My wife and I, were in Saigon for a wedding dinner. We deicided to stay for 2 nights, mostly to eat, shop, and switch off.
This is Part 1 — covering how we got in, where we stayed, and everything we ate. Part 2 covers shopping, the old buildings, and everything else.
Getting in — the e-arrival and fast track
First thing to note. Since 15 April, everyone arriving in Vietnam has to complete an e-arrival form before landing. The process is straightforward. I got mine done in under 5 minutes.
I also bought the Klook fast track service before flying. It cost about SGD 32 per person.
The way it works — once you land, head towards immigration and look for the counter with a blue signboard. That blue signboard is also the meeting point for the fast track service. They cordon off three immigration counters just for fast track holders, which cuts the waiting time. My total wait was about 20 minutes. Could have been quicker if not for the lady at the counter taking her time with each passport.
There are three tiers of service:
- Basic fast track — just to clear immigration faster
- Add-on for someone to collect your baggage (I did not see the need)
- Private transfer to your hotel — this is what I went for, included in my SGD 32 per person
The transfer person WhatsApped me the day before, telling me to head to column number 9 once I exit. My name was already pasted on a piece of paper there. Easy to spot.
Grab is also straightforward, so it’s really up to you.
A side note while you’re in the arrival area — there’s a TASECO kiosk just before the international transfer signage that handles SIM cards, currency exchange and tourist information. We did not use it as we sorted ours before flying, but handy to know if you didn’t.
Where we stayed — Hotel Indigo Saigon
The drive from the airport took about 30 minutes.
The lobby has a retro-inspired design with black and gold trimmings. Our room was a decent size with a rain shower. The colour scheme and fittings reminded me of Nyonya-style designs.
Complimentary snacks, coffee and drinks come with the room. Staff refill it daily.
If you can, request a high floor unit. The view from up there is pleasant and you avoid looking into other people’s rooms.
Location-wise it is a good spot. Plenty of hotels nearby, and once you come downstairs and turn left, there are spa places (the decent kind, not sleazy) and lots of food. Felt like a Japanese enclave too — quite a few Japanese restaurants around.
Food — what we ate
Quan Bui (first dinner)
We chanced upon this one. The interior is more done-up than I expected — industrial style with a metal mezzanine, a long bar lined with bottles, and a TripAdvisor recognition plaque on one of the columns.
The menu is extensive and oddly has Korean words in it, so I’m not sure how authentic it is. But the ratings are good.
We ordered peppercorn stir-fried beef and spare rib soup. The fried chicken wing was sold out. I also got a Vietnamese iced coffee.
My wife said the dishes taste like Thai food. The beef was not as spicy as I expected — slightly sweet. The soup was a bit sour, which made it appetising. They gave more onion than beef (LOL) but the onion was sweet and well-cooked, not raw.
Total bill: about 500,000 dong (around SGD 25).
Pho Vietnam (supper)
A 1.5 km cab ride from the hotel. We came here mainly because they’re open until 3 AM.
The menu is photo-heavy and prices everything clearly in dong.
We ordered the wagyu meat hotpot. The wagyu costs more but we decided to go for the best.
You dunk the meat, pho and garnishes into the very hot broth and let it cook in front of you.
The soup is very flavourful. Some may find it salty but I loved it. You can taste that the soup has been cooked with bones for hours. The pho has a nice chew. Beef quality was good.
Most patrons here are tourists, so the price is on the higher side. But the place is clean, staff speak English, and the food is good. Worth coming.
Address: 84 Hồ Tùng Mậu, Bến Nghé Ward, District 1, HCMC
Banh Mi 362 (breakfast)
A chain. There are several outlets and the one we went to is about a 1 km walk from our hotel. Cash only — take note.
You can order the regular baguette or the deconstructed version like I did — Bò Né (Sizzling Beef) at 95,000 dong, which comes with toasty bread, a hot pan with eggs and beef, and vegetables on the side. I had their signature coconut coffee with ice.
The bread is crispy and flaky on the outside, fluffy on the inside. Very appetising breakfast.
