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Brasher and faster than Hanoi to the north, the city formerly known as Saigon is Vietnam’s most exhilarating destination, with an ever-growing roster of restaurants, stylish boutiques, spas, and buzzing nightspots. If you haven’t been yet, now is the time By Samantha Coomber PHOTOGRAPHS BY MARTIN WESTLAKE THE BEST OF DESTINASIAN DECEMBER 2007/JANUARY 2008 104 SQUARING OFF Inside Square One, the sleek surf-and-turf dining room at the Park Hyatt Saigon.

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Brasher and faster thanHanoi to the north, thecity formerly known asSaigon is Vietnam’s most

exhilarating destination, with an ever-growing roster of restaurants, stylish boutiques, spas, and buzzing nightspots.

If you haven’t been yet, now is the time

By Samantha CoomberPHOTOGRAPHS BY MARTIN WESTLAKE

TTHHEE BBEESSTT OOFF

DESTINASIAN DECEMBER 2007/JANUARY 2008

104 SQUARING OFF Inside Square One, the sleek surf-and-turf dining roomat the Park Hyatt Saigon.

OURING VIETNAM’S LARGEST CITYtoday, one can hardly believe that only 20

years or so ago, this teeming metropolis ofmore than six million people was, like the rest

of the country, shut off from much of the outsideworld and in economic tatters. How times have changed. Thoughthe mere mention of “Saigon” (Ho Chi Minh City’s official namepre-1975) can still conjure images of sleazy bars and massage parlors filled with American GIs—of whirring helicopter bladesand tanks rolling down French-designed boulevards—the Saigonesehave long moved on, and their city has never had it so good. Itsstreets now reverberate with the chimes of mobile phones and the clink of wine glasses filled with Chile’s finest; with the roar oftens of thousands of motorbikes and the omnipresent din of construction sites giving rise to sparkling high-rises. These days, it’shard just getting a room in a five-star hotel, and some downtownreal estate prices are now higher than those in Tokyo.

Which is not to say that the city named after Vietnam’s revolutionary leader has the sophistication of other regional hotspots. There’s no mass transit system, and despite an upwardlymobile skyline, the sprawling city remains for now predominantlylow rise. The few shopping malls are uninspiring and globalbrand names have yet to swamp the market—and that includesMcDonald’s and Starbucks. But therein lies Ho Chi Minh City’sattraction: boisterous and rough around the edges, what this former “Paris of the Orient” lacksin infrastructure and tourist attractions it more than makes upfor in sheer personality. And whilethe best way to experience the cityis by roaming its streets on foot(being careful at all times to avoidall those motorcycles!), there areplenty of first-rate stops along theway to round out a visit.

/ GETTING YOUR BEARINGS /

Set on the banks of the SaigonRiver in Vietnam’s tropical south,Ho Chi Minh City is divided into19 districts. The visitors’ mainpoint of interest will be the downtown core, District One.Centered on historic Lam SonSquare—not far from whereGraham Greene found his inspiration for The Quiet American

—this precinct ishome to most of thecity’s best shopping

and entertainment (including all but four of the establishmentslisted below). District Three, to the north, offers tree-lined boulevards with more dining and retail diversions, while westward,District Five, or Cholon, is home to Vietnam’s largest Chinesecommunity, with excellent markets, pagodas, and Chinese food.

/ WHERE TO STAY /

With its chateau-chic lobby and faux-colonial fittings, the ParkHyatt Saigon (2 Lam Son Square; 84-8/824-1234; www.saigon.park.hyatt.com; doubles from US$290) evokes a bygone era, yetwithout sacrificing 21st-century conveniences. Overlooking theOpera House, the city’s newest five-star lodging oozes class andimpeccable service; the 252 guest rooms pair four-poster beds andlouvered windows with modern amenities like walk-in rain showers.

When it opened four years ago, the 374-room SheratonSaigon (88 Dong Khoi St., 84-8/827-2828; www.sheraton.com;doubles from US$270) established the local benchmark for in-house technology and sophisticated facilities. Come April 2008, ithopes to repeat history with the unveiling of 112 ultra-exclusiveguest quarters, all converted by cutting-edge interior designersfrom serviced apartments in the adjoining 25-story tower.

