Mai Thai - Ho Chi Minh City

Hidden behind the Sunwah Tower in Ho Chi Minh City is an air conditioned, cozy two-storey Thai restaurant fittingly called Mai Thai (19 Ton That Thiep St., HCMC, tel. 08-821-2920). We've been going back to this restaurant which was recommended to us by the owner of our favorite camera sales and repair shop, Madame Thu. The restaurant has a Thai decor and the service crew even don Thai-style apparel. At lunch time on weekdays, Mai Thai offers a set lunch (a main dish, a stir-fried veggie, fruit and rice) at a very reasonable price of VND55,000 (USD 3.45 or PHP 155). The place is always full with a lunch crowd composed of staff from multinational companies holding office nearby.

The food is authentic Thai and Mai Thai has consistently delivered food on the table according to one's recollection and expectation of what Thai food ought to be. The menu lists a total of 81 dishes starting with appetizers, soup and curry, main dish, and dessert. Even their version of phad thai is worth going back for. An order of phad thai costs VND69,000 or USD 4.31 or 198 pesos. In fact, some pad thai that I have eaten in many places in Bangkok and the one I recently had in People's Palace, a Thai restaurant in Greenbelt, Makati would definitely pale in comparison.

For dinner the other night, we had steamed fish with lemon, red curry chicken, stir-fried morning glory with garlic, jasmine rice and Vietnamese tea. As always, the steamed fish was fresh and well done, the red curry chicken just had the right blend of curry and coconut milk, while the stir-fried morning glory was seasoned with fermented yellow beans and julienned red chilis. This dinner cost us only VND 218,000 for two persons (USD13.63 or PHP634) or PHP317 per person. Tonight we dined again in Mai Thai and had fried catfish salad, green curry chicken and steamed shrimps in glass noodles, jasmine rice and Vietnamese tea. This dinner for two cost us only VND 218,000 (USD 13.66). Where in the world can you find a first-class Thai dinner in a restaurant with a cozy ambiance at such a low, low price? Truly amazing!

Nam Giao Restaurant - HCMC

I am again in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) this week and yesterday noon was a particularly rainy day so I wanted some comfort food. From where I stood at the Rex Hotel lobby, I had two options -- to take a cab to Pho Hoa on Pasteur St. or walk to Nam Giao on Le Thanh Ton St. I opted to go to Nam Giao, one of the three places I frequent in HCMC for pho. Nam Giao specializes in Hue food. It is a small, unassuming food shop tucked away in a small courtyard with unbelievably cheap prices. It is within walking distance from Rex Hotel and one would pass by a Pho24 shop before hitting the alley.

Among the house specialties are: banh beo (steamed rice flour cake with ground shrimps), bahn beo tom tuoi (steamed rice flour cake with ground fresh shrimps), bahn bot loc (ground shrimp steamed with rice wrapped in banana leaves), bahn bot loc (shrimp, porkand tropical starch flour wrapped in banana leaves), bun bo Hue (spicy beef noodle), bun cha cua (crab paste noodle soup), bahn canh cua (shrimp, crab meat, sliced pork with special rice noodle soup), and com hen (special clam with rice), among others.

I ordered bun bo Hue (spicy beef noodle) and I squeezed a thin slice of lime and added chili paste and shrimp paste. I also added some mint and blanched bean sprouts to make it a truly healthy meal. It was excellent and the Hue taste sets it apart from other pho concoctions in HCMC. The big bowl of beef noodle soup cost only VND17,000 (USD 1.06 or about 48 pesos) and four pieces of Hue fresh spring rolls with peanut sauce were only VND14,000 (USD0.88 or about 40 pesos). I left Nam Giao truly satisfied and I had to quickly weave through the motorbike traffic to seek refuge in Ben Thanh market before the downpour.

If you find yourself somewhere near Ben Thanh market in HCMC, try Nam Giao for a taste of Hue food. Nam Giao Restaurant is on 136/15 Le Thanh Ton District 1, telephone: 08-8250261.