HCMC’s residents are spoiled with an abundance of eat-in and
takeaway dining options. Standards range from austere plastic-chair-and-tabled
eat-and-run sidewalk joints to gourmet bistros, brewpubs, and top-self
restaurants dressed in modern décor and set around lush, hypnotic water ponds.
Some venues boast rooftop tables and tremendous views.
Vietnamese eateries are found in almost every street and
alleys and severe everything from noodle soups to savoury pancakes and fresh
spring rolls. Along with a variety of roasted, toasted, and deep-fried insects,
meats that many westerners find unpalatable, if not unethical – snake, rat,
cat, dog – can be found. These unorthodox meats (to western tastes anyway) are
holdovers from wartime, when food was scarce. There is also a superstitious
element at play. Some people believe that eating dog meat keeps the body cool.
As Vietnam becomes more prosperous, demands for these meats will shrink. In the
meantime you can find restaurants in HCMC that specialize in serving nearly any
meat your heart desires.
Admittedly, Vietnamese are ravenous meat eaters. This,
however, does not preclude the availability of mouth-watering vegetarian and
vegan options, which are plentiful, owing to Vietnam’s deep Buddhist traditions
and the growing numbers of diners choosing to forgo the consumption of animal
flesh. Try a bowl of vegetarian pho made with mushroom. Magnifique!
There is quite a trade in after-school street snacks, dished
out from glass-shelved sidewalk carts. Enterprising cooks camp out on patches
of pavement near high schools and universities and churn out deep-fried banana
and yam fritters, helping to quell students’ afternoon munchies. Packaged snacks
can be picked up at any of HCMC’s international convenience chain stores and neighborhood
mom-and-pop shops, of which every street has at least one, probably a dozen.
Vietnamese desserts typically include mixed fruit platters
of sliced mango, dragon fruit, and watermelon. Chè, served in a glass or bowl,
is made from sweet beans mixed with crushed ice.
Bánh flan, a custard dessert with a soft caramel top, was
introduced by the French and is still a favorite dessert in Vietnamese
restaurants. Black coffee is sometimes poured over top when served.
Not exactly a paradise for Western dessert lovers, HCMC
nevertheless is home to local and chain ice cream parlors and cake shops
offering most of the usual suspects and a few surprises – including durian –
and young rice-flavored sorbets. Cupcakeries are a recent addition to the city’s
sweet-dining scene. You can find handmade chocolates as well. Ritzy dessert
cafes located finer hotels serve European pastries and specialties such as crème
brulee and tiramisu.