A Mom in Saigon, Part 2

Lunch with a Mediterranean flair at Au Parc.

Hitting the pavement.  The well-trodden sights of Saigon: Notre Dame Cathedral and the old post office.

Inordinately pricey (and mouth-watering) Singapore Slings at The Rex Hotel to cool off from the oppressive mid-day heat.

Margherita

Oh, fair Margherita, how could we have gone so long without mentioning you?  Located in the heart of the Pham, at 175/1 Pham Ngu Lao, Margherita provides both locals and backpackers cures for their beer and munchies cravings, offering barely authentic Tex-Mex, Italian and Vietnamese dishes.  The food is nothing to write home about, but it hits the spot every time and often is a jumping off place for nights out.

My personal favorite food items are from the Tex-Mex section.   I have ordered the vegetarian chimichangas (deep fried burritos) more times than I would like to count.  The guacamole is admittedly sub-par, but lacquer it on anything deep fried and you have a winner.  The quesadillas are mediocre at best, but add a little hot sauce, and you're in a road-side diner in El Paso.  We have dabbled in the Italian options a few times and have found that the pizzas aren't necessarily awful for Saigonese standards.  Some of their pastas are even tasty if you don't mind congealing your arteries with the cream and cheese loaded into every dish.  Never quite satisfying, yet never disappointing, Margherita is convenient, consistent, and cautiously recommended.

After taking a hiatus, we decided to recently rediscover Margherita - only this time heading to the upstairs' dining area.  Tucked into a cozy attic recess with a protuberant, rickety balcony is a lovely little vegetarian off-shoot of the backpacker (and grizzled ex-pat) paradise below.  Loaded with classic vegan-ized Vietnamese dishes, as well as the Western veggie options from downstairs, the menu is thick, thick, thick. What especially stood out to us was the massive array of soups - it appeared as though they have one for every single vegetable!

On a recent trip, Gavin ordered a stir-fried imitation chicken dish along with white rice.  I stuck to one of my favorite dishes, clay pot stewed tofu along with some water spinach.  We enjoyed our dishes and plan to return on future trips to the Pham.  There are undoubtedly better vegetarian deals to be had in this expansive city, but if you are in the area...

Doughnuts anyone?

After a long day of marching around town in the blazing heat looking at churches, going to markets and getting lost in alleyways, we needed a break and a treat.

For a brief respite from the enduring heat, we dove into Thế Giới Donut, a doughnut shop and a vibrant high school hangout on the corner of Hai Ba Trung and Vo Thi Sau.

After looking through the extensive selection, we decided on a Cinderella and a Shining Star doughnut to share.  We weren't expecting much as we carried our booty upstairs to munch on...

Yet, delighted we were upon our initial bites to discover a soft, creamy, cake-like dough slathered in sickeningly sweet pink frosting.

The High School Musical ambiance was also slightly entertaining - graffiti covered walls and passed out students post sugar high.

While Top Pot will always have a special place in my heart as the best doughnuts in the world, these were pretty damn good.  You can find Thế Giới Donut locations spread out across Saigon and I promise even the most cynical of folks will be delighted with these snacks.

Hanoi: Mediterraneo Italian Restaurant

After the previously discussed ordeal at the Italian embassy, we had worked up a sizable appetite and were ready for some pizza and pasta.  Luckily, I had anticipated the need for some authentic Italian and, with a rare burst of foresight, did some research before leaving Saigon.  My search brought me to Mediterraneo, located near our hotel at 23 Nha Tho in the heart of Hoan Kiem District.

To be exceedingly charming in a city bursting with charm can prove to be difficult,  but it was hard not to be taken aback by the quaint beauty of Nha Tho Street.  It's lined with boutique eateries and cute shops filled with high-end hand-made goods and is a perfect locale for a languid afternoon spent window shopping.  The end of the street runs into the courtyard of the towering Saint Joseph's Cathedral.  Mediterraneo is pretty hard to miss with it's bright blue sea-faring exterior and cozy open-air second-floor balcony complete with traditional bleach-white furniture.  (The facade is a tad more Ionian than Adriatic, but that can be excused).

Upon sitting down and ordering a carafe of house red wine and our meals, we were brought a lovely basket of freshly baked bread-sticks, flat bread, and rolls.  Especially unique and delicious was the Sardinian-style crispy flat bread baked with rocks of sea salt and fresh rosemary. 

I ordered a classic Mediterranean ensalata to start with.  Fresh mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, boiled eggs, potatoes, and leafy greens - all slathered in a homemade honey dijon dressing - made for a hearty sheepherders' delight.  Gavin prefers simple salads and was bemused by the inclusion of potatoes and egg, but I found it to be a perfect choice for a brisk afternoon with an oaky red wine as a complement.

I ordered one of the several vegetarian pizzas on the menu with eggplant, spinach, zucchini and plenty of cheese.  I drizzled liberal quantities of chili oil over mine and enjoyed every mouth-watering bite.  The crust was razor thin, yet remained crisp under the thick layer of toppings.  A proper wood-burning oven can clearly work wonders under competent hands in Hanoi's temperate climate. It was the best pizza I've had since we were last in Italy.

