Quán Phong Lan
54 Cửu Long
District 10
0988 818 971
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Bắc Hải’s Lê Thị Riêng Park
After having lived in Saigon’s Bắc Hải district for many years – and loved it – I now have yet another wonderful reason to re-claim it as my favorite neighborhood in Ho Chi Minh City.
Certainly, Bắc Hải’s major attraction is its lovely Lê Thị Riêng Park. Nestled in the midst of Saigon’s urban chaos and bordering one of the city’s busiest thoroughfares (Cách Mạng Tháng Tám Street), Lê Thị Riêng Park is a local neighborhood oasis of calm and greenery. You can read more about the Park’s fishing lake, tree’d walkways, morning exercise regimes, and peaceful cafes here: Lê Thị Riêng Park.
The Bắc Hải neighborhood also has that amazing Olympic-size public swimming pool (where I was able to shed the pounds accumulated by the work involved in researching Eating Saigon!). And, the area’s cafe-lined tree-covered streets are wonderfully “very Hanoi”.
Cafes everywhere in Bắc Hải!
And here you will also find one of my favorite neighborhood eateries – Mi Quang Hoi An. All of this just a stone’s throw from Saigon’s tourist centers in Districts 1 and 3.
But, when Hai and I returned to Bắc Hải during our most recent visit to Saigon at a luncheon invitation of one of Hai’s best high school friends, Hiền, we discovered a new and wonderful eatery, Quán Phong Lan.
Our friendly cook preparing an amazing lunch treat at Quán Phong Lan!
Hai & Phong talking restaurants and fish soup
Phong, the restaurant’s owner, offers his specialty, bún cá rô đồng, a truly delicious fish rice noodle soup with its roots in northern Vietnam. Hiền suggested (insisted) that we order the tô đặc biệt (very special bowl). We complied … and were very happy that we did!
Amazingly delicious Bún Cá Rô Đồng (northern Vietnam rice noodle river fish soup)
Absolutely delectable, this bún cá rô đồng soup immediately catches your attention with its light, flavorful and refreshing broth that features hints of dill throughout. The large bowl of rice noodles swim in that wonderful broth among three forms of countryside river fish, cà rô đổng. Deep-fried fishcakes, grilled fish fillets, and boiled fish balls. A very special refreshing and delicious meal. Loved it! And just 48.000 vnd (about $2 USD).
Pickled bamboo and garlic – major yum!
The soup all by itself was surely worth the visit, but then there was that jar of pickled bamboo and chili on each table – an absolute flavor explosion!
Opened less than a year ago and set in the midst of Bắc Hải’s cafe district, this clean, comfortable and breezy open-air eatery is one more destination to put on your “must visit” food list when in Saigon. It’s now permanently on mine!
A clean, comfortable, breezy place to enjoy the most delicious fish noodle soup
UPDATE – February, 2019: I made my return here for lunch a top priority. It didn’t disappoint! In fact, it was even more delicious than I had recalled. Becoming a classic Saigon neighborhood eatery!
UPDATE – January, 2020: Still going strong … still great food!
OPEN 6:00 am – 10:00 pm each day
Quán Phong Lan
54 Cửu Long
District 10
0988 818 971