This is the Miele Guide’s list of the top 5 restaurants in Vietnam. It is not endorsed by Reuters.
1. Square One, Ho Chi Minh City
Dinner at Square One is a dramatic feast for the senses. The main attraction is chefs in action in five show kitchens, cooking up a storm of authentic Vietnamese and western cuisine, fanning a roaring grill flame and wrapping fish in enormous pandan leaves. Around this centrepiece are the glass-encased selection of wines, a wine bar, juice bar and flower-lined outdoor terrace. After 9pm, the chill lounge music gives way to a funkier tempo and the crowd gravitates towards the wine and cocktail menu.
- MF Park Hyatt Hotel, 2 Lam Son Square, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Tel: +84 8 3824 1234
2. Temple Club, Ho Chi Minh City
The Temple Club is an incredibly beautiful restaurant. This colonial villa has been refreshed with hardwood furniture, polished lacquer and folding screens. Its formal dining room is an Indochinese Art Deco oasis of pristine white tablecloths and antique silver, while the wooden bar lends a touch of old world charm. The menu is a geographical survey of Vietnam, with favourites such as Hanoi cha ca fried monkfish, Long Va grilled fish, grilled beef on lemongrass skewers, and a homemade Hue cake in “secret sauce.”
- 29/31 Ton That Thiep Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Tel: +84 8 3829 9244
3. ZanZbar, Ho Chi Mingh City
One of the latest entrants into the city’s circle of sleek nightlife venues, ZanZBar is a great place to sit back with a Lemongrass Collins and enjoy live music. But what also makes it popular throughout the day is the elegant dining that combines Mediterranean and European classics with a more casual Australian twist. The menu ranges from generous pancake-and-eggs-breakfasts to hearty pizzas, tapas, and comforting classics such as grilled sea bass and tenderloin topped with foie gras. - 41 Dong Du Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Tel: +84 8 3822 7375
4. Cepage Wine Bar and Restaurant, Ho Chi Minh City
This trendy restaurant’s best-selling menu is known as The Black Box - a three-course mystery lunch created daily by German chef Andreas Ertle, who combines western and Asian techniques. In the evenings, the selections from the towering glass wine cellar or sake martinis can be taken at the bar with tapas or paired with courses such as yellow-fin tuna ceviche with sansho pepper, herb and mustard crusted lamb rack, or Tasmanian salmon with a yuzu crunch. The week rounds out with Cepage Chargrill Sunday, which features U.S. dry-aged beef and local seafood on the grill.
- GF Lancaster Building, 22 Le Thanh Ton Street, District 1 Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Tel: +84 8 3823 8733
5. Quan An Ngon, Hanoi
Quan An Ngon is a great concept for anyone eager to sample the best of authentic Vietnamese fare in one place. Rustic stalls manned by uniformed vendors are sprawled throughout a large courtyard and offer everything from rice paper wraps and spring rolls to noodles, seafood and desserts. You place your order and when the food arrive, you can devour it in the comfort of one of the large dining rooms, on the balcony in the adjoining villa, or in the courtyard under a canvas marquee. You’d be paying twice what you would at any other street stall, but the portions are generous and the hygiene level a lot more reassuring.
- 18 Phan Boi Chau Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi, Vietnam. Tel: +84 4 3942 8162/8163
2011 Porsche Panamera V6 Goes On Sale This WeekendAmerica’s coolest cities
