We sometimes get exhausted eating the same food over and over again. And for me eating pho can never be boring. BTW, here are all the best pho restaurants in HCMC.
But after staying in Vietnam for a month I kind of craved something American or non-pho. So I went to all the best restaurants in Ho Chi Minh City that is not a pho restaurant and here is the list!
Den Long
Den Long is one of my favorite Vietnamese restaurant that doesn’t focus on pho. I probably came here like four times. They kindly even wrote us where to go for drinks and to eat in Hanoi. They have variety of Vietnamese food that is home cooking style.
I could give you recommendations, but the waiters will be giving you better recommendations, so I will just show you the pictures of the food. Doesn’t the picture say 1000 words or what!
Tel: 84 90 994 91 83
Addy: 130 Nguyễn Trãi, Phường Phạm Ngũ Lão, Quận 1, Hồ Chí Minh 700000, Vietnam
RELATED: EVERYTHING I WISHED I HAVE KNOWN BEFORE GOING TO VIETNAM!
4 P’s Pizza
This is another place that I went over and over again. 4 P’s Pizza is a chain and I have been to the one in HCMC and Hanoi. Both are exactly the same and taste the same. With open kitchen, you can see them making your pizza. Best to sit at the bar where you can watch them make it.
Everything from cheese to dough is brought locally and for that reason it is super fresh. I don’t want to sound like I am not well cultured going to a pizza place in Vietnam, but this is one of the best Italian restaurant I have every been. I think it was even better than some of the restaurants I have been in Italy or New York.
Tel: +84 28 3622 0500
Addy: 8 Thủ Khoa Huân, Phường Bến Thành, Quận 1, Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam
Steak House and Beer Craft
I am putting this restaurant because of their reasonable price. If you are in New York eating steak, you will spend a fortune, but in HCMC you can spend half the price and get a steak as good as New York.
Steak House and Beer Craft is on Nguyen Hue Boulevard, so you can easily chill and walk around the square after a heavy meal.
Tel: +84 166 519 9846
Addy: QPG3+43 Bến Nghé, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
The Deck
The Deck HCMC Vietnam is one of the high end restaurant outside of HCMC. You have to take a cab for about 20 minutes to get here, but the food and the view is absolutely amazing. It is a Vietnamese restaurant with a twist different Asian culture.
It would be a great place for a date night or to have a meal on the last day to have a good memory. You have to book a table as it gets really busy and make sure to ask for a table with a river view. The food is quite expensive and I believe you are paying for the view as well. So make sure to get the river view!
Tel: +84 28 3744 6632
Addy: RP4V+FR Thảo Điền, District 2, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Bun Cha 145
Bun Cha 145 is in Bui Vien Walking Street. So if you are staying here, you can easily check it out. Bun cha is another popular Vietnamese dish that is really popular in Hanoi. I wrote about Bun cha on a different post and you can read about it in detail here.
In a nutshell, it became even more well known among foreigners after Anthony Bourdain and President Obama visited one of Bun cha restaurants in Hanoi. Bun Cha 145 is as good as the ones in Hanoi, and there is always a line. So expect to wait. Also, if they sell out, they close early as well, so don’t be lazy and go late and miss out. If you really liked it and want to try it in Hanoi, here is the top list of the Bun Cha restaurants here.
Tel: +84 28 3837 3474
Addy: QM8R+GM Phạm Ngũ Lão, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Banh Mi
Banh Mi is a sandwich that is also popular all around Vietnam. It is also really popular in New York, and I used to go grab one during lunch when I used to work. It is basically a French Baguette with all sorts of meat and vegetable.
There are many excellent Banh Mi you can try but the best ones are the ones that sell on the cart.
Secret Garden
This Vietnamese restaurant is on my list not only because of good food, but great ambiance. Secret Garden is on the top of the building, so half of the restaurant is outdoors and when it’s not raining or humid, you can sit outside and enjoy your dinner.
It is another typical Vietnamese home cooking style restaurant. One of my local friend told me the food here is really like home cooking, especially the soak beef with fish sauce and ginger. So I tried it of course, and it was really interesting. You should also try it if you go here!
Tel: +84 90 990 46 21
Addy: QMGX+WW Bến Nghé, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Gaxeo
OK… This shouldn’t be on the list really, but as a Korean I needed my dosage of Korean food and here is one that I liked. Gaxeo is a Korean fried chicken restaurant that legit tastes like fried chicken you can have in Korea. I am wondering if it was opened by a Korean.
You can also have other than fried chicken from ramen to Tokbboki. And why not add a soju like you are really in Korea. If you are interested in Korea now, you can read about it right here!
Tel: +84 28 3914 4677
Addy: QPF3+94 Bến Nghé, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
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