Living in Binh Thanh district, I often go to restaurants in this area to work or meet friends on weekends. Nha Nam Cafe or Awake Coffee is the place where I give me the ideal space to read books, write articles… Meanwhile, Twilight Rooftop or Owl in the Tree is the ideal chill spot for me and my friends. In addition, Dookki is an indispensable dining address for Korean food lovers like me. Suggested dishes: Milk coffee, chrysanthemum tea, apricot juice, crocodile juice, avocado smoothie, guava juice, mint fresh milk… Located opposite the Foreign Trade University of Ho Chi Minh City, the coffee shop is the favorite address of students and young people. Coming to the shop, I was quite impressed by the quiet space, low noise, in contrast to the busy look of D5 street. The restaurant has 2 floors. The lower floor is a cool skylight area and the upper floor is a place for those who want to study, read or meet with friends. There are both open spaces and air-conditioned rooms. What impressed me the most was the design of a huge bookcase right on the stairs. Not a “nerd”, I usually choose a single desk to work when I come here. The restaurant has many types of seating, suitable for large groups or single guests. The place where the charger is less plugged in is quite inconvenient for guests coming here to work. In addition, the quiet space is not suitable for chatting with large groups. The restaurant does not allow bringing in food/drinks from outside. The menu has all kinds of coffee, tea, smoothies, yogurt, cakes. In the summer, I often choose easy-to-drink cooling dishes such as apricot or crocodile juice. The ice blended drinks I’ve tried are quite bland, not the shop’s strong point. Suggested dishes: Spicy beef jerky, sunny day deer, beef patties, fruit wine, upside down beer… Tucked away in an alley on Bach Dang Street, Twilight Rooftop is a place I often go to after work to watch Saigon transform at night. As the name implies, the shop is open to welcome guests at dusk, from 6pm to midnight. The parking space is about 10 meters from the shop, located at the end of the alley. You press the elevator on the 5th floor of the apartment building and then walk up to the 6th floor to get to the shop. The open space here is both a plus and a disadvantage when Saigon is “sunshine in the morning, rainy in the afternoon”. The last time I went to the shop was a rainy afternoon, at that time, it was cloudy so I couldn’t hunt for sunset as usual. In return, on beautiful days, you can enjoy the romantic sunset scene. Possessing a view of Landmark 81, this is one of the most beautiful viewing points of Saigon in Binh Thanh District. At night, the shop lights up to create a shimmering effect for visitors to live virtual. There’s acoustic music on Saturdays and free tarot readings every night. In addition to alcoholic beverages such as beer, cocktails, soda… the shop also has snacks for you to enjoy and “hard” to sip. Suggested dishes: Iced matcha with coconut cream, strawberry banana, carrot orange, childhood cake, dried chicken with lemon leaves, Da Lat shumai… The shop is a combination of coffee and homestay model, located at the end of Ung Van Khiem street. Every time I pass by here, the shop reminds me of a tropical garden rather than a coffee shop because of the green space of ornamental plants. Many people liken this place as “the second Da Lat”. Entering the shop, the simplicity and peace of the wooden house with many pets such as dogs, cats and birds immediately grabbed my feet. The shop has many different spaces for me to read, work or chat with friends. The outdoor space is quite hot if guests arrive at noon. The upstairs area with many insects is also a minus point here. The cool green canopy, bougainvillea, sunny patio or rustic wooden floor here give me a lot of nostalgia about the city of thousands of flowers. This is because most of the decorations are brought back from the mountain town by the owner. The menu here has quite funny names such as coffee owls, coffee owls, fragrant lips owls, sweet owls, owls, small owls… Suggested dishes: Milk coffee, tropical tea, matcha, crushed ice, juice… Awake Coffee is my usual shop when I need to study or work at night. The “wake coffee” shop is located in an alley but is quite easy to find. Parking here is quite limited. If the restaurant is crowded, you have to park your car 10 meters away. The 3-storey space at the restaurant is quite spacious, there are many types of tables to sit alone or team work. The restaurant has an elevator, making it easy for you to move. Trees arranged in many corners are also a plus. The restaurant is quite crowded day and night. Therefore, the space here is a bit noisy, not suitable for those who need a quiet place to work. Coffee is the standout drink here. Refreshing fruit teas are the ideal suggestion for a sweltering Saigon day. Suggested dishes: Fried chicken, fish cakes, rice balls, mixed noodles… Dookki is the first place that comes to mind when I crave Korean food, especially tokbokki hot pot. The restaurant space is luxurious, with many types of tables, suitable for single or group guests. The hot food line includes many of my favorite dishes such as fried chicken with spicy sauce, fish cakes, fried squid, mixed vermicelli… In addition, hot pot toppings are equally diverse such as vegetables, mushrooms, meat, seafood, and pellets. , eggs… Especially, here I can prepare hot pot sauce by myself. Out of 7 types, I like dookki sauce the most because of its harmonious taste. After the hot pot meal, if you want to eat full, you can make rice mixed with seaweed, kimchi… with the remaining sauce in the pot. Coming here, I usually order more cheese rings with tokbokki or fried food. In addition to food, the restaurant also serves free soft drinks for guests. For me, the dishes at Dookki are quite starchy, so it’s a bit boring. Another minus point is that the buffet time is limited to 90 minutes.

