menu. Has a second establishment at 13 Nha Tho, Hoan Kiem.

Tiền

ư nh D Khá Trần

FRENCH-STYLE CONTEMPORARY Hotel de l’Opera, 29 Trang Tien, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 6282 5555 Hoteldelopera.com 7am to 2am La Fée Verte (or the ‘Green Fairy’) is a metaphor for the decadence of another age, an allusion to the hallucinatory effects of absinthe. The signature bar of the Hotel de l’Opéra Hanoi where, just as in Paris at the dawn of the 20th century, the making of an evening drink a lavish event of ritual and celebration. Understated lighting, a lounge atmosphere, great music and ultra-contemporary interior design combine to bring a genuine sense of occasion to after-dark in the capital.

Hà

CONTEMPORARY DECOR BAR 23 Ngo Van So, Hoan Kiem facebook.com/bar84hanoi 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.

Tổ

+84 BAR

g Hồn

WILD WEST THEME BAR 98B Tran Hung Dao, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3942 6822

hái Lý T

Tràn g

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Thi

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17 COWBOYS

n Trầ

BARS & NIGHTCLUBS

Lý Thái Tổ

Ngu yễn Du

D

g ươn

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Nguyễn Tri Phư ơng

D ật Lê Thái Tổ

Tràn g

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Nh

Đào ng Hà

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Thi

Cầu Gỗ

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Trần Hưn gĐ ạo Lê Duẩn

Tel: (04) 3825 0216 7am to 8pm

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Lê Duẩn

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HOAN KIEM DISTRICT

BAMBOO BAR 17D Hong Ha, Hoan Kiem The first bar in what will eventually (hopefully) be a

zone dedicated to bars and restaurants. A pool table, a square bar in the middle of the room and a barbecue until the early hours — there’s quite an atmosphere in this pleasant watering hole.

CAFES CIAO CAFÉ

RESTO LOUNGE 2 Hang Bai, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3934 1494 7am to 11pm A stone’s throw from the shores of Hoan Kiem Lake, this Saigonese franchise tries it’s hand with a variety of different western dishes at reasonable prices, especially considering the location. 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. Oh, and they also do coffee, too.

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 7am to 11pm

KINH DO

PATISSERIE / SIMPLE CAFE 252 Hang Bong, Hoan Kiem,

THE HANOI SOCIAL CLUB

CAFÉ / CONTEMPORARY EATERY 6 Hoi Vu, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3938 2117 8am to 11pm Situated on one of the quieter Old Quarter streets just off Hang Bong, The Hanoi Social Club is a cozy midsize café/restaurant where you can forget the heat and bustle of Hanoi.

The atmosphere is relaxed and you can imagine, for a second, that you’re sitting in a European café. The food is fresh and internationally inspired, and the design is complimented by the work of Tadioto’s Nguyen Qui Duc. To top it off, the coffee here is said to be up there with the best in the country.

TWITTER BEANS COFFEE 45B Ly Thuong Kiet, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3824 0760 twitterbeanscoffee.com

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 from all over the world.

CLUBS & SOCIETIES AMERICAN CLUB

EVENT SPACE 21 Hai Ba Trung, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3824 1850

FRENCH CULTURAL CENTRE 24 Trang Tien, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3936 2164 vphanoi-lespace.com

EAT AL FRESCO’S

AUSTRALIAN / INTERNATIONAL 23L Hai Ba Trung, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3826 7782 alfrescogroup.com 8.30am to 11pm

ANGELINA

CONTEMPORARY ITALIAN Sofitel Metopole Legend Hotel, 56 Ly Thai To, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3826 6919 11.30am to 2.30pm and 6.30am to late (restaurant) 11am to 2am (bar)

AU LAC DO BRAZIL

BRAZILIAN 6A Cao Ba Quat, Ba Dinh, Tel: (04) 3845 5224 aulacdobrazil.com 11am to 2pm, 5pm to midnight A nicely themed Brazilian churrascaria steakhouse offering all you can eat grilled meat and seafood on the skewer, Au Lac do Brazil is not for the feint of stomach.

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 on hand to wash it all down.

The prices aren’t for anyone on a budget, but the amount and quality of meat is more than worth cost.

CAFÉ LAUTREC

MEDITERRANEAN / INTERNATIONAL Hotel de l’Opera, 29 Trang Tien, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 6282 5555 6am to 10pm Featuring both à-la-carte and buffet dining as well as an innovative Sunday brunch, this namesake of the French artist Toulouse-Lautrec provides an exotic ambience for diners to enjoy a mixture of international and Mediterranean-style fare.

Has an extensive wine list to match the cuisine, which is all served up in a contemporary yet colonial-inspired environment.

EL GAUCHO STEAKHOUSE

ARGENTINIAN STEAKHOUSE 11 Trang Tien, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3824 7280 elgaucho.com.vn 4pm to late This theme eatery combines traditional Argentinian recipes and preparation with great service in a contem-

porary and thoughtfully designed space over three floors. Already with venues in Saigon and Bangkok, the essence of this popular chain is quality top grade meats off the grill. Steak is the mainstay, but everything from chicken, pork and seafood is also up for grabs.

Add to this a backdrop of low Latin music, low, subtle lighting and an extensive wine list and that’s another reason to head to El Gaucho.

JACKSON’S STEAKHOUSE

STEAKHOUSE / GRILL 23J Hai Ba Trung, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3938 8388 alfrescogroup.com 9.30am to midnight Then newest venture from the team behind Jaspa’s and Pepperoni’s is an all-day eating and drinking lounge fit for all occasions. It has three floors for different vibes – lounge bar, restaurant and “boardroom” – but fine imported steads can be found on each, as well as seafood and a huge wine list. A popular venue.

JASPA’S

INTERNATIONAL / AUSTRALIAN Hanoi Towers, 49 Hai Ba Trung (4th Floor), Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3934 8325 alfrescosgroup.com 6.30am to midnight Recently refurbished, the Australian-influenced Jaspa’s is known for its attentive service, tasty food and large portions. A place with something for everyone, it has proved itself to be 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. The wine is mainly New World. Also has a spacious bar and lounge area that stays open late for all the live sport.

LA BADIANE

CONTEMPORARY FRENCH 10 Nam Ngu, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3942 4509 11.30am to 2pm and 6pm to 10pm. Closed Sunday night.

A white-washed, colonial era villa replete with period wooden shutters greets you as you enter this contemporary French restaurant.

Guests can either dine indoors in aircon comfort or take to the leafy covered terrace out back with its walls lined with art and photography from 21st century Hanoi. The menu here mixes modern Gallic cuisine with a touch of Mediterranean and Vietnam thrown in, all creating an innovative and evocative selection of fare. Has an extensive wine list and an excellent, well-priced threecourse lunch menu.

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STUDENT EYE

A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO BECOMING THE PERFECT TEENAGE BOY

One Direction as teenagers. The perfect teenage boys?

*This article contains a tiny — tiny! — bit of sexism and gender stereotyping

T

he teenage boy is often the envy of both young children and much older men. He marks the pinnacle of ‘cool’ and ‘swag’ — as well as the invincible youth and energy that so many adults seek. Consequently, many have tried, often hopelessly, to mimic and become these teenage boys. This article will guide you through the fastest and easiest way to become the perfect modern teenage boy.

The teenage world is all about judging a book by its cover. Therefore it is of utmost importance that you develop and maintain an acceptable appearance. Unlike traditional manliness, you must devote great effort and time on embellishing everything from your hair all the way to your shoes and accessories.

Hair: Be Sexy First off, you must realise that the old Justin Bieber hairstyle, like J.B. himself, is no longer cool. The current trend is to keep your hair fairly short, and to use excessive amount of wax to delicately lift your hair upwards rather than sideways.

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Legs: Be Comfortable With pants, you must completely ignore the core purpose of belts, and allow them to merely sit on the edge of your bottom, showing a significant amount of your underwear (you should aim for 8.5cm).

Here, your choice of the underwear is very important, for they must have a very clear band that highlights the brand, which will subtly indicate your impressive taste in fashion. Another way this can be done is by clearly presenting your belt buckle over the edge of your shirt.

Refrain from any baggy clothing, especially pants, unless you want to be remembered either as a hip hop enthusiast or an artefact from the 1990s.

Also note that old, worn out trainers do not qualify as vintage items.

The Mindset: Be Cool — The World is Watching A demeanor that is compatible with such an appearance is also essential to becoming a teenage boy. It is expected that you build a small group of close friends of the same gender, with whom you spend your recess, lunch, after-school and weekends with. However, be mindful of the appropriate things to discuss

with those groups — be jokey, never sentimental or emotional. Other topics for discussion may include: girls, hot girls, new girls, girls from other schools, someone else’s girlfriend and school work. When talking about school work, repeatedly emphasise how ‘screwed’ you are for an upcoming test or quiz, and compete with each other about whose list of homework and assignment is longer, all of which you will not work on until the night before the deadline.

Act foolishly and idiotically, get amused by almost anything and indulge in meaningless pranks. Also, some perverted jokes may help you bond quicker and easier. However, when you are around the girl, (i.e. your crush/ girlfriend) discard all these characteristics and return to being quiet, calm and just generally cool.

Although it may be difficult at first, with some time and effort you can become the perfect teenage boy you have always aspired to be. So don’t be afraid, take your time, procrastinate and don’t forget to stay cool. — Tae Jun Park Tae Jun Park is a high school senior at the United Nations International School of Hanoi, unishanoi.org

hanoi

FOOD PROMOS PROMOTIONS OF THE MONTH

LE BEAULIEU

CLASSIC FRENCH / BUFFET Sofitel Metropole Legend, 15 Ngo Quyen, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3826 6919 6am to 10am, 11.30am to 2.30pm and 6.30pm to 10.30pm

LUNO D’AUTUNNO

CLASSIC ITALIAN 27 Nam Ngu, Tel: (04) 3823 7338 11am to 11pm This old-favourite Italian uses traditional wood ovens to prepare some of the city’s finest pizzas, which range from VND80,000 to buildyour-own-skies-the-limit.

Set inside a large, thoughtful space seasoned chefs also make fresh pastas, soups and cheeses — the latter often bought by other restaurants. Monthly opera nights make it well worth a visit, as does the large wine list and choice of desserts.

NINETEEN 11

INTERNATIONAL / ASIAN The Opera House, 1 Trang Tien, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3933 4801 nineteen11.com.vn 11am to 2pm, 6pm to 10pm

PANE E VINO

A French Christmas For the festive season, Millenium — Café des Arts are running a sixcourse Christmas dinner on Dec. 24 and Dec. 25 all cooked up by French chef, Baptiste. The meal includes appetizers, two starters, two main courses one pre-dessert and Café des Arts’ special Christmas cake. The price is VND1,030,000 per person.

Mention that you’ve heard about this in Word, and get an additional 10 percent discount off your final bill.

Café des Arts is at 11B Ngo Bao Khanh, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi

From Barcelona with Love La Bicicleta, the Barcelona Bistro formerly known as THBC Spanish Tapas Bar, is running a selection of Catalan-style Christmas delicacies from Dec. 17 through to Dec. 24. Dishes include canalons de nadal (Christmas roast meat stuffed cannelloni), fricando amb llagostins (Catalan surf and turf meat stew with mushrooms and king prawns) and the splendid

cuixa de pollastre farcida a la Catalana (Catalan-style stuffed chicken leg) Served up with a complimentary glass of Tempranillo or Airén provided by wine supplier Phu & Em, this is a perfect way to get a Catalan Christmas experience.

La Bicicleta is at 44 Ngo 31 Xuan Dieu, Tay Ho, Hanoi

Christmas at the Hilton The Hilton is putting on a lavish buffet for Dec. 24 with a wine and champagne free-flow to the accompaniment of a live band, kids’ games and a visit by Santa. Running from 6pm to 10pm, the cost is VND1,800,000++ per person and VND900,000++ per child aged six to 12.

Christmas Day brunch on the 25th from midday to 3pm follows the same format but costs VND1,500,000++ per person and VND750,000++ per child aged six to 12. In both instances, kids under six eat for free.

The Hilton is at 1 Le Thanh Tong, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi

Christmas at the InterContinental The InterCon in Hanoi is pulling out all the stops this Christmas with all their dining outlets getting into the Christmas spirit. But the key event will be in the Grand Ballroom on the evening of the 24th where the property will set up “the ultimate festive buffet of delicious international and local dishes, complemented with exciting entertainment and cheerful live music.”

Together with a visit from Santa Claus, adults pay from VND2,000,000++ per person including a free flow of wine.

If you’d rather tone down your celebrations a bit and focus instead on Christmas Day, then the buffet restaurant Café Au Lac is running a sashimi, sushi and Christmas roast buffet costing VND1,300,000++ per adult excluding beverages.

InterContinental Hanoi Westlake is at 1A Nghi Tam, Tay Ho, Hanoi

PAN-ITALIAN 3 Nguyen Khac Can, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3826 9080 8am to 10.30pm Just a stroll away from the Hanoi Opera House and Hoan Kiem Lake in the heart of Hanoi, 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.

PRESS CLUB

CONTEMPORARY INTERNATIONAL 3rd Floor, 59A Ly Thai To, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3934 0888 hanoi-pressclub.com 11.30am to 2pm and 6pm to 10.30pm. Closed Sunday lunch 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. Does four excellent wine pairing menus, put together through the aid of the Press Club’s extensive new and old world wine list.

Also hosts a popular firstFriday-of-the-month party.

SATINE

CONTEMPORARY VIETNAMESE 29 Trang Tien, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 6282 5555 ext. 6414 hoteldelopera.com

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.

GROCERIES & LIQUOR CITIMART

SUPERMARKET Ground Floor, Hanoi Towers, 49 Hai Ba Trung, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3934 2999

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

FIVIMART

SUPERMARKET 27A Ly Thai To, Hoan Kiem

HANOI GOURMET

DELI / WINE SHOP 6T Ham Long, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3943 1009 Hanoigourmet.com The long-running Hanoi Gourmet specialises in imported cheeses, meats and artisan breads. After browsing the mainly French selection of wines, you can take a look at the deli and sit down for a light snack.

INTIMEX

VIETNAMESE SUPERMARKET 22-23 Le Thai To, Hoan Kiem

PANE E VINO WINE SHOP

WINE RETAILER / RESTAURANT 3 Nguyen Khac Can, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3826 9080 This Italian favourite with a huge food menu also has a huge for-retail wine list that is 100 percent focused on fine wines and liquors from Italy. Owner Hoang has great knowledge of Italian wine and a passion to match, which is sure to land you with the best wine for any occasion.

RED APRON

WINE RETAILER 10 Da Tuong, Hanoi Tel: (04) 3943 7226

WESTERN CANNED FOODS

GROCERY STORE 17 Hai Ba Trung, Hoan Kiem, Tel: (04) 3934 3854

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hanoi

THE ALCHEMIST ARE YOU FEELING THE SHIFT?

W

e’re moving. Physics tells us that the Earth and everything on her is in a constant state of motion. The shift in dimension the Earth and her inhabitants are experiencing at this time is not measured by scientific formulae but by more subtle human experiences.

Moving from 3D to 5D Teachers in the spiritual community inform us that the accelerated drive in the Earth’s shift in consciousness took place on December 21, 2012. Since that time the Earth has continued her journey from a three-dimensional being to one vibrating at a five-dimensional level, and everyone and everything on her is going along for the ride.

This ride we’re on is causing a spiritual awakening and although it may be difficult to see at times, especially in our environment of wars and conflict, there is a rapid awakening of humanity at this time on Earth.

How do you know if you’re vibrating at a five-dimensional level? Each person on the planet is passing from the third to the fifth dimension whether they realise it or not. We’re all at different stages along the path, however we’re all headed in the same direction. According to spiritual teacher Jafree Ozwald, there are seven signs that you’re

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entering your true multi-dimensional reality and into the fifth dimension.

Trusting the Flow of Life

BY KAREN GAY

manifestations as the universe communicates with you directly, giving you signs on how to move forward.

One sign that allows you to know you’re entering the fourth and fifth dimensional realms is you become open to trusting the effortless flow of life and experience moments of deep inner peace accompanied by feelings of joy, lightness and wonder.

Divine Inspiration

Negative Issues Melt Away

God Manifest

As you continue to evolve, negative issues you’re carrying release easier and move through you more quickly.

You are able to access the miraculous powers of your true multi-dimensional body as you fully understand that all matter is energy and consciousness and that you are a part of this whole.

Heightened Senses You begin to physically experience a more beautiful world as everything around you appears more vibrant and you tune into the symphony of the universe.

Timelessness Time feels fluid, eternal and illusory. Your daily events are filled with lightness and love as you begin to realise you are not the doer but that things are being done through you.

Synchronicity You constantly have unexplainable synchronistic experiences and ‘miraculous’

You know and feel divinely guided by something higher than your own mind/ imagination. Through quieting the mind you become open to hearing the guidance from beings in higher dimensions.

Don’t Stop the Ride The key to experiencing this evolutionary shift on a more conscious level is to remain in trust and love. If you surrender to your highest self, you will naturally open up to experience the fifth dimension and in so doing life becomes filled with joy and effortless ease. That’s a ride I wouldn’t want to get off.

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

tay ho

ARTS / BARS & CLUBS / BOOK SHOPS / CAFES / CLOTHING / COOKING CLASSES / CRAFTS & FURNITURE / CYCLING & BICYCLE RENTALS / EAT / FITNESS & YOGA / GROCERIES, LIQUOR & KITCHEN PRODUCTS / MEDICAL & DENTAL / EXPAT SERVICES

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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.

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ARTS WORK ROOM FOUR

ARTS STUDIO & GALLERY Packexim Building Tower 1, 23rd Floor, No. 49 Lane 15, An Duong Vuong, Tay Ho workrmfour@gmail.com workrmfour.tumblr.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 collaboration and new ideas, exhibitions, workshops, artist studios, courses, contacts and events.

BARS & CLUBS 88 LOUNGE

CONTEMPORARY WINE BAR 88 Xuan Dieu, Tay ho, Tel: (04) 3718 8029.

88group.vn 5pm to late A wine bar with a difference, this addition to 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.

HANOI ROCK CITY

LIVE MUSIC VENUE 27/52 To Ngoc Van, Tay Ho, Tel: 01633 166170 hanoirockcity.com 5pm to midnight With a downstairs, English-style pub garden area and an upstairs space dedicated to live music and live production, Hanoi Rock City is the only venue in the capital of its kind. Has weekly live events featuring bands both from

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TAY TAP

BAR & GRILL No. 20, Lane 50/59/17, Dang Thai Mai, Tay Ho, Tel: (04) 3718 6917 taytap.com Filled with wooden furnishings and a downstairs bar with beer and cider on tap, this recently relocated venue next to Da Paolo mixes contemporary international comfort food on the first floor with live music and an often raucous atmosphere. Amazing West Lake views from their top floor terrace.

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delivery from nearby favorites. Non-smoking, unpretentious, dog-friendly.

Vietnam and overseas — established and up and coming. Email jimihendrix@hanoirockcity.com for more information or check out their page on Facebook.

HOUSE OF SON TINH

LIQUOR LOUNGE 31 Xuan Dieu, Tay Ho, Tel: (04) 3718 6377 sontinh.com 8am to 11.30pm As part of the Highway 4 group, which now has its offices in the establishment’s upstairs areas, this bar-cum-restaurant outfitted with comfortable, stylish furnishings is famed for its luxurious rice wine liquors and newly created cocktail class. Does regular events on the first floor and also has a creative Vietnamese food menu based on cuisine sold at other restaurants in the chain.

MADAKE

CONTEMPORARY RESTOBAR 81 Xuan Dieu, Tay Ho, Tel: (04) 6276 6665 or 0984 002181 With a stunning garden overlooking a peaceful lotus pond, this bar and restaurant is ideal for those seeking a fusion of Western and Eastern cuisine. Famed for it’s many weekday and weekend events, the ambient Asianstyle décor, weekend DJ nights and general atmosphere makes Madake a popular West Lake go-to joint.

RED RIVER TEA ROOM

LAKESIDE WATERING HOLE 25 Duong Ven Ho, Tay Ho Open daily from 2pm.

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

TRACY’S PUB AND GRILL

SPORTS BAR/GRILL 40 Xuan Dieu, Tay Ho , Tel: (04) 6675 9838 tracyspub.com 11am to 12am This Canadian-run, miniscule sports bar on the main drag of Xuan Dieu is perpetually crowded with regulars drinking out front on plastic stools. Notorious for its mouthwatering burgers, cooked fresh to order, Tracy’s is most famous for their draft beers, claiming to serve the coldest draft beer in Hanoi, and always in a frosted mug. For those missing their dose of North American sports, they play all day via satellite on two plasmas.

BOOK SHOPS BOOKWORM TOO

NEW & SECOND-HAND BOOKS 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 second-hand fiction and nonfiction titles in stock, the shop also buys used books and offers free travel advice. Has a second shop in Tay Ho

CAFES COFFEE BEAN AND TEA LEAF

INTERNATIONAL COFFEE HOUSE 28 Thanh Nien, Tay Ho, Tel: (04) 3715 4240 coffeebean.com 7am to 10pm Finally the newest addition to the Hanoi coffee scene has opened a little closer to town than the first outlet in Pico Mall. Famous for the exceptional quality of the coffee and tea, the latest Coffee Bean 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 Westlake.

hanoi HIGHLANDS COFFEE

CONTEMPORARY / COFFEE CHAIN Ground Floor, Syrena Centre, 51B Xuan Dieu, Tay Ho highlandscoffee.com.vn 7am to 11pm

JOMA BAKERY CAFE

COFFEE/BAKERY 43 To Ngoc Van, Tay Ho, Tel: (04) 3718 6071 joma.biz 7am to 9pm With two branches, Joma has brought a little slice of ‘home’ to Hanoi for expatriates 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 and contributes 2 percent of each sale to charitable organisations.

KUB CAFE

BIKING CAFE so 12 ngo 264 Au Co, Tay Ho kub.vn Think obsession, think motorbikes and you get Kub Cafe, an industrial, warehouse-style watering hole bringing that’s become a favorite of the motorbike clubs.

Does good on-the-table bia hoi and runs biking events.

SAINT HONORE

CAFE / BOULANGERIE 5 Xuan Dieu, Tay Ho, Tel: (04) 3933 2355 st.honorehn@gmail.com 7am to 10pm Decked out in maroon, dark browns and cream, this cafe and French-style boulangerie 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. Serving all day long, the downstairs space is split into the bakery on one side with a small nonsmoking dining space on the other. The homely upstairs lounge area has standard tables as well as sofa seating.

Simple but tasty French and international fare is served at meal times.

TET DÉCOR CAFÉ

ART CAFÉ & ESPRESSO BAR Villa 25, 1, 3 Ha, Dang Thai, Tay Ho tet-lifestyle-collection.com 8am to 6pm, Tuesday to Sunday 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 CART

SANDWICH SHOP / CAFÉ 8B, Lane 1, Au Co, Nghi Tam Village, Tay Ho, Tel: (04) 3938 2513 thecartfood.com 7.30am to 5pm 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.

THE HANOI BICYCLE COLLECTIVE (THBC)

CAFÉ / TAPAS BAR 44, Ngo 31, Xuan Dieu, Tay Ho, Tel: (04) 3718 8246 thbc.vn 9am to 10pm Tucked down an alleyway just off West Lake, The Hanoi Bicycle Collective is not just a place for all bicycle lovers, but a café that also sells Spanish tapas served up with gin & tonic, if the mood so takes you. Organising bicycle tours, running yoga sessions and holding music concerts in their upstairs cafe area, they also sell, rent and fix bikes and are an official supplier of TREK and SURLY cycling equipment.

Eclectic? Not a chance!

CLOTHING

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.

HIGHWAY4 COOKING CLASS VIETNAMESE COOKING CENTRE 68, Ngo 27 Xuan Dieu, Ba Dinh, Tel: 0976 848301

CRAFTS & FURNITURE 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.

LA CASA

CONTEMPORARY DESIGN Syrena Tower, 51 Xuan Dieu, Tay Ho, Tel: (04) 3718 4084 lacasavietnam.com.vn A shop whose speciality is designing furniture and other household objects, this spot has everything from beds and bookshelves, to tableware and silverware. The items are all locally made by skilled artisans from Hanoi and the surrounding regions.

MEKONG QUILTS

CONTEMPORARY WESTERNSTYLE 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.

HANDMADE / CHARITABLE QUILTS 9 Xuan Dieu, Tay Ho, Tel: (04) 3926 4831 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.

L’ATELIER

CYCLING & BICYCLE RENTALS

GEORGE’S FASHION BOUTIQUE

WOMEN’S WEAR & ACCESSORIES 33 Xuan Dieu, Tay Ho, Tel: (04) 3718 6758 ateliervietnam.com Stocks women’s wear, leather bags, shoes and handicrafts. This chic boutique offers both ready-to-wear and made-to-fit clothing.

COOKING CLASSES HIDDEN HANOI

COOKING CENTRE 147 Nghi Tam, Tay Ho, Tel:

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(Bamboo) and First (balance) bicycles and cycling equipment. Also rent bicycles (city, MTB or touring) and organise guided bicycle tours under the name Urban Discovery, with a 25-year experienced European mechanic as part of the team.

Closed Mondays.

EAT AL FRESCO’S

AUSTRALIAN / INTERNATIONAL 98 Xuan Dieu, Tay Ho, Tel: (04) 3719 5322 alfrescogroup.com 8.30am to 11pm

COUSINS

CONTEMPORARY INTERNATIONAL 3 Quang Ba, Tay Ho, Tel: 01238 670098 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 11am to 11pm 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.

DALUVA

BICYCLE RENTALS 16 Quang An, Tay Ho, Tel: (04) 3719 3719 Dons-bistro.com

FUSION / MIDDLE-EASTERN 33 To Ngoc Van, Tay Ho, Tel: (04) 3718 5831 daluva.com 8am until late 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, MiddleEastern twist, as well as wine, tapas, events and attractive décor.

THBC (THE HANOI BICYCLE COLLECTIVE)

DON’S TAY HO

DON’S TAY HO

CYCLING COLLECTIVE 29 Nhat Chieu, Tay Ho, Tel: (04) 3718 3156 thbc.vn A place for bicycle lovers, THBC is the official supplier of ORBEA, DEDA, MEKONG

CONTEMPORARY NORTH AMERICAN 16 Quang An, Tay Ho, Tel: (04) 3719 3719 Dons-bistro.com Monday to Friday, 10am to late. Weekends 8am to late

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 Chinese black bean beurre noir to gourmet pizza and pasta dishes such as the likes of Iberian pata negro ham egg pasta served with crushed roasted garlic and manchego. Does an excellent range of imported oysters and has an extensive wine list.