If Ho Chi Minh City has a grande dame, then the Caravelle(19 Lam Son Square; 84-8/823-4999; www.caravellehotel.com; doubles from US$250) is it. Opened in 1959, this independenthotel was home to the international press corps during theVietnam War, and continues to attract dignitaries, politicians, andsocialites. It now has a modern tower, but book a room in the oldwing for maximum character: the executive suites afford primeviews over the Opera House.

Boutique hotels have yet to make inroads here, but for travelerslooking for more intimate surrounds, there’s the refreshingly different Original Bed and Breakfast (25 Dong Du St.; 84-8/824-8262; doubles from US$35). Designed with flair by itsVietnamese-American owner, this 12-room bolthole is set in afive-story townhouse and blends Indochina-style furnishings with

mod-cons such as WiFi and afunky coffee bar.

/ WHERE TO EAT /

Vietnamese cuisine, of course, isavailable everywhere, from fluorescent-lit roadside stalls toupscale restaurants. In the formercategory, the Ben Thanh NightMarket at the junction of TranHung Dao and Le Loi streetsserves fare like pho—the country’siconic noodle soup—at deliciouslylow prices.

For those less inclined to eat insuch humble surrounds, there’s

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STREET LIFE Ben Thanh Market, left.Opposite: A view down Dong Khoi Street from the rooftop bar of the Caravelle Hotel.

CITY SLICKERS Outside Q Bar;wearing an embroidered U.S.Army jacket by designer MaiLam; Notre Dame Cathedral;the goods at Saigon Kitsch liveup to the store’s name.

FRESH FACE Clockwise fromabove: A therapist at La Maisonde L’Apothiquaire; the French-built City Hall; local fare atQuan An Ngon;; the lobby of thePark Hyatt Saigon.

the enormously popular Quan AnNgon (138 Nam Ky Khoi NghiaSt.; 84-8/825-7179). Housed in aFrench-style villa, the restaurant’smain dining area occupies acourtyard edged with bananaplants where mock hawker stallscook up dishes like cao lau (thicknoodles with roasted pork) andbanh xeo (crispy stuffed pancakes).The chaos is all part of the charm—lunchtimes and evenings hereare a veritable madhouse.

A more refined ambienceawaits at the Temple Club (29-31Ton That Thiep St.; 84-8/829-9244), where Brad Pitt and AngelinaJolie have been known to dine. Once a guesthouse for the Hindutemple across the street, the pastel-yellow colonial villa now welcomes all, with beautifully preserved interiors that almosttrump the Vietnamese specialties—try the pork-caramel hot potand prawns in tamarind sauce. And at Xu Saigon (71-75 Hai BaTrung St.; 84-8/824-8468), the service is as snappy as the modernVietnamese fare is exceptional: standouts include tuna springrolls with mango salsa and a bento-style coconut-stewed pork.

Thanks to a century of French colonial rule, cafés are aninherent part of the local culture, fuelled by excellent homegrownbeans (Vietnam is the world’s largest coffee exporter after Brazil).Apart from countless traditional-style coffee shops, a new generation of decidedly hip versions has emerged downtown,including X Café (53X Pasteur St.; 84-8/914-2142), the HighlandsCoffee chain (Vietnam’s version of Starbucks), and the SheratonSaigon’s jewel-like Mojo, where the tables are crammed with laptop-toting locals sipping frosted coffee frappés.

Among the better internationally styled restaurants to open inrecent years is Square One at the Park Hyatt. Designed by hipTokyo firm Super Potato, the restaurant’s striking interiors featurefive open cooking stations, including a charcoal grill and a wokkitchen. The surf-and-turf menu features Omaha corn-fed beefand seafood with a local accent, like the signature wok-fried scallops served in a ball of sticky rice.

Hidden down a narrow alleyway, Warda (71/7 Mac Thi BuoiSt.; 84-8/823-3822) offers an authentic Middle Eastern experienceamid Arabian Nights–inspired interiors. Overseen by a Syrianchef, the kitchen serves an array of dishes from the Gulf andLevantine regions, yielding delicate, zingy flavors like the chilledmezza platter—an ideal starter for two. Imaginative martiniscome in flavors such as bitter saffron or jelab, a Lebanese drinkmade from dates; diners can also puff on water pipes underBedouin-style canopies.