Working in Sala, Thu Duc city, living on Chu Van An street (Binh Thanh district), so I often choose the places to eat and drink between these 2 areas for convenient travel. Pham Viet Chanh is an interesting street for many food lovers. Here, you can easily find a variety of dining spots in a variety of spaces such as small pubs in the alley, bistro, restaurant … In addition, diners can also dine at a vegetarian restaurant, have a drink. with colleagues at a European-style pub or meeting a partner at a Japanese restaurant. I often dine here because of the quiet, courteous space. Outside, the restaurant is painted gently cream yellow, and the vines cover the walls to create a cool feeling. The area inside is subtle with old wooden furniture and dishes, the food dishes are antique fake glaze. In addition, the stone statues, wall paintings also have many Buddhist imprints, creating a tranquil and serene space. With a varied menu, I usually order individual dishes and serve with hot rice. The last time I visited the restaurant, I ordered crispy mushroom with tamarind sauce, tropical salad, taro soup and white rice. In addition to the odd dish, the restaurant serves three more types of hot pot including Thai hot pot, flower mushroom hotpot and bowl of taste hotpot. The hot pot part is quite small compared to the price of 220,000 VND / pot. Coming here on weekdays, customers do not need to call to reserve a table because the number of customers is not too crowded. Suggested dishes : Fried bean mushroom with rice paper, tropical salad, crispy mushroom with tamarind sauce, crispy fried noodles, pad Thai, taro soup. One of the reasons I dine here is because I want to enjoy the famous Turkish kebab made in German style. The price here is much higher than the mass-appearing kebab bakeries on the street. Here serves both vegetarian cakes. I have tried 2 sandwiches: The Kebaby Döner sandwich and The Kebaby Roll. For each type of cake, diners can choose their own filling and sauce. I choose a vegetarian veggie, eggs and tzatziki sauce for The Kebaby Döner. The bread is fresh, soft, the filling is easy to eat, frugal, and the sauce is mildly sour. The Kebaby Roll has chicken fillet, cheese, cocktail sauce tzatziki. I choose tzatziki for my cakes because this traditional Mediterranean sauce has a characteristic yoghurt flavor, reducing the fatness of the meat. In addition to bread, the restaurant also serves lunch set take away including Tabouleh salad, hummus, carrot, cucumber, kebab bread. I usually order the lunch set here from 11am because the number of customers at noon is large, the ship time is quite long. Suggested dishes : Kebaby roll, Mini Roll Munch Box This restaurant is located in a small alley on Pham Viet Chanh, the location is quite difficult to find. Small, cozy space, suitable for couples or groups of 3-5 people. Different from many places, leaving pizza here is made into fancy rectangular pieces, divided into categories including 2 pieces and 4 pieces. In addition to pizza, the bar also serves a variety of vegetable salads. The types of salads range from 40,000 to 120,000 VND. Pizza 15×10 cm price about 60,000 VND, half of a 14 cm tray costs 120,000-220,000 VND (4 pieces), a whole 28 cm tray (8 pieces) ranges 230,000-300,000 VND Pizza here is made in Romanian style, not too variety of side dishes, but strange, fresh ingredients. The downside here is that there is no parking space. Vehicles are allowed to be stored in small alleys only about 2.5 m and unattended. Suggested dishes: Spicy Salam – spicy pizza with sliced ​​smoked sausage topping, Pizza Carnitas – stewed pork stew pizza Pham Viet Chanh has many Japanese restaurants. I came to know Horumon Yamibancho in a small alley on this street. From the signboard to the layout it feels like I’m standing in a Japanese restaurant in the famous drinking alley of Omoide Yokocho in Tokyo (Japan). The restaurant has a cozy space, suitable for intimate family meals or partner meetings. The restaurant serves Japanese-style grilled dishes including 3 main dishes: beef, chicken and pork. Charcoal stove is arranged at the table. This grill style will not suit diners who are afraid of smelling charcoal on their clothes. In addition to baked goods, the restaurant serves various types of rice and ramen. Drinks include wine and teas. The minus point here is that the menu is written in