EL GAUCHO STEAKHOUSE

ARGENTINIAN STEAKHOUSE 99 Xuan Dieu, Tay Ho, Tel: (04) 3718 6991 elgaucho.com.vn 4pm to late This theme eatery combines traditional Argentinian recipes and preparation with great service in a contemporary and thoughtfully designed space over three floors. Already with venues in Saigon and Bangkok, the essence of this popular chain is quality top grade meats off the grill. Steak is the mainstay, but everything from chicken, pork and seafood is also up for grabs.

Add to this a backdrop of low Latin music, low, subtle lighting and an extensive wine list and that’s another reason to head to El Gaucho.

Sirloin, Rib Eye, Rump and Tenderloin grilled to perfection. Prefer Seafood – no problem, Lobster, Oysters, Prawns, Fresh Fish, Clams and Crabs are all available for your dining pleasure, as well as an impressive array of wines by the glass & bottle from our

IL FARO

ITALIAN / MEDITERRANEAN Villa 3, Cong Doan Hotel Compound, 98 To Ngoc Van, Tay Ho, Tel: (04) 6327 1142 Hidden away in Cong Doan Hotel, this pan-Mediterranean restaurant owned by the same people behind Mediterraneo serves up an assortment of French, Spanish and Italian dishes in a pleasant, white-washed yet Italian-influenced atmosphere.

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. HALIA HANOI

SINGAPOREAN / CONTEMPORARY INTERNATIONAL 29 Xuan Dieu, Tay Ho, Tel: (04) 3946 0121 thehalia.com Daily 11am to 11pm 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.

HEMISPHERES STEAK & SEAFOOD GRILL

CONTEMPORARY STEAK & SEAFOOD Sheraton Hotel, 11 Xuan Dieu, Tay Ho, Tel: (04) 3719 9000 sheraton.com/hanoi 11.30am to 2.30pm, 6.30pm to 10pm The newest Steak & Seafood dining experience in Hanoi.

Hemispheres Steak & Seafood Grill offers a wonderful menu covering both the Northern and Southern hemispheres. Choose from Black Angus, US Prime

INTERNATIONAL G2-G3 Ciputra, Tay Ho, Tel: (04) 3758 2400 7am to 11pm 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.

KITCHEN

INTERNATIONAL CAFE FARE 30 To Ngoc Van, Tay Ho, Tel: (04) 3719 2679 hungskitchen@gmail.com 7am to 9pm Set inside a newly renovated house with a large courtyard, Kitchen is a great space for eating the decent breakfasts (check out the breakfast burrito), the creatively titled sandwiches and the selection of international salads. Also does a range of Mexican dishes (available after 5pm) and an innovative smattering of healthy, smoothie-style drinks.

R&R TAVERN

RESTOBAR / LIVE MUSIC 256 Nghi Tam, Tay Ho, Tel: (04) 6295 8215 Now on its third location, this watering hole still lives up to its old name, providing an array of drinks, buzzing chatter, and of course, some quality live rock music. Its upstairs area is equipped with a sound system and stage setup for weekly shows and events, while the downstairs area houses a classic bar that gives a finishing touch to the friendly community environment.

SAINT HONORE

BOULANGERIE / BISTRO 5 Xuan Dieu, Tay Ho, Tel: (04) 3933 2355 sainthonore.com.vn 7am to 10pm Decked out in maroon, dark browns and cream, 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 non-smoking 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. Has additional venues at 31 Thai Phien, Hai Ba Trung and Unimart, 8 Pham Ngoc Thach, Dong Da

THE PIE SHOP

TAKEAWAY PIES 2nd Floor (on the left), Syrena Center, 51 Xuan Dieu, Tay Ho, Tel: (04) 3718 1507 thepieshophanoi@gmail.com Classic Aussie and Kiwi-style savoury pies and rolls. Available in three convenient sizes (mini, regular and large). Enjoy them hot as a takeaway, or frozen to keep for later.

EXPAT SERVIES MAID IN VIETNAM

HOUSEKEEPING SERVICES Suite 201, 5 To Ngoc Van, Tay Ho, Tel: (04) 3718 3112 maidinvietnam.com Offering a licensed hire service for trained domestic and office housemaids, cooks and nannies.

Courses include health checks, housekeeping, safety, basic 1st Aid, courses for external maids and household management for Vietnamese wives of foreigners.

3718 6281 elitefitness.com.vn The luxury gym features topof-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.

HANOI CLUB

ELITE FITNESS

TOP-END HEALTH CENTRE 51 Xuan Dieu, Tay Ho, Tel: (04)

L'S PLACE

GROCERY SHOP 3 Xuan Dieu, Tay Ho, Tel: (04) 3719 9911

hanoinetball@gmail.com Hanoi Ois Netball Club is a mixed ability, mixed gender club for adults wanting to enjoy team sport while also improving fitness and developing skills. The club plays every Tuesday from 6pm to 7pm at UNIS. Email for more information

VIETCLIMB

PUNTO ITALIA

HANOI OIS

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.

ZENITH YOGA

YOGA & MEDITATION 247 Au Co, Tay Ho, 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.

COFFEE MACHINES 62 To Ngoc Van, Tay Ho, Tel: (04) 6258 3510 puntoitalia.asia Trendy, reliable and stylish coffee machines for the workplace or home, specialising in authentic Italian coffee. Also sells their own brand coffee in capsules, ready ground or as the original roasted mix of beans.

ANNAM GOURMET

GROCERIES / DELI First Floor, 51 Xuan Dieu, Tay Ho, Tel: (04) 3718 4487

KITCHENWARE 38 Quang An, Tay Ho, Tel: (04) 6680 2770 kitchenart.vn Kitchen Art is a little haven for all foodies, cooks and bakers to grow their love and passion for cooking and baking. Come to Kitchen Art Store to buy restaurant-grade tools and ingredients

MEDICAL & DENTAL INTERNATIONAL SOS 24-HOUR 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 checkups through to vaccinations, paediatrics and specialist care.

WESTCOAST INTERNATIONAL DENTAL CLINIC DENTAL CLINIC 2nd Fl, Syrena Center, 51 Xuan Dieu, Tay Ho, Tel: (04) 3710 0555 westcoastinternational.com 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.

RED APRON

WINE RETAILER 28 Xuan Dieu, Tay Ho. Tel: (04) 3719 8337

THE OASIS

ITALIAN DELI 24 Xuan Dieu, Tay Ho, Tel: (04) 3719 1196 A great place to get all kinds of imported groceries and homemade foods. All of the breads and pastas are made in the inhouse kitchen. A great variety of fresh sauces, a limited, but wellchosen selection of wines and a fantastic deli and cheese case.

Free delivery.

THE WAREHOUSE GROCERIES, LIQUOR & KITCHEN PRODUCTS

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.

NATURALLY VIETNAM

ORGANIC / NATURAL PRODUCTS 4 Lane 67, Alley 12, To Ngoc Van, Tay Ho, Tel: (04) 6674 4130 naturallyvietnam.com Offers food and beverage produced in Vietnam with full traceability and strict food safety controls. Meat, egg, milk, fish, veggies, honey, jams, fruit juices, liquors, coffee, water, ice cream. Also, every Saturday from 8.30am to 12.30pm, the team convert the store yard into the Tay Ho Weekend Market, a cross-cultural outdoor shopping and socialising hotspot for expats and Vietnamese.

COUNTRY CLUB 76 Yen Phu, Tay Ho, Tel: (04) 3823 8115 thehanoiclub.com

KITCHEN ART

FITNESS & YOGA

to cook like a chef, take part in regular demonstrations and workshops at the Studio, or simply read and relax at the cookbook cafe corner while enjoying the peaceful West Lake view.

WINE RETAILER 27 Xuan Dieu, Tay Ho Tel: (04) 3718 3701 warehouse-asia.com The Warehouse is Vietnam’s ultimate premium wine importer, distributor, and retailer, representing many of the greatest wines from the best wine-growing regions on the planet. The portfolio mixes the best of both old and new world wines.

HOLISTIC HEALTH A-ROAMING BODYWORKER karen@a-roamingbodyworker.

SUPERMARKETS BIG C SUPERMARKET 222 Tran Duy Hung, Cau Giay

CITIMART HANOI TOWERS 49 Hai Ba Trung, Hoan Kiem

CITIMART VINCOM TOWERS 191 Ba Trieu, Hai Ba Trung

FIVIMART 210 Tran Quang Khai, Hoan Kiem 10 Tran Vu, Ba Dinh 671 Hoàng Hoa Tham, Ba Dinh 71 Nguyen Chi Thanh, Dong Da 51 Xuân Dieu, Tay Ho 93 Lo Duc, Hai Ba Trung Online shopping: www.fivimart. com.vn

HANOI STAR SUPERMARKET 36 Cat Linh, Dong Da

INTIMEX 22 & 23 Le Thai To, Hoan Kiem 131-135 Hao Nam, Dong Da 17 Lac Trung, Hai Ba Trung 27 Huynh Thuc Khang, Dong Da

METRO 126 Tam Trinh, Yen So, Hoang Mai Pham Van Dong, Co Nhue, Tu Liem

hanoi

THE THERAPIST This month Douglas Holwerda, American trained and licensed mental health counsellor, advises on how to best deal with existential boredom

Simulated boredom

Dear Douglas, I read your section in the Word every month and I like the way you explain certain problems. It helps me to think about myself.

I don’t have a mental problem or experience with a terrible event, but I feel bored and unhappy with life. I should be happy because I have a good husband and children and enough money, but sometimes I feel like it is not enough. Sometimes people tell me to compare to others who have less than me to make me feel better and sometimes they tell me to not think too much and to just accept the life I have. What do you think? Is there a way to feel better about my life?

Bored Dear Bored, Thank you for writing about your feelings and the questions of how to feel better in your life. You have all the things that you believed would make you feel happy… but they don’t. Acceptance, as your friends have suggested, is often good advice when you don’t have control of the things you can change. But it sounds to me like you are willing to make changes in order to feel more happiness.

There is a famous book written by Viktor Frankl called Man’s Search for Meaning.

Frankl was a prisoner of war in the Nazi concentration camps during World War II. In the suffering of that experience he observed people all around him giving up hope and losing the will to live. He himself maintained a determination to live as long as he could

150 | Word December 2014 | wordvietnam.com

so that he could write about and tell others of what had happened there. He came to understand that when people find within themselves a clear purpose that gives their life meaning, they live differently. They live with direction and hope.

When I, as a therapist, help people get out of depression, it almost always leads to questions about what it is that makes life worth living. Some research in the field of Positive Psychology tells us that there are three ways that people experience happiness. The first is with more positive emotions: excitement, pleasure, joy, laughter, discovery, relief, exhilaration, peace, feeling loved and more. Good feelings make us happy… at least for a while (we need to remember that the same thing that made us feel good the first time will fade when we do it again and again).

The second way that people describe feeling happy is when they are engaged deeply in something. We love being involved in a way that makes us lose track of time and which is not distracted by extraneous thoughts. When we are focused we are happy. It says a lot about our natural desire to be directly engaged with the experience of living, being present to the moment we are in.

The last, and maybe most important, lesson from the research is that people are most happy when they are fully engaged in activities that are meaningful to them.

Helping others, being creative, exploring and discovering, and contributing to a cause

or purpose are all ways that people have discovered meaning in their lives. Joseph Campbell is known for his advice to “follow your bliss!” He is saying that one of the tasks of life is to find what you love… in people, in nature, in art or literature, in politics, in beauty, in life itself. Our passion comes from that love of living.

Sometimes we have to clear away the tasks of life in order to discover what inspires us or to see them differently. We can easily find ourselves working a job we have to tolerate, or doing the chores of shopping and cleaning. I hear people say that they love to read but they cannot find the time.

My advice is to learn to prioritise those things that feed your soul, inspire you and give energy to your life. The tasks will take care of themselves somehow.

Maybe it is not to change what you do… but it is to discover the purpose behind it.

Raising children can sometimes feel like a thankless chore, but when we imbue it with love and the inspiration of showing children how to live happily, it can become inspired by the love of living.

So here is some food for thought. What is your purpose? What gives your life meaning? What inspires you? What gives you good feelings? What engages you? What does it feel like to discover your bliss?

Enjoy it all!

— 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

ba dinh

BARS & NIGHTCLUBS / BOOKSHOPS / CAFES / CLUBS & SOCIETIES / COOKING CLASSES / EAT / FITNESS & YOGA / HAIRDRESSERS & SALONS / MEDICAL & DENTAL FOODSHOP 45

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BARS & NIGHTCLUBS BARBETTA

ARTSY BAR & CAFE 34C Cao Ba Quat, Ba Dinh, Tel: (04) 3734 9134

ETE BAR

FRENCH LOUNGE 95 Giang Van Minh, Ba Dinh, Tel: 0976 751331 10am to midnight A favourite among those who roam further west of the city centre, this multi-storey 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.

SUMMIT LOUNGE

ROOFTOP LOUNGE BAR 20th Floor, Sofitel Plaza, 1 Thanh Nien, Ba Dinh, Tel: (04) 3823 8888 ext. 5314 4pm to Midnight Sunday to Wednesday, 4pm to 2am Thursday to Saturday

ALTERNATIVE DANCE CLUB 18 Thanh Nien, Ba Dinh facebook.com/vaulthanoi The work of Mao, the enigmatic personality behind Mao’s Red Lounge and The

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Coach House, this underground homage to nighttime decadence sits in the gap between The Old Quarter and West Lake, bringing in a range of DJs and nightly entertainment. A great addition to the scene.

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 second-hand fiction and nonfiction titles in stock, the shop also buys used books and offers free travel advice.

Has a second shop in Tay Ho

CAFES CAFÉ GOETHE

ARTS CAFÉ 56 Nguyen Thai Hoc, Ba Dinh, Tel: 3734 7395

CONG CAPHE

LEFTIST ARTSY CAFE 32 Dien Bien Phu, Ba Dinh, Tel: (04) 2247 0602 8am to 10pm With a kitsch, communistdriven theme saturating this

Cửa B ắc

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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 cafes on ‘cafe street’. If you like pre-doi moi nostalgia, here is the place to go.

HIGHLANDS COFFEE

CONTEMPORARY / COFFEE CHAIN 28A Dien Bien Phu, Ba Dinh (Next to the Flag Tower) Tel: (04) 3823 3339 highlandscoffee.com.vn 7am to 11pm

MANZI

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.

CLUBS & SOCIETIES GOETHE INSTITUT

GERMAN CULTURAL CENTRE 58 Nguyen Thai Hoc, Ba Dinh

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BA DINH DISTRICT

Trần Nhân Tông

Tel: (04) 3734 2251 goethe.de/hanoi

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.

EAT

AU LAC DO BRAZIL

BRAZILIAN CHURRASCO 6A Cao Ba Quat, Ba Dinh, Tel: (04) 3845 5224 aulacdobrazil.com Open for over a decade, Au Lac Do Brazil is home to the Hanoi'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.

INTERNATIONAL INDIAN 59 Truc Bach, Ba Dinh, Tel: (04) 3716 2959 10am to 10.30pm Lakeside location, low bamboo seating and a history that screams empathy make this eatery 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.

Also has a good range of breads and tandoor-cooked kebabs.

HIGHWAY 4 VIETNAMESE / ETHNIC 575 Kim Ma, Ba Dinh, Tel: (04) 3771 6372 10am to midnight

HOA SUA TRAINING RESTAURANT – SONG THU VIETNAMESE / INTERNATIONAL 34 Chau Long, Ba Dinh, Tel: (04) 3942 4448 hoasuaschool.com

KOTO ON VAN MIEU

RESTAURANT / CAFÉ / BAR 59 Van Mieu, Dong Da, Tel: (04) 3747 0337 koto.com.au Monday: 7am to 4pm; Tuesday to Sunday: 7am to 9.30pm All profit is invested back into the cause at Koto, which is a school and workplace for disadvantaged students opposite the Temple of Literature. Authentic Asian and European cuisine comes out of a visible and frenetic kitchen and 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.

MATCHBOX

INTERNATIONAL / VIETNAMESE 40 Cao Ba Quat, Ba Dinh, Tel: (04) 3734 3098 11am to 11pm

MAY MAN CHINESE CUISINE

PAN-CHINESE Fortuna Hotel, 6B Lang Ha, Ba Dinh, Tel: (04) 3831 3333 fortuna.vn 11am to 2pm, 5.30pm to 10pm Elegant and luxurious, May Man has long been regard-

ed as one of the best Chinese restaurants in Hanoi.

Showcasing a selection of authentic Chinese culinary delights and Yum Cha at its finest, with seven private dining rooms this is a place to get dressed up for. Has extensive a la carte menus, dim sum menus and set menus.

Reservations recommended.

MING PALACE

PAN-CHINESE Sofitel Plaza, 1 Thanh Nien, Ba Dinh, Tel: (04) 3823 8888 11am to 2pm, 5.30pm to 10pm 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.

THE BISTRO

FRENCH FLAIR 2/2c Van Phuc, Ba Dinh, Tel: (04) 3726 4782 thebistro.com.vn 7.30am to 9pm A modern eatery offering western cuisine with shades of French influence in a comfortable setting. Think gardens in a courtyard, drink and food deals and a warm indoor atmosphere — you know, just how the French do it.

FITNESS & YOGA N SHAPE FITNESS

MID-RANGE FITNESS CENTRE 5th Floor, 71 Nguyen Chi Thanh, Ba Dinh, Tel: (04) 6266 0495 nshapefitness.vn

HAIRDRESSERS & SALONS DINH HAIR SALON

HAIR SALON 2A Cua Bac, Ba Dinh, Tel: 0987 718899

MEDICAL & DENTAL 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.

wordvietnam.com | December 2014 Word | 151

hanoi

MEDICAL BUFF SLEEP HYGIENE

BY DR. BRIAN MCNAULL

The worst thing in the world is to try to sleep and not to” — F. Scott Fitzgerald

Y

ou’ve heard of food and water hygiene, but did you know there is also such a thing as sleep hygiene? Sleep hygiene is all about the habits and practical things you can do to improve the quantity and quality of your sleep. Remember that with all habits, they take time to form and changes don’t happen overnight, but within a week or two of trying establishing a new pattern most people will see some improvement.

Tips For Good Sleep Hygiene Routine — regular bed times, even on the weekends, can really help to establish and maintain habits. This includes doing the same things each night before you get into bed too.

Environment — a cool, quiet, comfortable place to sleep is very important. Particularly during summer, when the temperature reaches up to 40 degrees at times, using your airconditioner or fan wisely may help you sleep better and be better able to cope with the heat during the day as well! Noise is a perennial problem in Vietnam, but a pair of earplugs may be a lifesaver when your neighbours decide to renovate their bathroom at 3am.

Exclusivity — this means that your bed is only for sleeping (and other horizontal activities of the night). No working, reading or watching TV from bed! This helps your body to recognise that lying in bed equals sleep time not time to work on that last-minute presentation for the next day’s meeting.

avoid! Try to stop work at least 30 minutes before you go to sleep and do something relaxing, like taking a short walk or reading a book.

Clock-watching — although it is so tempting to keep looking at the clock, it doesn’t help and usually makes you feel more frustrated at not being asleep. If you are not relaxed in bed then get up for 30 minutes and do some quiet activity in dim light before trying to go back to bed.

Things to Avoid

Things That May Help

Alcohol — although you may feel that it helps you fall asleep, actually alcohol often causes disrupted sleep and wakes people during the night — best only in moderation.

Caffeine and other stimulants — we all love the sweet strong Vietnamese coffee with ice, but reconsider that last one of the day. Caffeine blocks one of the hormones in your brain that tells you it’s time for bed.

Meals — eating a heavy meal right before sleep can disrupt your sleep and exacerbate any reflux or indigestion you might have, so eat earlier in the evening, or have your main meal at lunch.

Stress — a big one and difficult to

Early morning sunlight on your face — can help to reset the light/dark sensors of your brain, so take your sunglasses off when going to work early in the morning.

Warm milk or herbal teas — yes, mother was right, a glass of warm milk before bed can really help. Chamomile or other herbal teas can also be effective.

Naptime — if you have to sleep during the day then take a nap early. Late afternoon naps will mean that your body is just not tired enough to get to sleep and can cause you to stay up late.

‘Worry time’ — if you are anxious about something and find yourself tossing and turning in bed worrying about it, then keep a notebook and pen beside the bed. You

152 | Word December 2014 | wordvietnam.com

can write down any thoughts or concerns you might have in the book, which are then ‘safe’ for you to remember tomorrow, and you can tell yourself there is no need to keep thinking about them now.

Herbal remedies — some herbal remedies available in Vietnam that some people find useful include Valerian, Melatonin and Rotundin.

Some or all of these things will certainly help you to get a good night’s sleep, but again it takes time and practice just like any other skill. Perseverance is the key and the rewards are great!

However, if you have tried these all these things and are getting nowhere then please go and see a doctor to discuss the issues further. There are other medical problems that may be affecting your ability to sleep and some medications may also cause problems. Further investigations or treatments may be required, so don’t put it off.

Dr. Brian McNaull is Medical Director at Family Medical Practice, which is located in Vietnam’s major cities. For information or assistance call (04) 3843 0748 (Hanoi), (08) 3822 7848 (Ho Chi Minh City) or (0511) 3582 699 (Danang). Alternatively, click on vietnammedicalpractice.com

hanoi Tel: (04) 3974 3556 vinmec.com

elsewhere

A DONG PHOTO CO

BARS & CLUBS / CAFES / EAT / MEDICAL & DENTAL / RECREATION

RECREATION KEANGNAM SWIMMING POOL

BARS & CLUBS CAMA ATK

MUSIC & ARTS BAR 73 Mai Hac De, Hai Ba Trung, Tel: 01262 054970 Wednesday to Saturday, 6pm to midnight 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 reliable place to pull up a stool and take pulls in a relaxed haven.

HOA VIEN BRAUHAUS

CZECH MICROBREWERY 1A Tang Bat Ho, Hai Ba Trung, Tel: (04) 3972 5088

VUVUZELA

MODERN BEER HALL 2A Tran Thanh Tong, Hai Ba Trung

CAFÉ 129

MEXICAN/COMFORT FOOD 129 Mai Hac De, Hai Ba Trung, Tel: (04) 3821 5342 7.30am to 9.30pm

FRENCH GRILL JW Marriott Hanoi, 8 Do Duc Duc, Me Tri, Tu Liem, Tel: (04) 3833 5588 facebook.com/frenchgrill Every day 6pm to 11pm 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.

HIGHWAY 4

VIETNAMESE / ETHNIC 54 Mai Hac De, Hai Ba Trung, Tel: (04) 3796 2647 10am to midnight

CAFES KOTO ON VAN MIEU

CONG CAPHE

LEFTIST ARTSY CAFE 152D Trieu Viet Vuong, Hai Ba Trung 8am to 10pm 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 cafes on ‘cafe street’. If you like pre-doi moi nostalgia, here is the place to go.

HAM HANH

ARTSY CAFE 170 Doi Can, Dong Da The physical representation of arts, film and music collective, The Onion Cellar, this cafe with multiple areas is as left field as the people who created it.

RESTAURANT / CAFÉ / BAR 59 Van Mieu, Dong Da, Tel: (04) 3747 0337 koto.com.au Monday: 7.00am to 4pm; Tuesday to Sunday: 7am to 9.30pm All profit is invested back into the cause at Koto, which is a school and workplace for disadvantaged students opposite the Temple of Literature. Authentic Asian and European cuisine comes out of a visible and frenetic kitchen and 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 11.30am to 1.30pm, 5pm to 10.30pm, closed Sunday

SUSHI RESTAURANT 288 Ba Trieu, Hai Ba Trung, Tel: (04) 3974 5945 asahisushi.vn

11.30am to 2pm, 6pm to 9.15pm Situated in an art-deco villa that was once owned by a Vietnamese mandarin, this establishment is now owned and run by perhaps the most famous French chef in the country. With modestly priced set lunches and subtle Vietnamese touches on the dishes, which primarily come from carefully selected domestic spices, the up market establishment lures in its high class customers with quality VietnameseFrench fusion cuisine.

rant, 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.

WILD LOTUS

CONTEMPORARY ASIAN / VIETNAMESE 55A Nguyen Du, Hai Ba Trung, Tel: (04) 3943 9342

CONTEMPORARY VIETNAMESE 57 Bui Thi Xuan, Hai Ba Trung, Tel: (04) 3944 0204 potsnpans.vn 11.30am to late Brought to you by a group of former disadvantaged youth from Hanoi’s own KOTO, this unique fine dining restau-

ROYAL CITY ICE SKATING RINK

ALPHA LAPTOP 95D Ly Nam De, Hoan Kiem Tel: 3747 4418

FUONG MAY ANH 5 Trang Thi, Hoan Kiem Tel: 3213 1568

NGUYEN CAU

ICE SKATING Royal City, 72A-74 Nguyen Trai, Thanh Xuan, Tel: 0936 469799 royalcity.com.vn

1 Ba Trieu, Hoan Kiem

X-FACTORY LASER TAG

HI-TECH USA

LASER TAG 77 Hong Mai, Bach Mai, Hai Ba Trung, Tel: (04) 3627 7106 x-factory-vn.com

DK COMPUTER 29 Ngoc Kha, Ba Dinh Tel: 3772 4772

23 Hai Ba Trung, Hoan Kiem. Tel: 3938 6261

PICO PLAZA 35 Hai Ba Trung, Hoan Kiem

MEDICAL & DENTAL POTS ‘N PANS

SWIMMING POOL Landmark 72 Tower, Pham Hung, Cau Giay, Tel: (04) 3772 3801 landmark72.com

128 Hang Trong, Hoan Kiem . Tel: 3826 0732

FRENCH HOSPITAL

INTERNATIONAL HOSPITAL 1 Phuong Mai, Dong Da, Tel: (04) 3577 1100 hfh.com.vn

Do you think you should be listed on these pages? If so, simply email us on listings@wordvietnam.com and we’ll see what we can do. We can’t promise but we’ll try our best

VINMEC INTERNATIONAL HOSPITAL INTERNATIONAL HOSPITAL 458 Minh Khai, Hai Ba Trung,

PROFESSIONAL COMPUTER CARE AND IT SERVICES No 3, Alley 8, Hoa Lu, Hai Ba Trung. Tel: 0983 011081

VIETSAD 34B Ly Nam De, Hoan Kiem Tel: 3747 8771

SWIMMING POOLS

What Our Patients

Say...

