During our year in Vietnam, we definitely had a few spots that we frequented often. Places we felt safe, welcome, and knew the food was good and the drinks cheap. Granted, most of the places we loved were in the “Korean district” of Phu My Hung in District 7, but this is where we felt the least amount of stress and the most at home.

If Rob and I didn’t want to go to one of these places, but still wanted to get out of the apartment, we would just go for a stroll along Bui Vien and Pham Ngu Lao, the tourist streets of Saigon. There was no end of entertainment there (think drunk tourists being silly).

1. Chi’s Cafe. Since we rented our motorbike from Chi’s, we were there at least once a month, and most often once a week. The staff was friendly, the food delicious, and the building cool (temperature wise).

2. Annam Gourmet Market. A short drive from our apartment in Phu My Hung (or District 7), Annam made delicious sandwiches with fresh meats, cheeses, and breads. Towards the end of our year, when food anxieties were severe for me (fear of food poisoning), Rob indulged me by going here for lunch or dinner a couple times a week.

3. WineMart. Another tasty sandwich shop that specialized in wine, WineMart was a 3 minute walk from our school. It became a frequent lunch spot for us, especially when we needed a break from students.

4. The park by in Phu My Hung, District 7. Green, generally free of litter, and peaceful, this area saw us often for post-dinner and weekend walks.

5. Happy Life. Known for their cocktail “buckets”, Rob and I probably spent more time at Happy Life than we care to admit. The chairs on the sidewalk, with prime street-viewing seating, became both our pre-game and post-game spot when we were out for the night on Bui Ven. Many of our expat teacher friends could also be found there – usually unplanned as we rarely used our cell phones.

6. Red Chair Bars. These are not “official” bars, but rather just plastic, red kid chairs that are put in rows on the sidewalk and spill into the street. Space is tight, expats and tourists abound, and they get rolling around 10-11pm. You can order beers for 50 cents, buy food from the roaming street vendors, make new friends, and just watch the debauchery happen in front of you.

7. Scott and Binh’s restaurant. This restaurant opened about mid-way through our year. Their speciality was brunch with some delicious stuffed French toast. Sadly, they have closed, otherwise I would tell you to get the cream cheese and banana stuffed toast.

8. The river walk by our apartment. Right across the street from our apartment was a river with some strategically straight-line planted trees and peace from the busy road just a few blocks over. If we wanted to avoid the streets, we would walk along the river all the way to our school. It was the most nature we could get on most days.

9. The cafe across the street from our apartment. I never learned the name of it, but when our cleaning lady would come by (twice a month), we would clear out for a few hours to the cafe directly across the street. Delicious spring rolls, free wifi, and an open-air view of the busy street life passing before us helped pass the hours.

10. Our Apartment. Our safety zone, our space, our first place together, our apartment was truly our haven. Granted, we had no rugs on the tiled floor, an ant infestation, a broken couch, and only two dishes, it was our home. (This picture is from when we first moved in…hence the mess.)

11. Fit24. We decided early on in our year that we wanted a gym membership. Somewhere else to go and a way to keep us in shape. Our gym was exactly like an American one with rows of cardio machines, a weights section, and a few group fitness classes.

12. Crescent Mall. On the bottom floor of the mall was our grocery store while the top floor held a movie theater and lots of shops in between. Apart from our twice weekly grocery haul (we couldn’t carry a week’s worth on the back of the motorbike), we would just walk around and enjoy the air conditioning (and not buy a thing).

13. Monopoly Bar. This bar, also in Phu My Hung, had a big patio and lots of board games. It was a great spot to pass a mellow night. Unfortunately, it is out of business.

14. Vietnammm.com. Yes, not an actual location, but a “place” we spent a lot of time regardless. Any restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City that would deliver. We used this service so often that we knew exactly what we would order from our favorite places.

RQ: Which one of these places sounds the best (and worst) to you?

Brooke Selb

I’m Brooke Selb, a Personal Trainer and Health Coach specializing in helping busy moms and moms to be to easily juggle mom life with family friendly recipes, and easy exercise routines to help you achieve your fitness goals that fit in with your already busy life with sound nutritional advice.