Japanese, making it difficult for many diners to choose dishes. Suggested dishes: Ramen noodles and grilled dishes at the table Captain Phook has a unique space with an alley seating area, open kitchen, allowing diners to observe the chefs processing. Location on the street but not as messy as the sidewalk bars. If you want privacy, you can choose to sit indoors. I stopped by the shop one late afternoon after work. Accompanying a friend, we took a seat outside, observed the chef’s preparation and saw the alley with people and cars passing. While having a meal, I can talk to the cooks. This space makes me feel comfortable after stressful hours. The outside position is loved by many diners, until after 7 a.m., there will be no vacancies. This is a Spanish-style pub with a friendly drinking space. This place is suitable for the group you want to find places to eat, have a good chat. The restaurant serves a variety of Spanish food, along with mixed wines. From the sitting position outside, you can observe the chef preparing the dish. Suggested dishes: Fish & chips, beef raviolo, seaside spaghetti with pistachio DOWNTOWN is a series that recommends places to eat from those who have experienced the service. In each article, we introduce different types of restaurants with typical dishes, suggesting and giving readers more options before going to the restaurant.

The village is located in Alley 184, Nguyen Xi Street, Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City, with dozens of households. They live crowded in makeshift motels several square meters wide. The house is cramped, hot weather makes the elderly and children tired. At noon, everyone couldn’t seem to sleep. They gathered to a housing area with shaded trees above to shelter from the sun. The houses here are roofed with metal roofs, they look old and quite tidy, the walls are also very old. Many apartments are dilapidated, about to deteriorate or are directly exposed to sunlight. Mrs. Tran Thi Diem (80 years old), working as a cicada picker – a resident of the village, has been tired for the past few days. “It is very hot at noon, especially around 13:00. My house only has a small fan but it is already damaged. Now I have to use a fan to dispel the heat,” said Diem. A house about 6 square meters wide but has quite a few people They said that they could not sleep because of the heat at noon, and had to lie down to rest, surf the entertainment phone. In the afternoon and evening, they were pouring out onto the street, practicing picking cicadas. This is not the main residence of the “cicadas residents”. Most of them rented again for about 1.5 million VND / unit. The inn has not been repaired for many years, so it is dilapidated, empty first, open back. Mrs. Thuan complains that the house she rented is now no longer a place to avoid sunlight and rain effectively. She repeatedly asked the landlord to fix it, but it was not agreed. Ms. Anh Mai, a resident of this homestay for nearly 20 years, wishes to find a better place to live in her old age. However, she said that it was just a wish, a dream. She herself has absolutely no money to move. A man in the neighborhood reinforced a plastic canvas on the roof. Many people here expect hot weather to pass soon. A woman covered her towel as she went outside to look for her loved one. “I am old, must know how to protect my health, avoid the heat to avoid colds,” she said. The fan works at full capacity in high outdoor temperatures. The houses are temporary, with no economic conditions, most of the residents in the neighborhood do not use air conditioners. Mrs. Chao and her husband talked at noon. Usually, she said, this is the time when her family rested after many hours of wandering on the road to pick up bottles. Ms. Chao complained that the electricity bill will be raised about 1.5 times more than last month. This puts people on even more of a burden. Despite the sun at 13 noon, Ms. Quyet (72 years old, who lives in the village) still goes to the street to pick up and buy scrap materials. She said that she is old, has no children, no accumulated assets, so she still has to make a living. Like Mrs. Quyet, some people in the village struggled to work in the hot sun. The poor village is close to temporary houses, and is home to dozens of households who practice picking cicadas in Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City.