ARMY HOTEL 33C Pham Ngu Lao, Hoan Kiem. Tel: 3825 2896

FOUR SEASONS 14 Dang Tien Dong, Dong Da. Tel: 3537 6250

HANOI CLUB 76 Yen Phu, Tay Ho Tel: 3823 8115 www.hanoi-club.com

HORISON FITNESS CENTER 40 Cat Linh, Ba Dinh Tel: 3733 0808

MELIA HOTEL 44B Ly Thuong Kiet, Hoan Kiem. Tel: 3934 3343

OLYMPIA 4 Tran Hung Dao, Hoan Kiem. Tel: 3933 1049

SAO MAI 10 Dang Thai Mai, Tay Ho Tel: 3718 3161

SOFITEL PLAZA FITNESS CENTER 1 Thanh Nien, Tay Ho Tel: 3823 8888

THAN NHAN

EAT ASAHI SUSHI

ELECTRONICS

LA VERTICALE

CONTEMPORARY FRENCH 19 Ngo Van So, Hai Ba Trung, Tel: (04) 3944 6317 verticale-hanoi.com

Vo Thi Sau, Hai Ba Trung, (Inside the park)

THANG LOI HOTEL 200 Yen Phu, Tay Ho

wordvietnam.com | December 2014 Word | 153

hanoi

BOOK BUFF

I

t’s that time of the year when bookshops present a few of their extra special books to the public gaze.

One of our that su dac biet (supa doopa specials) is A Dream of Red Mansions — a beautifully bound and boxed coffee tabletype book, illustrated on each of its 233 pages with watercolour paintings.

The story was initially authored by Cao Xueqin (1715-1763), who was an important court official in the final years of the Kanxi reign of the Qing Dynasty — but who fell from favour into poverty when a new ruler, Emperor Yongzhen, punished his family for supporting a rival in the fight for the throne. In 1744 he began to write Dream, and had finished 80 chapters when he died. The final 40 were written by an unknown court historian, using Cao Xueqin’s preparatory notes.

After the book was published, many artists painted illustrations of its stories and characters in the accepted Chinese realistic style using fine brushwork and bright colours, and the paintings of the artist, Su Wen, are considered to be among the finest.

The originals are at the Lushun museum in Liaoning, China.

Coffee Tables, Vietnam-Style If the above book whets your appetite, Tranh Tho Viet Nam: Vietnamese Ceremonial Paintings will put the icing on the cake. It’s becoming as scarce as hens’ teeth to buy, but a few good used copies are available. It’s another coffee table-sized beauty that is in demand by scholars, art historians and Vietnamphiles alike.

In the late 1990s, three Vietnamese friends decided to try and preserve and collect both antique and modern Vietnamese cultural artifacts. Pham Duc Si was given the task of searching for folk pictures, especially those used in worship by ethnic people. He was also tasked to collect Dong Son and Han pottery — and by 2009, when he published this exceptional book, his collection of pictures was extensive. The majority Kinh people are well represented as are the Cao Lan, San Chi, Dao, San Diu, Tay and Nung. A small collection of wonderful wooden masks used by the Dao Ho completes the handsome book.

The deities in the pictures are from the Taoist belief system practised in northern regions of Vietnam, where Taoists painted deities instead of erecting statues to them, as was the Chinese practice. In the past 60 years the process of modernisation has resulted in the loss or sale of many of the pictures, and they are no longer painted. Thus Pham Duc Si’s collection is vitally important.

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This month, Bookworm’s Truong gives his end-of-year picks A Bumper Crop of Cookbooks Collectors of another kind — those that like to stare at glossy food pictures — have had a bumper year with the release of several coffee table-type food tomes about Vietnamese food. One of the most famous Vietnameseoriented food writers is the handsome and gregarious Luke Nguyen, whose books on regional food are runaway bestsellers.

Luke is now seen everywhere that good local food is grown, cooked, experimented with and talked about in Vietnam and, increasingly, internationally. However, most of his legion of fans are not aware of the book that started it all way back in 2007, Secrets of the Red Lantern, which is named after the Nguyen family’s very upmarket Vietnamese restaurant in Sydney, Australia.

The book was authored by Luke’s sister Pauline with the assistance of her Australian husband, and chronicles the Nguyen family’s emigration in a leaky boat to Australia via Malaysia in the turbulent 1970s.

What made the book so popular with food porn addicts — and the reason it was awarded the Best Asian Cookbook award in 2008 — were the recipes by Luke. Thus his stellar career was launched and shows no sign of deflating in the near future.

For the Youngin’s Parents of littlies who haven’t discovered the delightful books by Oliver Jeffers are doing their offspring a disfavour. Jeffers is considered to be one of the most original and imaginative children’s book writers and artists of our time, with several books bound to become all-time classics in the canon of kids’ literature. If you haven’t come across any yet, try his 2012 book This Moose Belongs to Me and be transported.

His latest is Once Upon an Alphabet: Short Stories for All Letters. Its quirky, alliterative and sometimes irreverent tales belong on all home and pre-school bookshelves.

For more information on Bookworm go to bookwormhanoi.com

Ho Chi Minh City BUSINESS BUFF // JOB SEARCH // BODY AND TEMPLE // COFFEE CUP // TOP EATS // THE EMPTY WOK // TOP EATS // A WORLD OF GOOD PHOTO BY GLEN RILEY

HCMC

business

ACCOUNTING & AUDITING / ADVERTISING & MKTG / BUSINESS CONSULTING / BUSINESS GROUPS / CORPORATE GIFTS & SERVICES / EVENT MANAGEMENT / EXPAT SERVICES / HOUSING & REAL ESTATE / INSURANCE / INTERIOR DESIGN / INVESTMENT & FINANCE / LANGUAGE SCHOOLS / LEGAL SERVICES / MANAGEMENT TRAINING / MARKET RESEARCH / PHOTOGRAPHY SERVICES / PUBLIC RELATIONS / RECRUITMENT & HR / RELOCATION AGENTS / SERVICED APARTMENTS ACCOUNTING & AUDITING PRICEWATERHOUSE COOPERS

Saigon Tower, 29 Le Duan, Q1, Tel: (08) 3823 0796 pwc.com

SAIGON-EXPAT TAX SERVICES

6th Floor, Me Linh Point Tower, 2 Ngo Duc Ke, Q1, Tel: 0938 220 255 vivianwcooper@gmail.com

TMF GROUP

Unit 501, 5th Floor, Saigon Trade Center, 37 Ton Duc Thang, Q1, Tel: (08) 3910 2262 Tmg-group.com

ADVERTISING & MKTG BBDO VIETNAM 74/3 Hai Ba Trung, Q1, Tel: (08) 3822 6662 bbdoasia.com

COWAN — STRATEGIC BRAND DESIGN

16th Floor, Bitexco Office Tower, 19–25 Nguyen Hue, Q1, Tel: (08) 3821 3064 cowandesign.com

GREY GROUP

led communications company helps brands connect and grow across Southeast Asia. Clients include The Coca–Cola Company, Asia Pacific Breweries, Piaggio and UPI.

404 Vo Van Tan, Q3, Tel: (08) 3929 1450 grey.com/vietnam

PURPLE ASIA

DENTSU VIETNAM AB TOWER, 23rd Floor, 76 Le Lai, Q1, Tel: (08) 3821 9005 Dentsu.com.vn

INDUSTRIAL DESIGN ASIA

Duong So 12, Tran Nao, Q2, Tel: (08) 3740 6388 industrialdesignasia.com

MARKETEERS VIETNAM

FPT Tower, 153 Nguyen Dinh Chieu, Q1, Tel: (08) 3933 3493 marketeersvietnam.com

OGILVY & MATHER 12th Floor, Centec Tower, 72–74, Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, Q13, Tel: (08) 3821 9529 ogilvy.com

PHIBIOUS

7th Floor, 11bis Nguyen Gia Thieu, Q3, Tel: (08) 3933 3377 phibious.com An independent, creative–

9 Nguyen Huu Canh, Binh Thanh, Tel: (08) 6277 7050 purpleasia.com

RED | BRAND BUILDERS

Floor 14, Citilight Tower, 45 Vo Thi Sau, Q1, Tel: (08) 3820 0169 red.vn Long-established branding consultancy and marketing agency. The Red team creates and shapes unique marketing strategies that add impact to international and local brands from Vietnam to Australia.

RIVER ORCHID 10th Floor HDTC Building, 36 Bui Thi Xuan, Q1, Tel: (08)

3925 2538 riverorchid.com

SAATCHI & SAATCHI 26 Tran Cao Van, Q3, Tel: (08) 3824 1207 saatchi.com Ranked among the top 100 global advertising agencies, S&S has worked with over half of the 50 best–known brands in the world, providing advertisement planning, direct marketing, marketing consulting and graphic design.

TBWA\VIETNAM 4th Floor, Saigon Finance Center, 9 Dinh Tien Hoang, Q1, Tel: (08) 3824 5315 tbwa.com.vn

BUSINESS CONSULTING BDG VIETNAM 11th Floor, Capital Place, 6 Thai Van Lung, Q1, Tel: (08) 3823 7858 Bdg-vietnam.com

CONCETTI 33 Dinh Tien Hoang, Q1, Tel: (08) 3911 1481 Concetti.vn

GRANT THORNTON 28th Floor, Saigon Trade Center, 37 Ton Duc Thang, Q1, Tel: (08) 3910 9100 Gt.com.vn

INSPIRED IMAGE Villa 15, Duong 58, Phu Nhuan, Thao Dien, Q2, Tel: 0916 352573 Inspiredimage.co.uk

PRISM INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SERVICES 4th Floor, YOCO Building, 41 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, Q1, Tel: (08) 7305 0905

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prism.com.vn

ROUSE 6th Floor, Abacus Tower, 58 Nguyen Dinh Chieu, Q1, Tel: (08) 3823 6770 iprights.com

STAR CORPORATE VIETNAM 161A/1 Nguyen Van Thu, Q1, Tel: (08) 3911 0965 starcorpvn.com

STRASOL GROUP INTERNATIONAL 38 Tran Ngoc Dien, Q2, Tel: 0904 410884

TRACTUS ASIA LTD 164 Nguyen Van Thu, Q1, Tel: (08) 6291 2205 tractus-asia.com

XAGE CONSULTANCY 35A-1-2 Grandview, Nguyen Duc Canh, Q7, Tel: (08) 5412 3402; 31st Floor, Saigon Trade Centre, 37 Ton Duc Thang, Tel: (08) 3911 0454 xageconsulting.com

BUSINESS GROUPS AMCHAM New World Hotel, 76 Le Lai, Q1, Tel: (08) 3824 3562. amchamvietnam.com An independent association of American and international businesses, the objective of the American Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam is to promote trade and investment between the United States and Vietnam.

AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 2nd Floor, Eximland Building, 179EF Cach Mang Thang Tam, Q3, Tel: (08) 3832 9912 auschamvn.org A licensed foreign busi-

ness group established to represent and promote the interests of Australian businesses operating in Vietnam, AusCham coordinates topical breakfast seminars, social networking functions, governmental relations meetings and charity events.

BRITISH BUSINESS GROUP OF VIETNAM 25 Le Duan, Q1, Tel: (08) 3829 8430 bbgv.org

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 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

SWISS BUSINESS ASSOCIATION 42 Giang Van Minh, Q2, Tel: (08) 3744 6996 swissvietnam.com

HCMC CINEMAS Showcasing the latest Hollywood blockbusters and 3D cinematic sensations, chains such as Megastar Media, 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

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

MEGASTAR CINEMA 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 5, Parkson Paragon, 3 Nguyen Luong Bang, Phu My Hung, Q7 Tel: (08) 5416 0088 megastar.vn

EVENT MANAGEMENT CENTERPIECE EVENT ORGANIZERS Tel: 0906 761190 centerpiece-vn.com info@centerpiece-vn.com Centerpiece is an independent event planning company run by expatriates that can plan any event from private parties, to corporate events to weddings.

EVECOO Tel: 0988 297990 evecoo.vn

GALA ROYALE EVENT HALL 63 Mac Dinh Chi, Q1, Tel: (08) 3825 6048 galaroyale.com.vn

ONE WORLD TOURISM CO, LTD 268/3 Nguyen Thai Binh, Tan Binh, Tel: (08) 6299 0880

THE CATERERS 46D Vuon Lai, Tan Phu, Tel: (08) 3812 6901 thecaterersvietnam.com.vn Offers everything from canapés and cocktails, buffets and set menus to barbeques and wedding catering. Combines excellent food, event management and exclusive venues to make any kind of event a success.

EXPAT SERVICES

AMBRIJ VIETNAM LTD 14-16-18 Chu Manh Trinh, Q1, Tel: (08) 3824 8364 ambrij.com

ENDO 406/16 Cong Hoa, Tan Binh, Tel: (08) 6292 2045 endo.vn Endo offers garment manufacturing for local resorts, restaurants, hotels, golf courses, travel agencies and apparel shops. They also manufacture giftware from polos and hoodies to keychains, card holders and menu covers.

COLLIERS INTERNATIONAL VIETNAM Bitexco Office Building, 7th Floor, 19-25 Nguyen Hue, Q1, Tel: (08) 3827 5665 colliersmn.com/vietnam

CREATION International Plaza Building, Room 16B8, 343 Pham Ngu Lao, Q1, Tel: (08) 6291 7553

CUSHMAN & WAKEFIELD VIETNAM Unit 16, 14th Floor, Vincom Center, 72 Le Thanh Ton Q1, Tel: (08) 3823 7968 cushmanwakefield.vn

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.

CHUM’S HOUSE

121/21 Bui Vien, Q1, Tel: (08) 3920 7237

HAPPY HOUSE

32-34 Ngo Duc Ke, Suite 701, Q1, Tel: 01659 419916

RESIDENT VIETNAM

Unit 601 48 Hoa Su, Phu Nhuan, Tel: (08) 2226 8855 residentvietnam.com

HOUSING & REAL ESTATE CBRE 12th Floor, Me Linh Point Tower, 2 Ngo Duc Ke, Q1, Tel: (08) 3824 6125 cbre.com

JONES LANG LASALLE CORPORATE GIFTS & SERVICES

Representation, Office Leasing, Retail Services, Valuation and Advisory, Research and Consulting, Investment Sales and Acquisitions, Residential Agency, Industrial Agency, Project and Development Services, Property Asset Management Services, Hotel Investment and Consultancy Services, Integrated Facilities Management.

26th Foor, Saigon Trade Center, 37 Ton Duc Thang Q1, Tel: (08) 3910 3968 joneslanglasalle.com.vn Jones Lang LaSalle (NYSE:JLL) is a professional services and investment management firm offering specialized real estate services to clients seeking increased value by owning, occupying and investing in real estate. As a truly global firm, they work and collaborate closely with their colleagues across Asia Pacific and around the world to bring best-in-class services, people, and systems to their clients in Vietnam.

Their offices in Ho Chi Minh City and Ha Noi offer: Tenant

KNIGHT FRANK Suite A, level 7, VTP Office Building, 8 Nguyen Hue, Q1, Tel: (08) 3822 6777 knightfrank.com.vn Founded in 1896, Knight Frank has grown to become the world’s largest privately owned global property agency and consultancy. In Vietnam, they offer commercial, residential and residential development services.

NAMHOUSE CORPORATION 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.

SAVILLS VIETNAM LTD Fideco Tower, 18th Floor, 81-85 Ham Nghi, Q1, Tel: (08) 3823 9205 savills.com.vn Savills Vietnam is a leading property service provider in Vietnam since 1995, providing research, advisory services, residential sales, commercial leasing, asset management, retail advisory, valuation, investment

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HCMC

BUSINESS BUFF PRODUCT MARKUPS

W

ith Christmas just around the corner we consumers will be at it again, making offerings of our hard earned cash to the retail gods. And while the standard mark up in retail is around 100 percent, there are particular products and services that go much higher. So for this month I will look into what areas have the highest markup so you can know what to avoid this silly season.

Across a range of industries the markup on products and services can be quite astonishing.

According to a report in the US, services are normally marked up around 2,500 percent, education around 1,200 percent, home and family products around 500 percent, food and drink at 1,500 percent, health care at 1,500 percent (higher at some clinics in Vietnam), electronics at 2,500 percent, entertainment at 1,000 percent and fashion at 650 percent. Below are some specific examples.

Puppies The price difference between a pure breed and a rescue puppy can be astronomical, with the typical Humane Society dog in the US costing around US$200 (VND4.2 million), and a pure breed US$3,000 (VND63 million). Markup — 1,400 percent.

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Printer Ink A famous comedian once joked this was the most expensive substance on the planet, and while this is not true the markup in retail is pretty good. Markup — 300 percent.

Furniture Most furniture stores normally mark up their inventories by a minimum of 100 percent. That’s one of the reasons why you can see sales all year round on furniture and mattresses. Branded furniture’s markup is even higher, so when they advertise up to 80 percent off sales, chances are they’re still making a handsome margin. Markup — 300 to 400 percent.

Restaurant Drinks Wine. The average restaurant puts a markup of 200 to 400 percent.

Domestic beer. Traditional beer has only four ingredients, and with huge economies of scale, the average beer markup is around 650 percent.

Coffee. There’s a whopping 2,900 percent average markup when bought at the latest trendy coffee shop, as compared with making a similar brew in the comfort of your own home.

Communications Text messages were developed as a service

BY SHANE DILLON

by accident, after someone found the testing platform was loved by consumers. But there should be no when you realize the average markup on your txts is over 5,000 percent.

Not to be outdone, there are several electronic components that have huge markup applied, including phone chargers (600 percent), HDMI cables (1,800 percent) and internet cables (4,500 percent).

Designer Clothes When compared to a designer brand, the markup on lingerie can be as high as 1,100 percent. The same with jeans, which are usually marked up by around 600 percent.

Magic But the products with the biggest markup by far are the pseudoscience services and products.

Power balance bracelets can be marked up in excess of 5,000 percent, Psi bands over 3,500 percent — and biggest of all, the crystal healing ‘gypsum’ bracelet is marked up as high as 2,000,000 percent. The average bracelet costs over US$100 (VND2.1 million) and contains only a few miligrammes of gypsum. A tonne of the stuff costs about US$30 (VND630,000).

Shane might still buy a puppy this Christmas and wishes everyone a great 2015! He can be contacted at shanedillon@bluecross.com.vn

HCMC advisory and other services.

IGLOBALASSIST Tel: 0934 874271 Iglobalassist.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.

SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY Suite 1905, Bitexco Financial Tower, 2 Hai Trieu, Q1, Tel: (08) 3520 2000 sothebysrealty.com.vn

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.

INSURANCE BAOVIET INSURANCE 49D Phan Dang Luu, Binh Thanh, Tel: (08) 3510 1661 baoviet.com.vn

IF CONSULTING IFC Building, 3rd Floor, 1A Me Linh Square, Q1, Tel: (08) 3827 7362 insuranceinvietnam.com Independent advisors that represent top reputable medical insurers provide you with the best suitable medical cover for individual, family or company needs.

BLUE CROSS VIETNAM 8th Floor, River View Tower, 7A Thai Van Lung, Q1 Tel: (08) 3821 9908 inquiry@bluecross.com.vn www.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.

LIBERTY INSURANCE 15th Floor, Kumho Asiana Plaza, 39 Le Duan, Q1, Tel: (08) 3812 5125 libertyinsurance.com.vn

PRUDENTIAL 25th F, Saigon Trade Centre, 37 Ton Duc Thang, Q1, Tel: (08) 3910 1660 prudential.com.vn

TENZING PACIFIC SERVICES VIETNAM Huu Nghi Building, 35 Le Loi, Q1 ten-pac.com An independent agency representing local and international insurance companies in Southeast Asia. A trusted partner for health, employee benefits and life insurance, the team at Tenzing has over 30 years’ experience providing insurance advice.

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 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.

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.

Minh Khai, Q1, Tel: (08) 3827 7008 gymboreeclasses.com.vn

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL HO CHI MINH CITY (ISHCMC) 28 Vo Truong Toan, Q2, Tel: (08) 3898 9100 ishcmc.com The only fully authorized IB World School in Ho Chi Minh City, ISHCMC has been awarding graduates with an IB Diploma and sending them off to high-profile overseas universities since 1999.

CITYSMART Horizon Tower, 214 Tran Quang Khai, Q1, Tel: (08) 3526 8833 7 Street 2, Cu Xa Do Thanh, Q3, Tel: (08) 3832 8488 citysmart.vn CitySmart delivers a range of diverse, internationallyrecognised educational programmes, as well as life skills and character building for comprehensive development.

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.

KINDERMUSIK EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION CENTRE Crescent Residence 2, 107 Ton Dat Tien, Q7, Tel: 0907 099 480 kindermusik-vietnam.com

CANADIAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL 13C Phong Phu Commune, Binh Chanh, Tel: (08) 5412 3456 cis.edu.vn 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.

KIDS CLUB SAIGON

LITTLE GENIUS INTERNATIONAL KINDERGARTEN 102 My Kim 2, Phu My Hung, Q7, Tel: (08) 5421 1052 lgkids.vn

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL SAIGON PEARL (ISSP) 92 Nguyen Huu Canh, Binh Thanh Tel: (8) 2222 7788 admissions@issp.edu.vn The International School Saigon Pearl (ISSP) is an elementary school, catering for ages 18 months to 11 years. With over 90 percent of teachers having achieved Master's degrees, ISSP focus on a rigorous American curriculum.

MONTESSORI INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL 42/1 Ngo Quang Huy, Q2, Tel: (08) 3744 2639 montessori.edu.vn 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.

RENAISSANCE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL SAIGON 74 Nguyen Thi Thap, D7, Tel: (08)3773 33171 ext 120/121/122 renaissance.edu.vn 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 350seat 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, perpendicular to Tran Nao, 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:

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 campuses 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

EUROPEAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL HO CHI MINH CITY (EIS) 730 F-G-K Le Van Mien, Thao Dien, D2, HCMC, Vietnam.

Tel: (08) 7300 7257 info@eishcmc.com www.eishcmc.com Located in the heart of Thao Dien, District 2, the EUROPEAN International School Ho Chi Minh City 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.

GYMBOREE PLAY & MUSIC OF VIETNAM Somerset Chancellor Court, 1st Floor, 21-23 Nguyen Thi

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JOB SEARCH

THE ASEAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY — PAIN OR GAIN?

S

et to begin in 2015, the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) is expected to promote the development of Vietnam GDP growth to 14.7 percent by 2025 — creating millions of new jobs. If Vietnam remains unprepared in its education, vocational training and upskilling for the workforce, the country won’t be ready to take full advantage of the AEC launch, compared with other countries.

The Impact of AEC The launch of AEC could bring in foreign investment and remove trade barriers, accommodating the growth of the economy and the job market. Vietnam’s envious demographics and natural resources have led to the expansion of roles in the labour market and requests for specialised skill sets. There is clearly a need for improving the quality of education and vocational training.

Compared to the past 10 years, Vietnam is now seeing many new job requirements

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in some industries such as construction, transportation, automotives, IT, healthcare and finance. The government is doing its utmost to step up the integration, and improve labour capacity and job quality. They also need to work with companies on new requirements of education and vocational training in order to meet future demands.

Protecting Migrant Labour Alongside increased opportunities in the job market, the AEC also allows Vietnamese workers to go abroad and work in other ASEAN countries.

Recruitment agencies will play a key role in this international migration. There are more than 170 recruitment agencies in Vietnam exporting approximately 80,000 workers annually to more than 40 countries and territories across the world.

The number keeps increasing. However, there are still some obstacles for private employment agencies to perform in this sector.

BY NICOLA CONNOLLY

Challenge for Private Employment Agencies Among the 174 licensed agencies working in Vietnam, over 60 percent are public employment agencies, which leaves very little room for private employment agencies like Adecco. Despite the fact that the private sector could bring best practices and improve the industry landscape, there are still many restrictions that do not allow them to enter into the licensing process in this area.

The Code of Conduct (CoC-VN) for recruitment agencies launched in 2010 is an appropriate tool to improve compliance with Vietnamese legislation and international standards for migrant labour. Most of the private employment agencies are now looking at improving the licensing process, which would allow them to step into the industry and promote its development.

Nicola Connolly is the general director of Adecco Vietnam and chairwoman of the European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam

HCMC (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 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 ETHICAL INVESTMENT GROUP THE AMERICAN SCHOOL OF VIETNAM 172-180 Nguyen Van Huong, Q2, Tel: 0903 952223 theamericanschool.edu.vn

VAS

98 Cach Mang Thang Tam, Q3, Tel: (08) 3930 7278 vas.edu.vn

INTERIOR DESIGN PROFESSIONAL PAINTING AND REMODELING Tel: 0936 330869 (Darren Hawk) Thinking about upgrading a bathroom? Perhaps a new colour in the living room?

Maybe even a new wood floor? Professional Painting and Remodeling can help with these and many other projects. Provide international standards of quality as well as professional and timely service at reasonable rates. Call today to schedule a free evaluation.

INVESTMENT & FINANCE DRAGON CAPITAL

1901 Me Linh Point, 2 Ngo Duc Ke, Q1, Tel: (08) 3823 9355 dragoncapital.com

27 Thai Van Lung, Q1, Tel: (08) 3822 0907 ethicalinvestmentgroup. co.uk

TOTAL WEALTH MANAGEMENT

66/11 Pham Ngoc Thach, Q3, Tel: (08) 3820 0623 t-wm.com

VINACAPITAL 17th Floor, Sun Wah Tower, 115 Nguyen Hue, Q1, Tel: (08) 3821 9930 vinacapital.com A leading investment fund management company with extensive experience in the emerging Vietnam market.

Manages the Vietnam Opportunity Fund (VOF), which is a US$839 million investment fund.

LANGUAGE SCHOOLS ILA VIETNAM 146 Nguyen Dinh Chieu, Q3, Tel: (08) 3521 8788 ilavietnam.com A foreign-owned education and training company that offers a range of educational programmes, such as English-language tuition, university pathway programmes, corporate training, teacher

training and overseas study consultancy and placement services.