Equally authentic, though taking its cues from the opposite

side of the globe, is CantinaCentral (51 Ton That Thiep St.;84-8/914-4697). French-Vietnamese co-founder OthelloKhanh lived in Mexico for twoyears while producing a documentary about the Zapatistauprising, and decided to bring ataste of that sojourn back homewith him. The cantina-stylerestaurant wisely eschews Tex-Mex in favor of genuine regional cuisina Mexicana, including suchclassics as enchiladas and tapas-like ratones. Purists will alsoappreciate the attached bar,where flaming Cucaracha shotsand premium tequilas are theorder of the day.

An outpost of Phnom Penh’sacclaimed tapas restaurant,Pacharan Tapas and Bodega(97 Hai Ba Trung St.; 84-8/825-6024) serves fine Spanish winesand well-crafted dishes. Weekend

paella promotions, jugs of sangria, and a fiesta atmosphere makethis a second home for many expats, who typically make a beelinefor the breezy rooftop terrace.

/ WHERE TO SHOP /

Ho Chi Minh City offers an exceptional shopping experience.The best buys are traditional Vietnamese crafts—silk, ceramics,lacquerware, woven goods, embroidery—designed with a stylishand contemporary twist by resident international designers and emerging local talents. Better still, everything is ridiculously well priced.

Dong Khoi Street is the main shopping drag, home to storeslike the local flagship of Vietnam’s premier silk retailer, KhaiSilk (No. 107; 84-8/829-1146), and antiques and retro-furnitureemporium Nguyen Frères (No. 2; 84-8/823-9459). Located onthe ground floor of the old Continental Hotel is Mai’s (No. 132-134; 84-8/827-2733), where Vietnamese-Australian designer MaiLam, who fled Vietnam as a “boat person” in 1976, has returnedto her roots, converting vintage U.S. Army jackets into richlyembroidered works of urban chic. “What I create is based on my personal history,” she says. “My store is like a gallery ofVietnamese culture.”

Elsewhere, look to handbag heaven Ipa-Nima (85 Pasteur St.;84-8/824-2701) for the original, coquettish designs of formerHong Kong lawyer Christina Yu, whose devotees include HillaryClinton and Michelle Yeoh. Mosaique (98 Mac Thi Buoi St.; 84-8/823-4634) stocks exquisite East-meets-West homewares—thinkbright-hued silk quilts and lamp stands made from opium pipes—while Dragon Smile (74/5 Hai Ba Trung St.; 84-8/823-1788)retails both traditional lacquer furniture and decor items as well asfunky, innovative designs in abstract shapes and bold, matt colors.

At Gaya (39 Ton That Thiep St.; 84-8/914-3769), mingle withthe city’s savviest shoppers as they browse this uber-stylish three-story showroom of designer goods andfurnishings; after that, head a few doors down to

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A MATTER OF TASTE Deconstructedspring rolls at Xu, right. Opposite:Vietnamese-Australian designer MaiLam at her eponymous boutique.

Saigon Kitsch (No. 43; 84-8/821-8019), where Communist propaganda posters share space with retro accessories.

/ ART GALLERIES /

While Hanoi’s arts scene thrived during the 1990s (see “Brushwith Reality,” page 38), its counterpart in Ho Chi Minh Citytended to be largely overshadowed or ignored. Despite this, thecity’s art world—especially progressive contemporary art—is evolving as an exciting and unique force to be reckoned with,fuelled by international influences. A number of contemporaryart organizations have blossomed here, as well as progressive,avant garde galleries such as Galerie Quynh (65 De Tham St.;84-8/836-8019; www.galeriequynh.com) and Mai’s Gallery (16Nguyen Hue St.; 84-8/824-4536; www.maisgallery.com). For abroader picture, the family-run Tu Do Gallery (53 Ho Tung MauSt.; 84-8/821-0966; www.tudogallery.com), which opened as thecity’s first privately in art space in 1989, focuses predominately onlocal painters working in both new and traditional styles, such asoils, woodblock, and lacquer.