Sanh oranges are chosen by many people to buy in hot weather According to some small traders selling fruit at the markets of Tan Dinh – District 1; Ms. Chieu, Thi Nghe – Binh Thanh district, due to the hot weather, the supply is low, while the demand increases, so the price of these fruits increases. “In the rainy season, cheap fruit, through the dry season, many people want to drink fruit juice, but the fruit is less so the price increases. Currently oranges increase the most, watermelon prices have nearly doubled, more expensive than the whole Tet holiday. These fruits are less in season this season, the demand increases, so the price is high ”, said Ms. Ha, selling fruit at Tan Dinh market, District 1. The prices of fruits used for juicing are on the rise, but consumption is still increasing. Mr. Tuan, selling pineapple at Thi Nghe market, Binh Thanh District, said that the amount of pineapple consumed per day increased by about 50% compared to the previous one. In hot weather, pineapple fruit is very sweet, so people buy a lot of pineapple to squeeze the juice because it is easy to drink. Normally, Mr. Tuan only sells about 200 fruits / day, but in recent days, he has sold 300 fruits / day.

I went to Le Petit Resto ‘, mid-summer midday in early April. Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh Xuan’s European restaurant (57 years old) is nestled in Le Van Duyet alley, Binh Thanh district. Diners to the restaurant can go from the direction of Bong Bridge or along the bank of Truong Sa embankment. The space of the restaurant is quite narrow and not too special. However, what impresses me the most is that European dishes are quite affordable, even 50% lower than the Western stores I have tried. “The shop sells mainly for profit, the customer is happy and delicious,” Ms. Xuan smiled when I asked about the “chestnut” price here. Serving Western dishes from 30,000 VND The shop does not have a parking space. I have to keep the car about 10 meters away. Opening the order menu, I understood why European dishes here are so popular with young people. The Western menu is quite rich, from salad dishes, chicken with sauce, chips … to full stomach like pizza, pasta, steak … The price ranges from 29,000 to 179,000 VND / piece, which is a plus point. for the restaurant to hide in the alley. For a rather sultry day, I ordered a plate of tuna salad and homemade aloe vera juice. Try the first salad, the cool feeling of vegetables, tomatoes, corn hits the tip of the tongue, followed by the rich, sour taste of tuna with vinegar sauce. “The vinegar oil at the shop makes special than many other places,” the owner confidently introduced me. According to the owner, diners come here often like pasta dishes with cream sauce, baked pasta … because the taste is easy to eat and the price is “chestnut”, only about 45,000 VND. Middle-aged people prefer more premium foods like beefsteak, pizza, and grilled salmon. In addition to salty food, the shop also sells desserts including mango pudding and cream brulle, priced at 30,000 VND. Seafood spaghetti is the restaurant’s favorite dish. Photo: Hai Nhi. Many customers of the restaurant also share their feelings with me. A gourmet named Huy (Phu Nhuan district) was surprised when he received the bill. His family’s 6-course meal costs approximately 500,000 VND. The owner shared that the children’s hobby of Western food was the inspiration to open the restaurant. “I hope everyone can try Western clothes at affordable prices, especially young people who don’t have too much money,” said Ms. Xuan. According to my observations, the restaurant not only attracts young people, some middle-aged customers or families also come here to enjoy European food. The space is quite narrow, about 10 m2, including 7-8 dining tables. I arrived at more than 11am, when the shop just opened, but the number of customers was quite crowded, only 2-3 tables were empty. The space of the restaurant is quite narrow, but there are still large groups and families coming to eat. Photo: Hai Nhi. Ms. Xuan’s restaurant was opened more than 5 months ago. Initially, the shop was just a narrow place with few tables and chairs, with low rental costs to do business. Later, the shop moved to a new location a few units away from the old place, to have more space. The owner said the cost of premises per month is about 20 million VND. The staff quickly decorates to deliver the food to the guests. Photo: Hai Nhi. The vitality inside the narrow kitchen Storing culinary