L’ATELIER 33/19 Quoc Huong, Thao Dien, Q2, Tel: 0908 381492 latelier-anphu.com

VIETNAMESE LANGUAGE GARDEN 135/10 Nguyen Cuu Van, Binh Thanh, Tel: 0916 670 771 vietnameselanguagegarden.com

VLS SAIGON 45 Dinh Tien Hoang, Q1, Tel: (08) 3910 0168 vlstudies.com 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.

VNC VIETNAMESE LANGUAGE TRAINING & TRANSLATION 37/54 Tran Dinh Xu, Q1, Tel: (08) 6678 0914 vnccentre.com

VUS

189 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, Q1, Tel: (08) 3925 9800 vus-etsc.edu.vn

LEGAL SERVICES ALLENS

embers-asia.com

ERC INSTITUTE VIETNAM

Suite 605, Saigon Tower, 29 Le Duan, Q1, Tel: (08) 3822 1717 vietnamlaws.com

38/ 6G Nguyen Van Troi, Phu Nhuan, Tel: (08) 6292 9288 erci.edu.vn

BAKER & MCKENZIE

G&H

12th Floor, Saigon Tower, 29 Le Duan, Q1, Tel: (08) 3829 5585 bakermckenzie.com

FRASERS LAW COMPANY Unit 1501, 15th Floor, The Metropolitan, 235 Dong Khoi, Q1, Tel: (08) 3824 2733 frasersvn.com

GIDE LOYRETTE NOUEL A.A.R.P.I. 18 Hai Ba Trung, Q1, Tel: (08) 3823 8599 gide.com

INDOCHINE COUNSEL Unit 4A2, 4th Floor, Han Nam Building, 65 Nguyen Du, Q1, Tel: (08) 3823 9640 indochinecounsel.com

MAYER BROWN JSM 17th Floor, Saigon Tower, 29 Le Duan, Q1, Tel: (08) 3822 8860 mayerbrownjsm.com

MANAGEMENT TRAINING EMBERS ASIA 80-82 Phan Xich Long, Phu Nhuan, Tel: (08) 3822 4728

6th Floor, Yoco Office Building, 41 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, Q1, Tel: (08) 3821 9919 ghmsglobal.com A 100 percent foreign–invested company focusing on management services and consulting with in–house programmes to meet the particular requirements of its clients. Offers teambuilding and academic–based business and management programmes.

XAGE CONSULTANCY 35A-1-2 Grandview, Nguyen Duc Canh, Q7, Tel: (08) 5412 3402; 31st Floor, Saigon Trade Centre, 37 Ton Duc Thang, Q1, Tel: (08) 3911 0454 xageconsulting.com

MARKET RESEARCH CIMIGO 9 Nguyen Huu Canh, Binh Thanh, Tel: (08) 3822 7727 cimigo.vn An independent marketing and brand research spe-

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HCMC

BODY

T

here is a culture or myth that in fitness and sports performance, MORE is better. Rest and recovery are as of equal importance as the training or workout portion of the regime when devising a programme.

However, because people think they get the training benefits by ‘doing’, they often overlook or don’t understand the importance of rest and recovery.

Recovery is the key! Recovery is critically important when applied to sports training, because without it we do not adapt physically to become fitter, stronger or faster.

Something in our society, whether it is in relation to sport or work, seems to make us think that admitting we need more rest is bad. If you are seen to train every day, for example, then psychologically you could ‘look’ and ‘feel’ stronger for it. If you analyse how you really feel, though, it most probably comes down to your mental frame of mind. The thought, “The harder I workout or the more I do, the better!” The fact that working smarter not necessarily harder will reap the most favourable results, due to eliciting the most beneficial hormone response or gene expression.

When we exercise, we don’t get stronger.

When we exercise, we actually break down our energy systems and muscles and get weaker. The more exercise we do, the weaker we can become and the more susceptible we are to illness and injury — termed ‘overtraining’. For that reason, gains in your fitness come from recovering.

Thus it is this combination of exercise and recovery that brings you to your new level of fitness. The diagram below illustrates the basic concept of exercise adaptation:

Diagram 1: Adaptation to Exercise

From our initial fitness level we apply a stimulus (weight training, walking, sprinting, etc.), and as training is a catabolic process our fitness level drops.

You effectively destroy or break tissue fibre through the effort of working out. Our body then requires rest, in which time the body recovers (or rebuilds the damaged tissue). The human body is an amazing

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AND

RECOVERY

TEMPLE

creation and as the base level of fitness is reached, it feels the need to compensate in anticipation of the next training session; this adjustment is what is known as supercompensation or over-compensation.

However, it is very important to note that if there is too much of a stimulus, if the training load is too great, then the body will not adapt optimally. Likewise, if you do not allow your body ideal conditions to recover, especially at this time of year with all the alcohol and late nights, as well as increased end of year work load or stress you can quite easily become injured or sick.

The body will respond best by performing small ‘bite-sized loads’ that are pitched at the correct ability level of the individual and then progressively increase as the body slowly adapts. For instance, a first-time weightlifter should not be attempting to perform a maximal strength programme before acquiring the necessary stabilisation and strength endurance competencies (periodisation phases). Maximal strength exercises will over-load the muscle and connective tissue excessively and create a state bordering injury rather than compensation.

If an individual does not allow their body to recover and each additional training stimulus creates a further decline in fitness and performance (fatigued and over-trained state).

BY PHIL KELLY

Diagram 2: Over-Training Model

People have different rates of recovery and for this reason it is not possible for anyone other than the individual to predict recovery. There are basic guidelines to follow but knowing when to rest/recover depends on a large number of factors — and when performing at an advanced level, it requires experience through trial and error.

The golden rule to follow is: if you honestly feel tired, then take a rest. Don’t carry out your workout just because your programme — a piece of paper — has it in the schedule.

There are many influencing factors placing stress on our bodies and it’s important to be flexible with your training routine.

Phil is founder & master trainer at Body Expert Systems. Contact him on 0934 782763, at his website bodyexpertsystems.com or through Star Fitness — starfitnesssaigon.com

HCMC cialist operating in the Asia Pacific region. Services include auditing and optimising research programmes, knowledge management, developing marketing plans and business models and assessing market opportunities.

TNS VIETNAM 58 Vo Van Tan, Q3, Tel: (08) 3930 6631 Tnsvietnam.vn With over 11 years in the marketplace, TNS Vietnam offers all three major market research services — customisation, access panels and media monitoring — to a range of local and international clients.

MEKONG RESEARCH

91 Nguyen Huu Canh, Binh Thanh, Tel: (08) 6258 6314 mekongresearch.com

PHOTOGRAPHY SERVICES DRAGON IMAGES Crescent Plaza, 105 Ton Dat Tien, Q7, Tel: 01643 172 660 dragonimages.asia Dragon Images production studio is a professional team of photographers, stylists. shooting administrators, casting managers and retouchers. They make photos on various topics, from business to sport.

NIELSEN

CentrePoint Building, Level 4, 106 Nguyen Van Troi, Phu Nhan, Tel: (08) 3997 8088 vn.nielsen.com

PUBLIC RELATIONS MATTERHORN COMMUNICATIONS

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.

LAC VIET TATTOO 608

Dien Bien Phu, Q10 Tel: (08) 3830 4668 106 Pasteur, Q1 Tel: (08) 3821 7068 lacviettattoo.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

Level 5, 273-273B Ben Chuong Duong, Q1, Tel: (08) 3838 5517 matterhorncommunications.com Providing public relations and communications support to international and local firms operating in Vietnam. Specialising in corporate communications, media relations, corporate social responsibility and media and issues management and training.

VERO PUBLIC RELATIONS 7th Floor, 5B Ton Duc Thang, Q1, Tel: (08) 6291 0462 veropr.com Helps clients expand their footprints in Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and Myanmar through effective public relations campaigns.

Services offered include branding, media relations, event management, public affairs and issues / crisis management.

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

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

CAM LY HOTEL & APARTMENT 656 Cach Mang Thang Tam, Q3, Tel: (08) 3993 1587 camlyapartment@hcm. vnn.vn

HR2B/TALENT RECRUITMENT JSC 1st Floor, Thien Son Building, 5 Nguyen Gia Thieu, Q3, Tel: (08) 6288 3888 hr2b.com

INDOCHINA RESEARCH LTD xavier@indochinaresearch. com indochinaresearch.com Active in Vietnam for more than 20 years, Indochina Research has the capacity to run large research projects in the country, for commercial and social purposes.

SERVICED APARTMENTS

array of global workforce solutions and specialises in finance & legal, sales, marketing & events, IT, engineering & technical, and office.

G.A. CONSULTANTS VIETNAM CO., LTD. Ho Chi Minh Office: Room 2B2C, 2nd Floor, 180 Pasteur, District 1, HCMC. Ha Noi Office: Room 603, 6th Floor, 535 Kim Ma Street, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi. www.vieclambank.com info@vieclambank.com VieclamBank is a brand of G.A. Consultants Vietnam - a Human Resources Consulting company with 100% Japan investment. Established in 2006 in Vietnam, the company focuses on recruiting executive and senior level, providing Vietnamese and Japanese candidates with experience studying abroad or working in foreign companies. A quick, effective and competitive service suitable for many types of business.

VIETNAMWORKS.COM 130 Suong Nguyet Anh, Q1, Tel: (08) 5404 1373 vietnamworks.com

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.

ASIAN TIGERS MOBILITY Unit 9.3, Floor 9, Ree Tower, 9 Doan Van Bo, Ward 12, District 4, HCMC, Tel: (08) 3 826 7799 www.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.

CROWN RELOCATIONS 2nd Floor Coteccons Office Tower, 236/6 Dien Bien Phu, Binh Thanh, Tel: (08) 3840 4237 crownrelo.com

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.

RESIDENT VIETNAM Unit 601 48 Hoa SU, Phu Nhuan, Tel: (08) 2226 8855 residentvietnam.com

SAIGON EXPRESS AGENCY LIMITED 7th Floor, 6-8 Doan Van Bo, Q4, Tel: (08) 3826 8850 seal.com.vn

ALLIED PICKFORDS

SANTA FE RELOCATION SERVICES

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.

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.

DIAMOND ISLAND LUXURY RESIDENCES No 01 – Street No.104-BTT, Quarter 3, Binh Trung Tay, Q2. T: 0968 293388 / (08) 3742 5678 enquiry.hochiminh@theascott.com 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.

CITYVIEW

12 Mac Dinh Chi, Q1, Tel: (08) 3822 1111 cityview.com.vn

INTERCONTINENTAL ASIANA SAIGON RESIDENCES Crn. of Nguyen Du & Le Van Huu, Q1, Tel: (08) 3520 8888 intercontinental.com/saigonres 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 downtown by high-speed boat shuttle.

SEDONA SUITES 65 Le Loi, Q1, Tel: (08) 3822 9666 sedonahotels.com.sg

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 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.

THE LANDMARK 5B Ton Duc Thang, Q1, Tel: (08) 3822 2098 thelandmarkvietnam.com 65 serviced apartments located in the city centre overlooking the river. Also has a comprehensive health club for tenants and members, a squash court and a 16th floor swimming pool.

SERVICED APARTMENTS SCORE-TECH 260 TTH21, Tan Thai Hiep, Q12, Tel: (08) 3711 9958 A 100 percent foreigninvested company offering personalised sport garments. Using the latest printing technology as well as a design team from Barcelona, Score-Tech controls the whole production process from producing fabrics and sewing to printing. Big and small orders of garments produced for all sporting needs.

Do you think you should be listed on these pages? If so, simply email us on listings@wordvietnam.com and we’ll see what we can do. We can’t promise but we’ll try our best

wordvietnam.com | December 2014 Word | 163

HCMC

COFFEE CUP MERCI BOUTIQUE CAFÉ

W

edged deep in an alleyway off Xo Viet Nghe Tinh, between District 1 and Binh Thanh, lies a well-kept secret filled with antiques, stylish garments and delicious cuisine. Merci Boutique Café welcomes the wandering customer.

Merci serves not just as a café but also as a display for Ha Van Ngoc and his family’s passions. Ngoc and his wife, Ha have an eye for antiques. Their oldest daughter Vy is the chef and café manager, while their youngest, Van, has a knack for style and fashion.

A Trip Through Time For nearly 20 years Ngoc and his wife have been collecting and selling antiques.

In the years after the American War, many Vietnamese — the ‘boat people’ — fled the country on small, overcrowded vessels. The couple held onto the items left behind — silverware, glassware, authentic oil lamps, fans — and sold the refurbished pieces along Le Cong Kieu near the Fine Arts Museum, also known as Antique Street.

“When we look at the antiques we can feel the beauty and the historical value,” Ha explains. “You can see the beauty and

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Photos by Francis Xavier

the soul of the antique, the story behind the piece. It has lived so many years and it is still here.”

Although Ngoc and his wife stopped selling their antiques nearly eight years ago, their passion hasn’t faded. Merci serves as their own little antique shop with displays of authentic Italian Marelli fans, oil lamps, gramophones and more. Merci takes cafégoers back in time.

A Family Thing Pulling the name from a Vietnamese poem, Ngoc and his family wanted to convey the feeling of being grateful for things you have every day, regardless of your wealth.

“The story started when my parents retired from Le Cong Kieu and moved back to the house here. I quit my job, Vy quit her job and we all decided to work together,” says Van. She describes fashion and design as her left-hand skill. Among the racks in the back hang formal skirts, brightly-coloured blouses and more subtle pieces. Evidence of her designs are splattered throughout the café with her choice of French accents — pink, lush lounge chairs, deep royal purple on the walls, lustrous wooden pieces — a

perfect balance of chic yet comfortable décor.

As far as the food goes, their eldest daughter, Vy takes the reins. With a combination of western and Vietnamesestyle dishes — from spaghetti Bolognese (VND42,000) and French-style steak and fries (VND40,000) to bun bo Hue (VND38,000) — her menu features fare for all palates.

The entire family lives on the upper levels of the café.

“Working together we can see each other every day,” says Van. “Every day we have breakfast, lunch or dinner together. We can talk and we can share many memories throughout the day. We are very close.”

Since opening in February, Merci has remained under the radar, mostly serving family friends and the few residents who happen to stumble upon them and want to keep it hush hush.

Secret or not, Merci deserves to be seen.

Serving as a place to house these passions and dreams, whether you’re passing through or looking for a quiet café to escape to, Merci will not disappoint. — Rachel Cabakoff Merci is at 93/15 Xo Viet Nghe Tinh, Binh Thanh, HCMC. Visit facebook.com/pages/ Merci-Boutique-Café for a sneak peek

HCMC

downtown

DISTRICT 1 Downtown Pham Ngu Lao

BARS & CLUBS / CAFES & ICE-CREAM / CLOTHING & ACCESSORIES / COOKING CLASSES / CRAFTS & FURNITURE / EAT / FITNESS, DANCE & YOGA / GALLERIES / GROCERIES, LIQUOR & WINE / HAIRDRESSERS / MEDICAL & DENTAL / SALONS & SPAS

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DANCE / NIGHTCLUB 2B-C-D Thi Sach, Q1, Tel: (08) 3825 6124 apocalypsesaigon.com

BEER REPUBLIC

MODERN BEER HALL 92 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, Q1 Tel: 0945 858034 facebook.com/BeerRepublic

BLANCHY’S TASH

RESTOBAR / NIGHTCLUB 95 Hai Ba Trung, Q1, Tel: 0909 028293 Blanchystash.com

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.

BOUDOIR LOUNGE

HOTEL LOUNGE BAR Saigon Sofitel Plaza, 17 Le Duan, Q1, Tel: (08) 3824 1555

BROMA

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 Hueinspired cocktail.

CARMEN

LIVE MUSIC / BAR 8 Ly Tu Trong, Q1, Tel: (08) 3829 7699

CUNHOUSE

LOUNGE BAR Hem 36, Chu Manh Trinh, Q1, Tel: 0908 033982

TECHNO / DANCE / HIP-HOP 3A Ton Duc Thang, Q1, Tel: 0919 206461 fuse.vn

GAME ON

SPORTS BAR 115 Ho Tung Mau, Q1 Tel: (08) 6251 9898 gameonsaigon.com

HARD ROCK CAFE

LIVE MUSIC / WESTERN RESTOBAR Kumho Asiana Plaza, 39 Le Duan, Q1, Tel: (08) 6291 7595 hardrockcafe.vn

ICE BLUE

EXPAT BAR 54 Dong Khoi, Q1, Tel: (08) 3822 2644 Expats keep returning to this smoky dive bar, largely due to its amicable service, brewsky-downing atmosphere, and spirited dart games. A mainstay in the local darts league.

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

FRENCH BISTRO / WINE BAR 9A Ngo Van Nam, Q1, Tel: (08) 6291 0396 lerendezvousdesaigon.com With such a meaningful name - the meeting point - this wine bistro boasts a relaxed, friendly ambience, perfect for unwinding with an after work drink or to enjoy time with friends.

Reasonably priced, has a sharing French-cuisinestyle menu and an extensive old and new world wine list.

LEVEL 23 WINE BAR

ROOFTOP LOUNGE BAR Level 23, Sheraton Saigon Hotel and Towers, 88 Dong Khoi, Q1 Tel: (08) 3827 2828 sheratonsaigon.com

LEVEL 23 NIGHTSPOT

LOUNGE BAR / NIGHT CLUB Level 23, Sheraton Saigon Hotel and Towers, 88 Dong Khoi, Q1 Tel: (08) 3827 2828 sheratonsaigon.com

O’BRIEN’S

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.

PACHARAN

SPANISH RESTOBAR / LIVE MUSIC 97 Hai Ba Trung , Q1, Tel: (08) 3825 6024 pacharansaigon.com Legs of Iberian ham hang from the ceiling in the downstairs bar of this multistorey homage to everything Spanish. Regular first-floor live music and excellent eats makes it a mainstay for the wining, dining and tapaseating crowd.

PARK LOUNGE

LOUNGE BAR & CAFE Park Hyatt Saigon, 2 Lam Son, Q1, Tel: (08) 3824 1234

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saigon.park.hyatt.com An elegant, ground floor venue in The Hyatt, perfect for social and business gatherings. As well as nightly live music, serves afternoon tea staples including warm scones with generous portions of homemade jam and clotted cream.

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 go-to, Aussie beer-guzzling / sports viewing emporium, showing everything from international cricket to Aussie rules and serving an array of pub grub favourites.

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

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District 3

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APOCALYPSE NOW

FUSE

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.

Tr an

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.

EXPAT / SPORTS BAR 58 Ton That Thiep, Q1, Tel: (08) 3915 2853 Subtle lighting, a pleasant ambience, a pool table and darts, this skinny but pleasant expat bar has the feel of a drinking man's pub. A place to have fun, drink beer or spirits and get in with the party mood. Known for its 15 shooter challenge.

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BARS & CLUBS

Binh Thanh

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HOTEL MUSIC BAR 9th floor, Caravelle Hotel, 1923 Lam Som Square, Q1, Tel: (08) 3823 4999 caravellehotel.com

District 4

STORM P

DANISH / INTERNATIONAL 5B Nguyen Sieu, Q1, Tel: (08) 3827 4738 Stormp.vn

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 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.

VASCO’S

MUSIC / LOUNGE BAR The Square, 74/7D Hai Ba

Trung, Q1, Tel: (08) 3824 2888 Vascosgroup.com A veteran fixture of Saigon’s nightlife scene, Vasco’s offers a softly lit downstairs patio, and an upstairs Blue Room chill out lounge area with regular live music.

VESPER BAR

INTERNATIONAL Landmark Building, 5B Ton Duc Thang, Q1, Tel: (08) 3822 9698 Headed up by well-known chef Andy Ertle, Vesper Bar is a sophisticated yet downto-earth wine and cocktail bar. Serving creative, Japanese-influenced tapas to supplement the drinks, the subtle lighting and loungestyle atmosphere makes this a great drinking and dining venue

VINO

WINE BAR / TAPAS The Square, 74/17 Hai Ba Trung, Q1, Tel: (08) 6299 1315 1 Duong 2, Thao Dien, Q2, Tel: (08) 6281 9059 vinovietnam.com This downtown wine shop’s terrace is a popular after work drinking spot, where one can select from 10 wines by the glass, a range of imported beer, and an excellent tapas menu. Alternatively, buy from the great selection of wines in the shop and pay a small corkage.

VINYL BAR

MUSIC & SPORTS BAR 70 Pasteur, Q1 Tel: 0907 890623

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HCMC 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.

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.

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.

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.

ZANZBAR

LOUNGE BAR & RESTOBAR 19-21 Dong Khoi, Q1, Tel: (08) 3822 7375 Creative cocktails, an extensive wine list, subtle lighting, international tapas and a laid-back, lightbox-lit ambience are all part of the offering at the all-new ZanZBar on the river end of Dong Khoi.

Popular with a businessy, international crowd.

CAFES & ICE-CREAM AU PARC

EUROPEAN / MEDITERRANEAN 23 Han Thuyen, Q1, Tel: (08) 3829 2772 Auparcsaigon.com Set in a shophouse-style building, Au Parc offers a chic colonial space to indulge in sensibly priced European and Mediterranean food complemented with good coffee and excellent desserts.

BACH DANG

ICE CREAM PARLOUR / CAFE 26-28 Le Loi, Q1, Tel: (08) 3829 2707

BASKIN ROBBINS

ICE CREAM PARLOUR 1 Truong Dinh, Q1, Tel: (08) 7308 3131 baskinrobbins.vn

CASBAH

MIDDLE EASTERN 59 Nguyen Du, Q1, Tel: (08) 3824 5130 This secluded Middle Eastern coffeehouse has both cozy indoor and rooftop seating to admire views of the city. With such a prime downtown location, expect prices to match.

CENTRO

ITALIAN / CONTEMPORARY CAFE 11-13 Lam Son Square, Q1, Tel: (08) 3827 5946 Conveniently located near the Caravelle Hotel, this casual cafe serves one of the best lattes in town with a mid-range Italian menu including panini and other typical fare.

COFFEE BEAN & TEA LEAF

INTERNATIONAL Metropolitan Building, 235 Dong Khoi, Q1, Tel: (08) 3508 7285 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.

CREPERIE AND CAFÉ

FRENCH 5 Han Thuyen, Q1, Tel: (08) 3829 9117 Known for it’s fantastic street-side seating opposite the park on Le Duan and savoury crepes, this hang out café will impress you with its location as much as its food.

FANNY

ICE CREAM PARLOUR / CAFE 29-31 Ton That Thiep, Q1, Tel: (08) 3821 1633 fanny.com.vn

GIVRAL CAFÉ

INTERNATIONAL 80 Ham Nghi, Q1, Tel: (08) 3915 3704 saigongivral.com

GOODY

ICE CREAM PARLOUR / CAFE 133 Hai Ba Trung, Q1, Tel: (08) 3829 9339

GUANABANA SMOOTHIES

CONTEMPORARY JUICE BAR 23 Ly Tu Trong, Q1 Tel: 0909 824830 guanabanasmoothies.com An American-style juice

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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.

HÄAGEN-DAZS

ICE CREAM PARLOUR / CAFE 11 Han Thuyen, Q1, Tel: (08) 6683 5899; 20 Le Thanh Ton, Q1, Tel: (08) 3822 0066

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.

MAGONN THE CAFE 109 Le Thanh Ton, Q1, Tel: (08) 3822 9672 magonn.vn Nested above Magonn boutique, is a bright and inviting space for everything from drinks to bites. Coming with a crowd? The attic is a quaint little spot to fit a cozy gathering.

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.

PLANTRIP CHA

TEA ROOM 8A/10B1 Thai Van Lung Street, 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 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 PRINT ROOM

CONTEMPORARY CAFE 158 Pasteur, Q1, Tel: (08) 3823 4990 Second-storey coffeehouse 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.

TRUNG NGUYEN

INTERNATIONAL VIETNAMESE 80 Dong Khoi, Q1 trungnguyen.com.vn

ZEST BISTRO & CAFÉ

INTERNATIONAL 5 Ton Duc Thang, Q1, Tel: (08) 3911 5599 This two-storey building with a mezzanine level boasts an industrial style complex with block walls, steel structures and huge glass windows.

The mid-range menu offers over 40 options from appetizers to desserts.

CLOTHING & ACCESSORIES ANUPA ECO LUXE

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.

DEBENHAMS

ADULT & CHILDREN’S WEAR Vincom Center, 70-72 Le Thanh Ton, Q1, Tel: (08) 6291 7592

GALLERY VIVEKKEVIN

DESIGN & JEWELLERY 35 Dong Khoi, Q1, Tel: (08) 6291 8162 galleryvivekkevin.com 9.30am to 8pm 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.

GEISHA & GEISHA’S COFFEE AND TEA HOUSE

CASUAL & EVENING WEAR 85 Pasteur, Q1, Tel: (08) 3829 4004 Contemporary ranges of

casual and evening wear fused with Asian designs.

The apparel includes floral dresses, jean skirts, printed tees and street-style bags.

Enjoy a cup of coffee at their café after.

GINKGO

VIETNAM-THEMED CLOTHING 10 Le Loi, Q1, Tel: (08) 3521 8755 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 wires and motorbikes to creative, Siddharta-style imagery.

saigoncookingclass.com Learn to cook quality Vietnamese cuisine with local specialist Hoa Tuc. The three-hour 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

CRAFTS & FURNITURE BELLAVITA

HIGH-END FURNITURE Saigon Centre, 65 Le Loi, Q1, Tel: (08) 3821 4201 bellavitafurniture.com

IPA-NIMA

BOCONCEPT

L’USINE

DIABOLO

BAGS & ACCESSORIES 77-79 Dong Khoi, Q1, Tel: (08) 3822 3277; 71 Pasteur, Q1, Tel: (08) 3824 2701 ipa-nima.com 9am to 9pm

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

TAILOR-MADE SHOES 171 Le Thanh Ton, Q1, Tel: (08) 3827 5267

SONG

ASIAN / FRENCH BOUTIQUE 1st Floor, Saigon Centre, 65 Le Loi, Q1; 75 Pasteur, Q1, Tel: (08) 3914 4088 asiasongdesign.com

T&V TAILOR

TAILORS 39 Dong Du, Q1, Tel: (08) 3824 4556 triciaandverona.com

VESPA SHOP VESPA PRODUCTS / HELMETS Unit 66, Saigon Square, 7-9A Ton Duc Thang, Q1 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.

