Vietnam Day 1: Xin Chào Ho Chi Minh

Small alley to our hotel

Good afternoon Ho Chi Minh.  In this trip, we tried to ignite our teenager passion, backpacking around Southeast Asia.  To be more specific, we only cover Ho Chi Minh, Hue, and Hoi An in Vietnam then continue to Phnom Penh and Siem Reap in Cambodia and finally back to Bangkok.  All together only took us 11 days and 10 nights journey.  As our kid at home and our age that already pass the party-goers period, we can't go longer than this. 

First stop is Ho Chi Minh.  We stayed at Bich Duyen Hotel in Pham Ngu Lao, great great location and very fluent English speaking receptionist.  However, the dummy part is we got the room on level 5 (all together 6 level) and there isn't any lift, only tiny narrow stairs that can take us to our room.  Imagine after a long walk in the city and we still need to climb up the stairs by the end of the day, feel like endless.  Luckily, the receptionist help us to carry up our luggages on our arrival.  Probably he saw us still like a youngster, therefore he gave us the upper level room and keep the lower level for the elderly. 

   

Not so big room, but for the amount that we paid is good enough

Very clean bathroom

Pickles 4,000VND

On lunch time, we headed straight to one of the best com tam (or broken rice) restaurant in town, near our hotel.  Com Tam Thuan Kieu is selling the broken rice topped with the meat of your choice that they show on the food bar.  There is no price for each single dish, but not too expensive.  My dish consists of broken rice, grilled pork and sausage, costs 25,000VND.  The pork was so so yummy and flavoursome, the sausage was also bring the sweet flavor to the dish and eating them with pickles was totally balanced up the whole dish together.  And accompanied with lemon soda drink, it was simply refreshing.



Ice coffee 30,000VND and lemon soda 20,000VND

Ben Thanh Market

After lunch, we just slackly walked toward Ben Thanh Market.  Shopping some souvenirs and enjoying my avocado drink.



Avocado juice 30,000VND

Bich Duyen Hotel

283/4 Phạm Ngũ Lão, Quận 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Phone: +84 8 3837 4588


Stay tuned for the next blog still in Ho Chi Min:

Vietnam Day 1 (Part 2): Beer and Pho Quynh in Pham Ngu Lao

Vietnam Day 1 (Part 2): Beer and Pho Quynh in Pham Ngu Lao

Previously:
Vietnam Day 1: Xin Chào Ho Chi Minh

Pham Ngu Lao

Pham Ngu Lao is the busy area when it comes at night, full with night life, beers and just ordinary Vietnamese cuisine.  At first, we chilled out trying some of their local beers and accompanied with banh mi.  Great combination snack or appetizer before our big meal, which is raw beef noodle soup or pho bo.  

Saigon beer 14,000VND

Banh Mi 15,000VND plus egg is extra 5,000VND



Pho Tian with raw beef 65,000VND



Banh Mi Bo Kho served with bahn 65,000VND

I'm not a fan of Pho but my hubby loves them.  He always has his pho whenever he sees one.  Although I don't really have pho dish  for myself but I always have a sip of the soup whenever he orders it.  And pho from this restaurant was absolutely toothsome.  The broth was very appetizing and flavorsome.  The raw beef was just melt-in-your-mouth piece of meat.  However, I still prefer my own dish, which was stew beef dish served with Vietnamese bread.  OMG!!  It was a great great dish.  I believe that this beef had been stewed in the broth for long hours, that's why the meat was very tender and absorbed those beautiful flavor from the broth .  The broth itself was very rich and tasteful.  Served with banh mi, Vietnamese white bread that crisp on the outside yet soft in the inside.  A perfect combination, when you dip that white bread into this flavorful broth.  I was just about to lick clean this bowl if no ones around. 

Phở Quỳnh  

323 Phạm Ngũ Lão, Quận 1, Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam

Phone: +84 8 3836 8515

Stay tuned for the next blog still in Ho Chi Min:
Vietnam Day 2: War Remnants Museum, Independence Palace, Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica, Saigon Post Office, and Local Vietnamese Coffee Shop

Four Days Three Nights In Singapore



Tian Tian Hainanese chicken rice - cheap and delicious
Half chicken SGD12, rice 70c, claws, chicken drumsticks, steamed vegie with oyster sauce

We tried to fit all these eating and sightseeing trips in tiny Singapore in this short break of four days three nights.  We arrived in Singapore in the evening so one day gone for nothing but still we can manage to have this famous Hainanese chicken rice from Tian Tian chicken rice at Maxwell Food Centre not far from our hotel. 

The next day we spent a good whole day in Sentosa, visiting Universal Studio and Merlion.  The next day we just spend our time around Marina Bay, had lunch at Jumbo restaurant.  And on the last day we just see some cultural town of Little India and of course we had to tried their cuisine too at Banana Leaf Apolo at Little India Arcade.



About 15 minutes walk from Waterfront Station to Universal Studio

Universal Studio Singapore

What inside the dinosaur's mouth mama?

Minion madness at that time

Minion family

Get off at Imbiah Station to see this giant Merlion

Croissant with salted egg yolk lave filling at Waterfront Station

Putu ayu, Indonesian snack

Huge meat bun from Chinatown (at People Park Complex Foodcourt)

Singaporian Chilli Crab at Jumbo Restaurant SGD 70.20 with 8deep fried mini buns SGD 5.60

Cheese mentaiko king prawn SGD 16, Broccoli with scallop SGD 42, and Prawn with salted egg SGD 36

Marina Bay

Little India

wet towel SGD1.50
For any newbie, just letting you all know, in Singapore or Malaysia, there is no complimentary peanuts or refreshing towel given in restaurants.  The will charge you some money at the end of your bill.  If you do not need one, please let the waitress know earlier so they will take it away from you and from your bill.

From left to right: Chicken dum biryani SGD10, palek panner SGD10, tandoori chicken (half) SGD12, butter chicken SGD13, garlic naan SGD3, cheese naan SGD4.50

Gulab jamun SGD 6

Tian Tian Chicken Rice

Maxwell Food Centre

1 Kadayanallur St, #01 -10/11 Maxwell Food Center, Singapore

Phone:+65 9691 4852

Jumbo Seafood Restaurant, Riverside Point

(there are two other branches: Riverwalk and East Coast)

30 Merchant Road, #01-01/02, Riverside Point

Phone:+65 6532 3435

Banana Leaf Apolo

54 Race Course Rd, Singapore
Phone: +65 6293 8682
Hours: 10:30am - 10:30pm