Sensational Saigon
By Donald Berkshire
"It took us centuries to boot the foreigners out, now they're taking over again!" cab driver Nguyen says with a chuckle, waving a hand at a row of luxury shops as he battles peak hour chaos in Vietnam's glitzy commercial capital.
Ho Chi Minh City, or Saigon as most of the locals refer to it, is the brash little sister of the reserved northern capital Hanoi, determined to woo flush foreign investors and nudge her way into the exclusive clubs of international finance.
Old China expats visiting this sprawling metropolis of 10 million may feel they've been shunted back to the Shanghai of the mid-1990s as they survey a cityscape pounded by wrecking balls and besotted with skyscrapers.
And everyone, moving with these fast developing times, is in a rush, from the suited office workers stabbing at smartphones in chain coffee outlets to the hordes of youth who take to the streets on their scooters after dark.
Saigon maintains reminders of the country's difficult past, with its museums displaying evidence of war crimes by U.S. troops during the Vietnam War, although optimism is generally the order of the day.
The last few years have brought a flood of foreign dollars, both from returned Vietnamese and expats seeking to tap into the country's boom, with the city really coming alive after sunset as an array of freshly-minted restaurants, bars and clubs heave with a nightlife that rivals Bangkok.
And the city offers excellent value for money in its world-class food, shopping and entertainment outlets, at only a fraction of the cost of other Asian destinations.
"This place is really happening now," says Nguyen, the cabbie, as he steps on the gas, ploughing a furrow through a field of moto-scooters. "Blink and you will miss Saigon."
WHERE TO EAT
From humble hawker fare at open-air stalls, to French haute cuisine in stately guest-houses, Saigon caters to every taste and budget. The city's massive renovation has seen a clutch of fancy restaurants open in recent years, all bidding to outdo each other with an opulence of design intended to match the kitchen wizardry of imported chefs.
May
A bitter background of bickering business partners appears set to have a happy ending at May, where the owner Thai Tu Tho showcases her love of North Vietnamese cuisine in an elegant French villa. After falling out with her former business partners, Ms Thai retreated to this tucked-away enclave in the inner city's western fringe, and hasn’t been doing all that bad. The pink duck breast with ginger and the long-stewed pork are a couple of the standouts on a menu of traditional claypot dishes, best eaten al fresco on the upstairs terrace.
Web: www.may-cloud.com
Cuc Gach Quan
Slightly off the beaten track in a side-street laden with gabled French terrace houses, Cuc Gach Quan is a family business and three storeys of joy in a rambling, white-washed villa serving feasts of traditional country food. Guests can sample Mekong delta fish (or vegetarian tofu) stuffed with lemongrass and ginger in a leafy front courtyard or with a pond view.
Manager Duy said Cuc Gach was set up to give locals and tourists a break from the "fusion rubbish" that's taking over the city: "In their rush to try new, different things, people have forgotten what real Vietnamese food is. We hope to remind them."
Square One
Oozing class and packed with Saigon's beautiful people, Square One at the Park Hyatt showcases the uber-cool aesthetic of Japanese design house Super Potato and a choice of modern Vietnamese and/or Western grill. Grab a bottle of Bordeaux and tuck into some foie gras terrine or a lime-infused Nha Trang lobster, and enjoy the sight of preening model-types coo-ing at cashed-up salary-men. Take my word for it when I say careful on the Prada if you order the tiger prawn curry.
Web: www.saigon.park.hyattrestaurants.com/squareone
WHERE TO DRINK
Chill
A short scooter ride down Le Lai street in the beating heart of Saigon, Chill is the place to see and be seen in a city where bars often ride a quick wave of trendiness before crashing when the latest hot-spot opens. The entrance to Chill gives little indication of what's to come, but two smiling hostesses will quickly whisk you into an elevator up to the 26th floor where you step out onto a terrace bar for Vietnam's best venue, bar none, for sundown cocktails. One or two mojitos later, you can saunter upstairs to continue the high life at the Chill restaurant serving contemporary cuisine and look over Saigon's glittering neon-encrusted skyline.