Housed in a three-story colonial mansion, Duc Minh ArtGallery (31C Le Quy Don St., District Three; 84-8/933-0498)showcases the development of modern Vietnamese art from the1925 to 1980s. This unique gallery-cum-museum offers a glimpseof tycoon Bui Quoc Chi’s private collection of approximately1,000 works by Vietnamese masters; its more contemporary canvases are for sale.

/ WHERE TO SPA /

Vietnam isn’t known for its homegrown health treatments, and just afew years ago, the only therapeutic enterprises you’d find in Ho ChiMinh City were an array of questionable massage parlors. But thanksto the city’s swelling middle classes and rising tourist numbers, spa-goers now have a number of world-class sanctuaries to choose from.

At the Park Hyatt Saigon, the soigné Xuan Spa offers a globalpampering program, from Ayurvedic treatments to all-naturalpapaya body polishes and Vichyshowers. Tucked down an unassuming lane in DistrictThree, the tiny Spa Tropic (187BHai Ba Trung St.; 84-8/822-8895;www.spatropic.com) is shrouded in bamboo and banana-treecanopies that overhang a mockJapanese garden. Well-trainedmasseurs are on hand in the threetreatment rooms and a regularlyrevised menu offers the usualhead-to-toe spa favorites—shiatsuand Thai massage, facials andpedicures—alongside traditionalherbal compresses and steam therapies.

Also in District Three is LaMaison de L’Apothiquaire (64ALe Thanh Ton St.; 84-8/932-5181;www.lapothiquaire.com).Occupying a rambling 1950s Art

Deco villa, this isthe city’s only wellness center,

taking its inspiration from a medieval French herbalist attributedwith miraculous healing powers. An old-world European themeabounds in gargoyles, velvet drapes, and claw-foot bathtubs; relaxing body treatments and facials that employ natural plantproducts from France are the forte here.

/ NIGHTLIFE /

Thankfully, the bar scene in Ho Chi Minh City is considerablytamer than it was during the U.S. military’s tenure. Still, echoesof those times can be found in District One’s backpacker enclave,where grungy but lively dens like Allez Boo (187 Pham Ngo LaoSt.; 84-8/837-2505) and Go2 (187 De Tham St.; 84-8/836-9575)offer blaring music and serious after-hours drinking.

When the city’s cashed-up, MTV-reared youth step out on thetown, they head to flash, brash clubs like Volcano (148 CongQuynh St.; no telephone) and America (Windsor Plaza Hotel, 18An Vuong St., District Five; 84-8/833-6688), all of which close at 2a.m. A better bet for well-heeled clubbers is Lush (2 Ly Tu TrongSt.; 84-8/824-2496), an intimate, lounge-style space targetingexpats who, according to its Californian owner, “missed their clubscene back home.” The infectious party atmosphere pulls in aneclectic and unpretentious crowd every night of the week.

Fifteen years after debuting as the city’s hippest watering hole,Q Bar (7 Lam Son Square; 84-8/823-3479) remains a staple onthe local nightlife circuit. Ensconced in the underbelly of theneoclassical Opera House (a.k.a. the Municipal Theater), the cavernous Q offsets Renaissance-inspired wall murals with feather-boa lights and leopard-print couches that look like they’vebeen plucked from the set of an Austin Powers movie. Expect sophisticated cocktails, a roster of European guest DJs, and theoccasional celebrity—Matt Damon, Robert de Niro, and KateMoss have all been spotted here.

A stone’s throw away, the Park Hyatt’s Park Lounge is anentente cordiale of informal comfort and old-world elegance, withfloor-to-ceiling louvered windows and teak floors. A classical

pianist and jazz/blues singer addto the evening’s refinement, serenading the consumption offine wines, cognacs, and the signature Saigon Crush—an exotic mix of Absolut Mandrin,passion fruit, and fresh lime.

And then there’s the sleeklounge component of Xu Saigon(see “Where to Eat,” above),which has raised the bar—literally—in Vietnam. With retro-cool furniture, a chilled clientele, andsublime coconut martinis, it’s cool enough here to make icecubes.

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THERE’S THE RUB At La Maison deL’Apothiquaire, left. Opposite: Gayais Vietnam’s first international-styledesigner showroom.