COOKING CLASSES SAIGON COOKING CLASSES BY HOA TUC 74 Hai Ba Trung, Q1, Tel: (08) 3825 8485

DANISH FURNITURE 68-70 Dong Du, Q1, Tel: (08) 3824 6604; The Crescent Mall, 101 Ton Dat Tien, Q7, Tel: (08) 5413 7357 boconcept.vn

FURNITURE & ACCESSORIES 13 Ngo Duc Ke, Q1, Tel: (08) 3825 1803 9am to 8pm

EM EM

SOUVENIRS 38 Mac Thi Buoi, Q1, Tel: (08) 3829 4408 8am to 9.30pm

LUXURY FURNITURE IN VIETNAM Tel: 0909 042765 luxury-furniture-vietnam. com A complete and exclusive range of furniture produced by high-end furniture producers in Vietnam and also in Europe (Austria, Denmark, Germany, Italy, France).

MEKONG CREATIONS

FAIR TRADE CRAFTS 35-37 Ngo Duc Ke, Q1, Tel: (08) 2210 3110 mekong-creations.org

NGUYEN FRERES

NIK-NAKS / CRAFTS 2 Dong Khoi, Q1, Tel: (08) 3823 9459 8am to 8pm

NINH KHUONG EMBROIDERY

EMBROIDERED PRODUCTS 83 Dong Khoi, Q1, Tel: (08) 3827 9079; 42 Le Loi, Q1.

(08) 3824 7456 ninhkhuong.vn

SAPA

ETHNIC ACCESSORIES / SOUVENIRS 69 Dong Khoi, Q1

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,

HCMC 65 Le Loi, Q1, Tel: (08) 3821 6115 www.nhaxinh.com

THE FURNITURE WAREHOUSE

EUROPEAN-STYLE FURNITURE 3B Ton Duc Thang, Q1, Tel: (08) 6657 0788 thefurniturewarehouse. com.vn

EAT 3T QUAN NUONG

VIETNAMESE BBQ Top Floor, 29 Ton That Thiep, Q1, Tel: (08) 3821 1631

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 match.

Excellent delivery service.

ASHOKA

NORTH INDIAN / CHINESE INDIAN 17/10 Le Thanh Ton, Q1, Tel: (08) 3823 1372 33 Tong Huu Dinh, Q2, Tel : (08) 3744 4177 ashokaindianrestaurant. com Long-running, awardwinning Indian restaurant famed for its excellent kebabs, creamy curries and Chinese-Indian fare.

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.

BAHDJA 87-89-91 Ho Tung Mau, Q1, Tel: 0122 763 1261 bahdjarestaurant@gmail. com Located just beneath Au Lac Saigon Hotel, 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 small but pleasant restaurant’s soothing ambience is matched by the owners’ genuine hospitality and complimented by an array of tasty tajines and couscousbased dishes. Make sure to try the excellent Moroccan wine, too.

BARBECUE GARDEN

VIETNAMESE / BARBECUE 135A Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, Q1, Tel: (08) 3823 3340; 134-136 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, Q1 barbecuegarden.com

BASILICO

CONTEMPORARY ITALIAN Ground Floor, Kumho Plaza, Cnr. Nguyen Du and Le Van Huu, Q1, Tel: (08) 3520 9099 intercontinental.com/saigon

BIBI@ALIBI 5A Nguyen Sieu, Q1, Tel: (08) 3825 6257 The legendary chef Bibi’s newest creation, a convivial restaurant serving Mediterranean cuisine using fresh products bought early morning at the market by Bibi himself. Delicious meats and fish dishes together with the famous tarte tatin.

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.

BOMBAY INDIAN

INDIAN MALAY 57-59 Ham Nghi, Q1, Tel: 0903 863114

BROTZEIT

GERMAN / RESTOBAR Level 1, Kumho Link, 9 Le Duan, Q1, Tel: (08) 3822 4206 brotzeit.co/kumholink

BUN CHA HA NOI

BUN CHA 26/1A Le Thanh Ton, Q1

CENTRAL PARC BANH MI 7 Bis Han Thuyen, Q1, Tel: (08) 3822 8549 Part of the Au Parc group, this miniscule, New Yorkthemed sandwich shop does creative lunchtime fare at excellent prices — think baguettes, wraps, focaccia and bagels. Excellent delivery service.

Friendly staff and rustic bare brick walls adorned with Hollywood film legends make for a relaxed and attractive setting.

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.

DRAGON NOODLE

JAPANESE NOODLES 29 Dong Du, Q1, Tel: (08) 3521 0008

ELBOW ROOM

AMERICAN 52 Pasteur, Q1, Tel: (08) 3821 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 5D Nguyen Sieu, Q1, Tel: (08) 3825 1879 elgaucho.com.vn A pleasant downtown eatery mixing an Argentinian steakhouse theme with pork, chicken, lamb, homemade spicy sausage, skewers, burger dishes and everything that can come off a grill.

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.

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.

GOLDEN ELEPHANT

CLASSIC THAI 34 Hai Ba Trung, Q1, Tel: (08) 3822 8554 saigonssk@vnn.vn

GOURMET’S DELIGHT

ROAST KITCHEN CANTONESE Unit 15, 1/F, Kumho Asiana Saigon, 39 Le Duan, Q1, Tel: (08) 3521 8181 gourmetsdelight.com.vn

GRILLBAR

AIRCON STREETFOOD 122 Le Thanh Ton, Q1, Tel: (08) 3822 7901 facebook.com/grillbareaterycafe Take a New York-style industrial atmosphere, add to it a range of grilled dishes, typical of the barbecue fare you’d find on the street, and then add in three types of rice and a range of organic products. Close to Ben Thanh Market, this is com binh dan

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

HOG’S BREATH CAFÉ

AUSTRALIAN / INTERNATIONAL 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

JASPA’S WINE & GRILL

INTERNATIONAL FUSION 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.

LE BANH MI 12 Le Thanh Ton, Q1, Tel: (08) 3822 1036

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HCMC

TOP EATS NOIR, DINING IN THE DARK

T

he dining in the dark concept has hit Saigon hard recently, with two new theme restaurants opening since September (Blackout is the other, at 74/7D Hai Ba Trung, Q1, HCMC, sharing space with La Camargue).

Further down Hai Ba Trung lies Noir, Dining in the Dark. Walking through the front doors guests are welcomed by a warm, ambient living room filled with a fusion of French and Asian décor — sophisticated yet comfortable.

With a combined 25 years of experience in food and beverage service, Noir owners Vu Anh Tu and Germ Doornbos’ resumés have included stints at Sofitel Metropole and the Hilton Opera in Hanoi, InterContinental Asiana Saigon, Vido Group and more.

Soon they plan to open a well-lit restaurant upstairs, featuring modern Asian cuisine, available for lunch and dinner.

“Tu and I, we both had our jobs [until recently], so we never really considered the immediacy of starting our own restaurant.

We always wanted our own place but yeah, when you’re working for another company, its kind of a dream.”

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Photos by Francis Xavier

Noir Gives Back “In Vietnam, only 6.3 percent of people who are visually impaired or blind have a job,” Germ says. “In Europe and parts of the US, blind people are a part of the society. However, here in Vietnam it is very limited. There’s still a long way to go.”

Germ and Tu developed a two-and-ahalf month training programme for their 10 blind and visually impaired employees, going over every aspect of Noir in detail.

Tu says, “We really thought this was a good opportunity for blind people and the visually impaired to have a new kind of job here in Vietnam.”

Dining In The Dark With the option of choosing two different types of courses — one from the East incorporating dishes from Thailand, Japan and Vietnam (VND480,000++ for three courses, VND350,000++ for two) and one from the West featuring classic European dishes (VND560,000++ for three courses, VND420,000++ for two) — we decided to go with the East.

Noir’s chef, Ngo Thanh Tuan, experiments with our four available senses, fooling our palates with different flavours and textures. Coming from a background

of five-star hotels and restaurants, it’s no wonder the food is so mouth-wateringly delicious. We won’t spoil the surprise by letting you in on the secret courses, but they are indeed delectable.

After locking our belongings in a security locker with surveillance, we were led into a pitch-black dining room and guided to our seats. Our blind server explained to us where all of the dining items were placed, entrusting us with real glassware and utensils.

“Is it pumpkin, carrot or — no, no, no, maybe it’s green bean?” we heard the other table say.

Our taste buds were awoken by different spices, sauces and textures, as we tried to guess which dish was which. The service was faultless.

“Since 70 percent of our senses is sight, 70 percent of the message sent to your brain is from what you see,” Germ says. “If you take some of these sights away and really focus on the remaining 30 percent — the smell, taste, hearing and touching — you really get kind of wowed.” — Rachel Cabakoff Noir, Dining in the Dark is at 178 Hai Ba Trung, Q1, HCMC. For a sneak peek, check noirdininginthedark.com

HCMC L’OLIVIER

FRENCH/MEDITERRANEAN 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 BETTOLA

LITTLE ITALY 84 Ho Tung Mau Q1, Tel: (08) 3914 4402 labettolasaigon.com Located in the heart of Saigon, La Bettola is the only restaurant in town managed by two Italian chefs and an Italian waiter. A woodfired pizza oven, a downstairs bar and a stylish, elegant setting on the second floor are part of the mix. As is the home-made mozzarella, ricotta cheese, ravioli magro, tortelli mushrooms, pappardelle and mascarpone cheese for the tiramisu, which is made fresh every day. Has a great selection of Italian wine.

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.

LA HOSTARIA

TRADITIONAL ITALIAN 17B Le Thanh Ton, Q1, Tel: (08) 3823 1080 lahostaria.com This downtown hideaway with rustic–style decorative trawls features fresh, light regional cuisine from across Italy. Try the carpaccio misto di pesce and agnello d’antico.

Also specializes in excellent wood-fired pizzas.

LE BOUCHON DE SAIGON

CLASSIC FRENCH / EUROPEAN FUSION 40 Thai Van Lung, Q1, Tel: (08) 3829 9263 lebouchondesaigon.com A sociable and popular French bistro serving up 100 percent organic, traditional Gallic staples such as French onion soup, escargot, and moules marinières, plus European fusion dishes, and competitively priced world wines.

LUONG SON

PAN-VIETNAMESE 31 Ly Tu Trong, Q1, Tel: (08) 3825 1330

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.

PASHA MAY RESTAURANT 19 – 21 Dong Khoi, Q1, Tel: (08) 6291 3686 may.restaurant19@gmail.com 7am to late Casual yet stylish, May places internationalstyle 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 multi-floored restaurant and bar. Check out their set lunches and happy hour.

MARKET 39

INTERNATIONAL BUFFET Ground Floor, InterContinental Asiana Saigon, Crn. of Hai Ba Trung & Le Duan, Q1, Tel: (08) 3520 9999 intercontinental.com/saigon

MOGAMBO

PAN-AMERICAN / TEX-MEX 50 Pasteur, Q1, Tel: (08) 3825 1311 mogambo@saigonnet.vn

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

TURKISH / INTERNATIONAL 25 Dong Du, Q1, Tel: (08) 6291 3677 pasha.com.vn Sumptuous, Turkish-themed restaurant close to the mosque with Islamic-style white dome décor and comfortable, cushioned seating.Authentically Turkish cuisine with a sprinkling of western fare thrown in.

PENDOLASCO

PAN-ITALIAN 36 Tong Huu Dinh, Q2, Tel: (08) 6253 2828 pendolasco.vn Opening out into a large, leafy terracottatiled garden area, this trattoria-style Italian restaurant serves up quality homemade pasta, risotto, gnocchi, excellent pizza and grilled dishes. Another branch downtoan at 87 Nguyen Hue, Q1.

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.

NHA HANG NGON

VILLA DINING / STREETFOOD 160 Pasteur, Q1, Tel: (08) 3827 7131

NINETEEN

INTERNATIONAL / ASIAN Ground floor, Caravelle Hotel, 19 Lam Son Square, Q1, Tel: (08) 3823 4999 caravellehotel.com

OMG!

FUSION CUISINE / LOUNGE BAR 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.

OSAKA RAMEN LE JARDIN

CLASSIC FRENCH 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.

LUCCA

TRATTORIA-STYLE ITALIAN 88 Ho Tung Mau, Ben Nghe, Q1, Tel: (08) 3915 3691 A contemporary trattoria in the heart of Saigon, serving home-cooked Italian cuisine with New York flair in a beautifully designed space with high ceilings. The menu features both traditional antipasti and substantial main courses.

JAPANESE NOODLES 18 Thai Van Lung, Q1; SD04, Lo H29-2, KP My Phat, Phu My Hung, Q7

OPERA

CONTEMPORARY ITALIAN Ground Floor, Park Hyatt Saigon, 2 Lam Son, Q1, Tel: (08) 3824 1234 saigon.park.hyatt.com A contemporary, casual, trattoria-style restaurant with al fresco dining overlooking the Opera House. Specialising in both traditional and contemporary Italian cuisine, the restaurant also features an impressive breakfast menu.

PACHARAN

SPANISH / EUROPEAN 97 Hai Ba Trung, Q1, Tel: (08) 3825 6924

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HCMC 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.

QUAN BUI 2

TRADITIONAL VIETNAMESE 17A Ngo Van Nam, Q1, Tel: (08) 3829 1515 With its leafy roof garden and chic interior, Quan Bui offers a wide selection of Vietnamese cuisine which is cooked in their open kitchen.

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.

REFLECTIONS

INTERNATIONAL / FINE DINING 3rd floor, Caravelle Hotel, 19 Lam Son Square, Q1, Tel: (08) 3823 4999

RIVERSIDE CAFÉ

INTERNATIONAL / ASIAN 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.

SAIGON CAFÉ

INTERNATIONAL / BUFFET Level 1, Sheraton Saigon Hotel and Towers, 88 Dong Khoi, Q1 Tel: (08) 3827 2828 sheratonsaigon.com

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.

SEOUL HOUSE

KOREAN 33 Mac Thi Buoi, Q1, Tel: (08) 3829 4297 seoul.house@yahoo.com.kr

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.

SQUARE ONE TOP-END INTERNATIONAL / VIETNAMESE First Floor, Park Hyatt Saigon, 2 Lam Son, Q1, Tel: (08) 3824 1234 saigon.park.hyatt.com An atmospheric Ho Chi Minh City restaurant featuring simple and authentic Vietnamese and Western cuisine offered from an impressive display of integrated show kitchens to serve guests in five different dining areas. Open for lunch and dinner.

TANDOOR SKEWERS

INTERNATIONAL / MEDITERRANEAN 9A Thai Van Lung, Q1, Tel: (08) 3822 4798 skewers-restaurant.com Simple, unpretentious Greek-influenced, 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.

SORAE

SUSHI SAKE LOUNGE Level 24, AB Tower, 76 Le Lai, Q1, Tel: 0938 687689 soraesushi.com Set over two floors, this

170 | Word December 2014 | wordvietnam.com

NORTH / SOUTH INDIAN 74/6 Hai Ba Trung, Q1, Tel: (08) 3930 4839 Tandoorvietnam.com

TEMPLE CLUB

PAN-VIETNAMESE 29-31 Ton That Thiep, Q1, Tel: (08) 3829 9244 Templeclub.com.vn Once a hotel for Indian dignitaries 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 SWISS HOUSE SAIGON 54 Le Thanh Ton, Q1, Tel: (08) 3824 2079 swisshousesaigon.com Serving up authentic cuisine spanning the three linguistic regions of Switzerland, as well as dishes from Bavaria and Austria, this attractive, two-floor Swiss-styled restaurant also boasts a beer cellar in the basement.

TOKYO BBQ

JAPANESE BARBECUE 15A6 Le Thanh Ton, Q1, Tel: (08) 3822 2527

VESPER BAR

INTERNATIONAL / TAPAS-STYLE Landmark Building, 5B Ton Duc Thang, Q1, Tel: (08) 3822 9698 Headed up by well-known chef Andy Ertle, Vesper Bar is a sophisticated yet downto-earth wine and cocktail bar. Serving creative, Japanese-influenced tapas to supplement the drinks, the subtle lighting and loungestyle atmosphere makes this a great drinking and dining venue

WARDA

MIDDLE-EASTERN 71/7 Mac Thi Buoi, Q1, Tel: (08) 3823 3822 info@wardavn.com The deep colours, Arabic décor and cushioned outdoor terrace area give this popular venue its unique touch.

The food is good, too, taking in tabouleh, houmous, falafel and mutabbal, shwarmas and more. Sells authentic shisha.

YAMANEKO

JAPANESE / OKINAWA 13/1 Le Thanh Ton, Q1, Tel: (08) 3823 8433 yamaneko–vn.com Funky Yamaneko — down an alley off Le Thanh Ton — offers delicious, unpretentious Okinawan fare alongside mainland staples. Does a great set lunch deal.

WRAP & ROLL 62 Hai Ba Trung, Q1, Tel: (08) 3822 2166; 111 Nguyen

NUTRIFORT

GENERAL FITNESS 2B1 Chu Manh Trinh, Q1, Tel: (08) 3825 8560 nutrifort.com Offers fitness classes and personal training with excellent facilities. Group classes include power yoga, pilates, circuit training, martial arts and spinning. There is also a spa and a restaurant serving calorie–calibrated meals.

RENAISSANCE HOTEL HEALTH CLUB

HEALTH CLUB & GYM 8–15 Ton Duc Thang, Q1, Tel: (08) 3822 0033

SAIGON FITNESS CO. 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.

HEALTH CLUB & GYM New World Hotel, 76 Le Lai, Q1, Tel: (08) 3822 8888 saigon.newworldhotels.com

SHERATON FITNESS

HEALTH CLUB & GYM Level 5, Sheraton Saigon Hotel and Towers, 88 Dong Khoi, Q1, Tel: (08) 3827 2828 sheratonsaigon.com

SOFITEL PLAZA FITNESS CENTRE

HEALTH CLUB & GYM 17 Le Duan, Q1, Tel: (08) 3824 1555

THE LANDMARK CLUB

FITNESS, DANCE & YOGA ANUPA YOGA

9 Dong Du, Q1, Tel: (08) 3822 2394 anupa.net/yoga-anupa

CALIFORNIA FITNESS CENTRE

THE BURGER CORNER

INTERNATIONAL 43 Nguyen Hue, Q1, Tel: (08) 3821 0094

Hue, Q1, Tel: (08) 3821 8971 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.

FITNESS CENTRE Queen Ann Building, 28–30– 32 Le Lai, Q1, Tel: (08) 6291 5999 Cfyc.com.vn

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.

GALLERIES BLUE SPACE & PARTICULAR ART GALLERY 97A Pho Duc Chinh, Q1, Tel: (08) 3821 3695 bluespacearts.com

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.

HO CHI MINH CITY FINE ARTS MUSEUM 97A Pho Duc Chinh, Q1, Tel: (08) 3829 4441 baotangmythuattphcm.vn

PHUONG MAI ART GALLERY 129B Le Thanh Ton, Q1, Tel: (08) 3823 3181 07 Phan Chu Trinh, Q1, Tel: (08) 3822 3166 phuongmaigallery.com

GROCERIES, LIQUOR & WINE ANNAM GOURMET MARKET

GROCERY & DELI 16–18 Hai Ba Trung, Q1, Tel: (08) 3822 9332 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. Free delivery for Districts 1, 2 and 3.

BACCHUS CORNER

WINE SHOP 158D Pasteur, Q1, Tel: (08) 3829 3306 bacchuscorner.com A range of spirits, whiskies and wines at affordable prices.

Wines come from all over the world with an especially good selection from France, Chile and South Africa. Also has an excellent range of single malts, top shelf tequilas and has an on–site wine tasting machine, the Enomatic, the first of its kind in Vietnam.

DALOC

WINE SHOP 74E Hai Ba Trung, Q1, Tel: (08) 5404 3575 daloc.vn

KIM HAI BUTCHERS

BUTCHERS 73 Le Thi Hong Gam, Q1, Tel: (08) 3914 4376 kimhai.vn

PHUONG HA

GROCERS 58 Ham Nghi, Q1, Tel: (08) 3914 1318

RED APRON

WINE SHOP 22 Chu Manh Trinh, Q1, Tel: (08) 3823 0021

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

VINIFERA

WINE SHOP 7 Thai Van Lung, Q1, Tel: (08) 3521 0860 viniferavn.com

VINO WINE SHOP

WINE SHOP 74/17 Hai Ba Trung, Q1, Tel: (08) 6299 1315 Professional advice on selecting and tasting wines. Also offers regular popular wine courses.

The outdoor terrace area is the perfect spot to sample a new vintage.

HAIRDRESSERS VENUS 41 Nguyen Trung Ngan, Q1, Tel: (08) 3829 6298

MEDICAL & DENTAL ACCADENT

INTERNATIONAL DENTAL CLINIC Kumho Asiana Plaza, 39 Le Duan, Q1, Tel: (08) 3822 8800 accadent.com

CENTRE MEDICAL INTERNATIONAL (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 and traditional medicine.

FAMILY MEDICAL PRACTICE HCMC

INTERNATIONAL CLINIC Diamond Plaza, 34 Le Duan, Q1, Tel: (08) 3822 7848 vietnammedicalpractice.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 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.

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.

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.

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 massage and some excellent treatments.

MEKONG BLISS SPA 112, Pasteur, Q1, Tel: (08) 6299 0563 10am to 10pm (last booking 9.30pm)

Q SPA & SALON 31Q LY TU TRONG, Q1, TEL: (08) 3905 4609 Qspaandsalon.com An old world, Indochine-esque interior complete with wooden floors, flowers and flowing drapes makes this an excellent atmosphere in which to enjoy a massage. Also offers hair styling and facials.

ROSA BLANCA BEAUTY 23C Ton Duc Thang, Q1 Specialising in all forms of skincare, this is well–designed, ambient and outfitted day spa offers body treatments as well as facials and foot treatments.

SPA INTERCONTINENTAL AND HEALTH CLUB 3rd Floor, InterContinental Asiana Saigon, crn.of Hai Ba Trung & Le Duan, Q1, Tel: (08) 3520 9999 intercontinental.com/saigon

SALONS & SPAS AQUA DAY SPA Level 5, Sheraton Saigon Hotel and Towers, 88 Dong Khoi, Q1 Tel: (08) 3827 2828 aquadayspasaigon.com

THANH SANCTUARY Nguyen Du Villas, 111 Nguyen Du, Q1, Tel: (08) 3822 0885

THE SPA AT 1960 PRESIDENTIAL CLUB 22nd floor, Sailing Tower, 111A Pasteur, Q1, Tel: (08) 2220 2600 spa1960.vn

FAME NAILS SALON

THE SPA

3 Truong Dinh, Q1, Tel: 0909 682 827 famenails.com

Saigon Pearl, 92 Nguyen Huu Canh, Binh Thanh, Tel: (08) 3514 9007 Saigon Centre, 3M Floor, 65 Le Loi, Q1, Tel: (08) 3821 1800 thespavietnam.com

GLOW SPA 129A Nguyen Hue, Q1, Tel: (08) 3823 8368 glowsaigon.com 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.

THE SPA AT NEW WORLD HOTEL 76 Le Lai, Q1, Tel: (08) 3822 8888 saigon.newworldhotels.com

XUAN SPA Park Hyatt, 2 Lam Son Square, Q1, Tel: (08) 3824 1234 hyattpure.com

HCMC

THE EMPTY WOK QUESADILLAS WITH A TWIST

A food blogger and self-styled chef, this month Riccha Arora indulges her sweet tooth

A food blogger and self-styled chef, this month Riccha Arora unveils one of her secret weapons

F

or me quesadillas are the perfect food. This classic Mexican dish has changed and evolved over many years, as it’s experimented with different variations. There's definitely more to a quesadilla than just plain cheese and tortilla. Here’s my favourite quesadilla recipe — with a twist!

This pan-grilled chicken and pineapple variation is a mouth-watering combination of flavour explosions. The ooey gooey goodness of melted cheese, the heat from the jalapenos and Cajun seasoning adds kick, while the sweetness of the pineapple balances everything out.

Ingredients: — 6 whole flour tortillas — 300g of boneless, skinless chicken breasts — 1 cup fresh sweet pineapple, cut into wedges — 1/2 cup of red bell pepper, chopped finely — 2 jalapenos, deseeded and chopped finely 172 | Word December 2014 | wordvietnam.com

Photo by Francis Xavier

— 1 cup Monterey jack or cheddar cheese, grated — Cajun seasoning and salt, to taste — Cilantro, chopped finely — Tbsp butter or margarine

Start with the filling.

— Cut the chicken breast into bite-size pieces, add Cajun seasoning (cumin, garlic powder, paprika, ground black pepper) and mix well.

— Sizzle 1 tbsp butter in a non-stick grilling pan, add the seasoned chicken and grill on a medium-high flame until the meat is half-cooked.

— Next add bell pepper, jalapenos, pineapple and salt. Grill for another seven to eight minutes until the water from the pineapple is dried (leave it uncovered).

— Now place it all together in a bowl.

To assemble, take one tortilla at a time.

— Grease the tortilla with melted butter

or margarine.

— Layer half the tortilla with the grated cheese, chicken and vegetable mixture.

Only use about two heaping tablespoons of filling per large tortilla.

— The half-moon technique is easier to flip than a quesadilla made with two tortillas. Just spread your filling over half of the tortilla, then fold the other half over the filling.

— Now heat the nonstick grilling pan and lay down the filled quesadilla, flipping it with a spatula under the open side.

— Once the cheese is perfectly melted you’ll know it’s ready.

Repeat the assembling procedure with each quesadilla — stopping when it’s hot, crunchy and gooey. Dip it in your favorite salsa or sour cream.

Riccha Arora runs the Facebook page Sassy Kitchen — facebook.com/pages/SassyKitchen/514471675341572

HCMC

pham ngu lao

BAKERIES / BARS & CLUBS / CAFES / CLOTHING & ACCESSORIES / CRAFTS & FURNITURE / EAT / GALLERIES BAKERIES CRUMBS

BAKERY 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.

TOUS LES JOURS

KOREAN BAKERY 59 Tran Hung Dao, Q1, Tel: (08) 3914 4350

BARS & CLUBS BIA TUOI 33

BIA HOI 33 Bui Vien, Q1

BREAD & BUTTER

INTERNATIONAL / COMFORT FOOD 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).