Web: www.chillsaigon.com
Blanchy's Tash
Behind the odd name are some very serious people running this new resto-bar, a stone's throw from the Park Hyatt Hotel in ground zero of Saigon's party district. A decent wad has been pumped into the three-storey Blanchy's, whose name is derived from a notable French colonial mayor not given to shaving his upper lip. The managers poached a chef from upscale London dining institution Nobu to serve an intriguing fusion of Japanese and Brazilian cuisine, and have ambitions of notching Vietnam's first Michelin star.
At ground level, an American cocktail guru was hired to knock the drinks list into shape. Resident DJs start the evening with chilled beats and build to a thumping crescendo as midnight approaches, whipping the blinged-up party set into a frenzy.
Web: blanchystash.com
2 Lam Son
This cocktail bar on the ground floor of the Park Hyatt is a small oasis of calm in the eye of Saigon's night-life storm. Inside, the well-heeled clientele savour a well-made martini and a chance to flirt without a shouted conversation over deafening beats. Earthy wood panelling wraps patrons in a warm embrace, while private, shrouded booths offer secluded spaces for seduction.
Web: www.saigon.park.hyattrestaurants.com
WHERE TO SHOP
For all of Saigon's lofty economic aspirations, about 90 percent of the city's 10 million people seem to be employed in small shop-front businesses selling one thing or another. Renowned for exquisite silks, ornate lacquer-ware and ceramics, Saigon is no mere repository for brand name fakes and junk accessories shifted by the truckload in Shanghai's tourist markets. There is some seriously high quality stuff here and you don't need to look hard to find it, nor max out your credit cards to secure it.
Dong Khoi
The first and often last stop by the frazzled foreign businessman looking to stuff a suitcase with goodies for the wife and kids, this retail strip slicing south past the Saigon River is laden with shops selling silkware, jewellery and assorted knick-knacks. Prices here are hardly eye-popping, targeting the hurried (or lazy) tourist. Check out Ipa-Nima's for handbags and Khai Silk for top-quality fabrics.
L'Usine
Stepping into L'Usine, a cafe-cum-clothes shop off Dong Khoi, might have you think you took a wrong turn and somehow ended up in New York's Soho. An airy warehouse space with designer flourishes and locally-made street-wear, L'Usine might just be Saigon's coolest place to pick up a pair of sneakers - or a decorative rocking horse made of twigs, for that matter. The coffee and cake make a nice break from a diet of sour chilli noodles and attract a diverse crowd of hipsters and wannabes. Tables are often scarce but no-one will protest if you elbow aside the English teachers there “working on a novel" between classes.
Web: lusinespace.com
Art For The People
Those with an artistic bend, an eye for talent or perhaps just a suitcase of money to launder could do worse than to follow local art historian Sophie Hughes around Saigon's contemporary galleries and private exhibitions. Hughes's day tours focus on works from the 20th century to the present, exploring how colonialism, war, revolution, independence and economic reform have informed Vietnamese art.
WHERE TO STAY
Park Hyatt
Much like the birth of Vietnam itself, the Park Hyatt rose from the ashes of war and its faux-French colonial facade now stands as a beacon of peace and serenity in Saigon's chaotic heart. Occupying a former U.S. army command centre that was blastered to smithereens, the hotel that replaced the rubble offers a welcome respite to the snarling traffic outside, comforting weary multi-national foot-soldiers with cocktails in its tranquil poolside garden. Sizeable rooms revel in understated luxury, with a tasteful blend of colonial French furnishing and Vietnamese decoration. The Park Hyatt's restaurants and bars are some of the finest in Saigon, and the Xuan Spa offers relief from a taxing day of retail therapy.
Sheraton Saigon Hotel And Towers
Recent renovation has transformed the Sheraton from a grand old dame of Saigon hospitality into a glittering debutante determined to make an impression. The 112 rooms in the Tower Lounge are enormous (minimum 55 square metres) and decked out with massive flat-screen TVs and all the whiz-bang gadgetry beloved of device-toting tech-heads. Design enthusiasts will love the technicolour carpets and chic fittings in the hallways and lounge areas, while exercise junkies will delight in the huge gym next to the pool garden. Top-notch bars, restaurants and spa facilities add another serving of substance to go with the surfeit of style.
Web: www.sheratongrandtower.com