Gavin appropriately celebrated with a Northern standard from his family's hometown - the classic Tagliatelle Bolognese.  The homemade pasta was pitch-perfect and the meat sauce had a light, whimsical character that enhanced the fresh noodles rather than drowning them in acidity.

Our meals were superb.  The only problem was that our swollen abdomens let out a surly groan at the very thought of dessert!  However; we managed to fit in an espresso before heading back out into the chilly elements.  Props to this spot - I am going to gingerly amble out onto a flimsy limb and say it was the best Italian I have had (and may possibly ever have) in Asia.

Mogambo Bar and Grill

An unfortunate aspect of being a Giant is constantly worrying about your next meal: when will it happen, where will it be provided, what does it consist of, etc.  Seeing as though traditional Vietnamese portions are rather scant, a Giant transplanted into an East Asian context has an even bigger preoccupation: wondering if their next meal will be filling and appropriate to his body mass.  Being the spouse of a Giant is often an unenviable position as one has to be constantly prepared.  An unending search for substantial meals to fuel an insatiable appetite fills my days.  To ward off petulant hunger tantrums, I am always on the lookout for quick bites and snacks.

One of my Giant’s favorite meals as of late is hamburgers.  After hungrily devouring Black Cat’s "Garfield" and many a homemade black bean burger, we decided to diversify.  Mogambo came highly recommended by our meat-friendly colleague Javier.  He had described a strange, dimly-lit tropical world with corpulent matriarchs stretched lazily over divans and robust burgers that melt in your mouth.  We were intrigued...

Tucked into an unassuming storefront (especially for such an ostentatious interior), Mogambo is located between Ham Nghi and Thuc Khang at the beginning of Pasteur Street in District One.   We were immediately astounded by the decor of the establishment.  The walls were covered in varnished teak and bamboo siding, which zigzagged around the room in a claustrophobia-inducing pattern.  It reminded me of a Colonialist outpost on the edge of a murky jungle, where big game hunters knocked back countless scotch-and-sodas before embarking into the heart of darkness.  Paintings of half-naked African women and stuffed carcasses of various monkeys and jungle cats lined the walls.  A massive Zebra pelt took center stage, covering the majority of one wall near the entrance.  A long, sleek wooden bar lined with tall stools stood on one side of the narrow restaurant and rows of diner style booths on the other.  Gavin and I scooted into a comfy corner booth and quietly took in the sensory overload.

Gavin quickly found a traditional burger, while I struggled with the menu.   While extremely comprehensive for omnivores, I was left with two vegetarian options to choose from:  a French Onion Soup or a House Salad.  I went with the aforementioned soup.

 

Immersed in such a festive atmosphere, one can't help but imbibe.  Our drinks were delivered, Gavin's Tiger draft was quite nice, whereas my Campari Soda left much to be desired.  They must have measured out about a half-shot of Campari and diluted it down with an entire can of soda - leaving me with a slightly pink, fizzy water.

Gavin's meal came out first.  In typical fashion, he wolfed most of it down before my soup even arrived.  He deemed it a pretty standard burger.  A noteworthy bun, a large fresh patty, and average fries.  Extra points were given for the cornichons that came on the side!

My soup arrived paired with a side of chewy sourdough bread.  After watching Gavin eat most of his meal while I hungrily waited, I was overly excited to dig in and managed to scald my tongue on the first bite.  The broth was tasty and the three thick bread slices submerged in the soup and smothered in a thin, but rewarding layer of cheese were divine.  However, I thought it strange that an already bready soup would be accompanied by... drum-roll please... more bread.  Although it was no La Bonne Soupe, it did the trick and filled me up. 

Over all the experience was full of peaks and valleys.  It's quite pricey for Saigonese standards, but the kitschy ambiance is a welcome reprieve from the sleek, ultra-modern asceticism adopted by most eateries these days.  The food is standard, but the staff is attentive.  On the bright side, I don't think I have ever consumed so many carbs in one sitting, so at least a record was set.  While I don't think I will be returning due to the meaty menu, Gavin mentioned it would be a great spot to go with a bunch of fellow Giants for an "Alpha-Male Meat Fest"... whatever that means.

Thai Hoa

 After my great finds at Veggy's, I consulted some of my pals about their shopping habits.  I was told there were bigger and cheaper alternatives.  We headed downtown to 60 Ham Nghi to peruse the two long aisles of canned goods, crackers, and baking essentials at Thai Hoa.  While nowhere near as aesthetically pleasing as some of Saigon's spacious modern markets, this cluttered store has treasures waiting to be discovered.  The dented cans and partially squished boxes are seemingly procured from shady merchants on oily docks and add to the excitement of combing through the merchandise.

My initial purchases included whole-wheat flour, canned black beans, (unfortunately stale) Wasa crackers, a rolling pin and spices.  I loaded up on seaweed and wasabi for homemade sushi, curry powder and cumin to throw a little exotica into my kitchen, and a rolling pin to finally make proportional tortillas.  While they are lacking in the produce, meat, and cheese departments, they make up for it in dried lentils, a fine mustard selection, and a multitude of exotic teas.  Since that first visit, Thai Hoa has become a monthly stop for my home cooking needs.