quintessence, kitchen is considered the soul of every restaurant and restaurant. Entering Le Petit Resto’s kitchen, the aroma of sauces and roasted meat immediately aroused my sense of smell. The special feature of the restaurant is that the staff is quite few, most of the employees are family members. In addition to Ms. Xuan, she also has 2 younger sisters who are in charge of the kitchen, and 1 person is washing dishes. Recently, because customers are crowded, she has hired a kitchen assistant and 2-3 service staff. Her two daughters take turns serving, concocting, billing and closing the books at the end of each month after school and work. The cooking space is quite small, including 4 kitchen people and 2 waitresses in and out to receive food and bring it to guests. Ms. Xuan is considered the “captain” here, directing the kitchen assistants to prepare ingredients and decorate dishes. Each person in the kitchen undertakes a different task, but almost everyone is in a tight limb, urging each other to work to make food quickly. When I went in, apart from Ms. Hoa main cooking and 1 chicken fry, the other two kitchen assistants were preparing vegetables and setting the dishes on a plate to decorate. Bustling atmosphere inside the small kitchen. Photo: Hai Nhi. “There are times when customers are crowded, not in time, everyone in the kitchen has to do many tasks at the same time such as cooking, washing dishes …”, Ms. Hoa said while preparing beefsteak. When talking to me outside, she appeared to be a gentle, gentle woman. By the time she entered the kitchen, she became energetic, resourceful, focusing on cooking and guiding the work for the staff. That was when I learned that the owner had more than 20 years of culinary experience, and used to be the chef of a famous hotel in Ho Chi Minh City. However, Ms. Xuan is not a “race child” in the culinary industry. “I came from an accountant background, I did not have a job, and was introduced to a tour company to try out. At first, I just thought of cooking for fun. Who expected the chef and the cook. Deputy sure sees that I am gifted, so he always has a career. Since then, the profession of kitchen has followed me until now, “she said. Perhaps more than 20 years of cooking experience has made Ms. Xuan’s kitchen operation quite flexible and professional. On the hot fire, she quickly turned the steak, adding a little butter to increase the creaminess. “Beefsteak is very difficult to cook. Depending on whether you want to eat medium or rare, you have a different cooking time,” Ms. Xuan said. Ms. Xuan is preparing the beefsteak for the guests. Photo: Hai Nhi. Thanks to old relationships, the shop has a familiar source to import seafood, beef, and salmon ingredients … and sell them all during the day, absolutely not to leave them overnight. This ingredient is processed from 8:00 am to 11:00 am, not ready to be refrigerated. Therefore, the sauce is hot and fragrant, keeping the original flavor when delivered to diners. Normally, Ms. Xuan will get up early from around 4:00 am to 5:00 am to do housework, then go to the market to buy snacks, then go to the shop to prepare sauces and preliminary processing of ingredients. An employee of the restaurant is frying chicken. Photo: Hai Nhi. The average cooking time for each dish is about 15-20 minutes. “Sometimes customers keep remorseful, so we have to try to manipulate quickly. The shop doesn’t pre-process before,” said Ms. Xuan. Therefore, guests may have to wait a bit longer than other restaurants. After beefsteak finished, she began to cook crab noodles again. The bustling atmosphere is evident in the small kitchen. People not only pay attention to their part but also remind each other to create the perfect dish. The conversation between me and Ms. Xuan was continuously interrupted by the staff’s urging. Ms. Xuan spoke while quickly stirring the spices over the fiery red pans. “Sometimes the customers are too crowded, do not make up the dishes in time, Xuan skips the decor step,” the owner of the shop turned to tell me. Kitchen space is hot, narrow, but no one employee complains. Photo: Hai Nhi. A special feature of the restaurant is that it does not use monosodium glutamate. The pure European dishes are seasoned with rich flavors, slightly modified to suit Vietnamese tastes. According to Ms. Xuan, if cooked as the restaurant, the taste is quite faint, Vietnamese customers are not used to eating. “Working as a European kitchen is very hard. My two daughters do not follow