GO2

INTERNATIONAL / RESTOBAR 187 De Tham, Q1, Tel: (08) 3836 9575

GODMOTHER BAR

RESTOBAR / VIETNAMESE / WESTERN 129 Cong Quynh, Q1, Tel: (08) 3832 4589 godmothersaigon.com Only a couple blocks from the bru-haha of Bui Vien, Godmother’s is a small watering hole with big attractions including excellent mojitos, good food, and the weekly Optimus Club featuring international DJ’s.

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. Check out their daily drink specials and Tuesday night pub quizzes.

UNIVERSAL BAR

LIVE MUSIC / RESTOBAR 90 Bui Vien, Q1, Tel: 01633 343933 universalbarsaigon.com

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.

SAIGON VIBRATIONS

REGGAE BAR 143 Nguyen Trai, Q1 facebook.com/saigon.vibrations Just off The Pham, this intothe-early-hours reggae inspired joint holds regular themed nights all in the name of that most special of sounds — the one from Jamaica.

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

CAFES BOBBY BREWER’S

INTERNATIONAL 45 Bui Vien, Q1, Tel: (08) 3920 4090 bobbybrewers.com Choose from a full range of café beverages and a fast-food style menu as you watch the latest Hollywood hits in their upstairs lounge.

Check website for movie locations and schedule.

CHICCO DICAFF CAFÉ

ITALIAN & VIETNAMESE 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.

COFFEE BEAN & TEA LEAF

INTERNATIONAL 157-159 Nguyen Thai Hoc, Q1, Tel: (08) 3837 9347 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.

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.

BAM SKATE SHOP

THI CAFÉ

SOUVENIRS / CLOTHING 1B Bui Vien, Q1, Tel: (08) 2210 2084 8am to 10.30pm

LIVE MUSIC / LOUNGE 224 De Tham, Q1, Tel: (08) 2210 2929

T&R TAVERN

DIVE BAR 57 Do Quang Dau, Q1, Tel: (08) 3838 9839

CLOTHING & ACCESSORIES SKATEWEAR / STREET 174 Bui Vien, Q1, Tel: 0903 641826 Bamskateshop.com.vn

BLUE DRAGON

GINKGO

VIETNAM-THEMED CLOTHING 54-56 Bui Vien, Q1, Tel: (08) 6270 5928 ginkgo-vietnam.com Quality, original, Vietnam-

wordvietnam.com | December 2014 Word | 173

HCMC

TOP EATS ROM BBQ

I

almost walk past the street-level entrance to Rom BBQ, a Vietnamese rooftop cook-it-yourself joint close to Ben Thanh Market, perched on what could be one of District 1’s prime urban mountaintops. At seven floors up it’s more of a hillock, but bear with me.

With only a modest menu displayed at the doorway to a dim, mostly shuttered shopping arcade, we are grateful for the uniformed employee dispatched to round up the crane-necked folks like us shuffling around the pavement.

After a quick ascent, the smell of smoking coals and grilled meat hits us as soon as the elevator doors open. With barbecues come memories. For me, it’s summer holidays as a child, my dad standing with blackened fingers, a French beer in one hand and tongs in the other, the meat from the post-beach trip to le supermarché sizzling away. Whatever it conjures for you, there’s something uniquely comforting about caveman cooking. Like sitting around a campfire or sharing a fondue, it’s not just about food, it’s an event.

Upon entering Rom’s partially covered rooftop terrace, the carefully considered design is immediately apparent. Modern,

174 | Word December 2014 | wordvietnam.com

Photos by Glen Riley

polished concrete surfaces, contemporary lighting and exposed ducting sit nicely alongside the colonial era tiling and industrial French café chairs. Around the buzzing space, soft plumes of smoke rise from the mini barbecues set into the tables, each one surrounded by large families or groups of friends nattering away as they tend to the bubbling hot-pots or crackling meats before them.

A young couple sat on the periphery gaze out at the moon and the city over a bottle of wine. Taking in the best that downtown Saigon has to offer, the sweeping views are grand — although already tinged with nostalgia, as one imagines the outline of another skyscraper standing in the currently vacant plot across the road.

But now we must eat.

Where It’s At Although hotpots are available, the clue is in the name. The barbecue section of the menu is where the fun is really at, occupying several pages with a wide variety of meat and seafood options. Along with a side of zingy lemongrass rice and assorted barbecue friendly vegetables such as okra and sweet potato, we commence

proceedings with a combo platter. The white hot grill is quickly loaded with slithers of duck, goat, chicken and pork, each marinated in a range of homemade sauces — the coconut milk and sesame chicken in particular attracting multiple nods of approval from the table. Tender and flavoursome, the superb quality of the meat is obvious.

After a refreshing round of top-notch salmon wrapped in perilla leaves, we move onto the beef. Skipping over imported US steaks, ribs, kebabs and tempting cheese/beef parcels, our fingers land on the Kobe beef.

Opting for the friendly waitress’s recommendation of a five-spice seasoning, the thin slices of perfectly marbled meat arrive looking good enough to eat sashimistyle before they’ve even touched the grill.

But touch the grill they do. Cooking in mere seconds and taken with a scoop of lemony rice, the combination puts me in meaty heaven.

At VND122,000 a portion, it’s a steal.

Add a VND40,000 glass of draft Sapporo and repeat as necessary. — Simon Stanley Rom BBQ is at Thanh The Plaza rooftop, 2-4-6 Luu Van Lang, Q1, Ho Chi Minh City.

For more info, go to rombbq.com.vn

HCMC themed tees are the showpiece at this airy French-run store. Designs are inspired by anything from the Vietnamese flag, local telecom wires and motorbikes to creative, Siddharta-style imagery.

CORIANDER

MARATHON

LA CANTINA

BUDGET CLOTHING 147 Bui Vien, Q1, Tel: (08) 3920 7442; 123A Bui Vien, Q1, Tel: (08) 3838 0019

PAPAYA

BUDGET CLOTHING 232 Bui Vien, Q1 papaya-tshirt.com

THAI / VIETNAMESE 16 Bui Vien, Q1, Tel: (08) 3837 1311

JJ’S FISH ‘N CHIPS

FISH & CHIPS / STREET STALL Cnr. 38B Tran Hung Dao & De Tham, Q1

TEX-MEX / VIETNAMESE 175/3 Pham Ngu Lao, Q1, Tel: (08) 3837 0760

U.BEST HOUSE

TRAVEL GEAR 163 Nguyen Thai Hoc, Q1, Tel: 0978 967588 Ubesthouse.com

ITALIAN / TEX-MEX 175/1 Pham Ngu Lao, Q1, Tel: (08) 3837 0760

PUNJABI INDIAN RESTAURANT

NORTH INDIAN / PUNJAB 40/23 Bui Vien, Q1, Tel: (08) 3508 3777 monuvn@gmail.com Ignore the non-trendy, holein-the-wall appearance. This side-street Indian serves up some excellent fare at reasonable prices, with a number of Punjabi specialities to boot.

CRAFTS & FURNITURE SAPA

ETHNIC ACCESSORIES / SOUVENIRS 209 De Tham, Q1, Tel: (08) 3838 9780

EAT 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.

BURRITO REVOLUTION

TEX-MEX / STREET STALL 124 Bui Vien, Q1, Tel: 0902 714882

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.

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.

MARGHERITA

ORANGE

BUDGET CLOTHING 152 Bui Vien, Q1, Tel: (08) 3820 2620 9am to 10pm

TIN NGHIA

SISTERS CAFE

VIETNAMESE/WESTERN 185/30 Pham Ngu Lao, Q1, Tel: 0903 643446 Light wood paneling, beige walls and locally themed artwork help to create a fresh and airy ambience in this café-cum-restaurant that is owned by the woman behind Chi’s Café. Also does visa extensions and motorbike rental.

TAM HAO HANDPULLED NOODLES CHINESE NOODLES 195A De Tham, Q1 tamhao.com Nothing gets better than a bowl of tasteful broth and hand-pulled Chinese noodles, especially when it’s from Tam Hao. Hip interior design draws many a traveller into this tasteful but non-fancy hotel noodle restaurant, leaving them craving for more.

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.

WRAP & ROLL 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. Check out the second floor, junglein-the-wall décor at this particular branch. Unique and refreshing.

ZEUS

GREEK / KEBAB 164 Cong Quynh, Q1, Tel: (08) 3837 3248

ZOOM CAFÉ

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.

GALLERIES 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.

Do you think you should be listed on these pages? If so, simply email us on listings@wordvietnam.com and we’ll see what we can do. We can’t promise but we’ll try our best

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HCMC

A WORLD

OF

I FEEL YOUR PAIN

O

ver meetings with childrights partners who work on anti-trafficking initiatives, I was asked — and not for the first time — why I do what I do (the questioners naturally were in happy favour of my ‘altruism’). But my answer perplexed them greatly.

There seems to be a general confusion around empathy and sympathy, and altruism and compassion. At this time of year — and with that wretched ‘save Africa’ song braying about — now is as good a time as any to wade in and ruffle a few more feathers.

What Empathy Is Many say empathy is ‘understanding’ or ‘perceiving accurately’ another person’s state, and sympathy is ‘pity’ or ‘sorrow’ for that person’s rotten luck. Problem is, too many confuse the two and then muck it up further by tossing in ‘altruism’ as synonymous for empathy and compassion (more ‘pity’, by the way). “I know, I understand, I feel your pain.” Blech.

How can you ‘know’ me? You’re not me.

Altruism is ‘unselfish’ concern for others (sorry, impossible. Everyone is selfish).

However, did you spot the key word?

That’s right: pity. Blech. There is not a

176 | Word December 2014 | wordvietnam.com

single person on this planet trying to help themselves and their communities who wants your pity. What they want is your respect, tolerance and fellowship.

Re-re-re-releasing a nasty little song with odious lyrics to ‘help Africa’ now fight ebola is not empathy (‘no rain nor rivers flow’ in Africa) or sympathy (‘thank God it’s them instead of you’) and it certainly isn’t altruism (‘spare a thought this yuletide for the deprived’). It’s shilling for one’s career disguised as knowing what’s best to help those who apparently cannot help themselves — and all it takes is just one ‘thought’ about all those sad, poor people (yes, the new lyrics were slightly amended, but it’s still white saviour drivel).

A handful of Anglo musicians cannot speak for ‘Africa’ no matter how much Bono screeches about his philanthropy.

What you get is ‘charity’ for Africa without any Africans involved. A better response is directing human or resource capital at medical NGOs working in the field.

It’s Understanding First...

Empathy means you’re aware of others’ feelings, and more importantly how they perceive a given situation, because you ask ‘why’. This appreciation of a person’s point

GOOD

BY DANA MCNAIRN

of view or situation is without histrionics, hypocrisy or judgement.

And the answer that annoyed my questioners? Altruism is one’s own need to act and yes, provide temporary relief to another’s suffering — but it cannot solve the systemic and structural injustices that created the misery in the first place. That requires empathy.

Empathy is really listening and focussing when someone is speaking (no simultaneous texting or emailing).

Empathy is being genuinely curious about the people, places and situations around you. You don’t have to like them or it, but you have to be sincere about being present and willing to learn. As another example, we don’t need boys who are sympathetic that a menstruating girl is being bullied at school. We need those boys’ empathy to stand up to the bully.

Definitions are tough. Your behaviour is compassionate; hers is sympathetic; his is altruistic. But at the end of the day empathy says all views are welcome and equal.

Peace.

Dana McNairn works at KOTO, a nonprofit social enterprise and vocational training programme for at-risk youth. She can be contacted at dana.mcnairn@koto.com.au

HCMC

district 1

BARS & CLUBS / BOOKS / CAFES / CLOTHING & ACCESSORIES / COOKING CLASSES / CRAFTS & FURNITURE / EAT / FITNESS, DANCE & YOGA / GALLERIES / INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS / MEDICAL & DENTAL / SALONS & SPAS

DISTRICT 1 Downtown Pham Ngu Lao

Binh Thanh

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Th i

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Le

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Le Lo i

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Ham Nghi

District 2

Hu ng

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District 10

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District 4

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BARS & CLUBS BEER AND GRILL (BG SAIGON)

CONTEMPORARY BEER HALL 37 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, Q1, Tel: 0906 780081

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.

HOA VIEN

CZECH BREWHOUSE 28 Mac Dinh Chi, Q1, Tel: (08) 3825 8605 hoavien.vn

vatory on the other side of Pham Ngu Lao. Open late, holds a number of nights like Tropical Wednesday, Thursday-before-midnightshots-only ladies’ night and Underground Saturdays, all in an attempt to pump things up for the party seekers in town.

BOOKS LIBRAIRIE FRANCAISE NAM PHONG 82 Truong Dinh, Q1, Tel: (08) 3914 7858 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

MZ CLUB

LIVE MUSIC / NIGHTCLUB 56A Bui Thi Xuan, Q1, Tel: (08) 3925 5258 m-zing.com

SAIGON VIBRATIONS

Du

Ng uy en

Ma

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Ba

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Ng uy en

Kh ai

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Ho

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D

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District 3

an g

REGGAE BAR 143 Nguyen Trai, Q1 facebook.com/saigon.vibrations Saigon’s first reggae bar located close to The Obser-

CAFES (A) CAFE 15 Huynh Khuong Ninh, Da Kao, Q1, Tel: 0903 199701 Settle into the Javanesestyle 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 are must haves for the avid coffee drinker.

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 1960s-era 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.

COFFEE BEAN & TEA LEAF

INTERNATIONAL 235 Nguyen Van Cu, Q1, Tel: (08) 3833 3648 coffeebean.com.vn

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HCMC 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.

GIVRAL CAFÉ

INTERNATIONAL / FRENCH 97 Nguyan Huu Cau, Q1, Tel: (08) 3844 3295 saigongivral.com

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’AN MIEN DINING CAFE

INTERNATIONAL / VIETNAMESE 76A Le Lai, Q1, Tel: (08) 3821 2718 The outdoor, well-aired terrace is the centrepiece of this popular, contemporary café. Enjoy live music on weekends as you sip on reasonably priced Vietnamese or espresso-based coffee.

LE PETIT CAFÉ

FRENCH 112 Pham Viet Chanh, Q1, Tel: (08) 6291 2067

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.

while spending an afternoon in this candy-land inspired cafe.

phere. Subtle lighting and an extensive wine list make up the mix.

THINGS CAFE

CAFÉ IF

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.

COBALT

COOKING CLASSES OVERLAND CLUB 35Bis Huynh Khuong Ninh, Q1, Tel: (08) 3820 9734 overlandclub.jp Sunday 1.30pm to 5pm 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.

CRAFTS & FURNITURE GAYA

CONTEMPORARY FURNISHINGS 1 Nguyen Van Trang, Q1, Tel: (08) 3925 1495 gayavietnam.com Set in one of the most attractive post-World War II buildings in the city, Gaya has a reputation for chic and sophisticated indoor and outdoor sofas, pod seats, lamps and tableware, with all products both constructed and designed locally. You can find a wide range of mirrors and lacquerware with bowls, vases and contemporary Asian-style boxes as well as a fantastic selection of linenembroidered bedding in all colours and designs. Prices here match the quality of the products.

EAT 27 GRILL

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

VIETNAMESE FRENCH 38 Dang Dung, Q1, Tel: (08) 3846 9853 MSG-free traditional Vietnamese cuisine with a French twist, cooked fresh to order. Dishes include noodle soup, steamed ravioli and beef stew, stir fries, hot pots and curries.

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 grill-style fare in a refined yet contemporary atmos-

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ROOFTOP RESTOBAR Floor 30-31, Pullman Saigon Centre, 148 Tran Hung Dao, Q1, Tel: (08) 3838 8686 pullman-saigon-centre.com A tapas-style contemporary international menu in an equally modern chic space, Cobalt also has panoramic views over the city thanks to its 30th-floor location. Has a focus on wine matching and tasting. A hotel restaurant with a difference.

DYNASTY

CANTONESE / PAN-CHINESE New World Hotel, 76 Le Lai, Q1, Tel: (08) 3822 8888 saigon.newworldhotels.com Elegant surroundings, top quality ingredients, attentive service and comfortable, roundtable dining makes Dynasty one of the top Chinese restaurants in town, with a classic dim sum menu.

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.

MAY RESTAURANT

INDOCHINE VIETNAMESE 3/5 Hoang Sa, Q1, Tel: (08) 3910 1277 May-cloud.com Meaning ‘Cloud’, May utilises homemade recipes and broths developed by the restaurateur’s father, such as pan-fried duck breast served with nuoc mam and ginger, and 1940s style spring rolls. This is the Saigonese cooking of old set in an Indochine atmosphere.

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.

PAN-SOUTHEAST ASIAN 1 Cao Ba Nha, Q1, Tel: (08)

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.

NEW YORK STEAKHOUSE

AMERICAN / FRENCH 25–27 Nguyen Dinh Chieu, Q1, Tel: (08) 3823 7373 steakhouse.com.vn NYSW is well known for serving up formidable prime signature cuts of New York strip steak, rib eye, double strip loins and chateaubriands along with sophisticated sides, in a glitzy, Hollywood-esque atmosphere.

PARKVIEW

INTERNATIONAL / ASIAN New World Hotel, 76 Le Lai, Q1, Tel: (08) 3822 8888 saigon.newworldhotels.com Flagship restaurant of The New World Hotel, serving lavish buffets all day. Many cooking stations ranging from Chinese to Italian, sushi and seafood, to salads, cold cuts, cheese plates and desserts.

QUAN BUI

TRADITIONAL VIETNAMESE 8 Nguyen Van Nguyen, Q1, Tel: (08) 3602 2241 Make sure to try the sautéed shrimps with cashew nuts and crispy fried tofu with lime wedge, at this popular, high-quality eatery where all food is served in traditional crockery.

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.

TIEM COM GA HAI NAM

CHINESE / VIETNAMESE BINH DAN 67 Le Thi Hong Gam, Q1, Tel: (08) 3821 7751

FITNESS, DANCE & YOGA MONSOON

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.

STAR FITNESS GYM

HEALTH CLUB & GYM

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.

WE LINK

COUNSELLING 64 Ho Hao Hon, Q1, Tel: (08) 6291 2900 contact@welink.vn Psychological counselling services for individual, group and family. Diverse counsellors and therapists, using Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Art Therapy, Systemic Family Therapy. For adolescents and adults. Vietnamese, English, French and Spanish spoken.

SAN ART 3 Me Linh, Binh Thanh, Tel: (08) 3840 0183 San-art.org 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. re.com MEDICAL

& DENTAL

FAMILY MEDICAL PRACTICE HCMC

INTERNATIONAL CLINIC Diamond Plaza, 34 Le Duan, Q1, Tel: (08) 3822 7848 vietnammedicalpractice. 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.

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.

VICTORIA HEALTHCARE INTERNATIONAL CLINIC

INTERNATIONAL CLINIC 79 Dien Bien Phu, Q1, Tel: (08) 3910 4545

SALONS & SPAS 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 steamsauna, paraffin and waxing services.

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.

SPA TROPIC

79 PHAN KE BINH, Q1, TEL: (08) 3910 5575 spatropic.com 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.

HCMC CLOTHING & ACCESSORIES

district 2

LITTLE ANH-EM

BABY & CHILDREN CLOTHING 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.

BAKERIES / BARS & CLUBS / CAFES / CLOTHING & ACCESSORIES / CRAFTS & FURNITURE / EAT / FITNESS, DANCE & YOGA / GROCERIES, LIQUOR & WINE / HAIRDRESSERS / INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS / MEDICAL & DENTAL / SALONS & SPAS

DISTRICT 2 Nội

Thao Dien

i uớ

g H ư ởn

Hà

hQ Bìn

Ng uy ễn

Vă n

Xa

Lộ

Binh Thanh

Ngu Đi

ền i Nộ

ủ Xuân Th

y Xuân Thủ

BAKEUP ATELIER

BAKERY 244 Nguyen Van Huong, Q2, Tel: (08) 6281 8392 The baking arm of the wellknown Bakers on Thao Dien, Voelker. Provide flash frozen breads and patisseries such as croissants, pain au chocolat, pain raisins, pizza dough, pates feuillete and much more. Serves the hospitality industry in Phu Quoc, Nha Trang, Phan Thiet and Ho Chi Minh City.

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.

BARS & CLUBS 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-holds-barred Thai chefs.

Xa

Lộ

Hà

DISTRICT 2 BMV PUB & GRILL 38 Quoc Huong, Q2 Tel: 01299 839314 facebook.com/bmv.pubgrill With its seven TVs, full-size mezzanine area, pool table and aircon lounge space, BMV is the perfect place in District 2 to relax and watch the sports. Has live music on Thursday and Friday nights, and is home to the only German Hofbrau Beer Garden in Thao Dien.

BUDDHA BAR

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.

MCSORLEY’S

IRISH BAR 4 Thao Dien, Q2, Tel: 0126 9026006 Standing in the former home of Gaudi, McSorely’s is full of surprises, including a beautifully backlit swimming pool, reggae parties, comedy nights, and sporting events projected onto the patio wall.

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. Come for barbeque and reasonably priced drinks, stick around for entertaining events and adorable puppies.

í Thọ

Nội ành Song H

Mai Ch

Tr

Hữu Cảnh

BAKERIES

Hà

Lộ

g n Hoàn

ễn uy Ng

Não Trần

Nguyễ

Xa

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ần Não

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

o

ng Hưở

ơng c Hư Quố

yễ n Văn

Binh Thanh

Th ả

VESPA SHOP

Thao Dien, Q2, Tel: (08) 3512 3888

AUSTIN HOME

REPRO FURNITURE / FABRICS 42 Nguyen Dang Giai, Q2, Tel: (08) 3519 0023 austinhomeinteriors.com Located in a villa-style building, 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.

Home décor orders are also available.

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 high-quality designs and competitive 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.

FEELING TROPIC

FURNITURE & ACCESSORIES 51 Le Van Mien, Thao Dien, Q2, Tel: (08) 3744 2181 8am to 6pm, closed Sundays 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,

THE FAN CLUB

SPORTS BAR Ground Floor, The Vista, 628C Hanoi Highway, Q2 dtdentertainment.com/thefanclub 12 quality screens and eight draught beers, music spun

by DJs, excellent burgers, quiz nights and barbecues.

All in an attractive, contemporary environment.

CAFES AGNES CAFE

COFFEE & FLOWER 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, pastries and desserts all day. Offers a western-fare breakfast, lunch and dinner menu with a number of creative TexMex dishes mixed in with salads and more typical international cuisine. Now open until 10pm, the nighttime ambience is relaxed and intimate.

CAFÉ EVITA

LAID-BACK CAFÉ / RESTAURANT 230A Nguyen Van Huong,

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HCMC DELIVERY BEN STYLE

Tel: 0906 912730 www.vietnammm.com/ restaurants-ben-style Healthy, calorie-counted sandwich and deli fare

CHEZ GUIDO

Tel: (08) 3898 3747 www.chezguido.com Vietnamese, international fare, pizza, pasta, sandwiches

DOMINO’S PIZZA

Tel: (08) 3939 3030 www.dominos.vn Pizzas, wings, desserts

EAT.VN

www.eat.vn Delivery service website for local restaurants

EL GATO NEGRO

Tel: (08) 6660 1577 Californian-style burritos

HUNGRYPANDA.VN

www.hungrypanda.vn Delivery service website for local restaurants

KFC

Tel: (08) 3848 9999 www.kfcvietnam.com.vn Fried chicken, chicken burgers, sides

LOTTERIA

Tel: (08) 3910 0000 www.lotteria.vn Burgers, fried chicken, sides

PIZZA HUT (PHD)

Tel: (08) 3838 8388 www.pizzahut.vn Pizzas, wings, pasta, appetizers

SCOOZI

Tel: (08) 3823 5795 www.scoozipizza.com Pizzas, pasta, salad, antipasti, desserts

TACO BICH

www.tacobich.com Homemade Mexican fare

WILLY WOO’S

Tel: (08) 3941 5433 www.blackcatsaigon.com US-style chicken and waffles

VIETNAMMM

www.vietnammm.com Delivery service website for local restaurants while the second level stocks all types of indoor furniture except beds. Accessories are found on the level above.

Special orders are taken for delivery within three weeks.

Also offers a rental service.

GAYA

CONTEMPORARY FURNISHINGS 3 Tran Ngoc Dien, Q2, Tel: (08) 6281 9680 gayavietnam.com Set in a typical suburban villa, Gaya sells chic and sophisticated indoor and outdoor sofas, rugs, lamps, jewellery, scents, bedding, lac-

querware and tableware, all in a showroom-style environment designed to give you a sense of how to construct that perfect interior. Also boasts a wine and champagne bar that serves up finger food, both indoors and out front in the garden by the pool.

THE FURNITURE HOUSE

HOME FURNISHINGS 81 Xuan Thuy, Thao Dien, Q2, Tel: (08) 3519 4640/4643

EAT AGNES CAFÉ

CAFÉ FARE / TEX-MEX 11AB Thao Dien, Q2, Tel: (08) 6281 9772 A cozy and comfortable café offering up a western-fare breakfast, lunch and dinner menu with a number of creative Tex-Mex dishes mixed in with salads and more typical international cuisine. Open until 10pm.

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 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.

BOAT HOUSE

AUSTRALIAN / INTERNATIONAL 40 Lily Road, An Phu Superior Compound, Thao Dien, Q2, Tel: (08) 3744 6790 Live music, mini-festivals and functions are regular events at this spacious restobar in An Phu on the banks of the Saigon river. The menu offers seasonal dishes, classic mains and sharing plates.

BOOM BOOM BURGER

US-STYLE BURGER JOINT 2 Thao Dien, Q2, Tel: 0909 532378 boomboomburgers.wago.co A simple and tasty menu similar to that of the US’s InN-Out burger, the tiny Boom Boom has chosen to focus on the fundamentals of the perfect burger — sweet potato fries, jalapeno-infused beef patties and special avocado blends.

LA CLOSERIE D’ELISA

FRENCH / GARDEN RESTAURANT 52 Ngo Quang Huy, Q2 A tropical garden ambience that is at once French yet contemporary Indochinese is the home of this table d’hote style restaurant and bar. Classic French cuisine at reasonable prices in the

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heart of Thao Dien.

LU BU

CONTEMPORARY MEDITERRANEAN 97B Thao Dien, Q2 Tel: (08) 6281 8371 luburestaurant.com 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.

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 cobble-stoned courtyard the cuisine includes gourmet seafood and pastas. Bakerystyle Bistro out front.

