If you happen to be in HCMC for a weekend or a night, there are two things I would recommend. One, to stay at the Park Hyatt Saigon - its the best hotel in town with food, drinks and service that rivals the best in Asia. Two, cross the road directly opposite Hyatt's uber cool bar, Lam Son, go through a somewhat forbidding arched driveway and you will find yourself at the end of a cul-de-sac in front of Hoa Tuc, a self-described "Contemporary Vietnamese Cuisine Tea Garden".
After a full weekend in HCMC both in terms of activities and eating, we were looking for our last meal before boarding our flight. This little gem was a lovely surprise providing a light tasty meal with a franco-viet cafe atmosphere.
The menu was full of interesting dishes and we made a valiant attempt to sample a range. Every dish was balanced and included lots of fresh vegetables and local herbs. We ordered :
- Fresh home made tofu pan-fried in light batter with fresh mint, salt, pepper and lime,
- Fish cake wraps with spicy cucumber fish sauce,
- Spicy char-grilled beef w/kumquat, mustard sprout, lemongrass and white eggplant,
- Traditional lotus stem salad with prawns and pork,
- BBQ fillet of Vietnamese snapper with spicy beetroot and ginger sauce,
- Clams with star fruit soup with tomatoes and dill,
- Sauteed glass noodles with crabs and vegetables, and
- Seafood fried rice.
Everything is highly recommended except for the seafood fried rice. If you like lounging while eating, request for the sofa corner which can seat about 4-6.
Hoa Tuc
74 Hai Ba Trun, Quan 1, Sai Gon
T: 3825 1676 E: hoatuc@gmail.com
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