Address: 25 Trần Cao Vân, Đakao Ward, District 1, HCMC
NUC Kitchen and Bar (early lunch)
This is a hidden gem. A house converted into a restaurant, tucked into a cul-de-sac.
The menu is not very long but covers the basics.
We ordered the chicken wonton, the homemade noodles with duck, salted kumquat, and another traditional Vietnamese coffee. We also added their pancake for dessert.
The salted kumquat is very nice — refreshing, salty, and Instagram-friendly. The coffee is fragrant.
The food is okay overall. Tastes like glorified Chinese food. The wonton skin was a bit too thick for my liking. The homemade noodles are fine. The duck meat was plump and juicy.
The pancake was the bright spot — fresh berries, light yogurt, simple and good.
Total bill after service charge and VAT: 700,000 dong. Not a must-try. You can come if you are free.
Anan Saigon (dinner)
I made a reservation for this one. Anan Saigon is a Michelin-listed restaurant at #89 on a street in District 1. You wouldn’t know it from the outside — the entrance is right next to a row of wet market stalls and umbrella vendors.
Inside is a different story. The bar area has their house-brand Phở Gin on display, alongside a Tatler Best 2025 plaque and two Michelin Guide books.
The menu is titled “EAT EAT” — recommended dishes are highlighted in gold boxes. Prices are in ‘000 VND plus service charge and VAT.
The portions are small. The upside is you get to order and try more things. The downside is the price per item can be steep.
We started with the Foie Gras & Duck Mini Banh Mi (325k) — two pieces of crispy baguette topped with seared foie gras. You can’t really go wrong with foie gras.
We also had the Duck & Banana Blossom Salad (295k) — sliced duck breast with shredded cabbage, herbs, peanuts and a crispy rice paper cracker on top.
For mains we had their Wagyu Beef Mini Banh Mi (305k) and the Cơm Tấm Sài Gòn (525k) — their take on grilled pork broken rice. Both looked impressive on the plate but tasted fairly normal to me.
What really stood out was the dessert — Fish Sauce Ice Cream (335k), served in a halved young coconut with caviar on top. It came with a miniature bottle of Anan Saigon’s own Nước Mắm Umami Perfume on the side. That was the best item of the night.
Total damage: about SGD 100. Worth checking out if you are ready to splurge a bit.
4P’s Pizza (late supper)
We were still in the mood for more food. There is an outlet very near the hotel, so we ordered room service instead of going down. The pizza was good — chewy dough, tasty spicy beef. Recommend.
A Taste of Saigon (last lunch)
On our last morning before flying home, we decided to visit this place called A Taste of Saigon. It’s a typical Vietnamese restaurant — the kind of setup you see everywhere — but the Google rating was 4.9, so we wanted to give it a try.
The location is central. If you are in the key shopping area, it’s about a 5-minute walk. But the entrance is in a back lane of a very rundown building. You have to walk through a dark alleyway full of motorbikes before you find the shop.
Do not be alarmed if you reach the address and don’t see the shopfront along the main road. Keep walking through and you’ll find it behind.
We ordered the pho and the dry vermicelli with grilled pork spring roll — standard Vietnamese fare.
The dry vermicelli is the kind where you dunk the noodles into a refreshing cold fish sauce. The sauce is sour but the accompanying ingredients are hot. We loved it.
The pho broth was plain compared to the Pho Vietnam wagyu we had on the first night. Still comfort food, but we preferred the beef.
For coffee I had the famous egg coffee, and my wife had the salted coffee. Both were pretty good.
When we went through the Google reviews, most of them were from foreigners. When we were there most of the tables were also occupied by tourists. We were a bit apprehensive — is it a tourist trap? But the quality was actually pretty good.
Food: 4.5/5 — if you’re in the area and you want something convenient with good, consistent Vietnamese fare, an extensive menu and good service, come and check it out.
That covers the food. In Part 2, I’ll go through where we shopped, the old buildings worth exploring, the nightlife scene, and my overall thoughts on Saigon after a 15-year gap.
If you enjoyed this, you may also like my 6-hour layover in Hong Kong for another quick eat-and-go-style trip, or the longer 12-day Aomori & Hokkaido self-drive series.