PENDOLASCO

PAN-ITALIAN 36 Tong Huu Dinh, Q2, Tel: (08) 6253 2828 pendolasco.vn Saigon’s longest running Italian restaurant, classic fare is combined with a special contemporary menu that brings together a fusion of European dishes, cooked up with Italian flair. Excellent Facebook-based delivery service. Go to facebook. com/Pendolasco2 for full menu and info.

TAMAGO

AUTHENTIC 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.

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 LOOP

HEALTHY CAFÉ FARE / BAGELS 49 Thao Dien, Q2 Tel. (08) 3602 6385

FITNESS, DANCE & YOGA AQUAFIT

AQUABIKING 65 Truc Duong, Lang Bao Chi, Thao Dien, Q2, Tel: 0909 008985 aquafit.vn

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.

K1 FITNESS & FIGHT FACTORY

BOXING / MARTIAL ARTS 100 Xuan Thuy, Thao Dien, Q2, Tel: 0909 540030

NUTRIFORT (NTFQ2)

GENERAL FITNESS 34 Nguyen Dang Giai, Q2, Tel: (08) 3744 6672 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.

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. Free delivery for Districts 1, 2 and 3.

CLASSIC FINE FOODS

GROCERIES & IMPORTER No. 17, Street 12 (perpendicular to Tran Nao street), Q2, Tel: (08) 3740 7105 classicfinefoods.com 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.

VINO WINE SHOP

WINE SHOP Corner of Thao Dien & Duong 2, Q2, Tel: (08) 6281 9059 Professional advice on selecting and tasting wines with a portfolio spanning old and new world as well as everything in between.

The outdoor terrace area is the perfect spot to sample a new tipple.

HAIRDRESSERS CONCEPT COIFFURE

CYRIL AND YOU SPORTS CENTER

BOXING / FITNESS 49A Xa Lo Ha Noi, Q2. Tel: 0947 77 13 26 Cyril-and-you.com This sports centre in An Phu, started by fitness guru Cyril features the same personalized mentorship Cyril’s clients love. Includes yoga, boxing and fitness for kids and adults every day. No membership fees. Pay for classes in installments of 10. Also has kids activites classes. Monday to Friday every week at 4pm. All activities are safe and run by Cyril himself.

GROCERIES, LIQUOR & WINE 100%

MADE IN VIETNAM GROCERIES 26B Thao Dien, Q2 100percentvn.com

ANNAM GOURMET MARKET

GROCERY & DELI 41A Thao Dien, Q2, Tel: (08) 3744 2630 Annam-gourmet.com Attractive and spacious French–owned grocery

48 Tran Ngoc Dien, Q2, Tel: (08) 3519 4625 Conceptcoiffure.vn Open daily from 9am to 8pm 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.

KIDS FIRSTBIKE VIETNAM www.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.

MEDICAL & DENTAL FAMILY MEDICAL PRACTICE HCMC

INTERNATIONAL CLINIC 95 Thao Dien, Q2, Tel: (08) 3744 2000 vietnammedicalpractice. 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,

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

SAIGON SQUARE

77-89 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, Q1 9am to 9pm Cosmetics, Perfume, Clothing, Accessories, Electronics

SAIGON TAX

Trading Centre 135 Nguyen Hue, Q1. Tel: (08) 3821 3849 9am to 9.30pm Cosmetics, Perfume, Clothing, Accessories, Electronics, Souvenirs, Restaurant

VINCOM CENTER

70-72 Le Thanh Ton, Q1.

Tel: (08) 3936 9999 9am to 10pm Cosmetics, Perfume, Clothing, Accessories, Electronics, Café, Food Court

ZEN PLAZA

54-56 Nguyen Trai, Q1 Tel: (08) 3925 0339 9am to 10pm Cosmetics, Perfume, Clothing, Accessories, Electronics, Café, Food Court travel medicine and medical evacuations.

SALONS & SPAS AUTHENTIC SPA Thao Dien Village, Nguyen Van Huong, Q2, Tel: 3744 2222

AVEDA HERBAL SPA

Villa 35A, Street 41, Thao Dien, Q2, Tel:(08) 3519 4671 avedaherbal@gmail.com

QUYNH BEAUTY SALON

104A Xuan Thuy, Thao Dien, Q2, Tel: (08) 3512 4321

HCMC ing renders a great spot to relax. The mouth-watering western menu is on the expensive side.

district 3

BARS & CLUBS / CAFES & ICE-CREAM / CLOTHING & ACCESSORIES / CRAFTS & FURNITURE / EAT / FITNESS, DANCE & YOGA / HAIRDRESSERS / INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS / MEDICAL & DENTAL / SALONS & SPAS

ACOUSTIC

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.

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LOUNGE BAR & TERRACE 6th & 7th Floor, 2bis Cong Truong Quoc Te, Q3, Tel: 0907 502951

CLUB DARTS, DARTS, DARTS

LIVE MUSIC / EVENTS VENUE 224A Pasteur, Q3, Tel: 0948 031323

MUSIC BAR / CAFE 39 Ba Huyen Thanh Quan.Q3.

Tel: (08) 39304075 metallicbar.com

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Showcases a variety of different types of music — anything from rock, pop and rap to Latino — as well as the everlasting songs of Metallica, Bon Jovi, Scorpions, Santana and Guns ’n Roses. Covered live by well-known, Vietnambased Filipino bands. Music starts at 8.30pm.

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.

CAFES & ICE-CREAM AN’S INTERIOR CAFÉ

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VIETNAMESE / INTERNATIONAL 40C Tran Cao Van, Q3, Tel:

SKATEWEAR / STREET 148 Dien Bien Phu, Q3, Tel: 0903 641826 Bamskateshop.com.vn

BOO STREETWEAR 187A Hai Ba Trung, Q3 boo.vn CRAFTS

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TEA ROOM 335/31 Dien Bien Phu, Q3, Tel: 0169 3583563 operationteavietnam.com Traverse a wooden bridge over a bamboo-shaded goldfish pond to enjoy high quality tea, starting at VND35,000, in this quaint, open-air tearoom. Tea and tea-ware available for purchase.

Vă n Tầ Ng n uy ễn Th ị

Binh Thanh

DISTRICT 3

OPERATION: TEAROOM

(08) 3823 3398

BUD’S

ICE-CREAM PARLOUR 171 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, Q3, Tel: (08) 3932 2778 budsicecream.com.vn

HIDEAWAY

INTERNATIONAL 41/1 Pham Ngoc Thach, Q3, Tel: (08) 3822 4222 Hideawaycafe-saigon.com Hidden in a colonial building with an outdoor courwrd, the ample soft, sofa seat-

ATC FURNITURE

ECO-FRIENDLY FURNITURE SR1: 268B Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, Dist.3, HCMC, Tel: (08) 39326455 SR2: 30A Nguyen Huu Canh, Binh Thanh, HCMC, Tel: (08) 38403946 atc-craft.com Filled with the scent of nature, is it what you are looking for to spice up the living space of your home? Come to ATC FURNITURE, you will find a wide range of moderndesigned products (sofas, chairs, beds...) manufactured from eco-friendly materials (water hyacinth & rattan). Our outdoor (poly rattan) wickerfurniture range is suited to your balcony or garden space. A hanging (hammock) chair is irresistible for complete relaxation after a long day at work.

wordvietnam.com | December 2014 Word | 181

HCMC SPORTS

REMIX DECO

INDOOR FURNITURE 222 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, Q3, Tel: (08) 3930 4190 remixdeco.com

EAT

AU LAC DO BRAZIL

CRICKET ECCS (THE ENGLISH CRICKET CLUB OF SAIGON) Richard Carrington, Tel: 0909 967 353 richard.carrington@market-edge.asia eccsaigon.com

ICCS (INDIAN CRICKET CLUB OF SAIGON) Deeptesh Gill, Tel: 01228 770 038 deepteshgill@gmail.com

ISCS (INDIAN SPORTS CLUB IN SAIGON) Munish Gupta, Tel: 0986 973 244 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

AND

RUGBY

024 or Viet Luu 0909 500 171. astere@hotmail.fr

SAIGON RAIDERS Saigonraiders.com

SAIGON RUGBY CLUB RMIT University, 702 Nguyen Van Linh, Tan Phong, Q7 saigonrugbyfootballclub@ yahoo.com

SAIGON SAINTS saigonsaints.com

SPORTS — GENERAL HASH HOUSE HARRIERS saigonhash.com

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

BANH CANH / TAY NINH CUISINE 70 Vo Van Tan, Q3

BEEFSTEAK NAM SON

VIETNAMESE STEAKHOUSE 200 Bis Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, Q3; 157 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, Q3, Tel: (08) 3930 3917 Namsonsteak.com

HIGHWAY 4

NORTHERN / PAN-VIETNAMESE 101 Vo Van Tan, Q3, Tel: (08) 3602 2069 highway4.com Named after the mountain highway that skirts the Chinese-Vietnamese border to the north, Highway 4 serves up authentic north Vietnamese cuisine. Also does excellent Son Tinh branded rice wine.

JOIE DE VIVRE

28 Tran Nao, Q2, Tel: (08) 7303 1100 saigonsportsacademy.com

WESTERN / FRENCH 292/10, Cach Mang Thang Tam, Q3 Tel: (08) 6260 0066 facebook.com/joie.vn

SQUASH

PHO HOA

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

Tel: 0937 683 230 vietnamswans.com

RMIT, 702 Nguyen Van Linh, Q7 Saigon-ultimate.com

gauloisdesaigon.com

X–ROCK CLIMBING

OLYMPIQUE SAIGON

7Nguyen Dinh Chieu, Q3, Tel: (08) 6278 5794 xrockclimbing.com

Contact Fred on 0919 709

BANH CANH HOANG TY

RANGERS BASEBALL TEAM

AUSTRALIAN RULES FOOTBALL

LES GAULOIS DE SAIGON

BRAZILIAN CHURRASCO 238 Pasteur, Q3, Tel: (08) 3820 7157 aulacdobrazil.com Open for over a decade, 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 eatas-much-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.

182 | Word December 2014 | wordvietnam.com

PHO EATERY 260C Pasteur, Q3, Tel: (08) 3829 7943

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.

SUSHI DINING AOI

SUSHI / SASHIMI 53-55 Ba Huyen Thanh Quan, Q3, Tel: (08) 3930 0039 sushidiningaoi.com Sushi Dining AOI offers fullblown Japanese-style sushi, sashimi, and other dishes such as tempura, pork cutlet and cold soba noodles in a warm and friendly atmosphere. Good value set lunches. Probably the best sushi in town.

KIDS CLASSES & SPORTS

TIB

HUE / VIETNAMESE 187 Hai Ba Trung, Q3, Tel: (08) 3829 7242 Tibrestaurant.com.vn

VIET CHAY

VEGAN Vinh Nghiem Pagoda, 339 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, Q3 vietchay.vn

FITNESS, DANCE & YOGA MICHELLE LLOYD YOGA & MASSAGE THERAPY

YOGA Tel: 0909 648193 michelle@michellelloyd.com michellelloyd.com American trained and licensed massage therapist and certified yoga instructor. Dedicated yoga and massage spaces in Districts 2 and 3. Private and group yoga classes. Home visits available.

SAIGON BELLY DANCE

BELLY DANCE No 96, Street 2, Cu Xa Do Thanh, Q3, Tel: (08) 3832 9429 saigonbellydance.com

HAIRDRESSERS YKC HAIR STUDIO

219 Dien Bien Phu, Q3, Tel: (08) 3829 2791

MEDICAL & DENTAL STARLIGHT DENTAL CLINIC

INTERNATIONAL DENTAL CLINIC 2 Bis Cong Truong Quoc Te, Q3, Tel: (08) 3822 6222 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.

AMERICAN CHIROPRACTIC CLINIC CHIROPRACTOR 161-161A Hai Ba Trung, Q3, Tel: (08) 3939 3930 www.acc.vn A clinic provides world class Chiropractic, Physiotherapy and Foot Care. We specialize in provides effective treatment for back, neck and knee

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

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.

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

HCMC pain, sports injuries, and all types of foot problems. We also provide effective treatment for Flat foot syndrome in children and adult.

INTERNATIONAL SOS DENTAL CLINIC

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PANORMA FITNESS

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INTENSIVE / FULL-BODY WORKOUTS 206 Tran Van Tra, Q7, Tel: 01654 058401 / 01629 546534 cezsaigon@gmail.com

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Do you think you should be listed on these pages? If so, simply email us on listings@wordvietnam.com and we’ll see what we can do. We can’t promise but we’ll try our best

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219 Dien Bien Phu, Q3, Tel: (08) 3829 2791 ykcspa.com

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Villa 35A, Street 41, Thao Dien, Q2, Tel:(08) 3519 4671 avedaherbal@gmail.com

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EASTERN MEDICINE 187 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, Q3, Tel: (08) 3932 6579

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GYM, POOL, SQUASH 3rd Floor, Crescent Plaza, 105 Ton Dat Tien, Phu My Hung, Tel: (08) 5412 1277 The-crescent.com Overlooking the Crescent complex’s lagoon, this centre offers modern facilities, a gym with Technogym equipment allowing users to track their progress. Includes fitness classes, yoga, squash courts, pool, steam bath and nutrition bar.

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DISTRICT 7 BAKERIES L’AMOUR

BAKERY & CAFE Hung Phuoc 2, Le Van Thiem, Q7, Tel: (08) 5410 4072 lamourbakery.com.vn

SAVOURE

BAKERY Grand View, SD 4-1, Nguyen Duc Canh, Q7

SIMRANS

BAKERY SL15-1 Grand View, Nguyen Duc Canh, Q7, Tel: 0908 828552 simrans.sg

BARS & CLUBS BANANA BAR

EXPAT BAR SA8-1 Parkview, Nguyen Duc Canh, Phu My Hung, Q7, Tel: (08) 5412 3282 A downstairs pool table, an open, street side terrace and specials on Tiger draft, this fun but slightly run-down joint is a local haunt for many a resident of Saigon South.

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

MEDICAL & DENTAL AMERICAN EYE CENTER

PHU MY HUNG

STAMFORD SKIN CENTRE

TRADITIONAL MEDICINE HOSPITAL

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INTERNATIONAL SOS HCMC MEDICAL CLINIC

SKIN CARE / COSMETICS 99 Suong Nguyet Anh, Q1 Tel: (08). 3925 1990 - 0908 453 338 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.

FITNESS, DANCE & YOGA

BAKERIES / BARS & CLUBS / CRAFTS & FURNITURE / EAT / FITNESS, DANCE & YOGA / INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS / MEDICAL & DENTAL

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.

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, diagnostic services and 24/7 emergency care. Specialist care is available in many fields.

South sets this joint apart.

with all things curry — anything from Goan fish curries to beef rendangs and more.

A popular local haunt.

RUBY SOHO

CARTOON BAR S52-1 Sky Garden 2, Q7, Tel: (08) 5410 3900

mekong-creations.org

MEKONG QUILTS

HAND-MADE QUILTS S17-1 Sky Garden , Nguyen Van Linh, Q7, Tel: (08) 6271 7758 mekong-quilts.org

EAT 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.

EL GAUCHO

CRAFTS & FURNITURE BELLAVITA

HIGH-END FURNITURE The Crescent Mall, 101 Ton Dat Tien, Q7, Tel: (08) 5413 7355 bellavitafurniture.com

MEKONG CREATIONS

FAIR TRADE CRAFTS 35-37 Ngo Duc Ke, Q1, Tel: (08) 2210 3110; S17 – Sky Garden, Nguyen Van Linh, Q7, Tel: (08) 6271 7758

PAN-VIETNAMESE The Crescent, 103 Ton Dat Tien, Q7, Tel: (08) 2210 2304

MING DYNASTY

LAVISH CHINESE / VIETNAMESE 23 Nguyen Khac Vien, Q7, Tel: (08) 5411 5555

NATHALIE’S

THE TAVERN

EXPAT & SPORTS BAR R2-24 Hung Gia 3, Bui Bang Doan, Q7, Tel: (08) 5410 3900 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.

HOANG YEN

ARGENTINIAN STEAKHOUSE Unit CR1-12, The Crescent, Phu My Hung, Q7, Tel: (08) 5413 6909 elgaucho.com.vn A pleasant downtown eatery mixing an Argentinian steakhouse theme with pork, chicken, lamb, homemade spicy sausage, skewers, burger dishes and everything that can come off a grill.

THAI / VIETNAMESE S9 Hung Vuong 3, Q7, Tel: (08) 5410 0822 nathaliesrestaurant.com

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.

VIVA TAPAS BAR & GRILL

GRILL & BAR/ TAPAS R4-28 Cao Trieu Phat, Phu My Hung, Q7 facebook.com/VIVATapasBar.pmh As well as classical Andalusian tapas, VIVA serves up a selection of original but flavourful dishes for those who dare to try. A Mediterranean-themed interior and a desire to provide something not presently available in Saigon

5th Floor, Crescent Plaza, 105 Ton Dat Tien, Q7 Tel: 5413 6758 / 5413 6759 www.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 Boardcertified 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.

FV HOSPITAL

INTERNATIONAL HOSPITAL 6 Nguyen Luong Bang, Saigon South Parkway, Q7, Tel: (08) 5411 3333 Emergency: (08) 5411 3500 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.

HAPPINESS (HANH PHUC) ORIENTAL MEDICINE CENTER

EASTERN MEDICINE 432 Pham Thai Buong, Q7, Tel: 0906 684 969

wordvietnam.com | December 2014 Word | 183

Dự Tiệc Cùng

Beckham

Ngoài phố kia với một huyền thoại… và Niko Savvas

M

ọi người có biết David Beckham đến Việt Nam vài tuần trước? Khi tôi biết điều ấy, tôi đã rất phấn khích. Một anh chàng đã từng đá cho đội Los Angeles Galaxy — bạn thường không thấy nhiều nghệ sỹ như thế ở Sài Gòn!

Anh ấy đã có mặt tại Chill Sky Bar để quảng bá cho món đồ uống mới của mình. Tôi thích uống!

Và tôi cũng thích tiệc tùng, nhưng không nghĩ tôi có thể được tham dự sự kiện này. Bạn cần một tấm vé đặc biệt để được tham gia, và bạn chỉ có thể có tấm vé này khi bạn là người quan trọng.

Tôi không phải là người quan trọng gì cả, nhưng bạn thân tôi Ed lại khác. Anh ấy là một biên tập viên cho một tạp chí siêu quan trọng (chính tạp chí này!). Ed rất quan trọng, sự thật là anh ấy đã kiếm được hai tấm vé. Anh ấy đưa một vé cho tôi!

Nhập Tiệc

Khi chúng tôi đến quán bar, đã có rất nhiều người chờ bên ngoài. Họ không có vé nên không được vào. Nhân viên bảo vệ cứ chăm chú vào họ. Nhưng khi Ed và tôi xuất hiện với cặp vé đặc biệt, họ cho chúng tôi vào. Cho VIP vào nào!

Chúng tôi đi thang máy lên tầng thượng, vì những bữa tiệc hay nhất luôn được tổ chức tại tầng thượng này. Bạn có thể thấy được toàn cảnh thành phố từ chỗ này. Chúng tôi nhìn thấy một gia đình nghèo đang xin tiền lẻ bên góc đường, nhưng cảnh đó nhìn thật buồn nên chúng tôi quyết định làm vài ly.

Tôi có nói loại đồ uống đó, hay còn gọi là whiskey, được phát uống miễn phí chưa? Đối với tôi và Ed là như thế. Chúng tôi được đóng con dấu dạ quang trên tay, vì vậy chúng tôi không phải trả tiền cho bất cứ cái gì. Mọi người ai cũng thật dễ thương với chúng tôi khi họ thấy hai con dấu của chúng tôi.

Những người khác phải trả tiền cho thức uống của họ bởi vì không có con tem này. Nhưng Ed và tôi thì được miễn phí nguyên một chai của nhãn

184 | Word December 2014 | wordvietnam.com

hiệu mà Beckham đang quảng bá! Đá cũng được phát miễn phí cho những người quan trọng.

David Beckham xuất hiện lúc khoảng 11 giờ đêm.

Anh ấy thật đẹp trai. Bạn có thể hiểu tại sao cô nàng Posh Spice lại chịu lấy anh. Hình dáng cơ thể anh mang hình chữ V với một mái tóc hoàn hảo.

Mọi người thật sự hào hứng được gặp gỡ anh ấy.

Căn phòng bỗng dưng tràn ngập ánh đèn camera và tiếng reo hò của các quý cô. Tôi thấy chóng mặt, suýt té nhào xuống đất. Cảm giác giống như động kinh nhưng vui hơn nhiều! Một gã Việt Nam tóc bờm ngựa làm đổ rượu scotch lên khắp bộ vest của tôi.

“Xin lỗi ông, tôi nghĩ là ông vừa đổ rượu," tôi nói.

“Im miệng đi,” anh ta đáp trả.

Hahaha! Tiệc của người nổi tiếng đôi khi điên thế!

Hào Hứng Chào Đón Các Ngôi Sao

Tôi cố gắng chào Beckham, nhưng một trong những vệ sỹ của anh chặn tôi lại. Anh chàng này nhìn như cựu lính nhảy dù, hoặc có thể là dân MMA. “Được rồi, bạn à, tôi có con dấu này!”

Nhưng anh ta chẳng nhúc nhích. Nhạc khá lớn nên có lẽ là anh ta chẳng nghe tôi nói gì. Thật ra, anh ta có để một vài người đi qua. Có thể họ có con dấu loại khác, quan trọng hơn.

Rồi một nghệ sỹ Việt Nam trong chiếc quần soọc trắng bắt đầu biểu diễn. Đèn lade và pháo sáng khắp nơi. Cô ta đẹp tuyệt! Tôi cũng muốn chào cô ấy nhưng anh vệ sỹ kia cũng không để tôi vào khu vực ban công.

“Trông tôi giống ai, một trong những người chờ mòn mỏi không được đóng dấu ngoài kia?" tôi hỏi, nhưng chẳng ai nghe.

Nửa đêm, Beckham rời tiệc. Tất cả chúng tôi xếp hàng để chào tạm biệt anh. Ai cũng vui — một trong những vệ sỹ của anh thậm chí còn đập cao tay với tôi khi đi ra ngoài! Tôi cố gắng chụp hình lúc ấy, có vẻ hơi quá, nhưng tôi biết là anh ấy là ai.

Bạn chẳng làm được gì ngoài việc trở nên hào hứng chào đón các ngôi sao!

wordvietnam.com | December 2014 Word | 185

Hotdog Này Của Ai?

Hà Nội vừa xuất hiện một món ăn đường phố mới và nó là món của Đan Mạch

Hình ảnh bởi David Harris

M

ột loại sandwich thịt vừa xuất hiện trên thị trường, chiếm chỗ món bánh mì Việt Nam quen thuộc.

Jeppe Haugstrup, một lập trình viên vi tính từ Đan Mạch và là một trong những đồng sở hữu của Spy Bar và Tay Tap, đang trong giai đoạn hoàn thiện một món ăn có xu hướng mới là hotdog Đan Mạch và sẽ tấn công vào các con đường Hà Nội.

Mục tiêu chính là khai thác nhu cầu sandwich thịt — một món vẫn chưa phổ biến ở Việt Nam. Nhưng Jeppe hy vọng món ăn nhanh của mình sẽ là một tác động thay đổi cuộc chơi.

“Người Việt Nam ngày nay kiếm được tiền nhiều hơn và chúng tôi tin rằng sẽ có một nhu cầu lớn cho những sản phẩm chất lượng cao như của chúng tôi. Món hotdog Đan Mạch sẽ được tập trung vào hương vị hơn là thành phần bánh mì,” Jeppe cho hay.

Soren, một người bạn cũ từ Đan Mạch và là một thương lái thịt, có cùng quan điểm với anh. Trong một đêm say ngà ngà ở Manila, bộ đôi đã nảy ý tưởng kinh doanh và chế biến hotdog Đan Mạch đích thực ở Hà Nội. Hai tháng sau với cùng ý tưởng trong đêm say đó — thật sự, chúng có thể là món hotdog ngon nhất — giờ đây nó trở thành hiện thực.

186 | Word December 2014 | wordvietnam.com

Loại Thịt Chất Lượng Cao

Biến mất trong gian bếp của Spy Bar, Soren trở lại với một mẩu giấy màu nâu vuông vức gói một trong những sáng tạo tuyệt vời của mình.

Giải thích cho tôi một cách cặn kẽ, anh nói “so với những loại xúc xích hotdog thông thường — những loại thường có hàm lượng protein thấp, xúc xích của chúng tôi chứa 80% là thịt và chúng tôi chỉ sử dụng loại thịt chất lượng cao.”

“Chúng tôi cũng không sử dụng các chất tạo giả mùi vị và xúc xích được làm ra theo công thức riêng của chúng tôi từ thịt heo, thịt bò, gia vị và những thành phần đặc biệt khác để tạo sự khác biệt,” anh cho hay, mắt long lanh. Đi kèm chung với món xúc xích Đan Mạch hoành tráng này là gì? Một lớp hành chiên, hành sống, và loại nước sốt đích thực của Đan Mạch có tên gọi là remoulade (một hỗn hợp từ tương cà chua, mù tạt, dấm, rau và các gia vị), xà-lách dưa leo, tương cà chua và một ít mù tạt. Và trên hết là hai miếng bánh sandwich nhỏ nhắn gọn gàng, được làm cho đứa con tinh thần của Jeppe và Soren.

Đã Sẵn Sàng

Đã có cuộc thử nghiệm với loại xúc wiener Đan Mạch của mình với những khách hàng tại Spy Bar,

bộ đôi hy vọng sẽ từ từ đẩy các xe hotdog của mình trên khắp khu vực phố cổ Hà Nội.

“Chúng tôi đã dành một tháng rưỡi để nghiên cứu phát triển điều này và mọi người thích chúng. Chúng tôi thật sự muốn chắc chắn là chúng hoàn hảo,” Jeppe tâm sự với một sản phẩm của mình trên tay, một cách đầy nghiêm túc. “Đã có người đặt hàng chúng tôi theo kilo và chúng tôi hy vọng một ngày nào đó chúng tôi có thể phát triển kinh doanh đến các khách sạn và nhà hàng.”

Soren còn nói thêm: “Chúng tôi cũng đang nghiên cứu thêm loại xúc xích thượng hạng với cà chua phơi khô và ô-liu, cũng như xúc xích Ý và xúc xích bratwurst của Đức.”