their mother’s career”, Ms. Xuan said. She said that her oldest daughter is a doctor, the other is studying pharmacist in the third year. All the accounting jobs of the restaurant are also done by the two daughters, so there is no need to hire more people. The shop is open from 11am to 2pm, then has a lunch break. In the afternoon, from 17:00, the shop started to sell again until the stock was out. “There are days when guests come from 16:30. I also let them in but have to wait until the right time to have food”, Ms. Xuan shared. Tran Vu: “Small and beautiful restaurant. Delicious food, cheap price is the advantage of the restaurant”. Thuy Trang: “The restaurant has a small and cozy space. Two people should order a combo to eat many dishes. Beefsteak, tuna salad, baked seafood pasta with cream sauce, pizza, pasta are the must-try dishes”. Minh Hien: “The shop is in an easy-to-find location, wide alley. The space is a bit small, not suitable for large groups of people. Nice presentation is a plus point”. Mai Thy: “Fast food, no need to wait”. Pm Food Travel: “Although European food has had a variation, I find the taste is still a bit pale”. Let’s eat pizza for 400,000 VND in Ho Chi Minh City Zing compared two high-priced cheese pizzas. With a difference of over VND 30,000, 4P’s Burrata Parma Ham pizza impresses more than Logic Baked Prosciutto and Burrata Salad.

My name is Pham Thi Hai, living on Bui Dinh Tuy street, Binh Thanh district (HCMC). My family currently has 5 people, living in a house with only 4 m2 wide. All activities of the members are not pleasant because the space is too narrow. In front of my house is Bui Dinh Tuy street. For about a year now, the house has become small because of the area cut many times for the widening of the road. I’ve lived here for 12 years, when the road was as small as an alley. The area of ​​my original house here is more than 30 m2, now only 4 m2. My family has 4 adults and one small child. The ground floor is a place for us to sit and talk or eat together. The sudden change in the home space makes it difficult for everyone to live. In fact, we always want a new and more spacious place, but we have not had the conditions to relocate. We have increased the height of the house to expand the living space. This is the second floor. Because there is no area, the sleeping area is used as a study corner for children. The house was cramped so it was also filled with heat. My grandchildren often feel tired, especially at noon. In those times, we often take the children to school, park, or stay at the house of acquaintances and recent relatives. Walls are “deformed” in a way that makes the most of the space. This is the toilet area on the second floor, the area is just enough for one person to enter. The essential items in the family have no place to store them neatly. All of it was crammed into a corner like this by me and the kids. Many things are hung or supported high against the wall. The family has young children, so I always worry about them playing around and causing these things to fall, causing danger. Many objects are lined up at the place of family worship. When burning incense or offering the full moon, I have to move everything else to have room. This takes time and is quite annoying. Sometimes when I watch my grandchildren play around, I find this house very special. It looks like a super narrow hexagonal tube. The children only need to climb the stairs to reach the surrounding walls. Although the house became narrow, the road ahead was opened wide, traffic increased and it was convenient to sell banh mi and soft drinks. Thanks to that, this is the main source of income for the family. My family’s banh beo restaurant is also “unique” here. It was just large enough to accommodate a small table (if not over the curb). Occasionally there are customers who come to eat on the spot, most of them are acquaintances, finding the restaurant is tight, so they only buy and carry. Of course, if I was given a relocation arrangement, I would approve it. However, the family still has to calculate where to find a place to live for business and business to earn income. Having been at home for about a year now, me and my children and grandchildren are also trying to get used to the lifestyle and the way of life. However, I don’t think this is a good solution in the long run. Especially when my grandchildren get older, this house will not have enough space to live. At that time, we were forced to find another place to live.