Eating with Saigon’s Transgender On Monday night, Hai and I headed off for dinner to a small neighborhood eatery alongside one of Saigon’s main “canals”. Now, to be clear, that would NOT be “canals” in the sense of Venice, Italy, fed by open seawater. But, much more like the “canals” of Bangkok, fed by the [Read on …]
There’s not single hot steamy Saigon night that goes by that I don’t think about ice cream. Now I don’t always act upon those thoughts, but I must admit that a large scoop of creamy chocolate-chip ice cream is often on my mind. In fact, I have actually planned my ice cream consumption up [Read on …]
Vú Dê Nướng & Lẩu Dê (BBQ Goat Udder & Goat Meat Hot Pot) This week I decided it was time to return to California Fitness & Yoga (Saigon’s “premier” health club , better know in the city as “California Wow!)) in order to begin to pay my dues for having stayed away from serious [Read on …]
What a treasure trove of community life in Saigon! If you’re in Saigon and wondering how to spend a free day – and if you’d like to take a peek at “real” Saigon (rather than a tourist street or a propaganda museum), considered spending some time at Le Thi Rieng Park. A few years back, [Read on …]
It’s 6:30 am, time for a quick breakfast before starting the work day, or the day’s tour. You’ve had phở six mornings in a row for breakfast, cơm (rice) six evenings in a row for dinner. What to do? How about a big juicy beef steak! That’s our situation a few times each month. As [Read on …]
Hai and I have a nightly ritual concerning where we will eat dinner. Each evening after work and after our respective workouts at California Wow we hop on Hai’s motorbike and head down Le Lai Street off to dinner. But where? Immediately, Hai will ask, “Where do you want to eat?” He’s driving, so a [Read on …]
I’m not sure exactly why, but it seems that food always costs a bit more in Districts 5, & 11, the “Chinese” areas of Saigon. Of course, by western standards, its not expensive at all, but by Saigon standards, I’d say it is. But once in a while, I just feel like eating something different [Read on …]
The city buses in Saigon are secret treasures for visitors who want to get to know and feel (and maybe smell) Vietnam. Take a Bus to Your Next Saigon Eating Adventure That’s where the old people are. That’s where the students are. Look for these Bus-Stop Signs That’s where you can travel above (and a [Read on …]