Giờ đây, hotdog đã trở thành một xu hướng và bạn có thể mua một trong những món ngon tuyệt này tại Spy Bar với giá 35,000 đồng/một phần. Nhưng đừng ngạc nhiên nếu bạn thấy chúng ở Mã Mây trong một tương lai không xa.

Vậy tác giả nhỏ bé của bài viết này có thể nói gì về món ăn 100 tuổi được hoàn thiện bởi hai chàng Đan Mạch vạm vỡ này?

“Tôi sẽ ăn thêm hai phần nữa, cám ơn.” — David Mann

02,03,05,06 STABIL ELITE

Bạn có thể xem họ như là sự kết hợp giữa nhóm Cut Copy và nhóm Kraftwerk — một trải nghiệm với dòng nhạc dance kết hợp Krautrock đầy mê hoặc do các nghệ sỹ chơi nhạc cụ nghiêm nghị và ăn mặc chỉn chu. Vì là dòng nhạc điện tử, nên họ không được biết tới nhiều ở đây — đó là lý do vì sao viện Goethe-Institut thực hiện

THÁNG 12

HÀ NỘI / ĐÀ NẴNG / TP. HỒ CHÍ MINH

chương trình này để giới thiệu về họ. Họ sẽ biểu diễn tám ngày trong tháng 12 tại Hà Nội, Đà Nẵng, Tp. Hồ Chí Minh, Phnom Penh và Manila, đem đến cho chúng ta một chút kiến thức về dòng nhạc pop điện tử từ nơi nó được sinh ra.

Stabil Elite sẽ biểu diễn tại Nhà Hát Tuổi Trẻ Hà Nội tại 11 Ngô Thì Nhậm, Hai Bà Trưng, Hà Nội vào

BAY TRỰC TIẾP TỚI ẤN ĐỘ

07-16

THÁNG 12

LỄ HỘI KHIÊU VŨ QUỐC TẾ 2014

Hãy chuẩn bị để khiêu vũ cuồng nhiệt bởi vì Lễ Hội Khiêu Vũ Quốc Tế đã trở lại lần thứ hai ở Tp. Hồ Chí Minh. Năm nay, sự kiện này có sự tham gia của các biên đạo múa và vũ công từ Ý, Pháp, Nhật, Hàn Quốc, Israel, Thụy Điển, Việt Nam và Philippines. Lễ hội sẽ giới thiệu ba màn trình diễn tại Nhà Hát Thành Phố (16/12) và GEM (12 - 13/12). Là một phần của lễ hội, một loạt các hội thảo về múa đương đại tiếp cận với công chúng sẽ được tổ chức từ ngày 7/12 đến 16/12 tại các địa điểm khác nhau.

Lễ hội được tổ chức bởi Arabesque với sự cộng tác của Saigon Concert và Dancenter. Để biết thêm thông tin chi tiết cho các show diễn và hội thảo, xin ghé idf-hcmc.org

Sau chuyến thăm gần đây của các chức sắc Ấn Độ tới Việt Nam, hãng Jet Airways của Ấn Độ đã chính thức khai trương đường bay trực tiếp nối liền New Delhi và Mumbai đến Tp. Hồ Chí Minh thông qua Bangkok. Họ cũng đang mở rộng các chuyến bay liên kết của họ tới Hà Nội.

Theo Đại Sứ Quán Ấn Độ tại Việt Nam, sự ra mắt của các chuyến bay trực tiếp sẽ góp phần

05-28 CHỢ NGHỆ THUẬT HÀ NỘI

THÁNG 12

Lấy cảm hứng từ chợ truyền thống của Việt Nam và khái niệm chợ nghệ thuật từ các nước khác, một nhóm các nghệ sỹ trẻ người Hà Nội đã đến với nhau để tạo ra Chợ Nghệ Thuật Hà Nội lần đầu tiên ở Việt Nam. Được thiết kế để trở thành một diễn đàn, nơi những người yêu nghệ thuật có thể gặp gỡ và nói chuyện trực tiếp với các nghệ sỹ, và hiểu thêm về người nghệ sỹ, tác phẩm của họ và quyền sở hữu

ngày 2/12 lúc 20:00 — Đại Học Đà Nẵng tại 131 Lương Nhữ Học, Quận Cẩm Lệ, Đà Nẵng vào ngày 3/12 lúc 20:00 — Cao Đẳng Bách Việt tại 194 Lê Đức Thọ, Gò Vấp, Tp. Hồ Chí Minh vào ngày 5/12 lúc 20:00 — Nhà Hát Bến Thành tại 6 Mạc Đỉnh Chi, Q1, Tp. Hồ Chí Minh vào ngày 6/12 lúc 20:00. Để biết thêm chi tiết, xin ghé goethe.de/vietnam

thúc đẩy hợp tác giữa Việt Nam và Ấn Độ trong các lĩnh vực khác nhau, đặc biệt là trong ngành du lịch. Việt Nam Airlines và Vietjet Air dự kiến sẽ sớm bắt tay tổ chức các chuyến bay trực tiếp đến Ấn Độ. Để biết thêm chi tiết về các chuyến bay đến Việt Nam của Jet Airway, xin ghé jetairways. com/EN/VN/Home.aspx

trực tiếp của các tác phẩm nghệ thuật, tác phẩm của 59 nghệ sỹ sẽ được bán tại Hàng Da Galleria ở khu phố cổ từ 5/12 đến 28/12. Xuất hiện với một loạt các tác phẩm — tranh vẽ, tượng, nghệ thuật sắp đặt, sản phẩm thủ công mỹ nghệ và nhiều hơn nữa — chợ nghệ thuật này là sản phẩm của Nguyễn Hồng Phương và Trần Dần cùng sự hợp tác của Cuci Fine Art . Để biết thêm chi tiết, xin liên hệ Võ Quỳnh Hoa theo số 0903 745 657 hoặc email theo cucifineart@ gmail.com. Hang Da Galleria nằm ở góc đường giữa Hàng Da và Đường Thành, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội

wordvietnam.com | December 2014 Word | 187

The final say THE FINAL SAY

VIETNAM

The Inside Story of the Guerrilla War Chapter 3: Hide and Seek

For the next 13 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 From the Author’s Forward Apart from my general interest in the peoples of the former states of Indochina and my special sympathy for the South Vietnamese people in their heroic struggle, I had an important, added reason to visit the Liberated Areas and battlefronts of South Vietnam during late 1963 and the first three months of 1964.

The United States is experimenting with

188 | Word December 2014 | wordvietnam.com

a new type of warfare in South Vietnam, socalled ‘special warfare’, the theoretical father of which is General Maxwell Taylor.

Maxwell Taylor’s thesis was that in this nuclear era, the United States must prepare to fight three types of war — global, nuclear war; limited or local wars; and ‘special’ wars. The special thing about the latter is that US combat troops are not involved.

I went there to find out on the spot what

was really special in this new military concept and what were the special means the South Vietnamese people had in countering its strategies, tactics and techniques.

Liberation Intelligence One thing that constantly astonished me was the absolute precision with which the Liberation Front forces operated. The contact to steer us past enemy posts was

always waiting behind the right tree at the right time; a tiny signal light would wink at us out of the jet black night at the very moment the second hand of the watch moved up towards rendezvous time, a winking point of light that could be taken for a firefly unless one knew it should be there at that precise time and place.

The sampan was always where it should be to cross a stream in enemy-controlled territory; the barbed wire was always cut within yards of the rendezvous point to cross a strategic highway; the guide to the secret tunnels never failed to be when and where he should be.

A more important example was the precise information the Front military cadres had, not only about their

adversary’s movements, but his intentions.

At some point along the jungle track, or canal, or mountain trail, whoever happened to be chief of the group would suggest a rest. Within minutes, a partisan invariably appeared with one of those tiny envelopes already mentioned. I quickly developed a great affection for them because they brought us continuous news of what the adversary was up to.

Sometimes, especially in the Saigon area, these little notes caused us to change our travel plans abruptly. After studying such a note, the chief of the group would pull out what looked like a small pack of playing cards and in consultation with whoever happened to be the guide through that particular area — a guerilla

who combined the duties of mail courier with that of guiding cadres past enemy posts — the group chief would thumb through the cards, checking them carefully with the news in the letter and selecting one with which the guide agreed.

The cards were covered with letters and numbers and one would think at first, by the intense, serious expressions, that some game for very high stakes was being played. In fact, the numbers and letters were coded symbols for every road and track, every stream and canal in the region through which we were passing. Each card represented a different combination, all the possible variants of moving from point A to point B. According to news of the adversary’s movements, the card was chosen and liaison established with the guerillas whose territory we would be traversing.

On one memorable occasion a tiny envelope arrived and faces were more serious than usual as the contents were perused. It was the evening before we were to leave the Saigon-Gia Dinh area and head off to the northeast. “In two days time,” explained the area military commander, “the enemy will start a big mopping-up operation, employing five battalions, about 4,000 men. This operation will take place in the very area you have to traverse; they will occupy the roads you have to travel or cross; their patrol boats will be active on the rivers you have to travel on. It will last four days. We propose that you stay here where we can protect you.”

Sure enough, two mornings later, there was great activity by planes and helicopters, mesdemoiselles buzzing around from the first streak of dawn, seeking out targets for the bombers. Whatever information they signaled back, I could never even guess. But by 8am two B-26 bombers came over and started a raid that lasted four hours. They stuck to a single flight circle, dropping a few bombs each time they came round.

My interpreter, an expert on the direction of shells, now proved his merits by estimating the flight of the bombs.

As the planes came round, he watched them with an eagle eye, reporting when the bombs were leaving the bomb bays and whether they were coming close enough to jump into the shelter or not.

The bombs were always whooshing down as we jumped and the fearsome crash of the explosions about us coincided with the thud of our feet into the shelter. We avoided going in as much as we could, because the earth ceiling was covered with long-legged spiders, the shock of the explosions invariably detaching some of them on to our necks.

The Tunnel System In mid-afternoon, envelopes having poured in all day, one arrived with the information that Saigon troops had pushed down and occupied a road only a half mile distant, so I and a few members of our

wordvietnam.com | December 2014 Word | 189

group were to be hidden in a secret tunnel.

The others had to get ready for ‘military affairs’. Five battalions were being employed, as the warning had predicted, and were accompanied by 23 M-113 tanks.

Artillery and mortar shells were coming quite close and there was an alarmingly sharp rattle of machine gun fire, as we were guided through a patch of rubber trees to a square manhole through which we dropped — in my case squeezed — down into a tunnel.

Such tunnels are not built for my size; where others double up and walk I could only crawl and for a few moments I had a feeling of claustrophobia. I have always had a secret dread of being underground in a confined space and have marveled that anyone could choose mining as a life job.

Breathing was difficult at first because our group was huddled together, all breathing heavily after the exertions of getting ourselves and our baggage into the tunnel.

Later, when the rest of the party moved off in the direction given by the guide, the air got better and I found, stretched out on the ground, that breathing became normal again.

There were moments, however, when I felt I must burst out of that manhole again at all costs... There were miniscule worms in the ground, no bigger than a speck of dust, which manage in a surprisingly short time to burrow into the skin, causing a prickly feeling when one touches the spot.

This was explained to me when I started to

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scratch. Apart from the irritation, it seems, they do no harm. Someone brought me a nylon sheet to lie on and all but the early worms were frustrated, but those that did burrow in stayed with me for several weeks.

The noise of battle was somewhat muffled here but distinct enough for me to know that it was quite close and moving in our direction... While I was still squeezing myself down through the manhole, there had been another sharp burst of machine gun fire very close, I judged not more than 100 yards, immediately followed by several carbine shots within 20 or 30 yards. I thought the shots were aimed in our direction, that the Saigon troops had infiltrated and thus must have sighted the hideout.

In fact, as I discovered later, a patrol had come within a few hundred yards; the Front forces had given them a few bursts of a heavy machine gun, the carbine shots were fired as warnings to us by sentries who had also sighted the patrol.

I was then guided a few score more yards along the tunnel to a place where there was a tiny, horizontal air hole, leading from the tunnel into an abandoned spiked trap. I lay with my face close to a marvelous flow of air and dozed off to sleep; the rippling crashes of artillery seemed to have receded a bit.

I was awakened by the interpreter shaking my shoulder and bringing news that after suffering some casualties, the

Saigon troops had pulled back a few miles.

We could emerge into the fresh air for a while. Envelopes converged on us from all directions, confirming that about an hour before sunset the adversary was licking his wounds and had dug in about three miles distant. After much consultation, it was decided to shift our position to a point a bit further from the enemy and where there were “more comfortable tunnels and first-class air-raid shelters”.

So we set out for a brisk hour’s march.

When we arrived at the spot, on the banks of a fairly big river, urgent discussions again took place. There was the disturbing noise of a motor of some sort of heavy river craft, not too far downstream from where we were. Within minutes an envelope had arrived with the news that an American landing craft was moored at a wharf about a mile downstream, with the motor running and only the crew aboard.

“There are two possibilities,” said the military chief after consultations were completed. “Either that landing craft is to ferry the troops back to their base, or it is waiting to take troops aboard for a raid into this area. I think the second is more likely as the operation should continue three more days according to original plans. So we must move you again.”

It was a splendid moonlight night and we were soon on our way, marching over rice fields, the short, dried stubble pricking at our feet through the open sandals. After we had marched quickly for half an hour,

we could hear the landing craft’s motor revving up and it was clear it was under way, heading in the direction we had just left. Almost immediately salvos of shells started coming in our direction and we had to throw ourselves on the ground for the bursts, keeping on the move in between.

After a good three hours’ march, with the shelling providing the only rests, we slung our hammocks in a thick belt of forest, my “own” trees being on the edge of a crater from a 1,000-pound bomb.

Half an hour after we arrived, there was one sharp burst of automatic fire in the distance. Later, an envelope arrived with the news that a cadre, following the path we had taken, was surprised by a patrol from the landing craft and was killed with a burst from a tommy gun.

Military Manhunt Early next morning the operation was in full swing, the main body of Saigon troops having moved into the area. Mesdemoiselles were soaring overhead like wasps, trying to spot defense positions and direct artillery fire. It was easy to distinguish the attackers’ artillery, mortar and long bursts of machine gun and automatic fire from the lighter, shorter bursts from the defenders’ automatic weapons and single shots of rifle fire.

The guerillas never like to fire a single unnecessary shot — cartridges are too precious. It sounded like a terribly unequal combat with bombs and shells thundering

down in between the exchanges of the lighter weapons. But the guerillas do not accept battle on the adversary’s terms.

They slow them up, make them pay a little and then fade out. When they give battle, it is on their terms and not too close to populated areas. And this was what was happening now.

“What about the artillery and mortar fire?” I asked. “What are they actually shooting at?”

“Sometimes they spot some of our defense positions,” the area commander replied, “but more often they just bomb and shell blindly at any patch of forest or bamboo, at anything they suspect might be sheltering people. And half the time I think they shell to try and inject some morale into their troops. They must have long given up any idea that the noise terrifies our people; they’ve had too many experiences that prove the contrary.”

As the artillery started up again after an hour’s relative peace, I listened to the 11am news from Radio Australia and heard a Reuter dispatch: “Senior US officers and high-ranking Saigon government officials are demanding that the war should be extended to Communist North Vietnam to offset Viet Cong pressure in South Vietnam.” The rest of the broadcast was blocked out by two dive-bombers roaring down in an attack about a half-mile away.

They each made three dives, releasing two half-ton bombs each time. In a fourth dive, they released rockets and fired their

machine guns.

Later in the day, when things got a bit quieter, some of us went to see the results.

A delegation of US taxpayers would have been impressed! There were 12 craters spread over a strip of jungle about 300 yards long by 100 yards wide and some holes not more than three inches deep with remains of rockets around them. The target was a tiny patch of jungle track that showed through the trees, on which one bomb had squarely landed. Perhaps there had been a column of troops passing? I thought, but a check was made. Nobody had been in the area and troops in any case would have been well under the trees with planes about. It would take the guerillas five minutes with their knives to hack out a new bit of track around the water.

“It’s typical,” said the area commander when we reported back. “They’ll bomb and strafe for hours at any tiny bit of track they see. Every day there is this fantastic waste of shells and bombs.”

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 month the Melbourne Press Club inducted him into their Hall of Fame. Burchett was also the journalist who broke 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

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THE OVERSEAS EXPERIENCE

AUSTRALIA

The Far Side At home in Adelaide, Jon Aspin takes a look at the Vietnamese experience.

Photos by George Tan

W

e’ve all experienced it. Invest your time, money or energy into just about anything, and from then on its characteristics will have a tendency to reappear. It’s a concept advertisers rely on. For those of us who return home from Vietnam for example, signs for ‘the best bun cha in town’ will now turn up. Packaged holidays to Cat Ba will shout at you and cheap TV featuring bikers smoking opium and celebrities eating spiders will suddenly invade your schedule.

On a recent trip home, it happened to me quite simply when I realised that all around me there were students in my city, and that some of them were Vietnamese! Of course they’d always been there, but I’d been ambivalent — uninvested. So in the spirit of friendship I set out to meet some of them, and maybe find out how the life they were living now compared to what had gone before.

International Student of the Year Meet Nguyen Trong Nghia. He’s living what you could consider the holy grail of studying abroad. The diminutive 24-year-old from Dak Lak Province, near Buon Ma Thuot, has a full tuition scholarship to Adelaide University in Australia. This year he began his PhD in Electrical Engineering and my first question was to ask him whether he could confirm the disciplined reputation of the Vietnamese student. He does — smiling.

“For me it wasn’t too hard,” he says, only a hint of sarcasm in his voice. “I went to a ‘gifted public school’ where I concentrated on maths. I liked doing maths, physics

and chemistry, so I just had to get through everything else and concentrate on my areas.”

It paid off. Nghia scored a 30/30 on his entrance exam and was awarded a full government scholarship for his first year of overseas study — around A$25,000 (VND469 million) worth. Before arriving he completed his first year of undergrad work at Bach Khoa University (Ho Chi Minh University of Technology) and then came to the relative ‘hamlet’ of Adelaide, where the scholarships have continued. Before he left, he spent a month honing his English at a private language school, and now, four years later, he speaks with eloquence and only minor grammatical error.

When I meet him he appears like any other member of the student population.

Delve deeper however and you find a list of honours to make most of us feel like underachievers. Nghia has won the Governor’s award for academic excellence — the modestly titled International Student of the Year award — not once but twice, in 2011 and 2012. “The first year I got an iPad,” he says laughing, “and the second time I got an iPad and a free flight home!”

So what of the differences between life in Vietnam and Australia? As you might expect from a PhD candidate, his response focuses on the academic. “Studying here is good because of the technology available,” he says. “In Vietnam this is not established yet, and this is the main difference for us students — we can do experiments and test our theories. Vietnam is still a young country in this regard, but right now instead of

building hotels and resorts, they could invest more in giving academics and scientists the resources to do their jobs. This is the next step for the country to compete with Japan, Korea and Malaysia.”

Young Ambassadors In the process of meeting some other Vietnamese students including Lily — a Finance and Accounting undergrad from Hanoi — I am invited to the launch of a new marketing film by Study Adelaide. This is an organisation with remit to position the city as a premier choice for students. It’s a competitive marketplace, and after canapes, drinks and much hobnobbing, the film is unveiled as a ‘day in the life’ of a newly arrived student. It’s filled with life affirming experiences and cultural exchanges where

The High Achiever

N GUYEN T RONG N GHIA H OMETOWN : Dak Lak A GE : 24 P H D IN : Electrical Engineering F UTURE P LANS : To keep getting better at

what he does, keep experimenting and keep travelling the world while he does it.

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“‘We have to live with the stereotype of the high performing Asian student… It’s a good and a bad thing… because it can mean that we don’t meet some people outside of our circle, some people who might judge us — but good because as Vietnamese it motivates us to work hard’”

beaches, wineries, sunshine and kangaroos feature heavily. Lily is an ambassador for the organization too, and counts amongst her peers students from Brazil, Malaysia, India, China and Canada.

I sit down to chat with her and her friends Quinn, Brian, Wilson and Sanny. All of them resemble the young, hip kids you can find shopping on Le Loi or Nguyen Trai in Ho Chi Minh City. The consensus is that they like studying here, they like Australia and they like the people.

Sanny recounts a story about the local bus driver who stopped and got out of the bus to assist a disabled person — something she says wouldn't happen at home, and

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emblematic of the differences between her still developing homeland and the ‘first world’ country she finds herself in now.

They are also aware it’s a quieter place than where they have come from, and possibly where they are going. “I like Adelaide,” says Quinn, a second year psychology student from Saigon.

“Compared to Ho Chi Minh City it’s quiet and organised, which is good for me because I don’t like going out too much. I prefer to go to people’s houses.” There is a large Vietnamese network available to them here true — Australia has 26,000 Vietnamese students at last count — but like Nghia they don’t want to be stuck in a ‘bubble’. “It’s

good to have Viet friends when you need help,” says Wilson, a future pharmaceutical engineer. “But I like to meet all the other people as well, that’s why I came here. I have friends from Australia, Malaysia, England, Poland and Spain. Not just Vietnamese.”

On The Spot No surprises on the one thing they agree on missing as well, the food — and possibly the immediate sense of sharing what the street life of Vietnam creates. “In Danang, where I am from,” says Brian, a medicine student on full scholarship, “if you wanted to do something you would just meet outside, see whoever was there and go do it

The Students

‘Q UINN ’ — T RAN N GOC T HAO Q UYEN H OMETOWN : Ho Chi Minh City A GE : 20 C OURSE : Psychological Science W HAT SHE MISSES MOST ABOUT V IETNAM : “Bun mam! I have not seen it on the menu anywhere here!”

‘W ILSON ’ — T U N HAT B UI H OMETOWN : Phan Rang A GE : 21 C OURSE : Pharmaceutical Engineering F AVOURITE A USTRALIAN CELEBRITIES : “Hamish and Andy. Check ‘em out!”

‘L ILY ’ — T RANG N GUYEN H OMETOWN : Ha Tinh A GE : 21 C OURSE : Commerce — Accounting and WHAT

Corporate Finance

SHE MISSES MOST ABOUT

VIETNAM:

“Drinking ca phe sua da every morning!”

Photo by Jon Aspin

straight away. Here it’s a bit more planned, so you have to be more organised than at home.”

It’s not just a string of social events for these students though. They still feel the pressure to perform — their scholarships depend on it. “We have to live with the stereotype of the high performing Asian student,” says Lily. “It’s a good and a bad thing.” Why? “Because it can mean that we don’t meet some people outside of our circle, some people who might judge us — but good because as Vietnamese it motivates us to work hard. That is what people expect of us, what our families want and what our country expects as well.”

So its not all barbecues on the beach and fireworks in the harbour, but it does seem that these students are mixing it up and representing Vietnam well from afar. I decide to leave the last word to our two-time international student of the year though, so I ask him to give some advice to potential cohorts who might be reading back home. “Always have a goal,” he begins, “then find out what you need to do to achieve it. If you get stressed, don’t let it stop you. Never compare yourself to others, just focus, and work as hard as you can to [achieve] your dreams.”

Well said Nghia, I think there’s something in that for all of us, mate.

‘S ANNY ’ — S A H OANG N GUYEN H OMETOWN : Nghe An A GE : 20 C OURSE : Bachelor of Commerce F AVOURITE A USTRALIAN EXPRESSION : “No worries mate!”

‘B RIAN ’ — N HAN N GUYEN H OMETOWN : Danang Age: 23

B EST

C OURSE : Medicine

THING ABOUT STUDYING OVERSEAS :

“Meeting girls from all over the world — just kidding Mum!”

The last call As Swedish ambassador to Vietnam during the two countries’ 45-year anniversary of diplomatic relations, Camilla Mellander looks on how Sweden is leading by example. Photo by David Harris I have been in Vietnam for… two-and-a-half years. Funny, it feels as if I arrived a few months ago. I still learn new things about Vietnam and Vietnamese culture every day, and I’m very happy I have another one-and-ahalf years to go.

The Swedish embassy is housed in… the Swedish embassy

compound, in the middle of busy Kim Ma Street. Most people know where this is because the embassy has been there since 1980 and the architecture is a bit different and some people call it “the Swedish red-roofed compound”. My Swedish colleagues and I love living there even if the buildings are a little bit old. It’s almost like a kibbutz. We work and live together and have a lot of fun.

Sweden recognised Vietnam’s sovereign status earlier than other western nations because... Sweden has always been a

strong advocate for self-governance and the rights for people and countries to decide and create their own future.

Those are Swedish core values and therefore the Swedish government decided to recognise Vietnam in 1969.

This year we celebrate 45 years of diplomatic relations — and it has been a really special year with more than 30 different events. In November more than half of the embassy relocated to Ho Chi Minh City for the exhibition, Innovative Sweden, which ran for three weeks at Hoa Sen University. Sweden is a small country but always at the top of the Global Innovation Indexes.

tor. There are more female CEOs in Vietnam than in Sweden.

Swedish-Vietnamese trade has grown to historic levels because… of the liberalisation

of the Vietnamese economy and a growing market economy in Vietnam. The new economic policies have opened doors to the international markets and catapulted the Vietnamese economy, which in turn has made it attractive for trade and investments. With the free trade agreement between the EU and Vietnam, hopefully to be concluded next year, the volume will increase even further.

Our interest in Vietnamese financial reform stems from… the fact that we see a lib-

eral market-oriented economy as the most effective way to lift nations and people out of poverty. It also brings increased exchange economically and culturally.

We see the next 10 years of Swedish-Vietnamese partnership as focusing on… bringing Swedish knowhow and technology to Vietnam. Vietnam is now a middle-income country and after being one of the largest donors in Vietnam for many years we have now changed our focus to trade promotion.

As the longest-standing western diplomacy to Vietnam, we lead by… example, I’d say. A deep

and trusting relationship that recognises all that is uniting our countries and us, that is built on mutual respect but at the same time doesn’t shy away from the fact of our sometime differences of opinion. Just like in any respectful relationship.

During my tenure, Sweden has emphasised… the importance of an

innovative climate for Vietnam to be able to climb up the ladder and sustain a high level of economic growth. Sweden is also a strong voice for democracy, freedom and equality, and coming from a country with a high level of gender equality, I’m happy to see that women in Vietnam are making headway into politics, academia and the business sec-

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